Bonding two females and one male?

Hello.

I have one male rabbit who is extremely tame and spends alot of time indoors! However, he likes to be outside in the sun! He has a two storey cage which is opposite the girls in their cage and run.

I also have two female rabbits (sisters) who live permamnently outside in a cage attached to a large run.

All rabbits have been spayed/neutered and have been vaccinated.

Ocassionally I let all three rabbits have free range of the garden. They love it and don't seem to hate each other. Peter tends to wonder back to the girls cage to have a little nosey!

Well today, Peter has been led on the bottom floor of his cage watching the girls. So, I have put Peter in with the girls - eeeekk! (Just to see how they react with each other).

Peter seems to be loving it He is led flat on the ground with the two girls washing his face! I gave them some cauliflower leaves and this didn't cause any arguments either.

Peter is just visiting for now, but how do I know if they have bonded?!

Obviously, if this becomes a more permanent fixture I need to look into getting a play house for them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tanya (Peter, Jessica and Chloe!):wave:

So how oftern and for how long should the bunnies visit each other before I know they are safe to live together?

Thanks.

Hi!!!

I also have two sisters and one boy that came from another place and I am trying to bond all,for know they are single since they had a bad fight several months ago and I had them spayed/neutered after that.

How did you bond the girls,have they ever been separated??
How did you let them meet the first time?

If they are grooming eachother sounds like they are bonding well already, lucky you.
Normally you would have all 3 in a neutral area,as they may fight for territory. and keep a very very close eye on them, keeping them together at all times unless any fights break out.
But as things sound promising already, If i were you at their next meeting I wouldn't seperate them at all unless they started fighting, but i would spend a whole day outside with them so you can be there to supervise, if all goes well, keep them together.
Seperating them after each meeting will prolong the bonding.

Mi68 said:

Hi!!!

I also have two sisters and one boy that came from another place and I am trying to bond all,for know they are single since they had a bad fight several months ago and I had them spayed/neutered after that.

How did you bond the girls,have they ever been separated??
How did you let them meet the first time?

Click to expand...

The girls lived together in a petshop - believed to be sisters. We only went to get one so Peter had a friend but my husband felt sorry for the one little girl left behind, so we had both!!

They lived together happily for about 3 weeks then started pulling each others fur our, humping and chasing. So, after the situation didn't improve after two weeks I booked them in to be spayed. The vet said they had to have strict cage rest for 14 days- and they hated it! (I let them have a snaeky hop around the conservatory but Jessica kept being a silly girl and jumping into the window!) They pulled all their own stitches out but heeled well. They lived inside on newspaper. Not very cosy but the vet said that was the best way to prevent the stitched area getting infected.

After strict rest and the weather improving (beginnning of April), they went to live outside. I find the more space they have, the happier they are and the nicer they are to each other.

As for Peter being introduced, he first met the girls through a cage before any of them were doctored! He let off the most disgusting smell and pooped outside their cage (he usually is the cleanest rabbit in the world!). For three months the rabbits have seen each other, either through a run or cage. Then I gradually let them meet each other - first couple of times was running around the lawn.

tanya_306 said:

So how oftern and for how long should the bunnies visit each other before I know they are safe to live together?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

If you are bonding they should be bonded in one session, leave yourself at least 48 hours where you have nothing else to do and get started. You may have to stay up all night if required. Doing short sessions is very confusing for rabbits and can take weeks to months to get a bond, it can also lead to problems for owners in finding neutral territory.

You need a totally neutral space where neither have been before, the space should be about 5 foot x 2 foot, you need a broom to pull them apart if required.

There are a number of threads I have given information on about bonding, if you want to read what I have put, if you have any queries PM me.

Im currently bonding a four again, some comments on my thread may help you

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=229434