Do these factors play a role in bonding…?

[Sherlock]

I’m getting ready to get my first house rabbit, and have been doing a lot of research on the matter. From everything that I’ve read, it seems that it would be best for me to have two rabbits, so that they can keep each other company while I’m at work (I teach kindergarten, so I have regular hours, but a large chunk of time during the day when I won’t be home). Would it be better to get both rabbits at the same time so that their new homes would seem like neutral territory to the both of them, or should I get them one at a time? What if I adopt one that is an adult neutered male, and the other is a baby? Is it better to have two that are similar ages, or does it matter? What about size? Should I try to get two breeds that are comparable in size, or will that not be a concern once they’re bonded? And is there anything else I need to know?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hi. It’s great that you are doing research before getting a rabbit (or two).

Bunnies are very social animals and are often happier in pairs, although single buns who receive lots of people time can be happy too.

Do you have a rabbit rescue near you? If you’re not sure, check out the House Rabbit Society’s webpage (www.rabbit.org) for a list of rescues. If you do, you could adopt a bonded pair and that would save you a lot of work. Bonding can be difficult and time consuming. Most bunnies can eventually be bonded but there are rare cases where the bunnies are just too aggressive and bonding won’t work.

If you adopt two singles, they will need separate housing until they are fully bonded and neutral territory to do the bonding sessions.

You will need to make sure that both bunnies are spayed/neutered and given adequate hormone recovery time before attempting bonding. Age is not really a factor, although I would hesitate to bond an older senior with a very young bunny because the older bunny might find all that energy tiring. Size doesn’t matter much to bunnies either. I’ve seen lots and lots of very mismatched buns.

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