Bonding rabbits - A walk-through information film

[animallover6734]

THEIR MATING

[HappyHoppersForum]

@animallover6734 It certainly looks like that, but both rabbits were fixed a long time before this, so can't be acting on sex hormones. This is the behaviour of rabbits that are establishing their place in their natural heirachal system. The same behaviours happen with same sex rabbits, which can't be mating.

[rennypenny06]

I am so glad I found your vid... I am getting ready to try bonding bunnies for the first time ever (two females... my bunny seems to prefer female company in general) and it is wonderful to see a step-by-step guide of what it should look like without some teenager laughing at the humping in the background. I thank you for sharing your experience, and I am now confident that I should be able to bond my girl with her new adoptive sister.

[HappyHoppersForum]

@rennypenny06 Many buns prefer smae sex company, but we have to cater for the majority! My last male bun was not into the ladies at all!

Thanks for the ffedback, and good luck. If you need any more help along the way (it probably won't go excatly like this - each bond is different) then ask in the Happy Hoppers forum, lots of experienced owners there :)

[IAmEpicness]

... Should I be restricting their space (my room seems a little smaller than yours) so that they are in each other's space more? What behaviours should I look out for? Should I keep them in separate cages for now, even though they don't fight in the cage? They will be getting a new cage soon. I know they have great potential to be friends, but I want to make sure that Juni doesn't get too stressed out. They seem very content the rest of the time. Thanks so much for any advice you can give me.



[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness Thanks for so much detail, it's helpful :)

Established bionded buns still hump and re-assert dominance. We were lucky that t hese two binded so quickly, it can take some time, even weeks for subordinate to accept dominance. When Juni is stressed, put some foods that they both enjoy on the floor, and let them share - a good distraction. Only thing to look out for is biting, and humping over the head, not the rear - very dangerous for the humping bun - lower bun can bite genitals...

[HappyHoppersForum]

@HappyHoppersForum 

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness To be honest, it sounds completely normal to me, but I can see why you're unsure about it. I take it they are both neutered? Getting stressed is part of the process, and bizarrely, buns comfort each other when stressed, so this may be the thing that leads to acceptance. I don't think there's any need to seperate them, keep on doijg what you're doing, and if things get too hairy, provide distractions. More space will deffo help, they are territorial animals. Keep me posted, thanks :)

[IAmEpicness]

@HappyHoppersForum Thank you very much... You've made me less uneasy. No, Juni and Briar aren't spayed yet. In my research, I found that they shouldn't be spayed until around 6 months, so I'm waiting until they're a little bit older. They haven't even finished growing yet. Do you have a different opinion?

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness Apologies, didn't fully take in their age. Some ets will spay at 5 months, but it's contentious and most won't on ethical grounds - it's a big operation. 6 months minimum, preferably 8, but in your case, 'ideally', the sooner the better, before hormonal behaviour becomes established normal behaviour - However, this is something you should talk to your vet about. Two females tend not to be as easy as M-F, and do need more attention, and space, to get away from each other...

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness ...when they need to. Females are territorial, and compete in the wild, so I would suggest adding a pen to their cage that they can have 24 hr access to.I'll message you a couple of links.

A female accepting another female as adominant rabbit is not always a smooth path, so I woudl suggest that if fighting breaks out at any time, you seperate them. Biting is also unacceptable, but if it's just accasional, then a squirt of water really helps, as it does with excessive humping.

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness I would also add that when your two females do mature, and prior to them being spayed, they nay start to fight more frequently, and you may need to put them in seperate accommodation, that is in very close approximity, enabling the rabbits to maintain visual and oderous contact with each other, until they are spayed. They will need at least 2 weeks (pref 3-4) to recover before being re-introduced in neutral territory, such as the bathroom, or tub (with a towel to line).

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness I would also add that when your two females do mature, and prior to them being spayed, they nay start to fight more frequently, and you may need to put them in seperate accommodation, that is in very close approximity, enabling the rabbits to maintain visual and oderous contact with each other, until they are spayed. They will need at least 2 weeks (pref 3-4) to recover before being re-introduced in neutral territory, such as the bathroom, or tub (with a towel to line).

[HappyHoppersForum]

@IAmEpicness @IAmEpicness I would also add that when your two females do mature, and prior to them being spayed, they may start to fight more frequently, and you may need to put them in seperate accommodation, that is in very close proximity, enabling the rabbits to maintain visual and odour contact with each other, until they are spayed. They will need at least 2 weeks (pref 3-4) to recover before being re-introduced in neutral territory, (bath tub with a towel to line).

[IAmEpicness]

... until she encounters Juni again. Sometimes Juni will be the one to escape and scoot away. All the while, they snack together and Briar will have a snooze and lay down while next to Juni, so it's not like they hate each other. In fact, when they're right next to each other, everything seems peachy. I've put them in the tub again, and there are no problems at all. What I would like to know is if I should be doing anything differently. Should I be preventing Juni from getting away?

[IAmEpicness]

... Now, though, on day three, when I let them out of their cage to run about on the floor of my bedroom, it seems like the dominance issue is working itself out over again. Briar seems to think she's not getting the respect she deserves and this has progressed to humping and the behaviour seen in your (great) video. However, Juni isn't catching on to the grooming thing and keeps trying to run away. I can tell she's stressed out. When humping doesn't turn out, Briar gives up and runs around...

[IAmEpicness]

...but she clearly wants to be the boss bunny. Now, they got along fine in the bathtub for about 4 hours, with plenty of snacking and cuddling. I took a chance and put them in Briar's cage, which had been wiped down, and this also went well with minimal stress, just a bit of a scuffle at the beginning. Juniper and Briar snuggle in their hut, share the food, share the litterbox and licking each other... They only had one scuffle. They managed to spend two nights together without a hitch...

[IAmEpicness]

Hi. I'm looking for some advice. I have two young girl bunnies who are very sweet. I've had Briar for two months (she's about 4 months old) and I brought Juniper (also 4 months old) home yesterday. They met in my bathtub, and all was well, with Briar asserting her dominance (without much humping). Juniper seemed a lot like Brian -- she was kind of stunned and wasn't too quick on the grooming thing, though she caught on. Briar is really enthusiastic about having a friend...

[MegsPetcare]

HELP? i just got a rabbit i put them in the bath tub for like 20 min knowing me i out them in the cage for like 3 hours but they were always mounting/humping. do i let them in a little room for a couple hours and then put them in the cage for a couple hours and hopefully be bonded. but all the time they snuggle and one of mine grooms the other. but its just humping that annoys me, and the other runs away! what should i do. i want them to be bonded just in like a day or 2 or at lease 4 days! HELP

[HappyHoppersForum]

@MegsPetcare |Sorry I missed this y'day. Firstly, be patient! Bonds don't always happen overnight, they can be quite complex and take a few days - the rabbits will decide if they want to be friends. Humping is perfactly natural, and determines who is the dominant rabbit. You should, however, be mindful of too much humping, if it stressing the subordinate bunny out. If there is humping over the head, remove the humping bun - this can be dangerous. Cont...

[HappyHoppersForum]

Keep the rabbits in seperate cages within smelling and contact distance, and give them supervised time together each day - start with a couple of hours and increase it. Distract them from humping all the time by providing food for them to share - just spread around the floor/bath tub - don't give them a bowl or they'll fight over ownership. Once they've established their roles (dominant & subordinate) the humping should calm down, but won't stop completely. Good luck ^.^

[DomaNikki]

Very helpful video!

[anac223]

Hi, I have a female and Male (both desexed) who had a couple of fights in the first few days of meeting, after this the pair were attached at the hip and grooming each other, they seemed very much a bonded pair. A month later the pair came to a new home and were fine sharing a cage and playing in my room for exercise, then 2 weeks later out of nowhere the rabbits had another big fight. I've had them separated since. How do I know when they're truly bonded?

[HappyHoppersForum]

@anac223 Hi, pet buns are rarely 'truly bonded', they co-habit well if de-sexed, & tolerate each other, but as essentially 'wild' animals, true bonding is rare, & wouldn't always happen in the wild.

It sounds as if they rabbits have been put in a new territory, and are re-asserting/fighting over it. Not uncommon. It's unsettling for a rabbit to be put into a new environment.

take them to a neutral place, where they've not been before (bath tub with towel is good), and try the re-bond there

[HappyHoppersForum]

@anac223 (part 2) If they tolerate each other there, then you will need to clean your cage and their environment thoroughly. Use a dilution of 1:10 parts BIOLOGICAL washing poder:water and wash cage, and run. Rinse off. This gets rid of scent. You should consider putting them into a new room for a while at least - again, one they haven't been in before. If neither 'owns' the territory, there shouldn't be any fighting. Is one dominant over the other?

Let me know how it goes, and good luck!

[anac223]

@HappyHoppersForum Thank you for the advice. I tried them in the bath tub, the male began biting bits of fur out of the female immediately, I moved them apart, but within a minute he'd be back doing the same thing. There may be a dominance battle occurring, the male grooms the female when she lowers her head but still tries to mount her as well (which is very unwelcome on her part, and she's much bigger so can cause lots of damage). I'm not sure what to do next. :S

[HappyHoppersForum]

@anac223 Part 1: Mmmm, well the female has assumed dominance, and expectst the ale to groom her. It seems that he is not happy to accept her dominance yet. Fur pulling is normal behaviour, but you have to decide when it's dangerous..Lots of things you could do, but not sure if this bond is serioiusly in trouble, as I can't see them! I'd house them apart fro a few days, different rooms, then put them back in a new space before re-introducing them. You could try a forced bond....(see part2)

[HappyHoppersForum]

@anac223 ...part 2: Put them in seperate carriers, and take them for a car rde. After 1/2 hour, put them in the same carrier (female into the male's carrier) and go for another ride - an hour or so. Have someone sitting in the back with them. When you get home, put them in a small cage or large carrier and have a spray bottle of water at hand.Provide lots of food, spread around, see how that goes. It's a last resort, but might re-initiate the bond, but might not.. Be patient.

[1357Animallover]

Hello, i have three female rabbits and one neutered male rabbit. I would like my male rabbit to live with one of my females because her sisters pick on her (Like will not let her eat) and the male needs a friend. They are both 5 months old. I have introduced them once and they did not fight - they ate together and relaxed/flopped but not one of them showed dominace, should i keep in trying to bond them until one of them becomes the dominant one or is it ok for there not to be a dominant one? x

[HappyHoppersForum]

@1357Animallover Sounds perfect! As I said in a previous answer on here, not all buns will have a dominant/subordinate relationship. Each animal is different, and many pairs or groups co-exist in a more level and equal partnership, I think it's wonderful when it happens :)

I would suggest that the pair have a lot of space to live in, this will help keel them on equal terms. At some point if one of them does want to become dominant and the other is Ok with that, then that's fine too.

[HappyHoppersForum]

@1357Animallover Oh, and if your female is 5 months old, she'll be coming into maturity. It is likely that she may not be so relaxed around your male as she is now. I would suggest getting her speyed prior to the bond. She can be speyed at 6 weeks. She'll need a couple of weeks to recover and another week or two to ensure hormones have left her system. The bond will be a lot easier if both are de-sexed.

[GeorgeSandle]

Ive been planning on getting my lady a male friend. (both neutered of course)

Ive been a little worried as to how to go about it as every person says different things. But this video is very helpful and I will use it as a reference for when I am bonding them :)

[Pets4Life99]

My new rabbit grooms the one that mounts but he still mounts him :L Why is this so?

[HappyHoppersForum]

@Pets4Life99 The subordinate rabbit will groom the dominant (mounting) one, so that's ok. 'He' still mounts him' - Not sure which rabbit is doing what? Not all rabbit relationships are so clearly defined, sometimes there is some grooming from dominant to subordinate, sometimes there is no mounting and equal grooming between the two - in effect, there is no dominance in the relationship. This is where knowing your rabbits personalities is helpful in choosing the right partner :)

[SuperJuniorFanatic07]

If for example two males get bonded will they have the same reaction to each other?? For example will one of them try to be "dominant in the sense of this video?" Thank you

[HappyHoppersForum]

@SuperJuniorFanatic07 Hi, in the majority of cases, there will be one dominant and one subordinate in any pair, of whichever sex. Sometimes though, some rabbits will be more egalitarian, and live together very happily without a dominant/subordinate relationship. As far as i know, this also happens in any pair :)

[soshiizm2]

I would like to see an example of bonding 2 female bunnies

but thanks anyway, This is very informative and useful I'll try to bond my 2 female Holland Lop and Mini Rex to become a bunny buddy :)

[HappyHoppersForum]

@soshiizm2 There is no difference between bonding M-F, F-F, M-M, what you see here will be the same for any pairing - one will be dominant, and one will be subordinate. However, the difference with M-M or F-F is that the struggle to define which rabbit is which can be more difficult, and is more likely to end up with fur flying and posibbly fighting. This is why you need gloves, and a water spray bottle. We used this pair as they were available at the time, that's all :)

[lucy1666]

lol good informative video mindy is giving it all ;0 lol

[feline256]

Thank you for posting this, I'll be attempting a bond with a new 2nd rabbit soon and it was helpful to see a visual of what their behavior might be like.

[HappyHoppersForum]

@feline256 Glad you found it then :) If you have any probs, we'll be happy to help on the forum, Good luck ^.^

[blhtaz]

This is an excellent video. We have successfully bonded many rabbits in our rescue and fostering efforts and have used nearly all the methods mentioned in your video other than force bonding. Every pair requires something different but the most successful method to date has been putting them in a bathtub to start the process. Our biggest challenge was the three boys that we own and run free in our house but we have also bonded two and three females as well--tough but doable.

[HappyHoppersForum]

@blhtaz Thanks for the info, the feedback and the wonderful work you do, I'm happy you liked the film ^.^

[catswhiskas]

What a wonderful and informative film. It shows an excellent approach to bonding in a calm manner with fantastic insight by Anne .. well done :D

[gossamerhall]

Thank you so much. I have a bunny "Daisy" we adore her *-*