# Sticky  Bonding Advice



## hazyreality

A guide to anyone who is considering bonding...

What you need:
&#8226;	4-5 days (the 1st 2 totally free to watch them 24/7)
&#8226;	A neutral area preferably somewhere you can sleep next to.
&#8226;	An easy access pen about 2ft x 3ft for a 2-3 rabbits &#8211; up it a little for each additional or for much larger bunnies. It is ideal if the pen can be expandable, like the play pen panels.
&#8226;	A spray bottle filled with water (it needs to be on stream/jet not spray) this will be used for any small scraps.
&#8226;	Some gardening gloves just in case of a big fight. It is unlikely but best to be prepared. 
&#8226;	Grooming spray or wipes (not totally necessary) I don&#8217;t actually know if it helps or not, but it makes them all smell the same so if you can find them easily I think it&#8217;s worth a try. 

1.	I start by putting the new rabbit in the neutral area for 5 minutes or so, just until she gets used to the new area. 

2.	Then add the calmest rabbit next. If you don&#8217;t have a "new" rabbit (if they have all been together before) then start with the calmest.

3.	As those 2 settle down (look at step 5 for behaviour) then you can think about adding the next one (it needs to be within about 15mins each time) 

4.	Just keep adding rabbits until the whole group are in there.

5.	Keep an eye on them, you can allow some humping but if you see either getting too stressed give them a squirt, same goes with chasing, a small amount is sorting a pecking order but don&#8217;t let it get too much.
Also expect nipping and thumping, these I don&#8217;t allow and give the guilty party a squirt! 
I don&#8217;t allow any nipping or thumping of anyone from anyone, not even between an already bonded pair, it&#8217;s referred aggression and can cause just as many problems as a fight between the strangers!

6.	Sit and wait...get a book, drink and food ready before you start, I&#8217;ve made that mistake before!

7.	If you have a cage that you can fit all of the rabbits in that will fit in your car (if you have one) then I would ask someone to go with you (or drive you) and take all the bunnies out on a car ride, the idea being the stress of the situation will make them cling together and help them to realise they are no threat to each other. If you don&#8217;t have a car on top of or next to the washing machine on spin cycle apparently helps.

8.	When - I am going to say when and not if - they have settled down in the small pen, you can move them to a slightly bigger space, and keep increasing gradually. If they start to kick off at all, take the space a step back and give them more time.

9.	Give them at least 2 days of settled behaviour before you move them into their old accommodation.
Before they go back into the area they normally live in, you will need to clean it out thoroughly and wipe it all down with vinegar. 

You will need A LOT of patience and books to read or games to play while you are sitting waiting for trouble but it&#8217;s worth it in the end 

Settled behaviour:
&#8226;	Laying down and/or sleeping even when the others are moving around.
&#8226;	Grooming themselves close to the others.
&#8226;	Very little or no thumping of feet.
&#8226;	Very little or no nipping/chasing/humping.
&#8226;	Eating nicely together (scatter feed)
Bonded Behaviour:
&#8226;	Grooming each other.
&#8226;	Laying together
&#8226;	Sharing from a bowl
&#8226;	Eating the same piece of veg (think Lady and the Tramp)

Having a pair or group of rabbits is known to be beneficial to the rabbit&#8217;s behaviour. A rabbit kept alone shows many less natural behaviours and body language than a rabbit with a friend(s)

Very few rabbits are un-bondable but the personalities need to match. For instance, if you have 2 rabbits with very strong, bossy personalities, they will be much harder to bond than 1 that is bossy and one that is submissive. A girl/boy pair is the easiest bond. Same sex bonds (especially if neutered) are very similar. Girls to boy&#8217;s ratio in groups aren&#8217;t usually all that important, although I wouldn&#8217;t have a lone girl in a group of boy&#8217;s (poor girl!)

I have so far done a pair (m&f) a trio (m, f &f) a 5 (mx2, fx3) a 6 (mx3, fx3) and a 7 (mx3, fx4) of my own. Then a 7 for a friend (mx3, fx4) but one wasn&#8217;t happy so it ended up as a 6 (mx3, fx3).

I will be starting on an 8 very shortly (mx3, fx5). I have used the same method every time.

If you have any questions, please ask via PM or new thread rather than it disappearing on this thread.

Good luck x

Bernie, why not put your guide on here as well, and any others experienced in bonding and we can maybe ask for it to be a sticky?

*Heidi*


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## Guest

Good idea for a thread 

Here is my checklist that I follow, it hasn't failed me yet :thumbup1:

All rabbits involved need to have been neutered at least 8 weeks prior to starting any bonding to make sure the bond has the highest chance of succeeding. 

Before bonding make sure you have the time to sit and watch them like a hawk as things can turn very quickly.

When you are ready you need a pen that is about 3ft x 2ft (depending on how many rabbits are involved) in a completely neutral area. (some people use the bath with a towel down). Make sure that what ever you use to bond that you are able to get in to be able to distract them, a hutch isn't suitable for bonding.

When placing the rabbits in the pen you need to place the buck in before the doe, if you are bonding more than one doe you need to place the least dominant doe in first and work up in order of dominance.

Always use a water bowl as the spout of a water bottle can cause serious eye injuries if they knock it during the beginning stages.
No litter trays or food bowls as these can be something that encourages territorial behaviour.

Chasing, fur pulling and mounting is all normal bonding behaviour but if the chasing becomes too intense or they start circling it is best to distract them rather than letting it escalate.

Once they have been in the neutral area for a few hours without any scuffles you need to neutralise their enclosure (only if one of the rabbits has previously been in enclosure) with a mixture of Bleach, white wine vinegar and hot water (everything needs to be scrubbed) anything that can't be scrubbed needs to be thrown out. (Don't allow them access to their run until after the next stage).

Once they have been in their enclosure for 3/4 days without any issues you can allow them access to their run.

During this time I find it best to scatter feed.

In my experience increasing space too quickly is one of the main issues as it encourages territorial behaviour.

If at any stage they start chasing and fur pulling again take a step back as this is normally an indication that you are moving too fast for the bond.

Don't split them unless they have a full locked on fight or blood is drawn as constantly splitting and reintroducing causes a lot more stress and can make the bond take much, much longer to achieve.

Finally, if a fight does happen don't lose heart this doesn't mean that they won't bond. Just split them for a couple of weeks to forget the fight and then start again from scratch.


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## emma20

thanks


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## emzybabe

I tried bonding my 2 in a neutral space on several occasions and couldnt bare the fighting.

In the end I dry shampooed them, put them in a small/medium dog crate and drove them around for an hour. I put the dog crate in the bathroom for 2 days and slept across the hall with the doors open, we went on 4 car rides in that time. The theory being the're too scared of the movement to care whos next to them. Apparently putting them next to the washing machine while its on also works. 

In the bathroom I very slowly increased their space using some spare plastic coated mesh panels I had. they looked pretty cheesed off with me but I knew it was for the best. My female stopped eating and I had to take her to the vets, on top of a heavy molt she didnt like the stress of her new friend and I had to syringe feed her. I kept them in the bathroom for a week until they had the whole room. 

Their wendy house and run was washed down with vinegar to remove all trace of the scent marking and previous lives. I put them in the wendy house and kept them shut in there for a further week before letting them have half of the run space. The next week they got the whole run. 

It was an extremely long and uncomfortable process for us all but well worth it when I see them playing and grooming each other.


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## Lopside

I have followed Bernies plan twice now and it has been successful each time. :001_tt1:


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## nattylops

I'm going to give this a good go, every time I try bond my female with the 2 boys I just freak out and get her out of there. The male always makes a horrible grunting or growling noise ? And pulls her fur out in a big chase . I know I have to bond them because I want her to have bunny friends and not just me to play with.


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## hazyreality

nattylops said:


> I'm going to give this a good go, every time I try bond my female with the 2 boys I just freak out and get her out of there. The male always makes a horrible grunting or growling noise ? And pulls her fur out in a big chase . I know I have to bond them because I want her to have bunny friends and not just me to play with.


Keep the space smaller, that will stop him chasing her, because he physically can't chase her. The bath is a good solution (with towels down to stop slipping) or a larger pet carrier.
The grunt noise is pretty much "back off, I'm not sure about you" 
My Gypsy still does it over food.

Good Luck 

*Heidi*


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## Austin

I have an older neutered female (recently adopted) that I'd like to get a younger male friend for as I think she's a little bit lonely/bored, despite my best efforts to entertain her each day. Does he have to be neutered before bonding can begin, and what is the youngest age I can ask the vet to neuter him at? Thanks.


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## hazyreality

Austin said:


> I have an older neutered female (recently adopted) that I'd like to get a younger male friend for as I think she's a little bit lonely/bored, despite my best efforts to entertain her each day. Does he have to be neutered before bonding can begin, and what is the youngest age I can ask the vet to neuter him at? Thanks.


He will need to be about 4 months (whenever his furry teabags drop) and he will definately have to be neutered first, you will need to wait 8 weeks after the op before you start to bond?

Well done for recognising that she needs a husbun 

I curious as to why you want a younger male specifically? 
Have you considered getting one about the same age from a rescue and they will already been neutered and vaccinated so you can bond them straight away 

*Heidi*


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## Austin

Thanks for your reply.

The reason I wanted to get a younger rabbit next was purely selfish - I wanted to be able to raise a 'baby' bunny from the word go, I guess, as I feel I'd missed a good chunk of the fun with my current rabbit being that little bit older. It's all still up in the air at the moment, but I'll certainly take your comments on board when I decide to get her a pal sometime in the next month or so.

Think I'll shut the cats away for a few hours so she can have a gallop around the house later today as it's been raining so much. That might perk her up a bit!


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## hazyreality

Austin said:


> Thanks for your reply.
> 
> The reason I wanted to get a younger rabbit next was purely selfish - I wanted to be able to raise a 'baby' bunny from the word go, I guess, as I feel I'd missed a good chunk of the fun with my current rabbit being that little bit older. It's all still up in the air at the moment, but I'll certainly take your comments on board when I decide to get her a pal sometime in the next month or so.
> 
> Think I'll shut the cats away for a few hours so she can have a gallop around the house later today as it's been raining so much. That might perk her up a bit!


Mclaren is the oldest bunny in my shed and he is the most fun! lol

*Heidi*


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## Louiseandfriends

How long do you have to wait after the female is neutered to bond her with an already neutered male?  xx She is healed and they already love to sit next to each other through bars.


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## Guest

Buddyandfriends said:


> How long do you have to wait after the female is neutered to bond her with an already neutered male?  xx She is healed and they already love to sit next to each other through bars.


I answered in your other thread, but it takes 4 weeks for the internal sutures to heal properly so for me the minimum time after a spay will be around 6 weeks


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## tinnyb

I have an unspeyed female bunny around 15 months old who has always been housed on her own. We adopted her when she was around 5 months old. I have recently adopted a male neutered 10 month old from our local animal rescue and am hoping to bond them to keep each other company. The male has been with us for a week and during that time I have kept the individual cages next to each other so they can see and smell each other. Following advice i have swapped them over in the cages to allow them to get used to each other smells. Yesterday i tried my first shot at bonding by putting them in a neutral space. Male (William) immediately mounted female (Beethoven who was thought to be a boy until recently!) which she allowed him to do. He did this a couple of times even trying to mount her face which i discouraged. When he had finished she moved away from him and he constantly bit her on the behind which then lead to full on fighting with bunnies and fur going everywhere but no visible blood. I separated them back to their individual hutches and am now not sure if i should try again or not. Should i leave them for a while to calm down or try them again now? This is my first bonding sessions and the fighting was a real eye opener for me to be honest. Any advice would be much appreciated.


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## Guest

tinnyb said:


> I have an unspeyed female bunny around 15 months old who has always been housed on her own. We adopted her when she was around 5 months old. I have recently adopted a male neutered 10 month old from our local animal rescue and am hoping to bond them to keep each other company. The male has been with us for a week and during that time I have kept the individual cages next to each other so they can see and smell each other. Following advice i have swapped them over in the cages to allow them to get used to each other smells. Yesterday i tried my first shot at bonding by putting them in a neutral space. Male (William) immediately mounted female (Beethoven who was thought to be a boy until recently!) which she allowed him to do. He did this a couple of times even trying to mount her face which i discouraged. When he had finished she moved away from him and he constantly bit her on the behind which then lead to full on fighting with bunnies and fur going everywhere but no visible blood. I separated them back to their individual hutches and am now not sure if i should try again or not. Should i leave them for a while to calm down or try them again now? This is my first bonding sessions and the fighting was a real eye opener for me to be honest. Any advice would be much appreciated.


Get your doe spayed and then try again after 6-8 weeks.
Your does hormones will be driving your buck crazy so he will continue to mount her and that will cause fights.

You will have to split your doe after her op anyway so for me it is best to get it done before bonding


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## hazyreality

Hi tinnyb. I would certinally give them another try 
When William goes to mount her, either use a spray bottle of water and stop him that way, clap hands or push him away. He is doing it to dominate her and thats why she is reacting to him. When the kick off, again spray or clap. If that doesn't work then you can push them aside and keep hold of them (on floor) for about 30 seconds or so to calm them then let go. Unless blood is drawn you need to keep them together all day and night, usually within a few days, any scraps will stop 
Oh, hadn't noticed the girl isn't spayed, its possible to bond without but easier if she is


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## crystaal11

Hi, 

I have a 6 month old doe and she has become very aggressive and territorial towards me. Since I got her at 8 weeks old she has been lovable and playful and never aggressive. I have been advised on here to get her spayed and possibly look at getting her a friend. I was just wondering what friend is best either another doe or a buck?


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## equipets

I have a neutered 5mth old buck, we have just picked up a 10wk old doe, she is still to young to get done, can we start to introduce them?


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## hazyreality

If you plan to have her spayed, she will need to be seperated for a week or so after to heal.
You can bond them now, but bear that in mind.
How long ago was your buck neutered? It's recommended that you don't bond til 6-8 weeks after neutering. It allows the hormones to settle first and makes it easier x


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## sskmick

crystaal11 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a 6 month old doe and she has become very aggressive and territorial towards me. Since I got her at 8 weeks old she has been lovable and playful and never aggressive. I have been advised on here to get her spayed and possibly look at getting her a friend. I was just wondering what friend is best either another doe or a buck?


My understanding is that two spayed Does will get along. However I have a Buck and a Doe. I had the Buck first and didn't want to risk getting it wrong. I kept them separate initially then when she was old enough had them both neutered/spayed waited 8 weeks to start the bonding process and they have been together about 4 weeks now.

Best thing I ever did, I didn't have aggression issues at all I just feel better knowing he has a companion.


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## smudgehoney91

Hi everyone! 

I hope I am posting on the correct part! I'm a newbie to this forum looking for advice on rebonding! 

I had my pair bonded but recently had the girl spayed now I am assuming after keeping them separate for a week so far I will have to start the bonding process again!? 

Any advice on re introducing after a spay would be greatly appreciated!


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## emzybabe

If your boy did decide he wanted some action then he cold rupture her internal stitches so I would personally leave her to heal for at least 4 weeks.


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## smudgehoney91

Forgot to mention he has been neutered for over a year.


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## smudgehoney91

I'm waiting to rebond my pair after the does surgery but everytime they see each other through the mesh the buck try's to nip my doe? Any reason why? Does that mean I'm not going to be able to bond them? When I re bond might they fight! And when do I split up a fight and try again! I'm so worried one my injur the other badly and don't want that to happen!


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## Lopside

It's normal territorial behaviour to nip. You're best off keeping them completely apart visually until things have died down, otherwise it could become a grudge match.
You probably will be able to rebond but I'd say keep them apart completely for a month then start again as though you were introducing them from the beginning. Follow Stormy thai ' s advice....its always worked for me  they won't injure each other if you supervise. Then you'll know when it's ok to leave them together again


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## smudgehoney91

Really appreciate the advice!! Thankyou


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## littlebowwow

Hi,


I have 2 house rabbits - both neutered males ( we thought one was a girl originally..) and I would love to adopt a third lionhead girl.

Is a third rabbit a good idea though?

Could it affect the friendship of my buns? They get on well but sometimes have dominance arguments (fur pulling) although only once every few months. 

Thanks!

Sylvie


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## Lopside

If I were you I wouldn't get another. If they have the occasional scrap now then I'm sure another rabbit would cause friction :huh:


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## smudgehoney91

I started the process with my buns tonight Im neutral territory with some hay etc, they started of with a bit of a moan, my buck had his tail up and was trying to nip her bum, then next he was licking her head. 

They were eating hay together at one point also, but the buck would have an occasionally nip at her but nothing too bad! She was thumping a bit when he did that. 

My doe started to get stressed and was trying to find a way to get out of the pen, so I put her back In a hutch and she had her tail up and was angry, the next thing she was just led straight out in the hutch. 

Was she stressed? Was an hour of bonding too much? Are they ever going to bond


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## Lopside

ahhh don't lose heart, it might take a few dates like this whereby you can stay with them. Tail up is def naughty behaviour. I would try and end the session on a positive note so settle them together and stroke them until they relax, then finish the session if you are not 100% sure. Even when they have "bonded" I would still keep them in a small neutral territory for a week or so before even attempting to put them back in their neutralised hutch. 
Huggy & Arwen took about 3 sessions before they finally settled, lovely to see them settling with each other but then stressful when they started to nip. By the sound of yours they don't dislike each other, they are just figuring out who is boss. Probably she will give him a solid telling off next time and then he will say ok, i give in to be being bossed around :lol::lol:


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## smudgehoney91

Thankyou! Its hard but I know it will be worth it in the end! 
Should I maybe try it in the bath? And what does it mean when he tries biting her bum? Im trying it for an hour a night at the moment! 

Fingers crossed it gets easier! I get all panicky because I don't want them to fight! But trying to be calm so they don't sense it! Xx


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## Lopside

How long ago was she spayed?


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## smudgehoney91

About a month ago now x


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## WrabbitHerder

Really love this thread x


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## Melissa666

Very helpful thread! I haven't been able to go through all the messages yet but I used an article on SmallPetSelect (I am having a hard time attaching it here) that worked well for my 2 buns


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## Mia_eclipse

Hi guys
Hope someone's still around to answer me ^^

I am usually very comfortable with bonding bunnies - if they are spayed/neutered and of opposite sex. Or if the group is a large one (even unsprayed females) so there can't really be "one on one" fighting.
I breed dwarf bunnies and consider myself quite conscientious (as they come). I either adopt out 2 babies together (male/female) with instructions on when to separate and spay/neuter and how to re-bond, or I take home the bunny of someone who wants to get their pet a bunny friend and after everyone is fixed, I bond them, usually within 2 weeks and all is well ! I've done this at least 20 times. 

However recently I've had a bit of a problem :/
I made a mistake in sexing a baby bunny and sold 2 males thinking they were opposite sex :x I don't know what happened, this NEVER happens usually. The older boy was castrated before adoption, and they had instructions to spay the female when she reached 6 months.
One day they had a massive fight, and the "female" got an ear torn, so off to the vets and lo and behold, a penis and testicles x/

They got him castrated once he recovered, and they asked if I could take the pair over the xmas holidays and try to bond them again. So they've been here since the 24th.

It's been 4 weeks since the smaller one's castration.
Last week I tested them out in a neutral run and it was very aggressive fighting. I got bitten trying to separate them. Anyway I hadn't let them out together since. Their cages are pressed against each other lengthwise and I've swapped them around every day.
Today I tried to put them in the bathtub to see how they'd react. 

Confused at first then huge fight again  Separated them with a strong spray of water but even when being very wet they continued (I know it's not good, but I wanted to know how far they'd go). 

Anyway I dried them up because it wasn't going anywhere and put them in a small carry case. 
I then took them on a 45min car drive, both still wrapped up in a small towel in the crate. 

When I got home I set up a new pen (a smaller one) with hay, veggies, food. After leaving them in the crate for another 15min (they were quiet, washing themselves (though not each other) and eating hay) I opened the crate. After sniffing around for 2min, they went after each other again !!! 
So I told them off and put them back in the crate in the run. They are very cramped (each has just enough space to turn around) but they aren't fighting !

I have prepared a bigger crate (about 3x as big, it's my dog's xmas present ^^) and was thinking of having them in there afterwards, but I'm not sure how to proceed, how long I should wait before transferring them into a bigger space... I can't really leave them in the one they are in now for much longer it's so small (it's a cat carry case). 

It's been an hour and no fighting within the small crate so far.

What do you all think ?

Thank you so much !!


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## Halfpenny

I think it needs to be recognised that some rabbits just won't like each other. I've been there a couple of times, but when tried with another rabbit, they will bond with it in the matter of days. 
Most rabbits will become friends, but there are cases where they won't get on.


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## Sukihell

Hi everyone. I'm new and would like some advice please.

I have a 12 week old rabbit and I'm thinking about getting another around the same age. Any advice, thoughts and tips would be welcome. 

Thanks


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## Lolly123

Hi

I have 2 male rabbits who are very close (one has been castrated, the other is currently on antibiotics so when we can clear him up and he is off them he will get castrated). When we bought our rabbits there was another rabbit in the pet shop who was up for adoption - 4 months later he was still there and I folded and adopted him earlier this week. They were struggling to adopt him out as he was quite grumpy, territorial, bite, needed to live on his own, said he did not like loud noises or small children. Anyway. he has come to live with us (3 kids) he is out on his own with his own hutch and space/run in the garden - he seems very happy even though the kids are playing in the garden with footballs and other noisy games/toys. He has not once attempted to bite us will take lots of stroking and is an absolute sweetheart.

He can see my other 2 bunnies (they were both annoyed I had bought another bunny home) to the point where one of them (the castrated one) made it his mission to escape his run twice and go over to the new rabbit and make sure his presence was known. There was a bit of a ruck through the run but eventually caught the little monkey and put him back, he has settled down now and not tried to escape again. We have moved the runs closer to each other now which seems to have settled them but there is still a meter gap between them. The 3 of them keep looking at each other through their runs and my 2 bunnies go up to that end of the run and sit and watch him and adopted bunny sits there and watches them back. 

Do you think I should attempt to bond them or leave them alone - I feel so guilty leaving the new bunny on his own. He needs to be neutered but wanted to have him home 1st and settle him and then get him neutered.

Just want to have happy bunnies - not had a great start with them. The castrated one was covered in abcesses when we got him so have got all that sorted and saved him and now the other one is on antibiotics, he seems to be getting better.

Any advice would be much appreciated


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## Lopside

Lolly123 said:


> Hi
> 
> I have 2 male rabbits who are very close (one has been castrated, the other is currently on antibiotics so when we can clear him up and he is off them he will get castrated). When we bought our rabbits there was another rabbit in the pet shop who was up for adoption - 4 months later he was still there and I folded and adopted him earlier this week. They were struggling to adopt him out as he was quite grumpy, territorial, bite, needed to live on his own, said he did not like loud noises or small children. Anyway. he has come to live with us (3 kids) he is out on his own with his own hutch and space/run in the garden - he seems very happy even though the kids are playing in the garden with footballs and other noisy games/toys. He has not once attempted to bite us will take lots of stroking and is an absolute sweetheart.
> 
> He can see my other 2 bunnies (they were both annoyed I had bought another bunny home) to the point where one of them (the castrated one) made it his mission to escape his run twice and go over to the new rabbit and make sure his presence was known. There was a bit of a ruck through the run but eventually caught the little monkey and put him back, he has settled down now and not tried to escape again. We have moved the runs closer to each other now which seems to have settled them but there is still a meter gap between them. The 3 of them keep looking at each other through their runs and my 2 bunnies go up to that end of the run and sit and watch him and adopted bunny sits there and watches them back.
> 
> Do you think I should attempt to bond them or leave them alone - I feel so guilty leaving the new bunny on his own. He needs to be neutered but wanted to have him home 1st and settle him and then get him neutered.
> 
> Just want to have happy bunnies - not had a great start with them. The castrated one was covered in abcesses when we got him so have got all that sorted and saved him and now the other one is on antibiotics, he seems to be getting better.
> 
> Any advice would be much appreciated


Introducing an unneutered male, even allowing your pair to see the male, could cause scrapping. I have a male female pair who kick off at the mere sight of another rabbit. Yet my other pair just carry on as normal. It depends on their bond and temperament. I would advise you get the single boy neutered then look for a rescue that offer a bonding service to see if they can match him up. Maybe if it's impossible then you could try him as a house rabbit so he has lots of company?


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## Peanutpickles

Hello, I am hoping someone can offer advice. I have a little mini lop doe at 16 weeks and recently got an 8 week mini lop doe. As they are young is there any way they might bond without being spayed? I have notice most suggestions are to get the spayed, wait and then bond them. Will two spayed does even bond? i was hoping because they are so young that they might be ok. The little one doesn't seemed bothered but the 16 weeks appears territorial already. Any advice on making this work?


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## Reb26

hazyreality said:


> A guide to anyone who is considering bonding...
> 
> What you need:
> • 4-5 days (the 1st 2 totally free to watch them 24/7)
> • A neutral area preferably somewhere you can sleep next to.
> • An easy access pen about 2ft x 3ft for a 2-3 rabbits - up it a little for each additional or for much larger bunnies. It is ideal if the pen can be expandable, like the play pen panels.
> • A spray bottle filled with water (it needs to be on stream/jet not spray) this will be used for any small scraps.
> • Some gardening gloves just in case of a big fight. It is unlikely but best to be prepared.
> • Grooming spray or wipes (not totally necessary) I don't actually know if it helps or not, but it makes them all smell the same so if you can find them easily I think it's worth a try.
> 
> 1. I start by putting the new rabbit in the neutral area for 5 minutes or so, just until she gets used to the new area.
> 
> 2. Then add the calmest rabbit next. If you don't have a "new" rabbit (if they have all been together before) then start with the calmest.
> 
> 3. As those 2 settle down (look at step 5 for behaviour) then you can think about adding the next one (it needs to be within about 15mins each time)
> 
> 4. Just keep adding rabbits until the whole group are in there.
> 
> 5. Keep an eye on them, you can allow some humping but if you see either getting too stressed give them a squirt, same goes with chasing, a small amount is sorting a pecking order but don't let it get too much.
> Also expect nipping and thumping, these I don't allow and give the guilty party a squirt!
> I don't allow any nipping or thumping of anyone from anyone, not even between an already bonded pair, it's referred aggression and can cause just as many problems as a fight between the strangers!
> 
> 6. Sit and wait...get a book, drink and food ready before you start, I've made that mistake before!
> 
> 7. If you have a cage that you can fit all of the rabbits in that will fit in your car (if you have one) then I would ask someone to go with you (or drive you) and take all the bunnies out on a car ride, the idea being the stress of the situation will make them cling together and help them to realise they are no threat to each other. If you don't have a car on top of or next to the washing machine on spin cycle apparently helps.
> 
> 8. When - I am going to say when and not if - they have settled down in the small pen, you can move them to a slightly bigger space, and keep increasing gradually. If they start to kick off at all, take the space a step back and give them more time.
> 
> 9. Give them at least 2 days of settled behaviour before you move them into their old accommodation.
> Before they go back into the area they normally live in, you will need to clean it out thoroughly and wipe it all down with vinegar.
> 
> You will need A LOT of patience and books to read or games to play while you are sitting waiting for trouble but it's worth it in the end
> 
> Settled behaviour:
> • Laying down and/or sleeping even when the others are moving around.
> • Grooming themselves close to the others.
> • Very little or no thumping of feet.
> • Very little or no nipping/chasing/humping.
> • Eating nicely together (scatter feed)
> Bonded Behaviour:
> • Grooming each other.
> • Laying together
> • Sharing from a bowl
> • Eating the same piece of veg (think Lady and the Tramp)
> 
> Having a pair or group of rabbits is known to be beneficial to the rabbit's behaviour. A rabbit kept alone shows many less natural behaviours and body language than a rabbit with a friend(s)
> 
> Very few rabbits are un-bondable but the personalities need to match. For instance, if you have 2 rabbits with very strong, bossy personalities, they will be much harder to bond than 1 that is bossy and one that is submissive. A girl/boy pair is the easiest bond. Same sex bonds (especially if neutered) are very similar. Girls to boy's ratio in groups aren't usually all that important, although I wouldn't have a lone girl in a group of boy's (poor girl!)
> 
> I have so far done a pair (m&f) a trio (m, f &f) a 5 (mx2, fx3) a 6 (mx3, fx3) and a 7 (mx3, fx4) of my own. Then a 7 for a friend (mx3, fx4) but one wasn't happy so it ended up as a 6 (mx3, fx3).
> 
> I will be starting on an 8 very shortly (mx3, fx5). I have used the same method every time.
> 
> If you have any questions, please ask via PM or new thread rather than it disappearing on this thread.
> 
> Good luck x
> 
> Bernie, why not put your guide on here as well, and any others experienced in bonding and we can maybe ask for it to be a sticky?
> 
> *Heidi*


help please
I am so upset
My daughter has two rabbits about 2 years old. They have always been together. Recently the black one has been aggresive towards the white one when they are out of the cage. While in the cage they have still been close. Washing each other, lying side by side. However yesterday the black rabbit bit my daughter when she stroked the white rabbit. I was going to keep a close eye on the rabbits as I was considering separating them if the black one continued to be aggressive.
I have just found the black one dead, one side of her has chunks of fur missing, which is all over the garden. The white rabbit seems fine and not distressed at all. Both rabbits appeared to be healthy.
What could have happened?


----------



## JessMcT

Thanks is much for this super helpful advice. We are bonding 2 young female rabbits, after one (the sister) died. They are unneutered (though booked in for the op) and have separate hutches but spend all day in the same run. They eat the same veg, groom and sleep next to each other but one is definitely more dominant and there is occasional chasing and today we saw nipping. We can't tell if they are bonded or not! & don't know when we can put them in the same hutch.

Advice MUCH appreciated

thanks,

jess



hazyreality said:


> A guide to anyone who is considering bonding...
> 
> What you need:
> • 4-5 days (the 1st 2 totally free to watch them 24/7)
> • A neutral area preferably somewhere you can sleep next to.
> • An easy access pen about 2ft x 3ft for a 2-3 rabbits - up it a little for each additional or for much larger bunnies. It is ideal if the pen can be expandable, like the play pen panels.
> • A spray bottle filled with water (it needs to be on stream/jet not spray) this will be used for any small scraps.
> • Some gardening gloves just in case of a big fight. It is unlikely but best to be prepared.
> • Grooming spray or wipes (not totally necessary) I don't actually know if it helps or not, but it makes them all smell the same so if you can find them easily I think it's worth a try.
> 
> 1. I start by putting the new rabbit in the neutral area for 5 minutes or so, just until she gets used to the new area.
> 
> 2. Then add the calmest rabbit next. If you don't have a "new" rabbit (if they have all been together before) then start with the calmest.
> 
> 3. As those 2 settle down (look at step 5 for behaviour) then you can think about adding the next one (it needs to be within about 15mins each time)
> 
> 4. Just keep adding rabbits until the whole group are in there.
> 
> 5. Keep an eye on them, you can allow some humping but if you see either getting too stressed give them a squirt, same goes with chasing, a small amount is sorting a pecking order but don't let it get too much.
> Also expect nipping and thumping, these I don't allow and give the guilty party a squirt!
> I don't allow any nipping or thumping of anyone from anyone, not even between an already bonded pair, it's referred aggression and can cause just as many problems as a fight between the strangers!
> 
> 6. Sit and wait...get a book, drink and food ready before you start, I've made that mistake before!
> 
> 7. If you have a cage that you can fit all of the rabbits in that will fit in your car (if you have one) then I would ask someone to go with you (or drive you) and take all the bunnies out on a car ride, the idea being the stress of the situation will make them cling together and help them to realise they are no threat to each other. If you don't have a car on top of or next to the washing machine on spin cycle apparently helps.
> 
> 8. When - I am going to say when and not if - they have settled down in the small pen, you can move them to a slightly bigger space, and keep increasing gradually. If they start to kick off at all, take the space a step back and give them more time.
> 
> 9. Give them at least 2 days of settled behaviour before you move them into their old accommodation.
> Before they go back into the area they normally live in, you will need to clean it out thoroughly and wipe it all down with vinegar.
> 
> You will need A LOT of patience and books to read or games to play while you are sitting waiting for trouble but it's worth it in the end
> 
> Settled behaviour:
> • Laying down and/or sleeping even when the others are moving around.
> • Grooming themselves close to the others.
> • Very little or no thumping of feet.
> • Very little or no nipping/chasing/humping.
> • Eating nicely together (scatter feed)
> Bonded Behaviour:
> • Grooming each other.
> • Laying together
> • Sharing from a bowl
> • Eating the same piece of veg (think Lady and the Tramp)
> 
> Having a pair or group of rabbits is known to be beneficial to the rabbit's behaviour. A rabbit kept alone shows many less natural behaviours and body language than a rabbit with a friend(s)
> 
> Very few rabbits are un-bondable but the personalities need to match. For instance, if you have 2 rabbits with very strong, bossy personalities, they will be much harder to bond than 1 that is bossy and one that is submissive. A girl/boy pair is the easiest bond. Same sex bonds (especially if neutered) are very similar. Girls to boy's ratio in groups aren't usually all that important, although I wouldn't have a lone girl in a group of boy's (poor girl!)
> 
> I have so far done a pair (m&f) a trio (m, f &f) a 5 (mx2, fx3) a 6 (mx3, fx3) and a 7 (mx3, fx4) of my own. Then a 7 for a friend (mx3, fx4) but one wasn't happy so it ended up as a 6 (mx3, fx3).
> 
> I will be starting on an 8 very shortly (mx3, fx5). I have used the same method every time.
> 
> If you have any questions, please ask via PM or new thread rather than it disappearing on this thread.
> 
> Good luck x
> 
> Bernie, why not put your guide on here as well, and any others experienced in bonding and we can maybe ask for it to be a sticky?
> 
> *Heidi*


----------

