Is bonding really so scary?

Hi

I have a 6 yr old neutered house bun who has quite recently lost his beloved little brother.

He has always been a ''digger'' but i think he is doing it more so now and i have read that this can be a sign of stress/loneliness.

I am now considering getting him a new little friend but i am totally CONFUSED.COM!

I have heard/read different opinions that both rabbits must be neutered and a similar age.

I realise I will probably be better off trying him with a female.

There are no rescue centres very local to me but i have seen a few potentials on such websites as gumtree and preloved.

However i have read that bonding can be a complete nightmare and it is putting me right off even trying it!

Any help/advise much appreciated.

Thanks. :wave:

I have an article on my website that might be useful for you. It's what we give to every person adopting from the RSPCA and they use it when/if they need to bond their bunnies.

What might be best would be to find a reputable rescue within reaching distance (one who spays and neuters and vaccinates) and see if they will do the bonding for you. Also, what's good with most rescues is that if the bonding doesn't work they will take the bunny back and try another, so you don't end up with two unbondable bunnies (which is a very real risk if you're getting from somewhere like gumtree).

there are a few rescues on hre that rehome nationally and will do bonding or arrange for it. i nonded my own and yes its nerve recking but worth it as long as you get the right advice from someone experienced. a rescue would be a better route than gumtree/preloved as they are vaccinated/neutered/health checked etc before rehoming.:wave:

Hi
I would agree you definitely should get him a friend (a girlfriend) and yes bonding can be distressing for you and your rabbit my bonding experience was but it is sooooo worth it my bunnys absolutely love each other now it took me about 5 months but it does differ depending on your buns my rabbits just used to fight at first all the time and i was going to give up but then after about 5 weeks of fighting my boy Jack licked Lucy they carried on fighting but were licking each other as well but then finally I put them in their new cage together and since then everything has been brilliant! Hope this helps.

Bonding can be hard or easy. The most important thing for a newbie I think is to find a rescue centre near you who will let you take a rabbit back if they don't get on. Read up on bonding and set aside a few days to do it properly, don't try to do it by halves and keep splitting them up, you need to do it in one sitting. If it's not going to work out it will usually be pretty obvious. They might just click and get on perfectly though. Try to find a good match. Size isn't very important, personality is the most important thing. A good age match would be helpful but it's not necessary.