Bonding service?

Thank you for adding me and sorry to jump straight in with a question but I hope someone can help me.

I have a lonely single bunny (we lost her partner just at the start of lockdown ). We’ve moved her inside to give her a bit more company and I actually quite like having her indoors now!
Anyway, a friend of a friend has a male bunny and is looking to rehome him, I’d like to adopt him if I can. The problem is I don’t have the space (or realistically the time) to do the bonding process. So I’m wondering if any of you know if there is someone that could help me in the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Bristol area? I have looked at the rescue websites and they do offer to help with bonding but only with their bunnies I think (and rightly so).

Does anyone have any ideas please?

Hello, and welcome to the forum :wave: I’m sorry you lost your bunny Hopefully someone will see this who is local to you, who might have some ideas.

You could try Alice at Windwhistle Warren but with the lockdown I'm not sure if she'd be able. She did mention someone in the Bristol area that does bonding as well but I'm afraid I don't have the details.

I'd be tempted to test the water with an introduction & see if these bunnies are likely to be an easy bond - some buns just go together so smoothly & easily it barely takes a day. We could support you through it. I'm so sorry you lost your bunny during lock down, that must have been a lot of stress at a sad time

Thank you all for your kind words and suggestions, you’ve given me a bit to think about.

One more (potentially daft question). With an experienced hand will most male and female rabbits bond together? Just wondering now how realistic I am being by expecting my bunny to bond with the rabbit I have in mind. Kind of feeling like an arranged marriage!
The potential adoptive bunny has been on his own for quite a while, does that make any difference? I guess it just comes down to personality.

Sorry, rambling now. Can you tell I’ve had too much time to think about this! Just mulling over the suggestion from joey&boo.

And sorry for asking so many questions, I will jump in and contribute more to the forum.

Many thanks

I would be really scared to even let them see or smell each other without having everything in place for bonding. I guess I am over-cautious? Incidentally, are they both neutered and up-to-date with vaccinations?

Does your friend have room to bond them as it might be easier to bond them away from the female's territory?

Are both bunnies neutered? If he hasn't been done, ask his owner to get him done ASAP, then bond a few weeks later. I would also make sure their vaccinations are up to date, as bonding is stressful and you don't need any other complications.

I would think about where they are going to live together, and work out how to bond from there - either in a small area within their married home, or somewhere totally different. It needs to be a neutral space - somewhere that your rabbit hasn't been for a while and doesn't consider it as 'her' property. He will need a few days to settle in a new environment, getting used to you, new routines, smells, and finding his way round, then you can introduce them on neutral territory. I usually let them get used to each other through bars before sharing a space, so you can gauge if they are ok with each other or not. If they are actively fighting with bars between them, it is going to be more difficult to bond them. Quite often they just have an initial 'who are you?' and then just settle down. Just take it slowly.

tonibun said:

Does your friend have room to bond them as it might be easier to bond them away from the female's territory?

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Good point!