# Dusty has been spayed today...bonding soon...



## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

...and she's very quiet... really trying to tempt her to eat foodies but she's only managed a bit of grass/leaves so far. 

Been on the net for info... says she should stay indoors in cage so we can watch her. We're getting big baby Willow spayed next week now that she's nearly 6 months, but just been reading that bonding females is 'very difficult if not impossible' - is this true? Please share any advice/experience.... thanks.

Dusty and Willow have been introduced a couple of times under close supervision... Dusty was a rescue bun who previously lived with her brother (by accident) and Willow has lived alone since getting her as a baby in February.
So any thoughts, please share. Reading great threads on here about bonding.

jemma, dusty n willow x


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Dusty will soon come round 

Well you know im bonding my 3.. Hunny and Bebe are girls and ive had no problem with them 2  x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Dusty will soon come round
> 
> Well you know im bonding my 3.. Hunny and Bebe are girls and ive had no problem with them 2  x


But do you think it's easier 'cos they have a little man in with them too? Does he get one on each arm? LOL!


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

jemma_79 said:


> But do you think it's easier 'cos they have a little man in with them too? Does he get one on each arm? LOL!


I dont know tbh...  they seemed very happy sniffing each other without sunny around so i dont think there would have been much problem between them. But every bunny is different really  x


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

Not sure about the bonding issues, just wanted to wish Dusty a very speedy recovery and wish Willow luck for next week :thumbup:


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

K1nS said:


> Not sure about the bonding issues, just wanted to wish Dusty a very speedy recovery and wish Willow luck for next week :thumbup:


Thanks - Dusty is looking quite sorry for herself... bless!


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Just a Dusty update.... she's really perking up now, but wonders why she's in an indoor observation chamber (indoor cage). She's eating quite alot of hay now and has done a few poopies. Worrying tho, having them 'done' isn't it?


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Dusty is doing well now, a few weeks on from her bits being taken away... she's running round the garden like a mad thing then chilling out in the cool soily borders.... plus she's doesn't seem quite as shy and timid as before. Do the hormones take a while to settle?

Willow, the big baby lop, has her final mites injection next week... then it's spaying for her. Doing it as close to summer hols as possible so I can give them full attention during the bonding process (then I'll be able to chill in the garden with them, weather permitting, and not having to mark 100 school books like today....the joys of being a teacher!)

Hope you're all enjoying the sunshine (Dusty is still slapped out in the border and Willow is in this cute little tent - that's probably intended for cats, but was a bargain at Ikea!)

jemma x


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Glad to hear it! 

Hormones take afew weeks to calm down before they get back to normal  so nothing to worry about x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

A few weeks.... I hope she'll be braver in a few weeks - she's so timid!


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2010)

I'm glad she is recovering well :thumbup: 
Just to let you know as far as I am concerned bonding does can be difficult but certainly not impossible if it is done properly. Hormones take 6-8 weeks to die down so once Willow is done and you have waited for her hormones to die down also, I can't see any reason why the bond won't work for you :thumbup::thumbup:


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Oh wonderful - need words of encouragement... Dusty is currently running round the garden wild as she's just spotted next door's rabbit. We're a street of rabbits; two here, one next door and two next door to them! Rabbitland!


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Ive bonded 1 buck and 2 does and they are doing brilliant at the moment! Keep ur spirits high and it will work!  x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

I would love to bond these then get more... but I will focus on these two for now. Thanks for all the positive vibes!


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Willow was spayed yesterday and is doing much better than Dusty did on the first day. Vet nurse thought she was a lovely bunny with a lovely nature (well, she is). She had eaten and had a drink - Dusty had refused this on her first day!

Bless - how soon can I bond them? Dusty was done two weeks ago (and is 2 yrs old) and Willow done yest and is 6 months old.

Thanks x


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

I would think about bonding them 2 months from the day that Willow was done. So i would wait until at least the 24th Aug  You sound very excited to get started but if you do it too soon the hormones with get in the way and its horrible to see them scuff  They need some time to relax after there op too.. let the wounds heal etc

In the mean time you could start getting stuff ready  If youre unsure of what you need look in on my bonding thread i made a list on the first post  x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> I would think about bonding them 2 months from the day that Willow was done. So i would wait until at least the 24th Aug  You sound very excited to get started but if you do it too soon the hormones with get in the way and its horrible to see them scuff  They need some time to relax after there op too.. let the wounds heal etc
> 
> In the mean time you could start getting stuff ready  If youre unsure of what you need look in on my bonding thread i made a list on the first post  x


Thanks for your advice - thought they would need settling time - wasn't quite so sure how long with Willow still being young. Wasn't sure whether her hormones would have quite developed yet. They met when Willow was a baby and they've always been ok under supervision; just occasional dominant behaviour from Dusty.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

jemma_79 said:


> Thanks for your advice - thought they would need settling time - wasn't quite so sure how long with Willow still being young. Wasn't sure whether her hormones would have quite developed yet. They met when Willow was a baby and they've always been ok under supervision; just occasional dominant behaviour from Dusty.


Sounds like they should get on okay but its a different story when you start adding space to be dominent about etc 

After about a month let dusty hop up to willows cage and sniff alittle and visa versa. You will proberbly get some wees and poos being done next to the cage but i allowed Bebe to say hello to Hunny & Sunny alot and i think it helped with the bonding when i started. As the rabbits knew there was another rabbit around, and had got close to it before 

Just watch out for nips and nibbles through the bars  x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

This was them when Willow was a tiny baby...


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

You're proberbly not going to have much of a problem 
By the looks of it, they seem quite happy to have a cuddle  (very cute btw)

But now hormones are involved and your babies all grown up, some stuff can change. I rekon as soon as the hormones calm down and you get started, youll really enjoy bonding and itll be very easy for you to do!  x


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## jemma_79 (Nov 1, 2009)

Thanks for the positive vibes and advice - I'm sure it'll be hard work and will have ups and downs; esp now that 'baby' Willow is 6 months and bigger than Dusty! 

Great reading your bonding diary! Must feel good when everything starts to settle down and they snuggle!


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

jemma_79 said:


> Thanks for the positive vibes and advice - I'm sure it'll be hard work and will have ups and downs; esp now that 'baby' Willow is 6 months and bigger than Dusty!
> 
> Great reading your bonding diary! Must feel good when everything starts to settle down and they snuggle!


I thought there would be more scuffs then there were. Sometimes its alittle upsetting being woken up in the night hearing them scuff but you have to keep thinking about them getting to play and cuddle with each other.

My goal for bonding was for them to all be outside in the run on a lovely day, instead of having hunny & sunny or bebe, that way someone missed out  so its great on days like today when i can put them in the run and know that there will be no scuffs :thumbup: x


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