How easy is it to bond rabbits?

[SnowyShiloh]

Hi everyone! There is a VERY sweet looking bunny at my local animal shelter right now, here he is:

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=9399299
I wasn't officially planning on getting bunnies (I want a pair) until we get a bigger apartment (so at least until May), but every day I'm wanting to get my bunnies NOW. We do have the space if we get rid of some stuff and give up our closet to the bunnies. And if we got this bunny, he wouldn't need as much space as two... I would still like to get two rabbits, though. My question is, how easy is it to bond two rabbits? I would most likely be getting the second rabbit in May or June. Should I just pass this little sweetie up and wait until I can get a bonded pair from the shelter?

 

[Thumpers_Mom]

Hey snowy...I don't know anything about bonding, but WOWEEEE...He is cute! What an adorable bun!:inlove:

 

[monklover]

It really depends. How much time would you have to bond? I have been bonding my two bunnies for 5 months.

Some bunnies fall in love instantly and some don't. Some start off hating each other but in time fall in love. Some constantly fight.

Follow your heart. If you have to have the rabbit and love him, get him. When you are ready to get another, go to a shelter and ask about bringing him in for a bunny "date." Then you will be able to tell which one your bunny gets along with best for more successful bonding.

Good luck!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

first let me say he is pretty :shock:, what a cutie. On getting the bun you need to decide if you really want this bunny, is it the right time, do you have what you need to give to him, which it seems like you have and what you need to do and get you are willing to do. I dont see anything wrong with getting this guy and then waiting for another bun to hop across your path that you were"meant" to have. if you get this one now it will give you time to get him nutered, get him acclimated to the house and you to him. it says he is a little shy, this time will also give you time to spend with him.



Bonding, i have very limited experience with it, i am in the process of my very first bond. I do know that it can be hit or miss when it comes to bonding and getting a bun down the road. Your bun could hit it off right away , and your bun could just hate any bunny he meets,lol. There are things you can do like make bunny dates to see how your bun and the other bun will act to give you a hint of whether or not they will be a "good" match.



i got my first bun in feb and then i got her Husbun in August, i was praying to god that they accepted each other because i really dont have the room for two giant cages, well thankfully we are all doing well and they have accepted each other, now only if Belle would stop mounting him so that they could live happily ever after all would be great,lol. Good luck, and he is a real cutie i see why it is hard to resist him,lol. and of course if you get him we must insist on pictures of him.

 

[Phinnsmommy]

Bonding for me was very easy. It took me about a week =)

If you are considering adopting from a shelter, you can do some "bunny dates" to see what other rabbits they get along with.

Good luck

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Hi guys! Thanks for the tips, I will inventory them for later! Unfortunately, the BF is against getting a bunny right now, I talked to him about it. He says he wants some space for us in our apartment! I have two cockatiels (had them for 10 years, share a cage), four rats (had 3 since January, one since August, they share a cage), two hamsters (one since Feb '06, one since April) and an aquarium full of guppies (were "rescued" from a friend in August), so I can see his point! Everyone has large cages. All my pets are adored and well cared for, and heck I would be happy enough to just get a baby gate and call our entire kitchen the bunny pen... alas, I need to take his feelings into consideration as well. He's not gaga over my pets like I am, but he does very well with them. He'd really like to get a pair of ferrets several years from now. He said that when we get a bigger apartment, he'll have no problem with us getting bunnies. So it looks like we're looking at May at the earliest I guess this sweet bunny isn't meant to be mine even though I wish he were. I hope he gets a loving family!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Possible change of plans! The BF and I talked things over tonight about ways to make space for this bunny and he's changed his mind about waiting! We're going to go meet the bunny on Saturday... Oh gosh, I can hardly wait, I feel like a 10 year old again. If we do get him, we will attempt to get him a friend and bond them next summer. Thanks for your advice, any other you have to offer is more than welcome too!

 

[amberelizabeth]

along with bonding, does it matter w/ the age?

layla is 2yrs old, and spayed, and eventually i want to get another rabbit for her to have a friend.

since she's older will that be easier? or since she's been alone for so long (i just adopted her in june i'm assuming she was alone before that) is she just better off being alone?

 

[Flashy]

Age doesn't matter, neither does size, but personality does. Some bunnies prefer being alone, some love company. It can be easy to bond, or hard, sometimes you might think you have succeeded and then realise you haven't just yet.

Good luck with your new bun OP, I hope it all goes well

 

[naturestee]

Age and size definitely do not matter.

As for how easy it is, it depends on the rabbits. Some will never bond. Case in point- my Mocha with Fey or Sprite. She's a one male bunny kind of girl, she literally tries to kill any others. And she smacked Loki around for the first few weeks too until she suddenly fell in love with him.

Some rabbits take months to bond. Others are nearly instant. IMO if you want to adopt a rabbit that is more likely to bond with a current bun, set up "bunny dates" to introduce your bun to the shelter rabbits. Obviously, if they adore each other it's all good. If they ignore each other it's fairly good too- they're sizing each other up but don't hate each other. Lots of fighting is a bad sign.

Some rabbits like all other buns. I could probably bond Fey or Loki to any rabbit that doesn't try to kill them on sight (ahem... MOCHA!). Others are picky- Mocha, Snuggysmom's Penny, Binkies' Tulla. Penny and Tulla both seriously disliked a lot of the rabbits they had met until they found that one special somebun. And some would just prefer to be alone with their human slaves, like JadeIcing's Samantha.

And there's always lots of people here with different bonding experiences and different ideas to help if you are having trouble with bonding. We're here to help!