Hello! Long time reader, first time poster. I’ve done hours and hours of research but want to get tips and opinions for my specific situation. I have a 5 month old lionhead named Buneary (Bun-eery) who was spayed last month and has recovered beautifully. I am also getting tomorrow a 9 week old female holland lop. I realize it could have been more ideal to get a boy but I fell in love with her. Also, please no talk about adopting from a shelter, I have already purchased her from this breeder I have been talking with for about a month now.

Now, I have read that bonding a baby with an older rabbit isn’t easy, and the bond could be broken after puberty hits the little one. What I’m wondering is that still the case for my bun? She is 5 months, still pretty young. My goal here would be to introduce them to each other (neutral territory of course) and have short bunny dates until the baby reaches puberty, maybe they get used to each other but will not fully bond yet? I will be keeping them in separate cages next to each other, BUT they will have the same play pen which connects to both their cages. I’m thinking of letting them out at different times in the day, even switching cages with each other sometimes to get used to each other’s scent. I will be spaying the girl as soon as I can when she reaches puberty.

My questions are
Is introducing them okay?
Will Buneary get mad seeing another bun playing in her pen and not being able to do anything about it? (Being in her cage)
How long after spay should I reintroduce them and try bonding them?
Will this whole process be easier because they are both still young?
Can I bring Buneary when I get my new baby? Introducing them with their first car ride together?
I am willing to bond them right now if they fall in love (which probably won’t be the case) and separate them when the baby reaches puberty. Would this be okay?

I am going to take this time before the baby reaches puberty to try and bond individually with each bun. I’m not worried about bonding them with each other just yet, and not for a while either. They will be roommates for a few months and hopefully that will help when the time comes to bond?

ALSO, I wanted to get from this specific breeder because she knows what she’s doing, genuinely cares about where her buns go to and how she takes care of them, updates me all the time on how the baby is doing and giving me tips and information on how to take care of the baby. She’s amazing, And I also understand it would have been better for me to adopt at a shelter, but I had made my decision. She claims her babies have been well cared for and handeld since birth, and are very sweet and well socialized. I’m wondering if socializing them and handeling them at such young age really does help them become more social? I really wanted a sweet bunny and that’s what sold me.

Thank you so much!