Bonding Two Unspayed female Buns

[Dally]

Hi, I have one holland lop named Dally, And i was thinking about getting a friend for her, because I may be going to a private school that is at least 8 hours a day and i don’t want her to be alone. I’ve seen a lot of arguments about bonding when Bunnies are unspayed, but i was wondering if it’s worth a shot? I have an extra Hutch for the rabbit if it doesn’t work out. Also, does bonding go better if both buns are the same breed? I was thinking of getting a Lionhead.

[DanaNM]

Definitely do NOT attempt. Female rabbits are very territorial and if unspayed it would be near impossible to bond them. Are you planning to get your rabbit spayed? Spaying in females is important to prevent reproductive cancers, which have about 60-75% prevalence by age 4, increasing after that.

Breed does not matter, it’s about personalities. The most successful pairings tend to be spayed female with a neutered male. 2 neutered males is probably the second easiest, with 2 spayed females being the most difficult (but still possible).

. . . 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.  

[Dally]

I was not planning on getting her spayed,  mainly because we don’t have many vets where i live that work with rabbits…

[Wick & Fable]

If it is not possible to get her spayed, I would not attempt bonding nor get a second rabbit at all — they would need to be housed completely separately, and the potential that either of them would remain guarded/aggressive in reaction to the smells/presence of the other is high, not to mention the potential of excessive territorial marking by both.

On the positive note, if away during the daytime hours, your rabbit is likely sleeping for most of the time you’re gone. I would focus on spending time before you leave and when you come back with your rabbit to help prevent any loneliness.

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.

[Dally]

yes, the only problem is my dad surprised me by getting the bunny, and she’s coming either today or monday…

[Dally]

Ok, so the bunny im getting is used to being outside, andi have an outdoor hutch and an indoor one, so i’m putting my bunny into the indoor hutch and cleaning out the outdoor one so there are no bunny scents. Will that work?

[Wick & Fable]

Ideally both rabbits should be kept indoors for their safety (rabbits do better indoors; being “used to” outside doesn’t mean much for domestic rabbits since they aren’t meant to be outside in the first place). As long as they are housed separately and cannot interact with each other, that is fine.

Please make sure they each have time separately to roam in a larger space for at least a couple hours a day — no hutch is large enough to house a rabbit for several hours.

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.

[DanaNM]

I agree, it would be better to house them both indoors, even though bonding won’t be possible. Rabbits often enjoy having a neighbor, even if they aren’t bonded, so it’s fine and encouraged for the buns to be able to see each other. Depending on where you live there are many hazards outside. The most alarming currently is RHDV2, a deadly rabbit disease that is spreading throughout North America and some regions in Africa.

A lot of people with solo buns will house them in side by side pens, and then given them alternate exercise time in a bunny-proofed room. When I had this situation I would give one bun exercise in the morning and the other in the evening. Once I knew I could free-roam them safely I gave one daytime roam time and the other got the night shift. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Dally]

Thank you both!

[Author]

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