# Bonding my Quad



## aurora369 (Jan 5, 2008)

I am again going to attempt to bond two pairs together. My initial attempt was to bond Zeke/Baxter with Sugar/Sekura but I soon discovered that Sugar hated anybunny not her mom (Sekura). After a few bonding attempts where no progress was made, I gave up.

Now this second bonding attempt is due to my friend moving to China. She got Ruby from me from Wildfire's first litter and later I bonded Coal to Ruby after rescuing him from the shed. She's leaving on January 29th, so I'll probably take them a week or so before then.

I was originally going to try to have them bonded in a few weeks time, but since Zeke's unfortunate "circumcision", I'll have to hold off for at least a couple weeks. 

The good news is that besides the injury, the bonding went really really well. Coal even groomed Zeke at one point. And there was hay munching, cuddling and grooming of one's self in front of the other bunnies.

Of course Baxter sat in the same spot the whole time, and just snorted happily to any one that would listen. Loved the fact that Coal would snuggle with him.

Ruby dug at the blankets and hopped around the most.

Zeke was a good boy except when he went on a couple humping rampages. He released an awful lot of musk while humping too. He took some humping from Coal and Ruby fine. 

So, here are some pictures of the first round:
























So until I can continue the bonding, these pictures will have to tide you all over.

--Dawn


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## maherwoman (Jan 5, 2008)

Oh wow...many kudos to you for trying to bond four at once...

Looks like things are progressing nicely! 

Can't wait to see more pics...


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## JadeIcing (Jan 5, 2008)

You would have one of Wildfires babies? Oh I think I will cry.


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## aurora369 (Jan 5, 2008)

Yeah, I will. Ruby even has the funny lopsided dewlap that Wildfire had, not as big but still bigger on her left side. Her personality is different, more energetic and full of trouble, but she should get along fine with Zeke once bonded.

This picture makes Ruby look just like Wildfire:




I think the bonding will take, I'll just have to get Zeke to calm done a little bit about humping everyone like crazy. He was just lying there, then he would jump up and hump who ever was closest. And he got really musky while doing it. So I believe once he adjusts to the strange bunnies and stops being so smelly and humpy, the bonding will happen very quickly.

Coal and Baxter where cuddling for such a long time, and of course Baxter just loved it. Coal humped both Baxter and Zeke and no one really complained, and Ruby got Zeke once too. 

I can see that the new dynamic is going to be Coal and Baxter cuddling all the time and Ruby and Zeke getting into all sorts of trouble together.

--Dawn


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## aurora369 (Jan 29, 2008)

The new bunnies have been moved in for about a week now. I had to re-arrange my bunny space, but their cage fits nicely now. 

Barb came by last night to say good bye. That was hard, she loves her buns so much, but at least she knows they have a really good home no matter what now. 

We let Coal and Ruby have some run around time right next to Baxter and Zeke. There was no fighting of any sort at all. Lots of nose sniffing though! Zeke raised his tail a couple times, but he would quickly put it back down. Coal was determined to dig all the hay stuck on the side of the cage out. So Zeke was a bit confused and really wanted to see what Coal was doing.

I think that was a really good sign. When Sekura and Sugar play in front of Zeke and Baxter''s cage, Sugar and Zeke always try to fight. So no fighting at all was really good. I'll keep letting Coal and Ruby out to socialize a bit for a couple weeks.

Then the third week in February I have reading break, so I won't have school. That will be the perfect time to do a bunny bonding boot camp. I'll do bonding sessions every day, starting with some car rides and hopefully ending with them being in a pen in neutral territory. Once they are in the pen, I'll leave them there for a good couple weeks.

After the neutral pen, they should be ready to move back into the boys cage.

I'm so excited, I'm very confident that this bonding will be successful. 

--Dawn


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## jordiwes (Jan 29, 2008)

Excellent plan. It sounds like the bunny-druple will happen soon.


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## aurora369 (Jan 29, 2008)

Once they are in the neutral pen, I won't leave the house for a couple days. I want to make sure there is no fighting at all before I start leaving them at home.

With Baxter, Zeke and Wildfire, it was a one day bonding. Same with Coal and Ruby. They had an introduction, and car ride then a long stint in a neutral pen. It was so easy, so I'm hoping it will be easy to meld the two pairs.

Oh, and no one will be in the house above us for about a month or two. The old land lord is moving out on Feb 29th, and the new land lords are going to take a long time to move in. They will be moving furniture in, but not occupying until March-ish.

--Dawn


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## SOOOSKA (Jan 29, 2008)

Dawn I can't believe I missed all of this. Wow you have 6 bunnies now too. They are so cute. 

Will you come help me bond some of mine? LOL I'm too much of a chicken to try to bond mine. When Winston & Vega came Wilbur & Jackie started to fight, god I sat outside their room one night to make sure they weren't fighting. And then Daisy Mae went nuts with them in her room.

Good Luck

Susan:apollo:


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## aurora369 (Jan 30, 2008)

Yup, definitely six now! The living room is slowly being taken over by bunnies. I'll have to take some pictures when I've got the chance.

Soooska, if I'm ever out that way, I could probably be convinced to stop by and bunny nap... err... bond your babies.

--Dawn


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## polly (Jan 30, 2008)

hat second last picture how gorgeous is that :biggrin2:i love bunny noses.

Good luck with all the bonding


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## lemonaxis (Feb 1, 2008)

Wow I am definately going to be keeping an eye out for this blog...I will attempt to bond my 4 together too and I will need all the encouragement and advice I can get. Carlita is still lookign for a new home and the other 3 are keepers but the longer I have Carlita the longer is seems likely she will stay.

Carlita hates the baby Husker and is furiously jealous of any body going near Jazz but Jazz loves everyone so it will be very challenging.

Love the pics of your 4...stunning, I have never seen your buns because I never came across your blog but now looking at those beauties, gives me hope that most bunnies can be bonded successfully.

:inlove:urplepansy::bunnydance:


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## aurora369 (Feb 2, 2008)

I will try to do my best to update with all the progress. Next week is super busy for me, so I don't think I'll get much done.

I let Coal and Ruby out in the run with access to the boys cage again. It went pretty good except that Coal started getting nippy. 

Coal is the least socialized of the quad. Ruby stayed with her mother for 4 months before going to Barb, so she learned lots of bunny manners. Zeke has never been a single bun, he went from his family to being with Baxter and Wildfire. Baxter is super social, he lovers anybunny who will snuggle with him and is in heaven anytime anybun grooms him. Poor Coal spent a good three years in the shed with no bunny beside him or any interaction. I'm not sure at what age he was weaned at or if he had any socialization at his breeders. I looked at his pedigree and he was born Oct 5 2004, so I don't think he was very old when he left.

So, I think my biggest obstical will be to get Coal used to a multi rabbit environment. I'm considering doing some one on one bonding on the couch for a short time each night. Bring Coal and either Zeke or Baxter up on the couch with me.

It interesting seeing how the bunnies' personalities mesh. It's a constant guessing game of who is going to get along with who or who is going to be the aggressor. I never would have thought that Coal would be the aggressor, but now that I think about his level of socialization, it does make sense.

--Dawn


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## Spring (Feb 2, 2008)

Oh that's awesome that you are trying to bond a quad! Good luck!

I'd love to do something similar, but first I have to bond Pebbles and Jasmine. Bruno and Poppy don't like Pebbles that much, so will have to see once Pebbles and Jasmine are bonded.

They look so adorable together!


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