how to bond 2 rabbits? (m&f)

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This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 4 months ago by Wick & Fable.

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- 08/07/2021 at 8:16 AM
  rach
  Participant
  9 posts
  i have 2 rabbits (3month male holland lop and 3.5month female netherland dwarf)
  
  they have been living in separate cages and given free roam throughout the day during different timings.
  
  tried to let them free roam together with supervision but my male HL gets nipped/bitten by female ND most of the times.
  
  have observed 3 stages thus far:
  
  1. HL running away from curious ND and hesitant to approach
  
  2. able to free roam and rest near each other, ND licks/grooms HL forehead. however, a fight broke out later on, immediately separated.
  
  3. HL occasionally licks ND still, but HL starts to chase ND around. results in HL nipping ND.
  
  my guess is that they are both fighting for dominance and both refuses to submit to the other.. the ND is stronger so im afraid that my HL will get hurt if we let them run nature’s course and let them “fight it out”. what should i do?
- 08/07/2021 at 8:33 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5814 posts
  Are either of the rabbits spayed/neutered? They both seem very young (the female especially; many vets do not spay females until 6mo). If neither or spayed/neutered, I would actually recommend halting all attempts to bond in order to prevent any unwanted pregnancy (even recently neutered males still have viable sperm for a window of time). In case this is the situation, brothers and sisters will still attempt to mate with each other (rabbits do not acknowledge family units). Separate from risk of pregnancy, if one or both of the rabbits are fixed, it is still pretty early at the moment to start trying to bond — you want the rabbits to have ample time to recover and have their hormones settle following the spay/neuter.
  
  While bonds between same-sex, unfixed pairs do exist, as well as opposite-sex, only-one rabbit fixed pairs, it is generally recommended and typically most successful to begin bonding once both rabbits are spayed/neutered. The following link has a basic outline of how to proceed with bonding: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/
  
  Please note that the topic of intentional breeding is prohibited on these forums. If that is your intention, I recommend getting recommendations from an alternative online rabbit forum, such as RabbitsOnline.
  
  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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