When do I know I can start bonding my two bunnies?

[Tina99]

Hi guys! I have two bunnies who have been living next to each other since April. Hugo is a small grey Netherland Dwarf neutered male who is 6 months old. Pudding is a Lop-lionhead mix, neutered and 1 year old. We have had Pudding since September and Hugo since January. My question is, what are the signs that indicate I can start the actual bonding process? Thank you.

[Bunny House]

hi!

So you will want to actually do pre-bonding before real bonding. You can start by switching each bun in the others pen and switch them back every day or two so they loose track of who’s territory is who’s. Then after their aggression stops ( because there will be a lot of territorial peeing and pooping) you can can then start the actual bunny dates. I don’t know if you know but bunnies are very territorial and you can not jump straight to dates.

Prebonding can take a week or 2 months.So be patient.

There are many helpful threads on bonding, I like this video from 101rabbits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmaH-d1LOxc
but of course house rabbit society and here can help you out and if you get in a rut, you can alway ask us for help

[Tina99]

Hi. Thank you for your advice! We actually started prebonding them in April and swapping cages now and then but I am kinda stuck what the next step should be. We have been swapping toys, food bowls, litter trays, houses and cages and I am not sure what else to do.

[Sirius&Luna]

If you’ve been prebonding for over a month, you should be ready to go. Have you seen any aggression through the bars or any aggression during swaps? If not, then you’re ready to bond!

For your first session, find a neutral space, and put them in it together! Be ready with thick leather gloves or oven gloves to stop a fight if it starts, but hopefully it won’t come to that! For your first session, if you’re worried, just do a very quick introduction. If they ignore each other in the space for a couple of minutes that’s a good beginning!

For reference, while bonding, the following behaviours are:
BAD – biting, lunging, chasing, fur pulling, boxing, fighting, face humping
NEUTRAL – ignoring, humping (provided the other bunny isn’t getting distressed), nipping
GOOD – flopping, mirroring behaviour, grooming themselves or each other, eating together, sharing, flopping together

I would advise reading some other people’s bonding journals on here, so you get a better idea of what the actual process of bonding looks like, and how long it can take sometimes!

[Tina99]

Hi! Thank you for all the advice! I’ve done a lot of research in regards to bonding and looked through binkybunny, I just want to make it right and do everything well. Hugo actually bit Puddings nose 3 weeks ago when he somehow got behind the metal bars that are in between the two cages so I am really worried he is gonna be agressive to Pudsie.

[Author]

Messages