I debated sharing this bonding story because I know so many people struggle with bonding issues and this was as close to love at first sight as you could imagine.  However, when I first considered a second rabbit I thought it was nice to read all sorts of experiences to help understand that you never know what’s going to happen, and in this case it was all about trusting my instinct to move forward instead of being afraid to change things up. 

Prebonding: Penny came to us the day after her spay, so there was no introduction before deciding to adopt, I just went with my gut feeling and with what the shelter could tell me about her personality. I kept her in a 2’x3′ pen for a couple days to rest from the spay.  I put a small stuffed rabbit in with her and gave another stuffed rabbit to Cooper.  After a few days I let Cooper come to the pen and check her out.  The sniffed each other and were very curious.  Then Cooper turned around and peed all over the pen.  Besides the peeing, things went well so I started having their meals together with just the fence separating them.  After a week I switched the stuffed animals so they each would have the other’s smell in their area.  After a few more days they were both grooming the stuffed animals!

Bonding:

Day1:  After Penny was healed it was time for the big introduction.  I took them up to the bathtub, ready to break up a fight if needed.  Put them both in and they just sat there.  Waited… and they still just sat there! 

So I went with my gut feeling and after 15 minutes of nothing I added some hay… No reaction.  Another 10 minutes of lounging and I added a litter box.  They both jumped in and just hung out in the litter box.  I gave them a treat and called it a night, separating them back into their own spaces (note: at this point the pen was actually in the main room where Cooper is free-range so they could still see each other at all times).

Day 2ut them in a semi-neutral spot in the kitchen, maybe 2’x2′ with water and a litter box. Penny did a lot of gentle nipping, but no fighting.  Fed them together and let them hang out for a couple hours until I had to leave.  Put them back together around noon and everything was the same.  Penny nipping, Cooper learning to give in to her.  Cooper began grooming Penny but she wouldn’t return the favor. Around 9pm I decided it was time for a new, larger semineutral spot in the living room, so I gave them about 2’x4′ with a litter box, water and a big bath mat.  I put my blow up mattress next to them and settled in for the night.  Not a single incident all night.

Day 3: I decided after 18 straight hours together with no problems they were safe to leave together all the time.  They were still clearly not “in love” but they were more than indifferent.  I kept them in the living room set up for a few more days with no problems at all.  It was interesting to watch Cooper as he learned that Penny was not going to stop nipping at him until she got her way.  It was a subtle change but I saw him slowly giving in to her.  I left them alone overnight after that, confident that all was ok, trusting my instincts.

It was either day 4 or 5 when Penny started grooming Cooper and friendship clearly turned to love. 

Once she started grooming him the nipping stopped and the cuddling began; I returned them to the dining room/living room where they have free range. They are now rarely more than a few inches apart from each other and it is an amazing bond to witness.  They take turns grooming each other and always seem to need to know what the other is doing