Advice for bonding a (possible) new shy + blind bunny

[Aisha]

Hey everyone! 😃

So some of you may know based off my last post I have an almost 3 year old mini lop – Mittens. Sadly, she developed cataracts and is currently on medication.

Anyways my dad’s co-worker’s sister recently passed away, leaving behind her bunny – Merry. Currently, she (the bunny) is living by her self on her owner’s property. Occasionally, my dad’s coworker will visit to give her some food + water, but other than that she is practically feral.

My parents went to the property today to try see if they could capture her so she can live with a family again. She was extremely shy and kept running away to hide, although she did not display any aggression. According to my dad’s co-worker, Merry used to be extremely tame/friendly but has been on her own for about 3 weeks so has regressed quite a bit. She is 1 and a half years old, and is a bit larger than Mittens (sorry, I don’t have any photos of her😓)

We are planning to try bring her home permanently or temporarily until she can find another more suitable home. Are there any things we can do to help her settle in and be less nervous? Will she ever become tame again? The main thing we are worried about is bonding her with Mittens who has lived by her self for most of her life. Due to Mittens’ cataracts I don’t know how she will react 😕

If anyone has any tips on bonding these two, please let me know 😊

I’m looking forward to reading your answers, and feel free to ask for more information as I’ve probably missed things haha.

Thank you 🙏

[DanaNM]

I think the new bun will likely settle with time and gentle care. Having her space all set up before she arrives and giving her time to adjust will be the most important things.

In terms of bonding, most important would be to get them both spayed, if they aren’t already. Then I would wait until the new bun seems very comfortable in your home and hormones have settled, and follow that up with some pre-bonding (where the buns live side by side and you swap who’s in which pen every day or so).

As a tip for catching her, it would help to bring an x-pen or two to see if you can corral her into a smaller area. You might even be able to get her to go into a carrier that way as well.

. . . 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.  

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