May End Up With Another Bunny...

Rescuemom · Aug 15, 2012

A really good friend of mine got a Liondhead bunny about three months ago, possibly four. She's seriously got enough on her plate with three cats, a dog, a puppy, a newborn and a toddler, but her toddler loved the bunnies, so she adopted a bunny from the Humane Society, bought the cage and all and well, ended up with a four month old bunny(seven or eight months old now), already spayed, vaccinated, everything.

But now they're moving. Out of Province entirely - they're moving to a farm in another Province, and it's a 12 hour drive. They've already got two dogs, and three cats to take along with the two children and barely even know how they're going to do THAT, let alone take a bunny. So repeatedly, they have mentioned giving me Fluffy(what her two year old named the bunny).

Here's the thing. If I take on Fluffy(not sure how well it will go over with my fiance, as we're tight financially right now), then I'm going to just build a bi-level NIC condo cage, just one big cage for the two bunnies. So I need help with bonding.

Crush is neutered, Fluffy is spayed. Crush is three years old, and Fluffy is about seven-eight months old. What's the best way to bond bunnies? I know I can place their separate cages next to one another, so they can see and smell one another - but how long should I do that for? And what kind of progression should I be making to ensure things go smoothly? What are signs that they don't like one another?

Worst case scenario, if we can't keep Fluffy, I'll just foster her until she finds a good home. I'm very specific about 'good' homes, and I do my best to screen them.

Any help would be appreciated. They aren't moving until sometime in October, but I won't be able to build a NIC cage for several months yet, due to my current budget. Litter, Crush's teeth, and food are one thing, but an unnecessary NIC cage right now can't be fit in unless I cut other things out. Hopefully I'll be back to working by then though(my fiance is working, I'm on medical leave).

MiniLopHop · Aug 15, 2012

You have a good chance with bonding since it would be a male and female, both already fixed. It also works in your favor that she would be moving into his space rather than the other way around.

You can go to neutral territory (bath tub works well) and see how they like each other. If all goes well it may go quickly, but it may also take a while depending on their personalities.

Once they are bonded however, they will always need to stay together or they can get extremely depressed, sometimes to the point of pining away and dying.

Rescuemom · Aug 15, 2012

Oh yes. I wouldn't bond them if I wasn't keeping Fluffy. I've seen what that can do to animals. I even had a fish pine after the death of another(he got stuck in a shell, and she waited outside the shell til we found him and then... stopped swimming around and just hung around the bottom of the tank like she was depressed). My Rottweiler had to be pts last year too, and Charlie(my Beagle) mourned her a great deal - it made me cry to see him like that. I wouldn't want to bond an animal only to separate them later on.

Are there any pros and cons to rabbits bonding? And would they need to be reintroduced EVERY time I took Crush to get his teeth trimmed and brought him back(I know bunnies often have to be reintroduced after a spay/neuter, so does the same rule apply here?)? Or would I just have to take them both?

Thank you for the bathtub suggestion!

MiniLopHop · Aug 15, 2012

I think the only con would be the grief when the partner is lost and time investment to bond.

There are many pros- they live happier, longer lives with another rabbit companion
they have less stress during scary events because they can comfort each other (do not seperate them for anything, even vet appointments because you risk them smelling weird when they get home and causing a fight.)
bunny love is super cute
they can play and nap together when you aren't home
two tend to amuse each other so they get into less trouble
they can teach each other things
they groom each other (great help with my angora, his bunwife keeps the fur behind his ears all nice and mat-free)

ldoerr · Aug 15, 2012

I am in the process of bonding my 2 unspayed females (I did talk to my mom about getting them spayed. She said that we do not have the $ now, MAYBE next summer break [I know way to long]). I let them run around my kitchen each night together closely suppervised of course. They are making HUGE strides in bonding. They are learning eachothers buttons. They also live in a devided NIC cage that is 3.5x2x2. I would just be patient. It sounds like they might get along. If you have a room or area that your current rabbit has not been in I would use that as the bonding room.

Korr_and_Sophie · Aug 16, 2012

Bonding can take time. While you might know early on if it will work, it can still take a few weeks or months before they are ready to live together.
Having cages close together does help so they can get used to each other. Introducing them on neutral territory is best. A confined space or somewhere where they can't hide is best (you don't want one to hide and the other to trap them, they should be able to move around freely at first). How long things take depend on the rabbits, some can progress faster than others. I would plan on going slow, but if they do well you can go a bit faster. Some steps might need more time than others as well, like you might be able to let them meet face to face sooner, but they may need more time to get used to each other on neutral territory before moving into the established territory.

You would need to take them everywhere together. When he needs to get his teeth trimmed, take her along. That way both will smell the same and they can comfort each other on the trip. If one needed surgery or vet care, then it can be ok to separate them for that, but let them see each other if possible. You do need a bigger carrier for a pair to give them more room as well.

A bonded pair does cost more than a single rabbit. Even though they can share a cage and litter box (some may need 2 boxes though), it is still twice the food and extra vet bills. Some things like hay and litter are a bit more, but might not be twice as much. It is only one cage the clean, but it should be a bigger cage.

You could try some bunny dates to see if they will get along before the owners move. Just to see how they might react so you can have a better idea on how bonding might go. If they really don't get along, then you can help make plans to find her another home. If they do seem to get along, then you can plan on bonding them and being more prepared for that.