And They are Bonded!

In Cotton's perspective:

My parents checked us into a boarding school for boarding and bonding at the same time for 10 days. 

We had a little chasing at the start of the bonding session but things get better each day. By the end of the 10 days stay, we were bonded. 

Look at us! I was so tired that I flopped and Charcoal just relaxing to watch my back. This was like 8th day of our boarding stay. 

My mummy prepared our bonded nest by combining our pens. This was her initial layout for us. 

She bought a new metal bowl for us too! 

When we back from boarding, me and wifey decided to stay cool in our matrimonial pen and toilet. 

Wifey did not like the wooden log next to the pee pan by nipping it. Hence my mummy placed it another side instead. 

Indeed, wifey stopped nipping the wooden log. 

Wifey also likes to mimic me to stretch and rest after every good dinner. 

The success of our bonding does not happened overnight. My mummy drew a lesson from forced bonding me and Uncle Koogle. Although we were physically bonded as bromance, we were not emotionally connected. I do not miss him when he was hospitalized or passed on. I even Binky when he was not at home. My mummy was disappointed with me but she does not understand me well. 

This time round, my mummy took an effort to neutralize between me and Charcoal. The process took like 2 months (see previous posts). By the time we were sent for boarding and bonding, with the experienced of rabbit caregiver, then the success of bonding will be almost a guarantee and fast too! 

The morale of the story: some things need time to bore fruits and for the fruits to be ripen before fruits can be consumed. Sweet! 

Random Pictures of Charcoal

I think they are ready to be bonded anytime! Yay!! 

Preparing Cotton and Charcoal Bonding Update

To increase the intimacy chances between Cotton and Charcoal, I moved Charcoal's mat nearer to Cotton's pen. On the first day of the new change, Charocal peed on the mat. What a naughty girl to mark her territory and possibly warning Cotton. So I scolded her and explained to her why I'm doing that and subsequent next 2 days and she did not pee to mark anymore. Amazingly intelligent black silver marten! 

Then on the 3rd day of the new setup, I noticed Cotton is also resting close to Charcoal. He did not pee to mark his territory. In fact, they tends to mirror each other behaviors! It's a good sign!

So I arranged Cotton's pen with his mat near Charcoal's pen too! Ta-da!!! 

Now we shall wait again. 

By the next 2-3 weeks, there was no marking of territory behavior. It's a good sign said one of an experienced bunny parent. So now I closed up the gap! 

It has been 3 days since the gap was closed and again, no marking territory behavior. Awesome! I think they are ready to be bonded. :) 

Preparing Cotton and Charcoal Bonding

Some preparation work to do for Cotton and Charcoal as pre-bonding session!

1. Place them as neighbors. A gap is needed so there be little or no poop or pee war at border. 

2. Always supervise Cotton if he nears her pen otherwise face the dirty work later. Lesson learnt! 

3. Next step is to their poops after they settled down as neighbors.

4. After exchanging poops for 1 week or so, proceed to exchange their toys. I exchange their resting mats. Let them settle in again. 

5. My next step is narrow the gap. Remember, every little changes made has to ensure they are settled into it and then proceed to next change. 

I think by April when sending them for bonding cum boarding, their rate of bonding success be good! 

Modifying Charcoal's Litter Box II

Previously, I modified Charcoal's litter box and noticed the setup has a flaw - the sides of the trays can collect her urine and her small poops and hays will get stuck as well. Pretty disgusting to clean for me. 

So I went back to Daiso to look for the cat repellent mat. As the large piece were sold out (I presume), so I bought the smaller size instead. 

And I added egg crate above the cat repellent mat. End-user seems to accept her new toilet format. 

I also bought her a new mat for her to rest on. She refused to use it and I wonder why. So I gently told her the mat and the new setup are all for her. After some talking, she started to use it. What an amazing rabbit that needs approval from humans before doing it. 

Meanwhile, a gap between her pen and Cotton's pen is maintained but will slowly narrow by the week. This is some pre bonding work I am doing prior to sending them to board and bond in April. 

Black and White fat buns resting. :D

End of Micro-Space Experiment

When I came home last night, indeed, they had a pee party while I was out at work. 

Let's see the extent of their pee party remnants on the corrugated board. 

The pee also sipped underneath the board as well. >:( 

To add salt to my wound, Cotton's bottom also very dirty! 

Terrible! He has always been a very clean buck. And I checked his penis and found a bite wound. 

And Koogle has no bite wound at his penis not his bottom was particularly dirty. I knew I have to end this micro-space experiment as it pained me a lot to see Cotton poor hygiene condition and wound. So I separated them into their own pens instead. 

Vexed and fustrated, I asked for help from a fellow bun parent. She comforted me and told me to expand and combine their pens to become one common pen. I also sent her videos how Cotton would 'chase' after Koogle whenever they were free roamed and more pictures of their interaction together. As much as Uncle Hubby and I hate to see but within this bromance (as I was told), Koogle is the dominant buck and Cotton is the submissive one. We always prefer Cotton to be the dominant bun. The bun parent shared with me that the alpha character however can be rotated between the two of them over time so comfort me not to be of too concern with current situation. There's hope for Cotton! 

It's also a surprise that Cotton now allows Koogle to be on his bed and they are snuggling together - Cotton's head was leaning on Koogle as his pillow. 

More interaction moments when I expanded and combined their pens to become one pen.

Then they 'exchanged' places....

So I left them overnight and prayed that they won't stray pee. This morning I checked on them and so far so good. Now I can only monitor their situation further. 

Through this incident, I learnt that it's hard to do new bonding experiment/ways alone especially I'm an amateur to rear rabbits. Always seek help from experienced bun parents and keep an open mind at the same time. 

Micro-Space Bonding Day 1 after Reset

This morning when I woke up, I saw them snuggled!

I'm so happy but Koogle looked weird so I went to side to see clearly.

Ahhh...ic. He's not relaxing but sitting down only. So I decided to make some humors out in the pictures.

Then at noon time, I checked them out via IP camera.

Was Koogle really sleeping next to Cotton? I cannot adjusted the angle clearly but it seems like it. But I'm not convinced fully Koogle accepting Cotton. The real test is when I expanded their space. 

At 1:43pm: 

At 7pm...

Koogle did not snuggle immediately after I changed their litter box. He was actually snoozing on the litter box. When I was about to snap a picture of it, he actually startled and moved to sleep with Cotton. Hmmmmmmm.....

Hmmmm....maybe micro-space for one more day? 

Micro-space Bonding Reset

Things did not seems to improve much and so I re-read the micro-space blog again to see what I have missed out. Indeed, I got the micro-space start point incorrectly which is 2ft x 2ft (0.6m x 0.6m). I had mine at 92 cm x 92 cm - almost twice the space as recommended. So I removed one litter box out and shrink the area. 

Now now....they are puzzled and confused what's going on. Cotton and Koogle took turn exploring around that small space and Koogle at one point looking yielding for help.

Cotton on the other hand was busy munching his hays. He is so funny to think of food first in such distress.

So now I'll wait and monitor.