Bonding a 10 week Female with a 1.6 Year old boy advice needed

[Leetang89]

Hi All,

I’m looking for some advice if possible

Myself and my Partner have a Mini lop called Prince who is 1 year and almost 6 months old, he’s a very chilled little boy and on the smaller side for a mini lop weighing around 1.6KG. We all bonded pretty much as soon as we got him home and it’s been a blessing having him, initially we had him in a large grid cage however it wasn’t long before he became free roam. In the day he stays in the living room when we’re not home and at bed time he comes to bed with us and sleeps under the bed where he has his toys. We regret not getting him with a friend and although my partner is only away for work 2 days a week we’ve decided we’d like him to have a friend and another furry that can help him groom and in general be happy with but we have some concerns..

 

We’ve chosen a 10 week female minilop and have read lots about how the bond with baby rabbits is usually false due to the lack of hormones the baby has. Prince is neutered however we had to wait around 6 months before we could get him done and im guessing it will be around the same before we can get our new girl spayed so we have that to consider but Prince is free roam so we can’t all of a sudden put him in a cage but we also need to find a neutral space to bond them but the only real place he has only been in a few times would be our office which is small but big enough to keep her in a cage in that room, however does that room then not become neutral if she stays in that room until we have them completely bonded? we can’t bond them in the living room or bedroom because both of those rooms prince is in every day but then if she stays in the office will it ruin that being a neutral space to try bond them?, my idea would be to create a grid area (like a square and then divide it by grids) so that they can see each other but not get to  each other) and then slowly introduce them to each other without the cage and grids. The idea would be for her to become free roam alongside prince but we know that can’t happen until they’re bonded so would we be ok living our usual free roam life with prince whilst keeping her in the office space in a large cage? and then gradually bonding them in that space? until then putting her into his space in the living room?

 

We really have no idea how this is going to go, i’ve read lots that it can be perfectly fine or just not work at all, our biggest concern would be for any injuries to happen but we’d be there to split them up the second we see aggression. He’s such a calm little boy that i can’t imagine how he will react, but we’ve not yet met her to know what she is like either but we’ve committed to getting her and have bought all new stuff just for her so we don’t want to give up on it before we’ve tried but wondering if anyone on here has experience or advice on the best approach of bonding a baby with an adult rabbit?

 

I think it’s knowing that they could get on well now but as soon as she starts reaching sexual maturity that it could change and require more work, we’re willing to put in the work but really just hoping for some guidance on what’s the best approach.

 

Sorry for the long message, hope to receive some help and replies

 

Thanks

Lee

[DanaNM]

Sorry no one replied to this! Basically you cannot and should not start any bonding until she’s spayed, because as you’ve pointed out baby bonds aren’t real bonds. It’s ok for them to see each other and live near each other, but I wouldn’t work on bonding them at all, there’s really no point and only downsides (like he attacks her when she’s a baby and she gets hurt).

But, you have likely figured out some things already since it’s been a while since you posted. In general for bonding, it works best to set the buns up in side-by-side pens in the area that will be their final home once they are bonded. If one bun is free-roam, they will not be happy about this, but it really is for the best, and they will adjust! Then you can let them out alternately to exercise in the room, or divide the room in half with a pen (the first option is usually a bit easier to deal with). One bun could get morning exercise and the other can have evening, for example.

Since your female is probably still not spayed yet, it isn’t as essential to have them set up this way, because her hormones will make her smell very different once she is spayed. Once her hormones have settled (usually 3-4 weeks post-spay), you can start doing side swaps, where you swap which bun is in which pen every day or two. This helps them get really used to each other’s scents and start to lose track of territory. At first you might see some strong reactions to this, but they should calm down in a couple weeks time. Continue these side swaps during the whole bonding process. Once you see them start to calm down, you can start doing actual bonding sessions.

I used to live in a studio apartment, I know it can be very challenging to find neutral space! Many people have good luck with their bathroom or bathtub as a starting location. Most buns don’t spend a lot of time there, and it’s easy to wipe down with vinegar to neutralize smells. You can also create a neutral space by putting a tarp on the floor and blankets around some pen walls so the buns can’t see where they are, but tbh I haven’t had good luck with this method because the buns can usually still smell that they are at home.

So I would start with someplace like the bathroom or kitchen, basically anywhere that is out of sight of their home turf. If you can preserve at least one room of your house to be bunny-free for bonding sessions that would be ideal. Otherwise it’s time to start asking friend’s and family if you can bring the buns to their house for some bonding sessions! I’ve done this with mine when sessions got too long to stay in the bathroom and it has worked wonderfully.

Since you have some time to wait till she’s spayed, I would just focus on getting to know your new bun and letting her settle into her new home. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

To be honest, I would not attempt. Rabbits are very efficient in injuring another rabbit when they want, and there is no guarantee you will be readily available and in arms reach if something were to go awry. Of note, how a rabbit interacts with humans is not an indicator of how they will act with any particular rabbit– he could be very hostile, and vice versa.

Because the bonding process is so far out, I honestly would not be overly concerned about territory at the moment since the priority is ensuring both have ample time to exercise for their own longevity. Months down the line, you will need to consider things like the bathroom as well as methods to clean and “disguise” shared space areas as needed for bonding. As Dana mentioned, asking friends/family to borrow their space is also an option.

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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