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slight dilemma - will a trio of 2 males and 1 female work?

Ruthyjones89

Mama Doe
Hi guys,

Sorry I don't post much on here anymore but I'm at a slight dilemma and not sure what to do. My parents neighbour from back in Wales have a 7 year old male who's on his own. Every time I go up, I take him toys, special treat hays and give him a cuddle as he really does crave attention. I had a serious conversation with her at the weekend about getting him a friend and she's adamant she can't take on any more bunnies as she's already 65.

She's now asked if I will take him, which my heart instantly said yes, but I need to be 100% in my head too.

Now Bailey and bella are completely free range and there isn't a room in the house they don't go in. Both my two are very laid back and chilled bunnies but I'm unsure about this other bunny. My two are also very close and always with each other, they are never apart.

Do you think a MMF bond will work?

Am I asking for trouble with having no neutral territory?

Also possible new bunny has never been bonded and has been outdoors all his life? will being bonded and moving indoors be too much stress for him?


I really don't know what to do here, what's everyone's thoughts?

thanks so much xxx
 
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MMF trios are my favourite combination. I find boys much easier than girls.

As for bonding - I would set him up with his own space inside for a few weeks. Somewhere that he has enough space and shelter for privacy, but where the other 2 can get to know him. eg a puppy pen with a roof, or a giant dog crate with attached puppy pen panels. Watch out for referred aggression and take it very slowly. He needs to settle in to a new environment and routine before he officially meets his new partners.

You could look at moving him round to different parts of the house (with the other 2 excluded) so he gets to know his way round. You could also exclude them all from eg one room and treat this as a neutral bonding area when the time comes.

Another option may be to bond them all outside, which is neutral to them all and shouldn't be an issue with temperature changes at this time of year.
 
Is he neutered? I would be very careful about what you are thinking of. Do you have somewhere outside for him?
 
Thanks so much both, and that's really useful Shimmer! :thumb:

Hi Toibun, yeah he's defo neutered as I helped medicate him after having it. Pretty sure he was only around 6 months old. Well he currently has a 6ft hutch and run, which some how I can try and get moved down to me. She's happy to keep him if I can't have him, it's just he looks so lonely.. and just wish I could give him an amazing home for his twilight years!

I just don't know what to do...
 
It could work (& I hope it does). Shimmer has some good ideas- bonding outside especially. I bonded mine in a non neutral area:oops: To be fair Boo was a little bit grrrr when she met Mouse at rescue, a little less so in a sort of neutral penned area in the kitchen & much the same in their totally familiar hang out of the lounge.
I think bunny company & a savvy loving owner would trump his current life a million times over. Most bunnies adjust to indoor living from what I can gather
 
Hi guys,

Sorry I don't post much on here anymore but I'm at a slight dilemma and not sure what to do. My parents neighbour from back in Wales have a 7 year old male who's on his own. Every time I go up, I take him toys, special treat hays and give him a cuddle as he really does crave attention. I had a serious conversation with her at the weekend about getting him a friend and she's adamant she can't take on any more bunnies as she's already 65.

She's now asked if I will take him, which my heart instantly said yes, but I need to be 100% in my head too.

Now Bailey and bella are completely free range and there isn't a room in the house they don't go in. Both my two are very laid back and chilled bunnies but I'm unsure about this other bunny. My two are also very close and always with each other, they are never apart.

Do you think a MMF bond will work?

Am I asking for trouble with having no neutral territory?

Also possible new bunny has never been bonded and has been outdoors all his life? will being bonded and moving indoors be too much stress for him?


I really don't know what to do here, what's everyone's thoughts?

thanks so much xxx


Yes in my experience a MMF bond works very well :)

I have no neutral territory either, and did it in a small room (eg kitchen and bathroom) or a small pen within a room.

Bunnies can move indoors freely, I haven't ever had a problem with that. Most of my rabbits have been outdoors and now are 24/7 free range indoors.

I think the stress of bonding will be outweighed by the gaining of bunny company for his twilight years :D
 
Hi guys, sorry for butting in, but why do you think MMF bonds work well? I've read the posts in the forum about bonding groups and to think seriously about adding a third bunny and what the benefits are for your existing pair/group and I couldn't think of any.

I had a rather large lady (compared to my Netherland dwarfs- she wasn't a giant or anything) living with my two Netherland dwarfs as a trial and we just felt like because of her size she was just bullying the smaller male and she bonded better to the larger male rabbit and we felt like the little one was sort of being left out because of his personality and size (he only weighs 800grams).

However I absolutely loved having her and it broke my heart to send her home and I thought maybe it was just the size difference? I suppose I now feel like as expected animals will form a hierarchy or have a preference and someone ends up at the bottom of the pile and they get less attention from the other rabbits.....

Or could this be just because of Nibbles (my tiny male) behaviour? As the two males are my only rabbits I would always want to prioritise them and now I feel like Nibbles wouldn't fair well with a group, but am I wrong? (Are they benefits to having different genders living together, thats my main question really)
 
Well a little update - he'll be heading down to Berkshire early July and we'll start bonding shortly after!

My two are very chilled out bunnies, so I'm really hoping they'll get on okay. Here is the little man (well he's much bigger than my two) and no doubt you'll see lots of bonding questions come July/August! :)

(sorry for the big pics)



 
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aww, he is lovely & bless you for offering him a lovely home. Good luck bonding when the time comes
 
Hi guys, sorry for butting in, but why do you think MMF bonds work well? I've read the posts in the forum about bonding groups and to think seriously about adding a third bunny and what the benefits are for your existing pair/group and I couldn't think of any.

I had a rather large lady (compared to my Netherland dwarfs- she wasn't a giant or anything) living with my two Netherland dwarfs as a trial and we just felt like because of her size she was just bullying the smaller male and she bonded better to the larger male rabbit and we felt like the little one was sort of being left out because of his personality and size (he only weighs 800grams).

However I absolutely loved having her and it broke my heart to send her home and I thought maybe it was just the size difference? I suppose I now feel like as expected animals will form a hierarchy or have a preference and someone ends up at the bottom of the pile and they get less attention from the other rabbits.....

Or could this be just because of Nibbles (my tiny male) behaviour? As the two males are my only rabbits I would always want to prioritise them and now I feel like Nibbles wouldn't fair well with a group, but am I wrong? (Are they benefits to having different genders living together, thats my main question really)

Hi, I completely agree with you and of course my main priority will always be my two current bunnies - they mean the world to me! But I can't stop thinking about this other little bunny, and he deserves a chance. I will try bonding them, but sadly if I see it's not working out then the lady has agreed to take him back. But i'm hoping I can just persuade my partner to keep him outdoors and maybe find him a new friend. I've known this particular bunny for years and will try everything so he can have the twilight years he deserves.

My two are little mini lops, and this older bunny is a much bigger lion lop but I've read up that size doesn't always matter so I'm hoping this should be okay. I know there is also the worry that one bunny will be left out, but I know how close my two are, and they have so much attention from me and my partner, I'm hoping they will be okay. I'm guessing we'll just have to wait and see and I'll be sure to keep you updated :)
 
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Good luck, hope it all works out and you have a quick and easy bond. I have a MMF, originally a MM pair and adding a female. It was a quick bond for me so fingers crossed yours will be too :D
 
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