How long do I pre-bond rabbits for?

[vdemske]

Hi all,

I was curious to know how long do you pre-bond rabbits before you start with direct sessions? I’ve heard after a few days after new bunny comes home to a month after bunny comes home… would like to get input to be advised correctly.

I heard of switching their litter boxes and food bowls, etc to get them used to the scent. Has anyone tried anything else? Do I clean the litter box out of switch them ‘as is’?

Thank you!

[Mikey]

A month at the very least Prebonding is keeping their cages 10 inches apart and swapping their items once a day to swap scents around. Youll let them mark everything they want to, and try to clean the litter box every two days or so. If the smell is too much, candles in the room and out of the buns’ reach should help

[DanaNM]

Depends on the bunnies, like so much in bonding, which is why it’s hard to find a straight answer! But, a few days is most definitely too short.

In my opinion, the minimum is 1 week for the new bun to settle in (with no pre-bonding at all), then 1 week minimum of prebonding. I have always swapped the buns into each others cages (rather than just swapping items), every day or two. If you have a shy, timid, or very territorial bun, you might need longer. Err on the side of too much pre-bonding, as a little extra never hurt anyone! 

I gauge whether they seem calm after the cage swap, and don’t go crazy marking everywhere, to decide when to start actual bonding sessions, and then I continue cage swaps throughout bonding (typically I would do the swap after the bonding session). In my bonding experiences, over the first couple days of cage swaps (which also involved swapping which side of the apartment they got to run around in) each bun would run around the “new” area for a while, inspecting all the borders and marking all over the place. Then, after a few days, they stopped doing this, and would just chill out right away. You might also start to see behaviors sync up: eating hay at the same time, grooming at the same time, etc. All good signs that you are ready to move to actual bonding sessions.

Don’t clean the litter box right before the swap. When I was doing daily swaps, I would try to time it so I would swap the buns in the evening, then clean the boxes the following morning. The idea is for the bunnies to get VERY used to the idea of the other rabbit in its territory. 

Are you getting a new bunny soon?? 

. . . 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.  

[Mikey]

I read in your other thread that youre doing bonding sessions without prebonding first: stop that. It can only backfire. They arnt allowed to have play dates together until theyre bonded. They can fight even during playdates, especially if you are not around. Both also have to be neutered/spayed first, as most rabbits because very aggressive to other rabbits when hormonal.

[Deleted User]

You MUST do prebonding before bonding sessions. Hence the prefix “pre”, which means before…

Honestly I always recommend 1 month. Everybun is different and some are ready before others, but 1 month is a good bit of time for them to get less “on edge” about each other.

[vdemske]

Hi all,

So, I understand that ‘pre’ means before, thanks for the clarification . I am currently in the pre-bonding. I was told from a ‘rabbit expert’ at the shelter that the bonding process can start when both buns have settled down and are relaxed in their own territory. I have seen signs of relaxation from both bunnies (feet out, flopping, grooming, binkies, etc). I suppose I will just wait a little while before having a bonding session. Thanks all.

[vdemske]

Thanks for the helpful information and positive feedback, DanaNM! I adopted a new bunny a little while ago and have been pre-bonding for a short time. I have heard different things from different people (such as when to start bonding sessions, how long to pre-bond, what to do during pre-bonding, etc) so I wanted to get general feedback to see what is typical.

I will pre-bond for a few weeks, thanks again for the feedback. When I do start bonding, I have a question regarding neutral space. I saw someone post something on here about bonding sessions in neutral territory: Do you let each bun in the neutral zone for a few short minutes to get them acquainted before the bonding session, or do you literally just plop them in there at the same time? The woman at the adoption agency let each bunny in the neutral space for a few minutes to get acquainted to their surroundings – I’m not sure if this is correct (as the same woman also told me to start bonding sessions sooner rather than later).

Thanks again.

[Bianca]

The standard is:

-Let new bun settle for a week without any prebonding
-Start pre-bonding by having cages near each other (but not close enough for buns to be able to reach each other), then after a while start swapping toys, litter trays, and/or buns into each others cages. Pre-bonding tends to last 2-4 weeks, but can be quicker or longer depending on buns. For example, a recently spayed or neutered bun will need longer for hormones to settle (6 weeks) but you can pre bond in that time).
-Start bonding when both buns are super relaxed about pre-bonding.

However, any part of the process can take way longer (up to a year even, in challenging cases), or shorter. I had Maggie and Terry bonded within 24 hours of bringing Maggie home. While I wouldn’t recommend it to others my set up prevents me from not starting pre-bonding right away – they have to share a room, and I don’t have cages, I separate with layers of play pen bars. Apparently Terry could jump higher than I realised, and he had been very depressed since Ogg died, so I think he was too excited for a new companion. He broke in with Maggie twice they day I brought her home. Both times I walked in to find them grooming each other and flopping. So I just left them together, even that night – but I did check on them regularly. This is super rare though. Do not actually recommend. Terry is some sort of miracle rabbit. He is now in a trio and being bonded to another male to make a group of 4, and he has somehow managed to be friends with them all straight away. Again, this isn’t normal.

Anyway, with neutral space, if you let both buns explore it individually first it is no longer neutral territory. Both buns will think they own it. It’s best to put them both in for the first time together. Make sure you read up on ways to recognise aggression and prevent fighting. Good things to have on hand before you start are a towel, carry cage or two, a spaghetti strainer (for safe separation), and a water spray bottle to also help prevent aggression. It distracts them and often makes them want to groom themselves rather than fight. Something noisy like a vacuum cleaner can also be used as a form of stress bonding if need be too. People have used many different methods – it really depends on the buns. Feel free to read through other people’s bonding journals – even the non successful ones because you can learn something from them too.

Good luck!

[vdemske]

Thanks Bianca! This may be a silly question – do you clean the litter boxes out before you swap them, or do you swap them ‘as is’? I typically clean them every other day (just a wipe down, no vinegar unless it’s stinky); the idea would be to let them smell each other, right? 

Unfortunately, I live in a small apartment, so I can’t keep them completely separate before pre-bonding; however, they are both flopping around and relaxed being next to each other; so I’ll wait a bit to start swapping litter boxes/toys/bowls/etc.

[Bianca]

Nope I don’t clean the litter box unless it is really filthy. I try to time that for earlier or later, because then they really get used to each other’s smell. If it is a bit too grotty for your liking you could always change out half the litter/scoop the worst of it out.

[DanaNM]

Let the boxes stay dirty. So, if you clean every other day, swap the buns day1, then clean boxes day 2, then swap the buns again day 3, etc. 

Just to clarify your point above, you aren’t letting them have run of the apartment together yet, right? Early on things can go wrong very quickly… I have a small apartment too, so I know the struggle. If you can’t divide the room in half during exercise time, you’ll need to take turns letting them out. 

. . . 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.  

[Deleted User]

Posted By vdemske on 8/29/2017 8:33 PM

Thanks Bianca! This may be a silly question – do you clean the litter boxes out before you swap them, or do you swap them ‘as is’? I typically clean them every other day (just a wipe down, no vinegar unless it’s stinky); the idea would be to let them smell each other, right? 

Unfortunately, I live in a small apartment, so I can’t keep them completely separate before pre-bonding; however, they are both flopping around and relaxed being next to each other; so I’ll wait a bit to start swapping litter boxes/toys/bowls/etc.

Regarding your earlier responses, I think you are perhaps misunderstanding me and Mikey. Online communication is tricky because you have no non verbal indicators to help determine how this person is intending you to receive their message. Simply stating things without adding indicators (such as emojis) can lead to the receiver misinterpreting the sender. So, I apologize if you felt that I was attacking or yelling at you. Just remember that online communication poses certain obstacles, and you may be offended when it was not someone’s intent to do so.

Moving on, I understand that the advice you got from the shelter is to go quickly into the bonding process. That may work for them, because they are experienced and they have to have a lot of buns in the same space, so it makes sense for them to try and tackle bonding early and then they can house rabbits together, freeing up space for other bunnies. At least, that is how I view it when shelters give advice on quick bonding. Every rabbit is different though, but generally, you want to take it slow. If they buns are really getting along well and not fighting, then you may not have to spend that long on bonding. But that is something that you have to let the buns decide for themselves.

I live in a small apartment as well, so I understand that space is an issue. I am a little confused by what your set up is currently? Are they still out together or are they in separate cages?

[vdemske]

They are in their own separate pens, separated ~6″ apart so they cannot bite one another; however, I have to keep their pens next to each other because I live in a small space.

Is it okay to let them out one at a time to get their exercise if they can see each other? I don’t want one to get jealous or angry that the other is out and about enjoying the living room.

[DanaNM]

This should be OK, as long as the rabbit that is loose can’t access or bother the one that’s penned up. If the rabbit that is penned seems upset, you might need to shift your strategy… 

Why I’ve bonded, I bought an extra x-pen, and then used two pens to divide the room in half, with a buffer of 6″ between the fences. That way I could let both buns out at the same time. They get less space to run, but at least still get the same number of hours out and attention. 

They have x-pens for about $30 on amazon. For me, it was important to feel comfortable with the set-up so that I wouldn’t rush the process. Then after bonding, I gave one pen to my friend who had recently gotten a puppy, so everyone was a winner. If you do get one, I recommend one taller than you think you need…. bonding has a tendency to bring out olympic height jumps in bunnies. 

. . . 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.  

[Author]

Messages