Rebonding after one of the pair died.

[Lauren]

I’m unsure on if they have to be a certain age to of been bonded. I bought 2 baby mini lop rabbits in July, 1 male and 1 female. They got on perfect. Never had any issues and they were lovely together. Sadly on Tuesday Sid (the male) died during his operation to be neutered. He was only 3 1/2 months and we are all so sad! We really can’t believe he’s gone he was a big healthy bunny, a lot bigger than Flo (the female). The vet said he must of had a reaction to the anaesthesia.

So now we are left with Flo, she isn’t the same on her own. She’s very friendly and lovely – like Sid. But she just seems to be lonely. We originally got 2 rabbits as I know they like to live in 2s and it would be nice for them to have company when we are out. Whenever we are in they are out of their hutch/run and have full run of the garden!

I’ve been trying to find information on rebonding her as she did love the company though I do feel guilty as I don’t want to replace Sid .

My husband has found a rescue which has a male mini lop similar age to Flo (3 1/2 months) who is due to be neutered next week. We are going to visit him on Sunday to have a look at him.

Any advice on trying to bond a rescue mini lop rabbit with Flo, and is it a good idea? Is it too soon?

I know they need to be gradually introduced and we already have 2 separate cages that we had gotten for after Sids operation so they could be close/next to each other although they couldn’t be together unsupervised.

[MrBun&Daisy]

I would say its okay to start the process of getting a new bun. Since he still has to be neutered and needs time to recover its not like you will be introducing them right away. If flo is not spayed yet they will need 4 to 6 weeks after this new bun’s neuter as he can still have viable sperm in that time frame. If you meet this little guy and fall in love then go for it. just take the bonding very slow. you can start with the scent swap when you bring him home. that will help them both get used to each other’s scent before they even meet. take something like a blanket or stuffed animal and give each of them one. let it stay in their cage for a few days to get the scent then swap. after a while of doing this they will recognize the other’s scent once the finally meet. When you do bring him home keep him completely separate even from seeing her if possible. during the month after his neuter his hormones will be at their all time high. this could set off flo too. once his month is up start slowly. introduce them in a neutral territory- one that flo hasn’t claimed as her’s. start with small bits of 10 ish minutes. there will be some sniffing and probably humping while they decide who is boss. even if everything is fine stop the date after 10 min so they end on a good note. gradually work your way up. the key for flo will be to take it slow and not overwhelm her. its good that you’ve already got the 2 cages and know to keep it slow. you’ll be able to read flo’s reaction and see if she is ready yet. I have a feeling she will be happy to have some company again

[tobyluv]

I’m sorry about the loss of Sid.

Since Flo is only 3 1/2 months old, she wouldn’t have been spayed yet. The first step in bonding is for both rabbits to be spayed and or neutered, with a recovery time of about a month afterwards. The reason that she and Sid bonded was because they were still very young and their hormones hadn’t kicked in yet. Flo will soon be entering puberty, with the hormones that brings, and that can mean aggression and territorial feelings. You could go ahead and adopt the mini lop after his surgery, but you would need to keep him separate from Flo until she has had her spay surgery and recovered. Then you can start the bonding process.

Here are 2 good articles on bonding:

https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

http://rabbit.org/faq-bonding-multiple-rabbits/

Meanwhile, until the time comes when you are able to bond Flo with another rabbit, spend as much time as possible with her to help her feel not so lonely.

[Author]

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