• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

what's the pros and cons of bonding a 12 yr. old bun with a 1.5 yr. old bun

Happy Hopping

Wise Old Thumper
off hand, my concern is the younger 1.5 yr. old bun is eating like a horse. I thought bunnies finished off growing by 16 mth.

So when it comes to veggies and treats, I am concerned my 12 yr. old bun doesn't get her share. So far, that's my first noticeable concern.

But has anyone of you bond a bun 1.5 yr. old (male) w/ a 12 yr. old (female)?

and what's the pros and cons on this?
 
I had had my 9yo Debbie 8 years when I decided to get another bun. She had been my center of attention since I was 14 but having married and got a job, and the inevitable being out all the time I decided to get her some company. I read some horror stories online about bonding rabbits and decided to take it very slowly so as not to stress her out

We put him in an indoor run (our buns are usually free range house rabbits) and let them sniff each other through the wire. After a couple of days of this we put them on the spare bed, where Debbie and the new rabbit (Alfie) had never been before and was neutral ground. She immediately showed dominant behaviour and mounted him, and he immediately bowed his head and submitted. They have been bonded ever since and we have had no issues since.

I think it does depend on the bun, spayed males and spayed females I think are the best mix, but if one of them is submissive this makes it much easier so you don't have fights over who is boss.

We have found that he does have the advantage with food as he can eat much faster, this is not usually too much of a problem as she just barges him out of the way. We do weigh her regularly and if her weight drops at all because of this we usually just shut Alfie in the kitchen for part of the meal so we can make sure she has her share.

I would say go for it, one thing that I did after each time they met for a bonding session was feed them treats, so that they had a positive association with each other.
 
Sorry I can't be of help with the bonding as I have never had a 12 yr old rabbit. Rabbits do stop growing somewhere between 6 months and a year. The problem is they think they have to carry on eating the same amount. Once they are overweight it is very hard to get it off. Hope they get along well.
 
Personally I’d be concerned for the 12 yr old, bonding can be pretty stressful and the younger bunny may be quite dominant.
 
I had had my 9yo Debbie 8 years when I decided to get another bun. She had been my center of attention since I was 14 but having married and got a job, and the inevitable being out all the time I decided to get her some company. I read some horror stories online about bonding rabbits and decided to take it very slowly so as not to stress her out

We put him in an indoor run (our buns are usually free range house rabbits) and let them sniff each other through the wire. After a couple of days of this we put them on the spare bed, where Debbie and the new rabbit (Alfie) had never been before and was neutral ground. She immediately showed dominant behaviour and mounted him, and he immediately bowed his head and submitted. They have been bonded ever since and we have had no issues since.

I think it does depend on the bun, spayed males and spayed females I think are the best mix, but if one of them is submissive this makes it much easier so you don't have fights over who is boss.

We have found that he does have the advantage with food as he can eat much faster, this is not usually too much of a problem as she just barges him out of the way. We do weigh her regularly and if her weight drops at all because of this we usually just shut Alfie in the kitchen for part of the meal so we can make sure she has her share.

I would say go for it, one thing that I did after each time they met for a bonding session was feed them treats, so that they had a positive association with each other.

I never know a female can mount a male. I thought it can only be the other way around. This is interesting to know.

thanks for all the tips everyone
 
I never know a female can mount a male. I thought it can only be the other way around. This is interesting to know.

thanks for all the tips everyone

It's a dominance thing sometimes, but also I think can mean the female wants the male to mate with her.
 
Back
Top