Preparing to Bond

Hi everyone :wave:

I'm trying to prepare for bonding Ham & Bea by reading as much information and advice as possible. For our specific scenario, the pair of them are going to be moving into a walk in outdoor run which is 10 x 8ft. This is still being built and won't likely be finished for at least another two weeks. But I want to get ahead of the game!

This run will be attached to Beatrice's hutch, which will be facing into it and permanently open so they can just hop in and out of it. Ham's hutch (which he came with) we're disposing of because it's too small and leaks badly. Bea's hutch is the two storey 'Honeysuckle' from PaH is 10ft of floor space altogether and 3ft to stand up in which I believe is big enough for the two of them.

However, how does this work? Do we bond them in the run first, and if that all goes well then let them both use the hutch? I'm concerned because Beatrice is very clean (having come from living as a house rabbit she does all of her poops in one corner and her bedding area is spotless and just smells like lovely hay), Ham on the other hands poops indiscriminately and uses the 'sleeping' part of his hutch as he designated toilet area (despite pooping everywhere else anyway!). I don't want them to fall out because Ham decides that her bed is his new toilet.

We're going to change how her hutch is at the moment though - after reading about sawdust being bad for their health we're ditching it completely and battoning lino to the floor of her hutch. Then we're going to buy a large poop tray to go in the downstairs area where Bea currently likes to go to the toilet. Will Ham follow her lead if she keeps going there?

They both have quite different ways of living - Bea likes to be cosy and is always snuggled up in her sleeping area, whereas Ham will clear the hay away so that he's lying on a cold hard floor! I can tell that Beatrice is desperate to live with him already though. They can see each other from their seperate living arrangements outside and she's so curious and excited everytime she sees him ambling about.

I'm excited but nervous to finally introduce them - I want to do it right. Any advice is seriously appreciated, thank you

I know exactly how you feel! Bonding 2 rabbits with different habits can mean a slight lowering of standards but at the end of the day if they are happy then that's all that matters. It's best to introduce them in the run as that will be a neutral space, leaving Bea's hutch out of the equation for a couple of weeks. She may become very territorial over her hutch until they are properly bonded. You could put the big litter tray in the run with hay in it, I have done this a few times and have never had a problem. If you think one of them is frightened to use it you could put another one in as well. Make sure to clean Bea's hutch out with white vinegar as this will help to remove her smell. Other differences like Bea wanting to be cosy will iron themselves out when they start living together.

Thank you for the advice Tonibun! Let's say they are bonded on a Saturday morning and it seems safe to leave them overnight together, where will they sleep if they don't have access to Bea's hutch? I'm thinking of getting them one of those little hideaway wooden huts eventually for the run anyway, but does the space need to be empty all day/night, or could I put something in at night for them to sleep in? If that makes sense. I'll clean out her hutch thoroughly and we'll be putting lino down, which will also hopefully help it to seem like a nee environment.

I was wondering where they would sleep. It's just a risk that she may be territorial over her hutch but they will definitely need somewhere safe and sheltered for night-time. Have you got a shed or similar? Perhaps it would be better to use his hutch first as the boys aren't as territorial. You don't want to ruin the bond before it starts, do you?

We don't have a shed, but we do have a spare hutch which hasn't been used by either of them - we bought it second hand off of eBay because it was cheap and local and deemed it too small immediately when we actually saw it in person! However, if it is put inside their outdoor run temporarily while they're bonding (they will have 24hr access to the run which will be totally secure and dig proof), maybe then it will be fine just as a sleeping area with hay in?

http://www.snazzypet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FeelGoodUK-Double-Decker-With-Run-Rabbit-Hutch-Hutches-Guinea-Pig-House-Home-Includes-SLIDE-OUT-CLEANING-TRAY-BUNNY-HOUSE-GREY-0.jpg

This is what it looks like. Like I say it is way too small for a long term hutch, but in the long term Beatrice's large hutch will be shared by both of them and attached to the run. This will be fixed in place when they're bonded but I can keep the door shut so that neither of them can access it.

I don't want to use Ham's hutch really because it's just falling apart - it came with him and wasn't well maintained, it leaks terribly and the wood is rotten in a lot of places. It needs to go ASAP really.

Bea, if I can help you at all, contact me privately.

I don't always have time to follow everyone's bonding progress but I am more than willing to help :wave:

Thank you MM! <3 I might well take you up on that

Sorry to hijack your thread, Beapig, but I think this question is also something you will need to consider.

So expert bonders, when bonding outside rabbits, how does one make sure that the rabbits are not injuring each other during the night, if they are being bonded in an outside run? I fear I know the answer, that you can't, unless you either sleep in the run or use a camera, but would like to know of others' experiences.

If they are inside the house, I can see that you can just sleep on the floor, but if they are outside?

If they have spent a fairly peaceful day together then I am quite happy to leave them overnight. If I have doubts I separate them and start again the following day. There are lots of places to hide if the female is feeling unsure.

Omi said:

Sorry to hijack your thread, Beapig, but I think this question is also something you will need to consider.

So expert bonders, when bonding outside rabbits, how does one make sure that the rabbits are not injuring each other during the night, if they are being bonded in an outside run? I fear I know the answer, that you can't, unless you either sleep in the run or use a camera, but would like to know of others' experiences.

If they are inside the house, I can see that you can just sleep on the floor, but if they are outside?

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Omi, that's a fair point indeed. As I'm very new to rabbits and have never bonded a pair before, I'm completely naive. Would putting them in two seperate hutches, within the run, overnight (and then letting them out again first thing in the morning) be okay, or would that break the bond and then you'd have to start from scratch the next day?

My boyfriend is actually looking into installing a security camera, just for extra piece of mind in general.

I would bond them in a pen inside the house so you can monitor them 24/7, when after a few days you are certain they are bonded move them into the (very carefully cleaned) hutch for another few days. I would also restrict access to the run for a while until they are totally settled.

With bonding, generally you bond in a small space, then gradually increase the space they are living in. If the bond seems to go backwards then reduce the space again. I think giving them access to the big run is going to mean bonding problems, sadly.

That's what I've always done (and if you read bonding threads/ advice that's how most people do it) - last time I rushed getting my newly bonded trio into their shed due to other reasons and their bond did go backwards a bit so it does happen. I then had to sit with them all evening until they were settled again.

Beapig said:

Thank you MM! <3 I might well take you up on that

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You're welcome!

I am helping to bond a trio today, so would be pleased to help.

You know where I am

MightyMax said:

You're welcome!

I am helping to bond a trio today, so would be pleased to help.

You know where I am

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I've dropped you a message


Catherine09, would bringing them in for a few days and then putting them back out at this time of year be okay because of the temperature dropping? If it is, we do have a pen about 1m x 1.50m that could possibly work. I actually work from home every day so they could be on the floor of my office...it's a pretty large space.

Beapig said:

I've dropped you a message


Catherine09, would bringing them in for a few days and then putting them back out at this time of year be okay because of the temperature dropping? If it is, we do have a pen about 1m x 1.50m that could possibly work. I actually work from home every day so they could be on the floor of my office...it's a pretty large space.

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I would turn the heating down, perhaps open a window (and wear a coat!). That's the main reason I moved my trio out early as I was worried about the temperature difference, that was about a month ago now

catherine09 said:

I would turn the heating down, perhaps open a window (and wear a coat!). That's the main reason I moved my trio out early as I was worried about the temperature difference, that was about a month ago now

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Thank you catherine09. I think that's what we're going to try and do next weekend. Because the weather is still quite mild at the moment, I think if we do it soon we can get away with it. Thank you for the advice

Beapig said:

Thank you catherine09. I think that's what we're going to try and do next weekend. Because the weather is still quite mild at the moment, I think if we do it soon we can get away with it. Thank you for the advice

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Thank you for your PM

I hope you've got all the advice you need, but to answer one Q in your PM - I prefer if possible not to shut them up in a hutch for a wee while after they are bonded, especially if the hutch and run is a 'new' place for them. Two or three days of 'claiming it' should calm the situation.

Good luck!!

Bea - how are things? :wave: