Bonding a trio – advice needed!

[tinyfurfam]

So I’ve been bonding three rabbits for about two months now. The first rabbit, Molly, is a 10-year-old dominant female. She has lived happily with the second rabbit, Sixten, for over a year. Sixten is a 1-year-old male. The third rabbit, whom I’ve been attempting to bond with my previous pair, is Elsa, a two-year-old female. They are doing very well in most aspects, often found flopping and grooming. However, there’s still the occasional chasing and nipping between Molly and Elsa. Molly is the chaser, and most of the time she will chase Elsa away from a litterbox or basically tell her to piss off if she finds Elsa too energetic to her liking.

Is this considered normal behavior between successfully bonded rabbits, or does it mean that Molly and Elsa don’t quite get along? Elsa is a nervous rabbit, and I don’t want to cause her any more stress if it’s a case of the two females not being compatible. I’d really appreciate some advice, since this bonding madness has been going on for so long and I’m honestly starting to feel exhausted by it.

[DanaNM]

It doesn’t sound like they are quite there yet, but likely close.

Can you describe what you’ve done so far to bond them?

Are Molly and Elsa friendly towards each other in other ways? Do they groom each other and snuggle?

. . . 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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