Getting a 6 year old bunny a friend…What are the odds?

[MoxieSox]

Hi everyone. I got my male mini-rex, Moxie, almost 6 years ago. I was quite young at the time and still lived with my parents. They only allowed one rabbit. He is neutered, lives in a large 4-level bunny condo (made from NIC cubes), and has “bonded’ to our cats and dogs over the years. He’s a happy bunny, great with his ltiter box, comes when called, binkies like crazy. But I can’t help but think he would be happier with another bunny. I can’t get a second bunny quite yet but have been wondering about adopting one from the local rabbit rescue. They do allow you to bring your bun in to meet with the adoptees first, but from what I understand only time will tell if they will get along.

I definitely don’t have the space or money for a second permanent cage. I have a large dog crate I could use for the new bunny temorarily. I could add a level using NIC cubes.

So, Moxie is a neutered male, and will be 6 years old in November. He has always lived alone. What are the chances that he could be bonded to a spayed female rabbit close to his own age? I would like to adopt an older rabbit if possible, as I bet they take longer to be adopted out. Has anyone here ever successfully introduced an older rabbit who had lived alone to a new bun? Helpful links specific to such a situation would be greatly appreciated too.

[kralspace]

I did! I found myself with a 5 yr. old lionhead who had lived all his life with indoor cats. He had absolutely no clue he was a rabbit…lol

When I realized it he was with me permanently, I had Simba neutered and after a healing time we went dating at the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary. We came home with an older lady, Hershey, who had recently lost her lifetime mate. I’ll add more to the story tonight, but it was an easy bond for me….Hershey laid down the law to my little old bachelor and he was happy as a clam for the two years they had together.

[Elrohwen]

Hannah was 3, so not too old, but 3 years is a fairly long time to live alone. She was interested in Otto from the first second they met (I think he just wanted her to leave him alone) and she couldn’t be happier having a friend. She’s still a bossy little thing and sometimes annoys Otto, but she’s absolutely one of those bunnies who is much happier and calmer with a friend, even though she had never met another bunny before him.

I think it all depends on the bunny’s personality and not really on their age. If you think of it from a bunny point of view, after they leave their siblings around 8 weeks and don’t have any more contact with rabbits, whether for one year or six, they’ve lose most of their social skills and will need to learn them again. The rabbit doesn’t know how many years it’s been, so bonding a rabbit who has been alone for one year is probably about as difficult as bonding one who has been alone for six years, assuming the personalities are the same.

P.S. It’s so great that you’re considering an older bun! They definitely have a harder time being adopted.

[Stickerbunny]

Powder is four (as best guess) and bonding him to Stickers went rather smoothly, he had to figure out the whole grooming thing (he totally didn’t get why she was hunkering down in front of him and just blankly stared at her when she did it) and he had a slight humping obsession for the first week and a half, but after that he learned he had to do things her way if he wanted attention. She’s taught him how to snuggle, groom and be a proper husbun. I think your bun would probably be successful at bonding, as long as the females personality matched his well.

[MoxieSox]

Thanks so much for your input! I would love to hear more experiences. The only major issue is that I absolutely can’t end up with two bunny cages. If the two get along decently at their first meeting, would it be safe to assume they can be bonded? How long can I expect it to take?

Ps that is so cute about powder!

[Stickerbunny]

How long it takes depends on the rabbits themselves and honestly, dating is good but it isn’t a guarantee. With some rabbits, it can take months to bond. My two took two weeks. Would the rescue be willing to let you foster to see if they would bond and let you return the bun if it didn’t work out?

[MoxieSox]

Sticker, I will have to email them and ask about that. I need to contact them anyway, as I would need to make sure the potential adoptee is okay with dogs and cats. I have a large parrot as well, but he’s very polite with the prey animals He’s only really bossy with the cats and dogs (as is Moxie!).

[Elrohwen]

Bonding time really varies. I think if you go dating and they get along well, especially if it’s to the point of eating together or even grooming, they will probably bond eventually. There are some (and I’m in this camp) who believe any bunnies can be bonded if you’re patient enough and willing to put the time and effort into the bond. Of course, for an inexperienced bonder you don’t really want one of those difficult bonds, but as long as they’re not trying to attack and go for blood during their dates, you should be able to get them together eventually.

[MoxieSox]

I one spent half a year introducing 2 male rats for a friend, so I have the patience. I just don’t have that kind of time anymore as I’m also currently rehabbing a rescue dog who is so anxious she can’t go outside without a complete meltdown…managing her environment 24/7 is about all I can take right now! But I’ll talk to the rescue about fostering and see what they say.

[Elrohwen]

Most bonds on this site seem to take between no time and a couple months. There have been a few that were much longer, but I think those were special cases.

[TriBun]

I am also in the camp (as Elrohwen called it) of believing any bunnies can be bonded. I think you are already set up for success because you can “bunny date” before bringing another home. Also, Moxie is already used to plenty of animals so I’m sure he would be more accepting of another bunny than one who’d never seen anything but humans.

I didn’t have a choice of bunnies to bond with my Rosy (8-month-old dwarf) because Kevin (3 -year-old lop) found ME. He needed a home and I had room. I knew I would bond them no matter what it took . They happened to have a very easy bond because neither one was dominant and they just kind of accepted each other. That being said, Kevin, who had lived his whole life alone, prefers being alone for most of the day. He only enjoys Rosy’s company at night. It makes me a little sad for Rosy because she ADORES him and would love to have an all-day companion.

With the experience I’ve had, my suggestion would be to find a bunny close to Moxie’s age and a male/female bond usually goes the best.

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