How do I know when the bonding is complete?

We have a couple of neutered males who are litter mates. We separated them at around 4 months old as they started to fight. They have now been neutered and we waited around 10 weeks before re-introducing them. We did this by placing their runs next to each other so they could sniff but not get close enough to fight. We then stuck them in the bath, wet them and let the bonding begin. We did seperate them again after an hour or so and repeated this every day for a couple of weeks. All was going good so we brought them into the kitchen (laminate floor for easy cleaning!!) and this is where we saw one submitting to the other. Again, they were separated at the end of the night but there were no issues when they were put together again the next day. So, for the past 48 hours they have been together without separation. They eat well together, I forced a little grooming by putting banana behind the ears of the bunnies and again, all going well. The little one was wanting a drink yesterday but as soon as the bigger one came along, he submitted with his head down straight away. So, we've scrubbed the large hutch to remove any smell of the resident bunny and brought it inside. They have now been in there with the doors closed for 6 hours and they have been munching hay and running up and down the stairs together. Whenever we've gone in to check on them, they have been laid together. Are they now fully bonded? I'm wary about leaving them as I don't want fights to break out when they are put back outside where I can't get at them so easy. The hutch would be under my bedroom window and I always sleep with it open so I would hope I would wake if I heard them fighting. I will say, in all the little skirmishes they had at the beginning, there was never any blood shed, bit of fur pulling but that's the worse its ever gotten. Any advice gladly accepted, these are the first bunnies we've bonded!!

I would keep an eye on them for, say, another week and if all is well, then you can feel more confident that they will be ok together unsupervised. The only problem is you don't want them to get too used to being indoors if you are putting them outside, at this time of the year. Have they just come in from being outside and can you keep it as cool as possible for them? Good luck with them. I wouldn't go so far as to sat the bonding is complete as it's too soon to do that.

Hi, they are normally outside bunnies yes, they got on grand last night, didn't hear a peep from them so I've moved them back outside as like you say, I don't want them getting too used to being indoors. We've attached a run to the hutch and we've been watching them for the past 3 hours and they are behaving the same as they did indoors so I think I will leave them out now and sleep with my window open so I can hear them. My problem is my house is rented and the landlord won't allow rabbits indoor so if he were to come around and find a massive hutch in the kitchen, I don't think he would be too impressed. If they do start to fight, do I just seperate them completely and start all over again?

Yes, you will have to go back a step or two. I will keep my fingers crossed that they will be ok.

I think they may have taken a little step backwards but I'm trying hard to keep going and not seperate them again. I put them outside as I said yesterday and all was fine. I nipped to the shop, went straight back outside to check on them and they were little pulls of fur. I assume they had just had a little argy bargy as there were no injuries on either of them.

I decided to try and feed them as they have never had an issue being fed together before. I put a few nuggets in and the little one had to be coaxed down but as soon as he knew there was food he was there! He would take a nugget, nip away then come back. He must have realised that while he was faffing around, the other one was getting more to eat so he gave it up as a bad job and sat munching with the other.

I barely slept all night listening out for anything but apart from the odd little skit around the hutch (must have been running up or down the stairs) there was nothing and there weren't anymore patches of fur this morning. Again there were no issues with the food so I've left them while I come to work. My hubby was home for most of the morning keeping an eye on them but they will have been alone for a few hours by the time I get home and I'm feeling quite sick! The last thing I want is for one of them to get injured, I just have to have faith in the fact that apart from a little ear nibble when we first got them - there has been no blood shed even at the worst meeting! (that one ended with them both drenched and a good telling off haha)

If I'd known trying to bond rabbits was this stressful, I'd have let someone else do it! I just didn't want them to be on their own.

Yes, I know what you mean. Is the little one scared of the other bunny? You will have to monitor the situation because it's better to be alone than scared all the time. Hope they will be happy together.

He doesn't seem scared, to be honest, it looked like he'd had a go at the other one so i was a bit worried there may be a battle for dominance but they have been fine ever since! They share food and hay, I'm going to introduce a litter tray at the weekend when I can keep my eye on them and I'll just keep adding new things a bit at a time. If they do fall out I suppose we'll just have to get them a (spayed!) girlfriend apiece and have 2 couples instead.

It sounds hopeful. You'll just have to wait and see.