Bonding a Trio – Thoughts/Success?

[AnnaW]

Hey everyone! I have seen several rescue bunnies and am kind of considering adding a third bunny to my perfectly bonded pair Barney and Belle. Barney and Belle bonded with NO problems, literally not even one fight or scrap! Has anyone had much success with adding a third bun to an already bonded pair?

Thanks everyone x

[MoveDiagonally]

I’ve successfully bonded a third rabbit with a pair. I think it’s important when considering adding another rabbit to a pair or group to think about the possible negatives. If the risks involved are something you couldn’t or wouldn’t want to deal with then I recommend holding off on trio bonding.

1. Do you have a local vet? An emergency vet? Can you afford emergency treatment? Bonding can result in serious injuries.
2. Do you have the space for three single rabbits? Bonding a trio runs the risk of breaking existing bonds and there’s a chance that you might end up with 3 single rabbits either temporarily or forever.
3.What if the new rabbit doesn’t get along with one or both of the pair? Do you have the space for a pair and a single?

All that said, I enjoy my trio and even though I’m having some difficulties in my quintet bond (normal stuff) I’m really enjoying watching them figure it out and become a family. Having groups has been really fulfilling for me and I’m happy with how things are turning out for all of them. Before I bonded my trio I did a forum search and read up on all the trio bonding threads I could find. It really did help a lot when I was trying to make up my mind about it all.

[Irina]

MD- I know there are no guarantees when bonding any bunnies- whether it’s a pair, trio etc. I guess what I am wondering, is how often does bonding fail? It seems, from what I am reading, that most times it is successful. From all that you have read & experienced, would you be able to give a guesstimate about what the likelihood of success is? Are there any factors that make a bond more or less likely to succeed? How often does the original bonded pair suffer and end up having to be separated? As you know, I want to add a third after Shadow and Butterscotch are bonded (waiting for 4 weeks to be up so I can start trying them out together…patience is not my thing… ?). I have the room to house a pair and a single, or three singles, but obviously would prefer a trio. If there is a 90% chance I would end up with three singles- that is a risk I am not willing to take. However if there is a 90% chance of success, I would risk the small possibilty of breaking up my pair to add a third.

Again, I know there are no guarantees, and you don’t have a crystal ball… But am I right to think that most bonds can work with enough time and energy, if all the steps are followed – i.e. Prebonding, neutral, semi neutral etc?

[caudex]

You’ll find boatloads of anecdotal evidence about bonding multiples together, both positive and negative. A big part of it is your buns’ individual personalities. For example, I had a pair bond in 3 days, and an extremely easy, no fighting, 2 weeks trio bond. On the other hand, it took my friend THREE YEARS to bond her pair, completely with dangerous fighting, and it only worked cos we finally figured out that one had poor vision and needed its partner to wear a bell collar so as not to startle it into attacking. A third would NEVER work.

Is one of your pair have a territorial bun? A possessive one? One that might be unhappy feeling crowded or “competing” for food?

I really enjoy my trio. I think that one is definitely better off for it, one is indifferent, and one honestly, though they all get along, would have been just as happy to be a bachelor for the rest of his life. Clearly you’re thinking about it if you’re asking, please don’t think I’m implying you aren’t. But while they may eventually bond with a third– is that best for them? I think I would let them really solidify their own bond for a good long while and watch them. How bossy is the bossy one? What will adding a third do to the submissive one? Etc.

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