Tips on Getting Your Rabbits to Become Lifelong Friends
1. When introducing a new rabbit to a household with established pet rabbits, a pecking order needs to develop. Some fighting and grouching is to be expected. Be prepared to separate fighting rabbits as they can hurt each other. Some suggest heavy leather gloves or tennis shoes over the hands to separate a fighting pair.2. Spaying and neutering before sexual maturity (4-8 months of age) will help diminish hormone driven aggression.
3. You can start to introduce two rabbits together by placing their cages near each other in order to establish the presence of the new rabbit. Allow one rabbit out at a time into a rabbit-safe area. Return that rabbit to its cage, and allow the other rabbit into the same area. This allows them to explore each others scent.
4. Face-to-face introductions should be made in neutral territory such as a room that neither rabbit has identified with his or her scent. This new room may stimulate exploratory behavior so that they are more interested in the new environment than each other. As well, they may feel less secure and seek each other out for reassurance.
5. Continue these visits in neutral territory. Although some fighting may occur, the hope is that it is mild and that they will eventually learn to tolerate each other and become bonded housemates.
Finally advice from Mary Cotter, LVT and Teresa Bradley-Bays, DVM who have many years experience with rabbit rescue organizations in New York and Missouri respectively:
“On many occasions, we have had calls from owners with bonded pairs. When one rabbit dies, the other often starts to languish, and physically deteriorate for no discernible reason — a phenomenon that has always reminded me of the “failure to thrive” syndrome in human newborns. The lone survivor will sit huddled in a ball, refusing to eat or groom himself. Experienced rabbit caretakers recognize this phenomenon, and will call us quickly to find another partner for their bunny. Almost invariably, you will see an immediate change for the better in the behavior of the survivor, once a new partner is brought into the home.
This languishing does not *always* happen; in fact, I’ve seen some rabbits almost start to “blossom” when a mate dies — almost as if they had been keeping their real “personality” under wraps in service to the pair-relationship. But, in my experience, this is much more unusual than the first scenario described.
Yes, occasional spats can happen in bonded pairs (just as they can in human bonded pairs!) But these spats are not usually on a scale that requires any significant intervention, and the bunnies usually manage to sort things out for themselves.” -MEC
“There’s no question in my mind that rabbits do best in pairs or trios and that bonded pairs should not be broken up. I have had good success with placing them in a laundry basket on the car floor on the passenger side and riding them around in circles in an empty parking lot. This puts them in neutral territory, in a somewhat stressful situation whereby they can comfort each other. Any introduction or reintroduction should be done slowly, with patience and with direct adult supervision to break up fights should they occur.” –TBB
Remember that not all rabbits can be expected to get along. Once bonded though it is usually for life and beautiful to behold. For other suggestions for bonding techniques and ideas see the National House Rabbit Society web site.
