Duo to trio?

[cheriseru]

With Athie settled in and our bond growing stronger and with sadly loosing my girls(gerbils) earlier this year I've been playing more and more with the idea of getting a baby girl bunny.

The boys absolutely adore each other and are super bonded but I feel like we want another little fluff in our family. And so happens I got a message from my vets that there has been an unexpected(and unwanted) litter of lionlops and if I'd be interested in giving one a forever home. My vet did say that she'll vaccinate the bunny and quarantine her for 2weeks before pickup and also she'll spay her for free when she's old enough.

Not sure if it's the right decision. I'm not sure if I was just super lucky with the super easy bonding of the boys and I'd be risking chaos if I brought a girl into the mix, so want to get opinions and advice please?

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[InspectorMorse]

Introducing a third Rabbit to a bonded pair can work but it can go badly wrong and lead to the breakdown of the bond of the established pair leaving you with three single Rabbits who all hate each other. The two adults may accept a baby at first but once baby hits puberty things can go pear shaped.

Personally I am not a fan of trios as IME one Rabbit is usually something of an outsider. The exception being if all Rabbits are siblings.

With Rabbits my mantra is if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it. Good luck with whatever you decide to do

 

[Shimmer]

I like trios, but the adolescent bit does cause issues. It tends to work better with an already neutered set, so hormonal issues don't affect the bond. Adding a third to a strong, long established pair is also a bit more challenging. I've tended to form trios from short-term pairings plus one, and take it very slowly (often months).

The consequences of a fall out have to be considered.If a trio didn't work, could you cope with 2 pairs? And would there be any referred aggression between the pairs if they were located close to each other?

I'm currently looking at adding 2 young newbies to a long-established pair - but it's going to take some time to sort out, and may end up as 2 pairs. One of the existing pair isn't keen on the newbies, but is getting used to them via a complicated set of adjoining runs - so they always have bars between them. One newbie isn't quite old enough to neuter yet, so anything more than this is on hold for a few months.

 

[joey&boo]

When things are all tranquil in my bunny world is when I start having thoughts of adding to my bunny family - its almost like i crave bunny stress :lol: I loved having a trio but it was hard work (well a long time, months of supervision) to bond them. They were pretty united though, they adventured & cuddled together all the time. Ultimately I got greedy & tried to turn my 3 in to 4 & thats when I got to experience aggression, referred aggression & the anxieties & guilt with broken relationships - not to mention compromised space (J&B are free range upstairs but as a trio they had the full house)
I miss Joey & Boo. I'm at home all the time & see them all the time but its not the same as them flopping out in the lounge while you're watching the tele or having a Boo on your feet while you're chopping veg. TBH I don't think an open plan flat allows for a plan B, having to keep them separate & go for 2 pairs unless you want grids or enclosures everywhere. Personally I'd stick with what you've got which is a really good thing

 

[cheriseru]

Thanks InspectorMorse, Shimmer and J&B, really appreciate the feedback
Didn't think bringing a new one in could affect the boys bond [emoji17] knew there was a risk she'd not be accepted but not that it would hurt their bond

You guys are right, best not mess with a good thing and I am very lucky with them. Once I move to a bigger place and have the proper space for 2 pairs I can revisit the idea

Thanks again

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