Bonding rabbit who just lost his mate to an already bonded pair?

[Mari]

Hello everyone, about a month ago, Toki, who was Moo’s mate, passed. They were bonded for about a year and a half and although this seems like such a short time, they were very very attached to each other. They got along the moment they met each other and were inseparable since. They followed each other around, cuddled, groomed each other all the time, and pretty much did everything together. I really believe they were in love. I did leave her body with him for a few hours when she passed. He grieved for quite a while when she passed, and would just lay in the corner of the room. I gave him a lot of attention, but he seemed to just want to be left alone. He just started acting like himself again a few days ago and recently, two bonded female rabbits were rehomed to me. 

Would it be a good idea to have them bonded as a trio? Is it too soon for Moo to meet new buns? Is it better to just adopt an unbonded female for him? I read somewhere that introducing one rabbit to an already bonded pair may break the original bond. If it is okay to bond the three of them, how do I go about it? Do I do it with them individually, or do I do it with both of the bonded buns? Sorry for all the questions. Honestly, I’m not familiar with bonding rabbits since Moo and Toki instantly got along. I know I got really lucky with them and it may have easily not turned out that way, so I want to make sure I do the bonding process the right way this time around. Any advice/opinions on this would be greatly appreciated. 

[DanaNM]

Sorry for your loss.

I don’t think it would be too soon for Moo (some bunnies re-bond very quickly after the loss of their mate), but you are correct in that trying for a trio risks disrupting the current pair.

I don’t have any personal experience with trio’s, but the method depends on the bunnies and how much help you have. Some people like to have the sessions with all three together, other’s like to pair them up first (especially if they don’t have a helper to supervise). Both Mikey and Bianca have bonded trios/quads. I’m wondering if you could do some pre-bonding with the bonded females and Moo, and see how they react when they realize Moo is in the area?

If you are OK with having two separate bonded pairs, your safest bet is to find an unbonded bunny for Moo. Do you have a shelter nearby that will let you date him?

Whichever you decide, the standard method is to let the new bunny settle in for a week or two, and do a few weeks to a month of pre-bonding (cage swaps) before starting bonding sessions.

. . . 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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