Bonding Do’s and Don’ts
Why rabbits should never be alone
Rabbits are very sociable animals and require the company of other rabbits. Keeping a rabbit on its own deprives it of one of their most basic requirements; which is the company of their own kind.
All rabbits, whether wild or domesticated, are prey animals; it is hardwired into their DNA. In the wild they rely on the other rabbits in their warren to warn them if predators are close by. Therefore, a single rabbit never truly relaxes as they feel the need to be on alert for any danger 24/7; therefore, having another rabbit as a companion will reduce stress for them.
Rabbits only really speak rabbit; they can communicate with each other and recognise those subtle body language signs that we miss. This is particular true of outdoor rabbits; it’s much easier to spot these signs when they share our living space.
It’s never too late to get a friend for your single rabbit. There are many cases where older bunnies have spent their later years happily with a new companion.
Before bonding it is important that you have the right amount of space for them, and if outside, that it is predator proof with a sheltered area they can hide and keep warm in. The minimum recommendation is 3m x 2m x 1m for up to two rabbits.
Pairing up Rabbits (Bonding)
Before you start the process, all rabbits to be bonded must be at least 6-8 weeks post neutering to allow for their hormones to have settled. Even if they are from the same litter that ‘baby bond’ can break as soon as the hormones kick in and unwanted behaviour such as fighting and spraying urine will happen. They should all be fit, healthy and vaccinated before attempting bonding.
Be Observant
Most people find that mixed sex pairs generally work best, so if you are thinking of getting rabbits for the first time, it’s advisable to get a male and female. Although same sex pairs are not uncommon; it is all down to the personality of the rabbits being bonded; like humans not everyone gets along with each other. If you take on an already bonded pair from a rescue, then all the hard work has already been done for you.
If you already have a rabbit(s), arrange for him/her to be neutered if they aren’t already then wait a few weeks before adopting the second rabbit.
How to Find a Friend for Your Rabbit(s)
The best place to find your second rabbit is at a rescue centre; not only will you be giving a home to a bunny in need, but each rabbit adopted leaves a vacancy for another rabbit in real need of a shelter space. Also, all reputable rescue rabbit centres will have neutered and vaccinated their rabbits before offering them up for adoption. Many rescue centres have expertise in pairing up rabbits and will be able to match your rabbit with one or more with the right temperament / personality. Ideally use the rescue centres bonding service which starts the bond off in a neutral space. The first stage of that process will take approximately a week but can take longer with some rabbits. You will of course need to continue the process once you have your rabbit back home with his or her friend(s).
If you are about to take on your first rabbit, please adopt a bonded pair from a rescue centre. There you will receive the correct advice about housing, diet and health requirements.
When to pair
Winter is generally the best time of year to bond, because normally hormones are less of a factor than in the Spring and or summer. However, if your rabbit is alone then please don’t wait until the winter. It might take a little longer to form a bond but it is vitally important for your rabbit to have a friend of its own kind.
How to pair rabbits
We would always recommend you let a good rescue do the pairing for you, especially if you have not tried to pair up rabbits before.
Before you start
Rabbits sometimes carry diseases, which may be spread from one to another. Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC) is a disease which can lay dormant for months which doesn’t show any sign of being there.
However, it can both be tested for, and treated, although treatment is not always 100% effective. Ideally, rabbits for pairing should be tested before meeting each other, and, if EC is detected, treatment should be started (It requires a 28-day treatment course). If both are negative, then treatment is not required.
Alternatively, to reduce the time and cost of testing, they may both be assumed to be positive, and treatment started prior to meeting, and continued for a total of 28 days.
At home
If you want to try to do the pairing yourself at home there are some ground rules you need to follow.
Two baby rabbits (under 12 weeks of age) that are the same sex, or a “love at first sight” couple, can live with each other immediately. All other combinations will need to be carefully and gradually introduced. Whatever the age or sex they should be neutered as soon as possible to prevent unwanted litters. We regularly find that Arthur is Martha and vice versa; particularly when shop bought!
Rabbits are surprisingly vicious fighters. It’s vital to keep a close eye on them throughout the pairing process as one or both could be seriously injured.
There are many different ways to introduce two rabbits. We and the RWAF does not support any ‘stress bonding’ methods; no unnecessary car journeys because it’s simply not right to put them through such stress.
The following method isn’t the quickest, but it is easy to follow, we think it is the least stressful, and it almost always works.
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Put the rabbits in nearby enclosures, where they can sniff each other through the divide.
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If your existing rabbit is free range, put the new rabbit in a cordoned off section of this area. The rabbits will start to get used to each other’s scent. To help this you can also swap their litter trays over, or rub a cloth over one bunny and then the other.
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Once the rabbits are used to the sight and smell of each other, put them together in a small space in neutral territory where neither has been before. You could use the bathroom for this but do NOT use the bath unless you put a nonslip mat down for them! Make sure you put lots of hay down for them; but refrain from putting in toys etc at this stage. It’s also important to make sure there is nothing on which they can injure themselves.
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You will need to stay in this area with them. Make sure to have a towel with you, or gardening gloves, in case you need to intervene and separate them. Mounting is okay as this is the way they decide dominance, also a little bit of chasing and nipping is normal. However, if they start whirling in circles around each other then you need to stop them immediately as this can lead to kicking and biting; it’s better to stop them than risk a full on fight where one or both could be seriously injured.
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Keep on with this until the bunnies are relaxed in each other’s company. When the rabbits are happy to groom each other and lie together, they can be left unsupervised together. The whole process can take anything from a couple of hours to a couple of months. The better the rabbits get on at their first meeting, the quicker they will bond.
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It’s completely natural that one rabbit will be dominant over the other but it shouldn’t be in any way aggressive. There may be mounting, but it should be accepted by the less dominant rabbit. The subordinate rabbit shows its acceptance of the other’s dominance by licking it. The rabbit that puts its head down to be licked is claiming the top spot, and by licking it, the partner is accepting that the other rabbit is boss.
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If they do have a proper fight at any point that results in an injury requiring veterinary treatment, separate them until any injury is fully healed before putting them together again. If this happens, get in touch with us for advice, but it might be that they will not be able to bond.
Don’t separate them once they’re paired up
Once your rabbits have paired up it’s important to keep the bond alive. If one of your rabbits needs a vet then take them both in the same carrier. They will stick together for comfort.
Love at first sight.
Some rabbits will establish an instant bond. You can recognise this by an initial lack of interest when first introduced followed by individual grooming. This will soon progress to mutual grooming and the rabbits sitting together. Do keep a careful eye on a ‘love at first sight’ couple for any possible aggression, but if all goes well, don’t separate them!
Good luck with the bonding; it might take time and patience, and sometimes frustration, but it will be well worth it, your rabbit will be so much more content with a friend or friends.