Thoughts on getting a third?

[Karla]

I need your feedback on adding a third rabbit to my bonded pair.

Molly and Karl are bonded and are happy together. BUT for some stupid reason I was looking at a website for bunnies looking for a new home. And I found this guy (Link to post): 4-5 years old, fixed and supposedly litter trained. He is still with the owner, but lives on the balcony. Apparently, this is where he had always lived, so you could say he is an outdoor rabbit. I found him on the website in May, but at that time was not interested as I was looking for a female. But he is still there! And oh, little poor fella just need a good and loving home.

 

But is it a good idea?

I need feedback on adding a male to a bonded pair. Can it work? Or is a threesome best if it is one male, two females (that would make most sense, wouldn’t it)? Karl is so mellow, so I think the only one who might react to a new bunny is Molly, who is dominant, demanding and quite skittish.

 

The situation is this right now; we live in a small apartment with Molly and Karl full-time free-roaming, but with their cage in the bedroom. The cage is a standard cage, so Molly and Karl can be inside it as the same time though it does require some logistic efforts on their part (why do bunnies insist on eating at the same time? Don’t get it). There would not be space for one more in the cage (well, only if one of them can eat in the litter box, then there is plenty of space).

 

My apartment is up for sale, so I would not change this arrangement for now by buying a bigger cage. I do have another cage down in the basement, so when there is no showing I could have two cages though my boyfriend would not be happy, I think. Once the apartment has been sold, we will move into my boyfriend’s apartment (which is up for sale as well), and there is a spare room there where the bunnies can live making it easier to arrange something for three bunnies. Once his apartment is sold as well, we are buying a big house.   

 

What are your thoughts?

 

I will not go forward with this if a date indicates that these three will not work out.

[Monkeybun]

Many people here have 3 or more buns, and it works fine. Usually the females are more territorial, so a 2 male 1 female works better, but not all bunnies are the same. I’d say take the new bun on a date and see how things go. Keep in mind that even if the first date goes bad, a bonding can still happen

[Karla]

Well, so far the majority in this thread thinks I should do it

I am just worried that three is perhaps trouble – two may be bonded and one is left out. Not that I am sure bunnies can feel left out…

[Deleted User]

Karla, Molly will most likely be the harder to bond bunny because she is the resident female and already dominant. So this is why you absolutely have to have a neutral area for the bonding sessions. Your apartment is basically off the table because your two have been free-ranging there. But you do have the spare room at your boyfriend’s place. That sounds like a great bonding zone to me. House the third rabbit separately in an enclosure and allow roaming time for him during those times when your existing pair is locked up. Start bonding sessions in your bathtub, on car rides and the spare room mentioned earlier. Be prepared: you may need to use stress bonding with Molly. If you love bunnies, the bonding can be fun, it is very interesting to see the dynamics. Working the space you have available is the trickiest part of bonding. If the new rabbit is still living on the balcony, I wonder if you could ask his current owners to allow you to bunnydate him with yours, separately, in their bathtub?

[skibunny8503]

I adopted a 3rd bun but with my husband’s work schedule being different every week, us having to go places every single weekend (ugh) and me not wanting to do that alone, I haven’t had a real chance to bond all the three yet. I have a male and female bonded and Sandy is a female. I did some bonding with Sandy and Gracie and they are very territorial and have been fighting. It’s very scary between 2 females when they fight. But I wouldn’t think twice of not having Sandy, she is so cute! Listen to your heart and make sure that if they cannot be bonded you have room for them to be separate.

[Karla]

Jack is coming to meet us on Thursday. I thought it would be easier as we have no car and the owner is heading this way, anyhow.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a bath tub either! Not making bonding easy, huh But my apartment has been sold, so we are moving into my boyfriend’s in two weeks time, which is new territory for all bunnies. I guess that is a great chance – as long as Molly can control her pooping which has finally come under control.

Well, the bunny date must decide. If it goes well, I will have to get this thread moved to the Bonding section.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

They are addictive and it’s hard to not think about a third (or fourht or fifth)

threesomes can work, but I caution you-they OFTEN turn into two foursomes….*cough* personal experience *cough* heheh

[Beka27]

Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 10/19/2009 01:14 PM
They are addictive and it’s hard to not think about a third (or fourht or fifth)

threesomes can work, but I caution you-they OFTEN turn into two foursomes….*cough* personal experience *cough* heheh

 

I *think* K&K meant to say TWO PAIRS, rather than “two foursomes”… altho 8 bunnies is a very real possibility… seems once you start adding them, it’s difficult to stop…  keep us posted on how everything goes!

[kralspace]

I know, my friends don’t understand how 1 spayed bunny multiplied into 6, all spayed and neutered!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hahah Beka-that’s totally what I meant

[RabbitPam]

You have a lot of plans in the works that involves major changes for all of you. To be honest, I think you would be making it harder for all involved to start the bonding with a third in this situation. I would advise you to complete the sale and move of both apartments, get the new house, settle the bonded pairs (two buns, two humans) and then add new bunnies when all that is going on is learning to live together in a stable environment.

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