Are my rabbits too old to bond?

[Brittanybunny19]

I have had all 3 of my rabbits for going on 7-9 years (my oldest will be 9 in September). Unfortunately, when I got my first two rabbits, I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I am now. With this being said, “bonding” them was a failure, and since then, they have not been housed/allowed to roam together. My 3rd rabbit is her “own” indivudual….. so I do not really trust her with the other two. BUT! I AM interested in bonding my 2 older rabbits because I am moving in with my boyfriend soon and it will be a new space…. and I have heard that new/neutral spaces = good for bonding sessions.

 

I was curious if they are too old and too set in their ways to try this with them (ages 8-9). They ALL are housed in the same room, separated by x-pens, so they are aware of each other… but have never been housed together.

 

Sadly, my boyfriends place is quite small (it is a 1 bedroom condo) so having them able to roam together would be a HUGE relief on my end (of course, supervised).

 

Any tips and advice are greatly appreciated. 🙂

[Wick & Fable]

Age is generally not concern. Just keep in mind that the process can be stressful so as long as the rabbits are healthy and things aren’t interrupted by vet visits, I see no problem w/ it. Just keep in mind that grieving is something rabbits do, to varying degrees, when a bonded mate passes.

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.

[DanaNM]

Not too old! I’m assuming they are all spayed/neutered?  The only thing that really matters is whether they are all healthy, and to keep a close eye on stress levels as you go through the process. When I have bonded seniors I take things a little more slowly to make sure no one gets overly stressed.

New spaces are definitely helpful for bonding sessions! I wonder if you could even take them to your bf’s house for some shorter sessions before you move in? That would give you an idea of what you’re in for. You could also start doing cage swaps now so they get even more used to each other and can start to lose track of territories a bit.

If you don’t end up with a trio, you could very likely have a pair and a single which would still make things easier for you in terms of housing.

. . . 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.  

[Dally]

yes, age doesn’t really matter as long as they’re all healthy, but i would go slower than you usually would bonding to make it less stressful for everyone.

[Author]

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