Keeping Rabbits in Groups?

[a little furry thing]

Hello all! Sorry if this is the wring place to post this.

I have two 1 yo rabbits named Lilly and Leo. I’ve been thinking about getting one or to more. I have a wonderful rabbit rescue near me, they have lots of experience bonding rabbits and have nearly two hundred(not joking) rabbits for adoption at any given time. I would love to get a couple more rabbits, and I would love to give some homeless bunnies a home, but I have a few questions.

1. How does introducing more rabbits effect the bond between the pre-existing pair?
2.  Is it worth it? Do the pros outweigh the cons?
3. Do I have enough space? Lilly and Leo free roam in my bedroom which measures about 10′ x 14′, they also get lots of time to run around outside my room. Is that enough space for  3-4 rabbits?
4. What else should I know?

[DanaNM]

So, there are a few ways things can go. I would only recommend going for the group if you are prepared to deal with any of the outcomes. 🙂

Bringing a new bunnies (or bunnies) into the group can cause the current pair to split up, either temporarily or permanently. I think it’s very common for the pair to split up, and then go back together once the group is bonded. Group dynamics are different than pairs, so they usually need to re-establish their hierarchy in the group. It’s also possible that a pair won’t accept a new bun, or one of the pair bonds with the new bun and the original bun is left out. Or you end up with all of them singles! I would say the last option is the most rare though.

I don’t think a pair of rabbits is necessarily happier in a group, so the pros would be that group dynamics are interesting, and you could give more bunnies a home. Cons would be the risks I mentioned above, possible worse litter habits (groups tend to be messier, even when bonded), plus just more time needed to care for everyone and make sure every bun gets some quality time.

That amount of space seems fine for 3-4 bunnies, but you will want to think about how you will house them during bonding, and what you would do if the pair splits up and you need to house a bunch of separate bunnies.

Will the rescue help with bonding at all? With groups it seems like the personalities of the bunnies are very important, so if you could either do some dating, or foster a bunny to make sure it was a good match, that might be helpful. It would also be good to know that if it didn’t work out, you could return the bun to the rescue without too much hassle.

I recently went through a similar process with mine. I had a pair (M-F)… then I decided to foster this bunny (F) from the rescue I volunteer at because she was just so scared at the shelter. Then of course we fell in love with her and decided to try for a trio. The girls didn’t really like each other, so I paused that for a while… then decided to try to introduce a 4th (a boy), either to be a quad, or to at least have my foster-fail have a bonded pair. Then the boys were really fighting, so I paused on that and now have two pairs, the original MF and my Foster-fail and new boy. I might try again when I move for the quad, but overall they seem pretty happy in their pairs!

So yeah, it can be risky… thankfully my M-F didn’t split, but there were some tense moments. I introduced them to the new bunny very slowly.. I had a visual barrier up between their pens for a while so they couldn’t see each other, and I think that helped. But part of me thinks that maybe the original bond needs to weaken a bit in order for them to fully accept a new bunny? Because it was abundantly clear that Myra, my first girl, did NOT want to share her man! Bun Jovi on the other hand, was happy to have all the ladies LOL.

 

. . . 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.  

[a little furry thing]

Thank you so much for responding! The rescue would bond them for me. They have a bonding program where you bring your bunnies to the shelter for 1-2 weeks and they introduce a few rabbits throughout the stay to try and find a promising one. Once they find they think will work, they’ll start the bonding process. Depending on how much time they have left, they might finish bonding them, or send them home with instructions on how to finish.

I don’t think I’ll get any more bunnies, or at least not to introduce to my current pair. They have a really good bond and I don’t want to accidentally ruin it. Thank you again! Your info really helped.

[DanaNM]

Oooh that’s awesome that they do the bonding for you! And definitely increases the chance of success since they can try different bunnies.

Good to keep in mind for the future!

 

. . . 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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