Bonding an 8 wk old and 8 month old

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This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 1 month ago by Nutmeg.

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- 10/01/2018 at 4:04 PM
  waponiiwoo
  Participant
  4 posts
  Hello! I have an 8 month old spayed Holland Lop. She is social and friendly with humans and dogs. I would love to get her a bunny to bond with and I’ve been watching rescues and local shelters for a neutered boy her age.
  
  Unfortunately, I’m not finding the right match…we have two dogs who are very bunny friendly but most of the bunnies I’ve found have had negative dog experiences and the shelters won’t adopt to someone with dogs. Obviously, I respect that. I want a happy house, not an anxiety ridden one.
  
  I am in contact with a great breeder and could easily bring a young rabbit around 8wks old into our home but some of the things I’ve read online have me feeling REALLY nervous about that idea.
  
  So, for those out there that have gone through the bonding process, what is your advice?
- 10/01/2018 at 5:19 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  On BB, the general message is bonding occurs between two, fixed rabbits who go through prebonding, dates, supervised time, etc.. it can take months.
  
  Since the rabbit will only be 8 weeks old, it would be most safe to keep the rabbits separate until the young rabbit is fixed. Hormones play a big part in bonding. Young rabbits will get along with any rabbit generally because they don’t have hormones driving mating or territorial behaviors. Initially, this is why a lot of people misunderstand and believe young rabbits are bonded. The danger of trying to bond an 8 week old to your rabbit now is that it may seem to go well, but you have no idea when the young rabbit will develop hormones and once that happens, a morning of cuddles can turn into a very dangerous fight while you’re sleeping.
  
  I’m assuming this is not what you wanted to hear (you need to wait to bond), but it would ensure the best happiness for you and the buns.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 10/02/2018 at 11:14 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Exactly what Wick said!
  You can still get a young rabbit, but just keep them separate until they are also fixed – give about a month for hormones to settle and for pre-bonding and then you can start the formal bonding process.
- 10/14/2018 at 7:56 PM
  waponiiwoo
  Participant
  4 posts
  Great advice! I appreciate the input. Boy, they’d have a long time getting used to each other’s scents before the new buck was neutered. That can’t be a bad thing, right?
  
  I’ve also reached out to our closest rescue…three hours away…and though they don’t have boys today, we may be able to work together to find a bun who is older and already neutered via that group.
  
  Keep the great info coming! Thanks again!
- 10/15/2018 at 9:23 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  No, its not a bad thing – that’s what I had to do with mine. They had to be separated for 4 months before I could get them fixed and then a month after. They had all that time to get used to the other ones presence and scent.
  I called it Pre-PRE-Bonding lol.
  
  Keep us posted on how it all goes!
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