Bonding

[auntie]

I have 2 males they are brothers from the same litter .
They will be 2 in April. When they were babies they were bonded til hormones kicked in.
they were neutered in September. They are doing great together but not quite bonded.

they have their own cages because they kept my husband awake when I first got them.

 

They are currently living on my enclosed porch and they are moving in our house in my laundry room. Today
I tried to put them in one cage to see what they would do and one lost it. He literally bounced from one end to the other and ran in circles. I immediately opened the cage and then all was fine.

 

I thought about starting this week bringing them inside and putting them in the bathroom to try to rebond them but I’m concerned about getting 1 cage. As I don’t know if they can be in one cage together when need be.

im thinking about getting 2 dog crates as I’ve read that you can use for rabbits.

are there any dog crates that are better than others for rabbits to use while we step out or at night?

[DanaNM]

So, it is possible to bond them, but it is a more involved process than just putting them together.  Baby bonds are not true bonds, which is unfortunately a common misconception. You are on the right track with getting them neutered. Once they are bonded, they would share all living arrangements. During the bonding process, you would need to supervise them closely on dates in a neutral space (I think this is what you are referring to doing in your bathroom), but separate them when they are not in a bonding session or supervised. The process can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months, depending on how much time you have to work with them and how the bunnies get a long.

Most cages are too small for even a single rabbit, dog crates can be a bit better but usually still too small. A lot of people like to use x-pens for housing. They are great for temporary housing as well because you can reconfigure them as needed (like have two pens during bodning, and then once they are bonded just link them together to have one larger pen). You can also make “condos” or cages out of storage cube grids (this is my personal favorite), which can be more customized for the space, and give the option to add second levels or a roof if needed.

So to summarize, I would look into getting 2 x-pens or making pens out of cube grids so they can live side-by-side in your laundry room until they are bonded. Then you can reconfigure as needed if bonding is successful.

. . . 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]

I have two cages im using for my bunnies for bonding, i got them at petco. They are 3 2 in by 32 in, and as long as you let the bunnies out for excersize it is plenty of space. THey were also very affordable, $20 each. you couldnt use them outdoors but they are awesome inside!!

[DanaNM]

IMO 32″ x 32″ is still too small, unless it is kept open many hours per day (remember that even 4 hours of exercise means 20 hours in the cage). A guideline is that the bun should be able to take 3 hops in at least one direction, so 12 sq ft is a good rule of thumb for a medium sized bun.

. . . 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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