Bonding Rabbits

[Rosie316]

Hi everyone. I have two rabbits; a male and a female, both which have been fixed. I got my male rabbit neutered two weeks ago, and I know many recommend to wait a month, but my female has been fixed for a long time now so there is no possibility for babies. The owner of my local rabbit rescue informed me it was okay to try and bond them 2 weeks post neuter. Their cages are next to each other, so they’ve done “prebonding” for months now. There have been instances when my one rabbit got in the other rabbits cage while I wasn’t around (I know bad) but nothing ever happened. They never fought. Another time, my rabbit has gotten free and laid sprawled out right next to his cage. I’m not positive, but heard these were good signs. Anyway, I’m nervous for them to meet face to face, but am hoping for the best. Please inform me and tell me all you know/ what I need to know for bonding them. Thanks so much and I appreciate your responses!

[Deleted User]

It’s recommended that you wait a month just to be safe that hormones have dissipated and he isn’t still acting like a hormonal bunny. its not only for pregnancy reasons.

[Rosie316]

I guess it doesn’t really matter though, because I’m too terrified to do it.

[Mikey]

I personally would wait another two weeks just in case he has any hormonal spikes.

Another rule with bonding is that you do not start until you are comfortable. If youre nervous and jumpy when they meet, theyll feed off of your fear and might react negatively. Is there a reason why youre so afraid to bond them given their positive signs so far?

[Deleted User]

I thought that when the second one was first brought home they had a nasty fight that ended in one going to the vet… perhaps that was another member but I thought it was yours?

[DanaNM]

Hi Bunlo, I agree with the others about waiting another few weeks for hormones to settle even more and allow yourself to calm a bit. Nervous owners = nervous bunnies!

I recommend reading through bonding journals of other members here to read about their experiences, as well as the “bonding info” section in the “bunny info” tab at the top of the page: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx. That page will cover the basics, and the bonding journals will help you get more detailed understanding of different possibilities for how things might go. I know the search function within the site isn’t working, but if you google “binky bunny bonding journal” you will get many results.

Everything does sound positive with them so far from what you’ve described. Since it is your first time bonding and you are nervous, it may be worth asking a friend if they can help you for the first few sessions (it’s good to place both bunnies in the bonding space at the same time). You might also ask your rescue if there is anyone there who can help out with the first few sessions. My rescue actually allowed me to bring both bunnies in for bonding sessions in their exercise pens, which was great, and their bonding experts were there to help if needed.

. . . 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.  

[Rosie316]

@ Mikey I’m going to wait two more weeks. The lady at the rabbit rescue said to wait a little longer because of hormones (I tried yesterday but the boy immediately mounted her and growled..?) also, from what you said, he needs a little more time to calm down. They got into a fight the first time I got him because he had gotten loose when I was away and she attacked him but I saved him in time. He healed wonderfully! It’s been about 5 months since that incident and they (I think) are used to each other. I’m just very paranoid and replay the thought of them hurting each other. They actually have met before in a pen a while ago! It was before my male was neutered, the owner of the rabbit rescue was with me. It went fantastic… Until he started to hump her. That’s when we decided to wait for him to get neutered. In two weeks I will contact the owner of the rescue and ask her to help me. It’s too stressful for me and also it’s a brand new place so they’re both quite nervous. I’ve never had rabbits before, so I have no idea how to bond them and what fighting looks like. I figure having the lady at the rescue help me would be much better because she has had a lot of experience.

[Rosie316]

@BunNoob No, that was me. Since then it’s gotten a lot better. The older rabbit has become fond of him, he just hasn’t her yet. I don’t know if it’s hormones or aggression.

[Mikey]

Ah, ok, understandable. My Blue and Badger had a fight through bars one day when I wasnt looking, before they were bonded. Badger ended up with a skinned toe because of it. With more prebonding after a separation, the two of them got along just fine. For the next few months they were adorable cuddle buddies (along with my Bombur). Only separated because Badgers disabilities (muscle and bone problems + splay leg) started to cause troubles. Point of the stories is, even if there is a bloody fight, if proper steps are taken and neither bunny holds a grudge, they will bond together with patience and time

If youve moved recently (last one or two months), youll want to consider prebonding for an extra month. Moving can cause stress in rabbits, which might start their bonding off to a shakey start. Its always better to wait and start very slow if you think it will help them out. Of course, do not bond until you are ready, either! Thankfully bonding is not something that can be rushed, so if youre too nervous to start now, there is absolutely no harm in starting in a few weeks or months when you are much more comfortable. Plus, the extra wait and extra prebonding can actually help them out

[Rosie316]

I don’t know why I ever thought this could work out… they can see each other through their cages and continuously thump as well as make weird noises at each other. This is a nightmare.

[Mikey]

If you feel theyre not ready to bond, then dont bond them yet. If you would prefer them both to be single, keep them both single. As long as they still have the proper minimums (or better!) they will be fine single

[Author]

Messages