Second bunny

[Firsttimer]

Hi, I’ve now had my first rabbit Pepper for seven months and she will be one year old next month.  As I work full time and I’ve learnt a lot from Pepper I’m now thinking it’s about time I got her some company.  She is a very nervous rabbit (possibly rough previous owner) and hates to be handled.  I have spoken to the woman who does rabbit boarding and she advises me that a male rabbit would be best to bond with her.  So basically I’m looking for a bit of advise on what to do.  I’ve been on a local website where there are a couple of young male rabbits needing a new home, but I would like to know the basics.  For example, how long should it take to bond the rabbits and also what is the minimum cage requirement for two rabbits.  Pepper has been spayed and is an indoor bunny.

[MarkBun]

First off, good for you for getting a friend for Pepper. Not only will Pepper be happier, but you’ll save another bun.

You should look for a male bun who is also about a year old and has also been neutered at least a month earlier (as it takes about a month for the hormones to lower). If you can, take Pepper on some rabbit dates where she can be with the potential boyfriend in neutral territory – to see how they get along.

The bonding process could take anywhere from a week to months. My own bonding took 3.5 months – so it can be quite a journey. However, it seems everyone else had an easier time than me.

The cage size should be about 4 times the size of the bun. I’ve also heard the number of 1 square foot per pound (sorry for the American measurements).

There should be some great tips on bonding in the info secions around here.

[JK]

For 2 rabbits I would highly recommend an xpen over a cage. Or if you must get a cage attach an xpen to it for more room to roam. Will they get roaming time?

[Beka27]

an xpen at the very least.  i think most of them are 4 feet by 4 feet (1.3 yards by 1.3 yards).  perosnally, i think that is the least amount of space two buns should have.

or you could try to build a new NIC condo with mutiple levels to increase their space

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi lornatrae!  Oh that’s so sweet you’re going to find Pepper a beau! 

There is a lot you can read about and of course ask away here while you are going through the procees.  But for starters here are some good articles & discussions to check out on bonding:

 

Binky Bunny Info on Bonding:

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=63

Binky Bunny Discussions/Topics on Bonding:

MaryAnn Part 1 https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=17866#18451

MaryAnn Part 2 https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=8&postid=19687&view=topic

Jessica & Tommy https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&postid=24981&view=topic

Info on Bonding on the Web:

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/multiple.html

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html

Language of Logomorphs is a good place to brush up on bunny language before bonding to help you deciper what is going on in bunny-speak:

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

Happy reading!

[Firsttimer]

Thanks for this. Yes Pepper gets a lot of time to roam around, she is only in her cage when I am at work or have to go out somewhere.  Her cage is in one corner of the room.  Perhaps I should spend some cash on the nic panels. 

[MooBunnay]

How exciting! Sometimes bonding rabbits can be difficult, but when you get home from a long day’s work, and find the two of them snuggling and sleeping next to each other and you realize that they have had a very fun day together, it is definitely worth it! I’d recommend taking Pepper to visit some of the boys, and see how they get along. What you are really looking for is that the two of them can be in the same cage, and that they can just sit and ignore each other, that means that neither sees the other one as a threat. If they immediately start fighting, its a sign that the bonding could be very difficult. If one grooms the other, that is just GREAT and the best sign you can hope for Taking her on those dates is very important as it will give you an indication of which boy she likes best (and we all know what happens when we don’t give a bunny what they want…)

[Author]

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