Having second thoughts

[Marie]

I have a rescue bun, a Holland Lop, and I have had him since late spring.  He is social and curious and brave.  He is about 3-4 years old and booked for his neuter in 2 weeks.  He already has good litter habits and we let him free roam.  I want him to be as happy as possible and since we are a busy family I know getting him a friend would be best for him.  So therefore I applied for a young spayed female from a rescue.  However I’m starting to second guess my decision, I know bonding isn’t easy and I watched some videos on YouTube last night which put me off a bit.  Now I’m a little scared, it seems like a lot that could go wrong.  I’m most worried about me falling for another bunny and then the bond not working as I can’t keep two unbounded bunnies long term, or one of them getting injured…not sure what I should do now…

[Bunny House]

I know how you feel, you never know about bonds. The best thing to do is to wait until he’s neutered and then a month after, take him to your nearest bunny shelter and do speed dating, this lets him pick out the bun he likes the most. My boy and girl pairs were love at first sight so I didn’t have any issues. My issues came when trying to bond all four and the girls and boys each hated eachother.

And of course, you’ll want to do prebonding a week or so after she comes home so she can acclimate and then do it for up to a month and then start bonding dates !

[sarahthegemini]

Generally, when things go very wrong it’s because the proper steps weren’t taken and/or things were rushed. It can be a daunting prospect but if you take things slow, most rabbits can be bonded. Some just take a little longer.

[mcrice14]

Hey, I’m not an expert by any means, but I’m glad I tried bonding my rabbits, and even though it was some work, it’s been worth it. I was also really nervous about them not bonding, especially since speed dating wasn’t going to work for us, but we just picked a random male of roughly the same size and age as our girl and gave it a whirl. Long story short, the key for my pair was pre-bonding for a while, and then just generally following the recommendations on this forum.

[DanaNM]

I’ve bonded several times now, and each time it was a lot of work, but each time it was totally worth it.

It is effort, and requires patience, but it isn’t rocket science.

For me, the things that help a lot are to make sure I have a really good set-up for both bunnies during the pre-bonding and bonding process, so I don’t feel rushed in the process. It also helps a lot to have a completely open mind about who will be dominant and how long things will take. Progress is usually not gradual, and tends to come in big jumps. So it can feel like nothing is happening, and then all of the sudden they are cuddling!

The risk of injuries during correctly done bonding is very low, so the fact that you are here now doing your homework means that most likely will not happen to you! Most of the times when things go wrong it’s because people just pop the rabbits together in a cage and let them “sort it out”. Terrible!

I did have one bond fail on me, and it was because I didn’t trust my gut as to whether they were truly bonded. So I would say if you have any doubts, keep working at it and take a step back. I think there is an over representation of failed bonds on the internet, because people who are having trouble come to the internet for help. Those with happy pairs are busy snuggling with their bunnies.

Lots of pre-bonding can help. Some recommend a month minimum. The space you use for sessions is also very important. Small or large can work (large has always worked better for me), but it must be as neutral as possible.

I think it helps to remember that rabbits are not violent creatures by nature, and they crave companionship. Any time they act aggressive it is out of fear. So when bonding, you are really working to create a safe environment for them to get to know each other and build trust. You are essentially a chaperone that steps in to calm them and prevent things from escalating to a fight. There are methods for the first bonding sessions that will help you build your confidence as a chaperone and will help them build trust. My current favorite is to use lots of petting when the bunnies first come near each other, especially in the early sessions. This helps swap scents and builds a calm association. Once you get a better sense of their behavior around each other you will be more confident in what to expect from them.

You can do it!

. . . 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.  

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