Getting a third rabbit to a pair?

[lewisfm]

Hi!

I have a wonderful pair of rabbits named Cinnamon (rex male, neutered, who is around 4) and Sugar (mini lop female, spayed, who is around 5). They didn’t get along right away, but they learned to like each other. Even though we got Cinnamon over a year before Sugar, it appears as though Sugar is the dominate one, not taking any of Cinnamon’s “bunny sass” and demanding to be licked. Cinnamon is a sweetheart and is the most mellow and a hit with our friends. You could literally just meet him now and poke him anywhere, and he won’t be bothered a bit, If anything, he’ll give you a lick to show that he knows that you’re there. 

Sugar is also very sweet, seeming to get along well with other rabbits (she has been around several and has never been aggressive or ignored them). She seems to be rather shy and timid around humans, though. Makes me wonder what happened to that girly before we adopted her at our local humane society when she was around 2-3 years old. She has special connections with several people, though. My sister and her get along so well, like me and Cinnamon. We can cuddle for hours (with some bathroom and drink breaks, of course) and chatter for the entire time.

Overall, they both are very wonderful rabbits and since I’ve had such a great experience with them, I would love to possibly be able to get a third. Would it be possible to add a third to a pair like them who have been around each other for over a year now? I believe introducing a third rabbit (if we find one and decide to get one) one on one would be best, as well as getting a male (seems to be less territorial then females). A neutral environment is needed for this, clearly. Would a younger rabbit be okay?

We have the funds for a third rabbit, and we have plenty of room. At all times during the day, the rabbits have access to their standard size cage and a fenced in area (a doggy pin) to run around in, minimum. We let them run around the room at least twice a day, and around the house every now and then, and rarely outdoors in our backyard (after the proper precautionary vaccines) around spring and fall when it’s generally in the 60s (Sugar is completely in her element but Cinnamon is completely confused). We have time to help bond as well as a spare cage for a while when they’re not bonded well enough to the extent of living with one another. 

Advice? Thank you!

[Zombie-Sue]

Yes you could get a third, yes you could get a younger rabbit.

It’s easiest to let the rabbits pick their mate by going on bunny dates at a local shelter (:

[lewisfm]

Posted By Zombie-Sue on 01/14/2014 04:42 PM

Yes you could get a third, yes you could get a younger rabbit.

It’s easiest to let the rabbits pick their mate by going on bunny dates at a local shelter (:

Just might try that and see if they’re open to the idea of another bunny in the mix.

[Leanne_P87]

I have just introduced a third rabbit to my bonded pair ( Leo – 7yr old boy and Alice – 2.5yr old girl) who have been bonded for about 1.5yrs now. The rabbit I introduced was a lop girl I saved after being dumped and therefore they didnt have the opportuinity of “choosing her”. I house them next to one another for a while after she (named her Evie) was desexed and then starting slowly introducing Evie to both Leo and Alice.

Trios can be quite temporamental as the bond that your original two may be disrupted by the new rabbit. They may fight as they battle for dominance and the whole dynamic of the relationship can change. I know some that have failed miserably, but others that go well and they are all best of friends – you really wont know until you try it.

A younger rabbit could work, however you should know that if they are young and be bonded with your 2, that when they reach maturity things may alter as they get older. Also male/male bonds are the hardest bonds so 2 males to 1 female could be an issue, however it really depends on their personalities. My boy bun is so laid back, he doesnt care about any rabbit that comes into our home!

[tanlover14]

I have a bonded sextet – three males and three females. My males were the easiest to bond to each other while my females to my females were the hardest. It really depends on personality, nothing to do with sex. One female can be just as aggressive and territorial as the next male.

If you plan on taking them “dating” I would suggest younger (if that’s what you want) but altered. If they’re not altered, you won’t be able to begin bonding until the other one IS and after the neuter/spay there’s no guarantee your rabbits will even recognize the third (they recognize by smell and the smell of rabbit can be quite different after a spay/neuter). Just some things to keep in mind!

I think the biggest concern is what you will do if you can’t bond them. If not bonded, do you have the space and time for an extra bunny in the mix? You’ve already said you have the funds so as long as you will be able to successfully care for a third single rabbit then I’d say go for it!

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