I have a doe Scarlett we have had her two years now. We lost her partner 8 months ago. I got a spayed boy 6 months old Benjamin he is a lovely calm cuddly bunny. She’s always been a bit grumpy and nips when she’s not into something but she seems to have mood swings when on dates. One minute she will be cuddling, grooming him, and he grooming her, both being rather affectionate then he will get up to move or run past her then that’s it she will go for him. Nothing major but I’m starting to see small patches of fur missing and small pin pick almost like grazes appearing after these small lunges. I want them to bond but obviously I don’t want him to get hurt. Got any advice?
Help needed bonding!
- Thread starter Chelsey
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I meant neutered not spayed. Scarlett and Benjamin are both done so less hormones to contend with. Just as soon as I think it’s love she gets funny and he retaliates. Me raising my voice or clapping stops it. I just want them to be friends so badly.
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
Bonding is a complicated process that can be serious and violent...sometimes the fights can be really, really serious. Some rabbit rescues will help with the bonding process. If you are in LA. there is actually a bunny matchmaker. There are clips on bonding on YouTube. 101 Rabbits does a detailed bonding video. I suggest if you are not experienced in bonding to keep them separate until you get some info, so that rabbit that is getting attacked will be safe. Keeping them separate will give you time to get knowledge. You can research for rescues that offer bunny bonding services and contact them for advice.
Unfortunately we don’t have that here in the UK having rabbits as a family pet in the home is only just becoming very popular. I bonded my pair before but it was so easy. I was introducing the girl into the boys house before. I didn’t realize girls are so territorial. Doing it the other way round this time is a lot harder. I have done a lot of research but just can’t figure out what her trigger is to help prevent it. They are showing really good signs of being a good pair with the grooming and the cuddling it just when she has a funny turn she will lunge. I think she’s trying to communicate with him but not in the nicest of ways. I am trying cage swapping in the hopes that will help and also looking to buy a new cage that’s new to both of them when they are eventually ready to live together. I shall follow your advice and contact a rescue center to see if they can offer some advice on the situation thank you for your suggestion 
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
You are welcom. This rabbit rescue has what they call matchmaking services:
Homepage: http://www.rabbitrescue.com/index.php
Matchmaking page:
http://www.rabbitrescue.com/matchmaking.html
This rabbit rescue also has bonding services:
Homepage: https://therabbithaven.org/
Bonding page:
https://therabbithaven.org/bonding-finding-a-friend-for-your-rabbit
Here is a clip on bonding:
Good Luck
Homepage: http://www.rabbitrescue.com/index.php
Matchmaking page:
http://www.rabbitrescue.com/matchmaking.html
This rabbit rescue also has bonding services:
Homepage: https://therabbithaven.org/
Bonding page:
https://therabbithaven.org/bonding-finding-a-friend-for-your-rabbit
Here is a clip on bonding:
Good Luck
i have good luck bonding female rabbits. I keep them next to each other in EX pens for a month before even starting the bonding process. Then they have "dates" in the bathtub for short periods (10-15 mins.) until a dominant rabbit is determined. Only then do i try to put them together in a pen. I've made mistakes with putting them together too soon and they ended up hating each other, missing patches of fur etc. if you have room you may separate them until they feel each other out and get used to each other. Females are VERY territorial and once they dislike another Bun it is hard to get them over it.
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
Based on what I've read, I think it's easily bonding a female with a male than with a female. I also read that sometimes bonded females turn on each other after some time. In regards to the bathtub, that seems to be the place to be for the bonding process.
When I get my rabbits, I'm not going to bond them, as I simply don't know enough. I'm going to go to a rabbit rescue and either get a male and female that are already bonded, or pick a rabbit and ask the rabbit rescue to bond that rabbit with another one for me.
Females aren't too bad, and maybe i'm lucky. I have two sets of females i bonded myself. Wasn't that hard really, just a lot of patience. They are like sisters i guess and have occasional spats. They started acting up after a while and i took them for a car ride and they have never acted up since. They need to have their own spaces they can get away from each other when they get moody so i provide a couple of upside down boxes for them and that seems to so the trick. They always make up though when it's feeding time . Then i find them flopped together and cuddling and they are best of friends again. Patience is key and a lot of love, and remember they are bunnies and bunnies will be bunnies. It's not easy being cute all the time.
. Then i find them flopped together and cuddling and they are best of friends again. Patience is key and a lot of love, and remember they are bunnies and bunnies will be bunnies. It's not easy being cute all the time.
Funny. The first time I ever heard of a rescue actually doing the bonding for someone who already had an existing rabbit was on a UK site with a UK rescue.
https://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/
I've dealt with rabbit rescues in the US from the east coast to the west coast and have yet to find one that will do the bonding for someone. They will bond their own rescued rabbits into pairs and then adopt them out as pairs. And they will allow someone to bring in their existing rabbit to "bunny date" some of the rescue rabbits to pre-screen for potential compatibility. And then they will offer advice as one attempts bonding the new rabbit at home. But they won't take someone's rabbit and actually bond that rabbit with another -- at least not in my experience. (I've never been to South Dakota though)
Jenny Durling
Well-Known Member
The Santa Barbara humane society does bunny dates. We took Rocky there for speed dating and it was really fun to watch how he interacted with the other rabbits. The woman who works there had 3 spayed females picked out as possibilities. One at a time, she sat each on her lap smooshed up against Rocky and we watched how they reacted to each other. They then got a few minutes to run around together in an enclosed outdoor area. I honestly thought either of the first two rabbits would have been a good fit but she suggested we try a third. My goodness! Natasha was number three and definitely the right match. She was leaning into him like it was love at first site. LOL! When they were left to run around they exhibited all kinds of 'good signs' including grooming near each other. Even so, once at home Rocky was a little brat. Home was HIS territory and I was HIS human, so he initially gave Natasha a really hard time. It took about 2.5 weeks of daily play dates in the tub and x-pen for them to bond. We also set up two large wire dog crates next to each other and moved the rabbits back and forth between them daily to get used to the idea of 'sharing'. Initially the bonding sessions were super short as as soon as released, Rocky would chawe and bit Natasha so we'd have to separate them. Apparently she thought he was worth waiting for as she took alot of grief from him. They couldn't be happier now though so it was worth the time and energy for sure.
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
Having a problem with posting something. Will try again.
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
The Santa Barbara humane society does bunny dates.
It's always California. I put a bonding page together on my blog of websites of shelters that providing bonding info. There's about 5 on the list. More will be added the future. Some have bonding services. Of the three I had that provided bonding services, all were in California. I even took one off so people wouldn't say "Why is it always California?" I'll put it back when I find shelters outside California that provide the services so the list won't be so one-sided and turn people off. There is a shelter in East Harlem in New York City that provides bonding services, but I was unable to get any info on that. At this time, I only provide a link there.
Anyway, South Dakota sucks in about almost anything, including rabbit rescue. The map has one rescue on it and I was not able to get the info on that. A regular shelter may have a rabbit, but one or no rabbit rescues in the whole state. There are no shelters in my town. there's pretty much nothing in my town. SD lacks in practically everything in my opinion, so I was not surprised.
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
As I said in a previous post, there is one rabbit rescue in the entire state on the rabbit rescue map and I couldn't get info on that. When it comes time for me to adopt, hopefully I will be living in a different state by then. Anyway, the bonding page on my blog, should give really good info.
Yes. All the rabbit rescues I've dealt with allow bunny dating to pre-screen for potential compatibility. I don't consider that to be a bonding service since the actual bonding process occurs by the owner at their own home. The actual bonding service I saw on the UK website is where they do the entire bonding process away from the owner's home for however long it takes (days or weeks?).
I guess I'm just trying to differentiate between "bonding service"(where they do the whole process for an owner) and "bonding advice or support" (where they help pre-screen and then offer advice by phone as needed).
Thanks I actually contacted Cotton tails before you posted. I don’t believe they take on two rabbits from outside and bond them it’s mostly done with their rescued rabbits and one outsider. However the lady that replied to me has been very helpful in making suggestions that I am going to try over the next few weeks.
Yes. That was my understanding too. It's been years since I've contacted them, but I did email them back then concerning a particularly difficult bond I was dealing with at the time. Don't remember who was corresponding, but she was most helpful (even though I was here in the US).
SharonLee
Well-Known Member
Yes. All the rabbit rescues I've dealt with allow bunny dating to pre-screen for potential compatibility. I don't consider that to be a bonding service since the actual bonding process occurs by the owner at their own home. The actual bonding service I saw on the UK website is where they do the entire bonding process away from the owner's home for however long it takes (days or weeks?).
I guess I'm just trying to differentiate between "bonding service"(where they do the whole process for an owner) and "bonding advice or support" (where they help pre-screen and then offer advice by phone as needed).
Ohhhhh. The LA rescue, the one that refers to bonding as matchmaking...she actually will bond the pair away from the home. I get it now and thanks for clearing that up. I did notice how it takes her much longer than the others. She is actually doing the bonding. The others do some pre-bonding and then provide info on the rest.
Hi everyone thank you for your help. Just to give you an update we have been happily living together for a few days now and having lots of cuddles. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on. Hope you all had a great Christmas and have a fantastic New Year. View media item 9590
Glad to hear tge good news! Hope our new bunny Arnold hits it off with Dutchess soon.
