Hi all! I am in the process of introducing and bonding three buns and need your opinion on one aspect.

Rabbit 1 – Pan. Pan is a neutered 8 month old Male lop. He was taken from his mom and litter at 10 weeks old and has been a single rabbit with me ever since. He was never been introduced to other animals, with the exception of a dog sniffing around his cage a few times. He is gentle and sweet, social and never aggressive, with HUMANS. He is confident and loves to explore and test new territory and challenges. He has shown no signs of depression or loneliness being an only rabbit. He has been neutered since he was 6 months old.

Rabbits 2 and 3 – Eleven and Ash. I got Ele snd Ash one week ago at 10 weeks old without knowing gender. They are lionhead siblings and very small! I have checked them and Ele is female and Ash is Male. They are very close and act like twins. They cuddle, eat drink and use the bathroom at the same time. They are also very friendly and explorative and curious. They are not yet spayed or neutered.

None have any health issues or disability.

My ultimate goal was to at least try to bond the three of them, realizing all of the challenges but wanting to take it on with the end goal of all three being able to live together in what is currently Pan’s large two story hutch. When I brought the babies home, I placed them together in a separate cage from Pan, but with the wall of the cage up against the wire of the hutch. Over the past week the buns have met and sniffed and gotten to know each other and me through the cages. I have switched out cage items back and forth to get the smells of all into each others space. Pan was initially a bit scared, then curious, and then I noticed that he started eating at the same time they did, then eating next to them, and laying down in his cage up against the wall of theirs comfortable. Yesterday I brought the babies to an upstairs bathroom which is neutral for Pan, and went to get Pan to meet them face to face for the first time. It was so strange, usually when I open Pan’s door he leaps out excited to run around, but this time he cowered in the corner and did not want to come out. Like he knew!! The babies were secluded a whole floor upstairs, nothing in sight, but he was terrified to come out! Buggy eyes, breathing so heavily, body tense. I have never seen him so scared since he was neutered and in pain!

So, I was able to get him out and up to join the babies, prepared with gloves spray bottle and a broom to separate if needed. Pan is huge compared to them,although he isn’t a *huge* rabbit, he is healthy and strong and a good size lop. So my worst fear would be him being aggressive and something happening to them. When they met, it was actually uneventful. Each of them did give off a few Thumps, but they were tentatively curious of each other, and within a minute or two, Pan who was still very stressed, was letting Ele groom his face and ears and Ash was cuddled up against his side. Now at this point I didn’t trust everything because I thought if he was really terrified he could be kind of paralyzed or just submitting in fear. But after a few more minutes, he was up and sniffing and interacting. I did not see a *click* love at first sight, but it also wasn’t disinterest. It was like strangers becoming acquaintances. I’m not *all in* but hey you’re okay! I consider the first meet successful. Absolutely no violence fighting or aggressive signs. Days two and three I had more sessions and this time let them loose in a large area that is Pan’s territory. His hutch is in this room and this is where he hangs out 100% of the time when he is free. Had the same result. They groom each other a little, this time there was some playing and binkying around each other and some playful chasing but not too much. Also of importance, Pan walked right into their cage and started eating and drinking their food both with them in there and by himself. And the babes went into his hutch and did the same. Pan also joined them in his hutch and they all ate together and just hung out, they spent about 20 minutes together in his hutch with not even one sign that anything was wrong or there was any territory stuff happening.

So, being that the goal is for the three to live in the hutch, a few things. Do you think I should continue longer and longer sessions of them in the hutch together but not fully move them in yet? Or do you think that what they have displayed so far is enough that I can trust them together and they are fine. I am not sure if I’m overthinking and over cautious or not. What do you think are the best next steps to continue to work toward co-habitating. My worst nightmare is that things are good and I have locked them in and I go to bed and come down to someone injured or worse because they weren’t ready! I have a lot of green lights, especially the eating together and laying down with each other in these close territory spaces, and I have read a lot, but am looking for some opinions and advice on this.

Thank you all so much in advance!