Instant bonding with grieving bunny?

[FluffyBunny]

So, Mr. Bunny’s soulmate bunny of 7 years, Ms. Rabbit, died a couple of days ago. After he saw her body, he was just lethargic in a corner – and considering his age and trouble keeping weight on as is, I was quite worried about him. So I put him with Cadbury last night. They’d had about a dozen bonding sessions before when I was trying to make them a trio, but the two boys were still working through a lot of dominance issues.

 Last night, though, they spent about 4 hours straight just licking each other and snuggling. After that, I put them in Mr. Bunny’s territory to see how they’d react. There was a tiny bit of humping from Cadbury, but Mr. Bunny didn’t seem phased. They spent another hour just hanging out in a box and licking each other afterwards. 

I don’t want Mr. Bunny to be alone right now, and they seem to be getting along amazingly well. Should I just put them together if they’re still being friends tonight, or should I go through more formal bonding sessions still? I’m just not sure if Mr. Bunny’s territoriality will come back when he stops grieving.

[pinknfwuffy]

I have never bonded rabbits but I’m responding to bump this message in case others are able to respond.

Since this was a few days ago you may have already made your decision but I think it is great that Mr. Bunny is finding some comfort with Cadbury. One should always be cautious when bonding rabbits, even if they seem amiable, and it is possible that Mr. Bunny is bonding better because he is grieving. Once that period changes it could possibly get territorial. I would definitely do bonding sessions with them, if you haven’t already, but maybe consider doing it slowly rather than leave them alone together. It would be a shame to rush it and have them lose the beginnings of a bond. That said, a little bit of humping isn’t always a bad thing as long as it doesn’t last long and both rabbits arn’t being overly aggressive about it. I hope all goes well!

Binky free, Ms. Rabbit.

[FluffyBunny]

Thanks Pinknfwuffy. I did decide to just leave them together, and they are doing very well. A bit of humping still, but no fighting at all. Mr. Bunny is more active than he has been in years, and he is eating well. They’re back in the bunny room as of today, and they are quite happy there together.

[DanaNM]

So sorry for your loss.

I’ve heard of rabbits bonding instantly while grieving, and I’ve also heard stories where extended pre-bonding (living in the same house for years) can lead to a near instant bond. The dynamics of the two boys also are likely to be different without a girl to squabble over.

So, all things considered, I think as long as you can be there to supervise them for a few days constantly, they will probably be fine. Glad that Cadbury is there to comfort Mr. Bunny.

The safer bet would be to move them in together in a more neutral space for a couple days, but it sounds like they are doing great in non-neutral, so your instincts are probably right. If you do notice an uptick in aggressive behaviors (lunging, chasing, nipping, etc) and a decrease in snuggling and grooming, you should do some bonding sessions with them.

. . . 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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