Bonding rescue with our bunny

[Hotot]

Hello!

We brought home an unaltered young male yesterday.  He is set up in our bathroom . Our bunny, Pom Pom, is free range. So we are keeping him away from the bathroom door. Today he ran past us to the door to sniff.  We called that a positive interaction and restricted his access.

Question: can this new bunny be let out into our garden to stretch and get fresh air? Our garden is definitely our original rabbit’s territory. We don’t want to jeopardize the bonding process. Should we find a foster for this new bunny until four weeks past his neuter? I don’t even know if I could find anyone. We hope to get him neutered this week but a month in our bathroom seems like a big stress for this new boy.

Thank you,

Amy

 

 

[DanaNM]

I think it is OK to let the new bunny exercise in spaces that your other rabbit exercises in, as long as your other bun isn’t there!

Your original bun might show an uptick in marking, but other than that I think he will be OK.

The only thing that would really harm bonding is if they fought, so just be sure they cannot access each other (even to nip noses through a fence). Rabbits are VERY persistent at getting at “intruders”, and will surprise you at how high they will suddenly jump over a fence they’ve never bothered to jump before!

A couple weeks post-neuter you can start up “pre-bonding”, where it’s actually encouraged to let the buns see and smell each other, and to swap cages or litter boxes so they start to really lose track of their territory and get used to the other rabbit’s scent. Waiting till after new bun’s neuter will help him settle in, and his hormones will change the way he smells after he’s neutered.

. . . 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.  

[Hotot]

Thank you Dana! This was very helpful bc life in the bathroom was getting tricky for our whole family.

Will check in with you post-neuter. Our first bunny is spending alot of time in front of the bathroom door. He’ll leave a dropping there but mostly just seems curious. We always wanted him to have a buddy, and we are just in love with our new Cinnamon. So we will proceed slowly and follow your guidance.

Amy

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