Even if you get a shelter bunny that you’ve had a compatibility match, there’s no guarantee that would even work out. And that’s the risk you really do have to take with getting a second bunny. With proper prebonding and bonding and patience, most pairs can work out. So some things to consider:

you’ll have to keep Ivy completely separate from Oreo until she has been spayed, then you’ll still have to wait at least 1-2 months for hormones to die down and prebond. Ivy is likely “submissive” currently because of her situation. It doesn’t really make her submissive more so that she’s just not in a good situation due to mama bun. She’s probably more timid. Bunnies also change when they are fixed, and you also don’t know what either bun is really going to be like dominant vs submissive until you start bonding. So I wouldn’t say either one was dominant or submissive right now.

If you do shelter option, obviously the buns there are already fixed. You’d just need to let them settle for a month, then prebond for a month, then you can begin session.

Again, either way there’s no guarantee. You’re also not really going to know who is dominant and who is submissive until you’re really in the thick of sessions, so there’s no use determining which bunny to get based on that. In either case you would need a contingent plan for if Oreo didn’t bond to either bun. Whether it be having two solo buns (which you’ll have for a few months anyways) or rehoming the second bunny.

I agree with A&B, there is no guarantee a bond will work, no matter which route you take. And make sure you’re okay with having separate rooms or pens for each bun if the bond doesn’t work out, because you can’t just “give it back”, it’s a commitment you take on, for the rest of their lives

But that’s what we’re saying. You could bring a “compatible” bunny home from the shelter and still have it not work out and have issues with them during sessions. You really just don’t know when you add that second bunny. That’s what I’m saying. No matter which one you go for is a gamble.

As A&B said, just because at the shelter they get along, doesn’t mean they will at home. A shelter is a scary place so they will probably act great with eachother and won’t show their true colors. Either way, the bond might not work or it might work, there is no guarantee.

At this point it’s honestly just up to your own preference and what you want to do.

I bought my boys at the same time from the same breeder (different litter). They got along amazingly, till obviously hormones kicked in. They had been living side by side for well over a year when I decided to try to bond them. Ultimately it didn’t work out, mainly because of Bombur’s health issues. But still it didn’t happen and now I have two perfectly happy solo buns who still love to groom each other through the bars.

Even siblings that have been with each other from day 1 and all through puberty and surgeries, and sometimes even they can have issues eventually.

Like I said before, in most cases they’re going to bond. It really just comes down to the personalities of the bunnies.

Hi there,

To me it sounds like your heart wants to rescue Ivy. I think it’s good that you are considering your options carefully. It’s tough because Ivy isn’t spayed yet, so a speed date between Oreo and Ivy wouldn’t be representative of how they would be.

Female-female pairs exist (I’ve seen them with my own eyes!), but they are the least common. I know my girl Bertha does NOT like female bunnies, but then again, the females she speed dated were all pretty pushy, so with a submissive one she might have been fine.

That said, I think when both rabbits are healthy, most pairs are bondable with enough time and patience. Often it comes down to it not being worth the stress and effort if there isn’t a strong need for the rabbits to be bonded. In your case, if you adopted Ivy, I think you would have strong motivation for that particular pair to work out. You might brainstorm ways that you could keep them both separate in case it doesn’t (getting creative with enclosures, etc.). Since you’ll be considering these things for during the bonding process anyway, you might find that it would actually be possible to keep them both even if they don’t bond.

I wonder if you might take Oreo on some speed dates either way, just to see how she reacts towards males and females. If she has an obvious preference, or maybe doesn’t seem to like other bunnies at all, then that might help you make your decision regarding Ivy.

I also don’t know what type of shelter is in your area, but if it’s a no-kill rescue, it might be kindest for Ivy to be surrendered to them if you don’t adopt her, so she could be placed in a more loving home.

Either way, you will be a giving a bunny a loving home, so I don’t think you should feel bad about whatever you decide.

Based on my experience working with buns, speed dating is not a reliable indicator of compatibility. Local shelters have all done away with speed dating because of that (and because dates can turn from cute to bloody in a split second). So I’d help the bun in need you already know and like. And then bond excruciatingly slowly (as bonding should be done).