Re-bonding rabbits

Hello.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has some advice/experience with this issue!

I have a pair of rabbits (Netherland dwarf): male + female, 3 years old, and they've known each other most of their lives (not siblings, but same age). I went through the whole bonding process, which seemed to take. But then 1.5 years ago they had a huge fight--fur flying, lots of biting/scratching. I had to intervene and separate them. Fortunately no permanent injuries, but it definitely freaked me out what might have happened if I hadn't been there to stop them...

I went through the whole bonding process again, and now it's to the point where they spend all day together free-roaming around the house, but I always separate them at night and when I leave the house (just a rail between them, so they can still see/touch each other). We've been doing this for a while, and they seem perfectly happy with the routine. They love spending time together--they go everywhere together and sleep and eat and play--but they're also used to the pattern of being separated during the night.

I really want to put them together again 24/7 so they can roam and spend their time together freely. My thinking is that I'll block off certain rooms at night or when I'm out (so they don't mess up the furniture), but they'll have 24/7 access to the kitchen and the hallway (big hallway/foyer) to run and play.

However, I am really paranoid about what might happen if they start fighting while I'm not home. Since it happened once before, I'm scared it could happen again. Is there any way to tell if they are "truly bonded"? I know the general rule of 48 hours together, but they seemed bonded before they had their last fight, too...

Mostly, I'm interested in this: if they did get into a major argument, would they know, eventually, to run away from each other and protect themselves? Or could they actually end up causing fatal harm? That's my biggest fear: coming home to an irreversible tragedy, that could have been prevented by keeping them separate like I'm doing now.

You'd think they'd have at least some survival instinct? But as much as I want them to go back to their joyous, hoppy, joint life together 24/7, I don't want to risk it if the price could be that high...


Thanks very much for taking the time to read, and I appreciate any advice!

Lola

48 hrs is kind of a generality. Some rabbits can be, kind of bonded at that point to some extent, but the bond is so new that something could still set them off. I'd say a couple weeks at least, before it becomes less likely of the bond failing, as it can take some time for the rabbits to really get to know each other and iron out the hierarchy issues. But as you learned, rabbits that have been together for quite a while, can still fall out.

There's no way to determine if rabbits might have a falling out. But bonded rabbits that tend to not like to cuddle up or groom each other, and try and avoid each other most of the time, I'd think are more prone to falling out. Male/male and female/female matches seem to be more prone to issues than male/female from my experience. But this is just in general. Doesn't necessarily mean any particular rabbits will or won't have issues.

Usually if rabbits being bonded, are to the point of being good together during the whole day unsupervised for several days, I usually consider them bonded enough that they also stay together at night. But I haven't ever had to separate from a severe falling out like that. So I can see why you might be nervous to move forward with leaving them together unsupervised at night.

If they're ok being separated at night and the separatation isn't causing any problems with their bond during the day, I don't know that it's a problem to continue that routine if it's what you feel safest doing.

But if you decide you want to go ahead with having them together at night, I would suggest a gradual approach if possible, by slowly increasing the time. And also making sure they have plenty of space and places to get away from one another if they do decide they need space from each other. Places that aren't dead ends, that have 2 or more escape routes. So no hidey holes with only one entrance.

As far as the buns daytime free roam.... how is this set up in relation to their nighttime residence? Is that all in the same area? Do you just open the doors to each of their pens to let them out during the day? or do you retire them to an entirely different area? What do you have arranged for their daytime litter? Can you be more specific on the day / night set up in relation to each other? Since they are being taught they have "their own area" they will tend to be protective of it . Laying next to each other at the barrier doesn't indicate much. It can mean they are just relaxed bc they know "their space" is not in jeapordy......they kind of post guard by laying that way.

I have two bonded sisters (two years old--my avatar pic) that I adopted in March 2023. They were seven months old, had been spayed for a little under three months and seem to do well in my home at first as a bonded pair. They came from the rescue as a bonded pair and I didn't have any issues. I adopted another spayed female two months later and they all resided in the same room but could not see each other. They free roamed in separate areas. However, the sisters got into a squealing, fur pulling fight and I separated them for a couple hours. Then, I re-bonded them in their carrier. Just the presence of another rabbit is what set them off. Weird considering they spent their entire lives around other rabbits before I adopted them. They lived peacefully together 24/7 for over a year and seemed to have a very strong bond. A couple brought their toddler over in July and the sisters seemed freaked out by the baby although I did not allow her in their room. They got into an all out fight, a really bad one after the couple left. The baby is what set them off. I separated them for a night and then re-bonded again in the carrier the next day. It was much more difficult and the one sister kept chasing/nipping at the other for days but they did not fight. I had to watch them all the time, but now they are strongly bonded again and love on each other all the time. I wanted to share this to show that sometimes they have triggers which make them fight. I never thought a baby would be one of them given they have been around other people in my home, but I think the baby's squealing and erratic movements set them off.

DelawareRunner said:

I have two bonded sisters (two years old--my avatar pic) that I adopted in March 2023. They were seven months old, had been spayed for a little under three months and seem to do well in my home at first as a bonded pair. They came from the rescue as a bonded pair and I didn't have any issues. I adopted another spayed female two months later and they all resided in the same room but could not see each other. They free roamed in separate areas. However, the sisters got into a squealing, fur pulling fight and I separated them for a couple hours. Then, I re-bonded them in their carrier. Just the presence of another rabbit is what set them off. Weird considering they spent their entire lives around other rabbits before I adopted them. They lived peacefully together 24/7 for over a year and seemed to have a very strong bond. A couple brought their toddler over in July and the sisters seemed freaked out by the baby although I did not allow her in their room. They got into an all out fight, a really bad one after the couple left. The baby is what set them off. I separated them for a night and then re-bonded again in the carrier the next day. It was much more difficult and the one sister kept chasing/nipping at the other for days but they did not fight. I had to watch them all the time, but now they are strongly bonded again and love on each other all the time. I wanted to share this to show that sometimes they have triggers which make them fight. I never thought a baby would be one of them given they have been around other people in my home, but I think the baby's squealing and erratic movements set them off.

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Thanks for sharing. Its always helpful to hear of the different circumstances that can create a rift. The bonds seem so strong, yet so fragile! If just one rabbit stresses it can really freak the other out and they react to each other.