Can you bond a new make into an established pair?

[MarshMellie]

We have two female (spayed) lionheads, a little over a year old. They have been a bonded pair since 8 weeks old. They are house rabbits and have a lot of space, rarely being enclosed. They still have occasional spats and power struggles as neither has obviously gained dominance. We have become aware of a young (12 weeks) giant male that needs rehoming. We are very tempted as he looks gorgeous and in need of a home. How easy would it be to introduce a new male rabbit into our set up? The person rehoming the giant rabbit is a private individual rather than a rescue centre. We are nervous of taking him and not managing to bond the trio. Any tips?

 

[EyerollChamp]

There are no guarantees with bonding rabbits, however if you wish to bond a trio then you're doing it the right way round. Do you have the means to house them separately for the first few days, to get them used to each other's scents? Swapping housing during this time helps to water down territories as well.

If you do decide to go ahead, bond them on neutral territory, the smaller the better. A bathroom is ideal. Supervise them closely and separate them if fighting breaks out, fur starts to fly or one refuses to let go of the other's tail. Keep sessions short then gradually extend them and the space they share.

My favourite trick is to anoint each rabbit's head with Apple juice. This will get them inadvertently grooming each other if you're lucky

 

[EyerollChamp]

Oh, forgot to say, it's a good idea to keep them separate until a few weeks after the buck has been neutered. I'm assuming your others are spayed already?

 

[daphnephoebe]

I wouldn't risk it with two females but that's going by my two who are highly territorial.

You'd need a completely neutral room to bond them and you'd need him to live away from them for a period of time to check he is indeed healthy.

Hopefully someone else will be along with more helpful info.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[MarshMellie]

Thanks for the responses. The girls have been spayed, but I believe the male needs neutering although he has been vaccinated. We would have the ability to keep him outdoors in the first instance until hehad recvered from neutering. We were thinking that adding a third into the dynamic would resolve the occasional spats. Our two frequently cuddle but can't be enclosed for more than an hour or two without fighting. Roo bit Bonnie and drew blood when they were enclosed together after being spayed for 24 hours even though the cage was large and met space requirements. Would it be a problem to mix a giant with lionheads?

 

[MarshMellie]

I meant to say we have an outbuilding that the rabbits have never been in that is currently empty and could be used as a neutral area to bond them in.

 

[EyerollChamp]

Great that you have space to keep them separate and that is certainly how I'd go about it. If your does are fighting when shut up together it means they have yet to establish a pecking order. Rabbits can put this off indefinitely unless forced to work it out by being shut up together. Maybe try the bathroom and Apple juice on them together first? They will have spats at first but unless it gets really vicious you might have to let them get on with it a little bit. If you drive then placing them together in a carrier on a car trip (again with Apple juice) can work wonders.

If you can overcome these obstacles then mixing the giant with lionheads won't be a problem.