Bonding an adult and baby

My daughter has a friend who has continental giant cross standard lop babies. We are considering getting one and keeping them seperate until Mr Chief is neutered. We looked into rabbit re-homing near us but they only have pairs and tend not to have single rabbits.

As the babies have come up and would be a good size for Mr Chief when fully grown we thought it would be a good match.

What are everyone's views on getting a baby for him? He is booked for his jabs and then to be booked to be neutered. He is driving us mad trying to hump our legs at the moment and as we finally have the money we can get him castrated. And we want to get him bonded asap.

We can keep bunnies seperate to start with as long as we need to. They can be allowed to sniff each other through cages to start with and bond them when we feel it is the right time. Is it best to wait until the doe is spayed aswell or can they be introduced once Mr Chief is neutered?

Baby isn't ready for a week so we have time to think it through. Thought would get everyone's advice before getting too excited about the idea! [emoji3]

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I am sure Mr Chief would like a friend so I would choose a little girl for him. After 4 - 6 weeks post neuter you could introduce him to the female and get her spayed when she is old enough. Baby/young females are usually easier to bond with an existing Rabbit as they are not as hormonal as when they get older.

tonibun said:

I am sure Mr Chief would like a friend so I would choose a little girl for him. After 4 - 6 weeks post neuter you could introduce him to the female and get her spayed when she is old enough. Baby/young females are usually easier to bond with an existing Rabbit as they are not as hormonal as when they get older.

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I agree with this, although think I would err on the side of 6 weeks post neuter. This is what I did when bonding a 7 year old neutered male Tethra to 3 month old unspayed Tui. I think for Mr Chief it would work very well, just make 100% sure that you choose a female

We will of course want pics

I'd also suggest checking how old they are when they leave - conti's are usually advised to stay with mum until 12 weeks rather than 8 due to the risk of gut issues so in case the genetics are more conti it might be best to leave her with mum as long as you can?

Thank you everyone for your advice. We went to see a litter today. She had no does in the first litter but the dad had got in with the mum again by accident and she has another litter of 5 only 3 weeks old aswell so she obviously can't sex them for another 3 weeks.

The mum is a continental (I think she is a pure breed but will check) and dad is a standard size lop. I saw both mum and dad and they look really healthy. The babies are all very sweet and look healthy too. Would it be a problem if she had the babies so close together?

The lady isn't a breeder as such more by accident. She had the mum already as a pet for her kids and took on the dad due to him needing a home. She just has a small holding farm with lots of animals and they were the only bunnies there.

We have first dibs on a baby when she knows the sex. She said they would be ready in 6 weeks which would make them 9 weeks old. I will need to ask her if she can keep baby for longer but I don't see that being a problem.

The litter consists of one grey, 2 red and 2 biscuit colour. They are fine being handled and all of the bigs one run around your feet and are very inquisitive and friendly.

I don't know much about continentals. What is the gut issue you are referring to? I can google it but is there a name for the health issue itself please?

We have plenty of time to think about it and can go back in 3 weeks to choose one if we want to. I did love them. They would be a similar size to Mr Chief as the mum wasn't huge. Is there anything else I need to ask? Thanks everyone x

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The babies should be ok and hopefully Dad will be kept well away from Mum this time! Is she going to have Dad neutered soon? The gut problem refers to any baby Rabbits leaving their Mother in that a change of food can upset their gut to a point where some die. As long as you keep the baby on the same food as she is eating and slowly change over if you want to then all should be fine. 12 weeks is a good time but personally I would say 10 weeks as you want to introduce her to Mr Chief soon before hormones kick in, if it is possible. Also, if she had lots of other animals, did you like their environment, ie did it look and smell clean? Is Mum on a good diet?

tonibun said:

The babies should be ok and hopefully Dad will be kept well away from Mum this time! Is she going to have Dad neutered soon? The gut problem refers to any baby Rabbits leaving their Mother in that a change of food can upset their gut to a point where some die. As long as you keep the baby on the same food as she is eating and slowly change over if you want to then all should be fine. 12 weeks is a good time but personally I would say 10 weeks as you want to introduce her to Mr Chief soon before hormones kick in, if it is possible. Also, if she had lots of other animals, did you like their environment, ie did it look and smell clean? Is Mum on a good diet?

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The lady did say she would be getting dad neutered soon. I saw he is in an area away from mum and babies now whereas before he was next door! Little scally wag [emoji23]

She had a few goats/chickens and some horses aswell. Everywhere looked clean from what I saw of it and the horses were well looked after. I didn't look at the other animals closely though. I agreed to go back in 3 weeks so I will try and have a look around a bit more next time.

She agreed to keeping baby for me longer so will just make sure I keep baby on same food when comes home after 10 weeks then. I know they need to be on same diet and weaned off gradually [emoji6]

I don't know what diet she has mum on. I didn't think to ask but I can check all this next time I go. I will be going back to choose one when they are sexed and again later to pick baby up. It will give me plenty of time to ask questions.

Thank you. So can I get excited now? [emoji38] Mr Chief will soon get a Mrs Chief now hopefully. Have to get him neutered first though *gulp* I'm dreading him going for another anaesthetic but this time it's for much happier reasons [emoji23]

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I've no advice as no experience of youngsters but wishing everybun lots of luck. Its nice to see you post & get excited

Primrose was a baby when she was bonded with our English Lop Flopsy.

By all accounts they met and snuggled and that was that. He was very gentle with her and her mischief.

He did like a break from her in the afternoons and he had a house that only he fit in and she would sit on top and wait for him to be ready to play again.

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CarelessSquid07 said:

Primrose was a baby when she was bonded with our English Lop Flopsy.

By all accounts they met and snuggled and that was that. He was very gentle with her and her mischief.

He did like a break from her in the afternoons and he had a house that only he fit in and she would sit on top and wait for him to be ready to play again.

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Awwww that is so cute! [emoji175]

If Mr Chief takes to his new missus as well as that I will be very happy! We will have to give him his own space somehow so he can take a breather too. The babies were very lively long legged little things so we are hoping baby will encourage Mischief to move around more as he is very lazy! [emoji23]

We are using our lounge as the neutral area as Mr Chief does not go in there at the moment as he doesn't like the slippery floor! He won't walk on it at all as his paws slide everywhere [emoji23]

We quite like it that way as it means we have one room in the flat bunny free. My grandson is allergic to Mischief and if fur gets in his eyes it makes them red and sore. We will put a run in there with vet bed or similar to keep it as clean as possible for my grandson. We will put them in the run together and hopefully they will bond ok.

Mischief shares bedroom with us and goes in rest of flat. We can keep him from going into kitchen and baby can go in there in a big cage to start with to settle in.

I am hoping it will be plain sailing though as they are big bunnies to keep seperate for a long time. Mr Chief is a loving gentle boy so I hope he will be good with baby.

I am so excited for Mr Chief as he has been following me around like a lost puppy and even coming into loo with me! He gets so much love but it's not the same as another bunny for company. I will be happy seeing him happy [emoji178]

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Mum is fed on Johnson rabbit mix (with verm x) and hay ad lib plus any veggies they have available such as greens/cabbage/carrots/apple x

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My bridge boy Rio was two when he was bonded with his wifebun,she was a baby 8 weeks old.Dead easy bond ,Rio was a laid back boy anyway.Bonded in a few hours.

Oo how exciting!!!! Any colour preference? I know you dont know the gender yet.

Look forward to baby rabbit updates and then bonding updates.

kattymieoww said:

My bridge boy Rio was two when he was bonded with his wifebun,she was a baby 8 weeks old.Dead easy bond ,Rio was a laid back boy anyway.Bonded in a few hours.

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Bless little Rio [emoji178]

Mischief is laid back except for his testerones raging [emoji23] He loves cuddles as long as he gets all the attention. I'm hoping he will accept her and be happy to have a bun around.

Do you think it will matter that he lives in flat with us and living free roam around us all the time? Do you think he could get jealous for attention? Or would it be more territorial?

I realise we should leave them to bond but can I still give them cuddles and play with them once they are settled? I still want female bun to bond with us and get used to being handled. And keep Mischief's bond where possible with us. Is it ok to go into area with them to give them attention?

We are booked in for Mr Chief's jabs next week. It has to be weekend now OH is working as he is too heavy for me at the moment with my nerve pain.

We will get his health check done aswell and as long as he is fit we will book him in for neutering following weekend. Obviously if he has any health issues we would have to hold off getting baby. We will get his teeth checked aswell so he should be fit and ready to go.

All being well she will be due home 6 weeks after his jabs/neutering so he would be 'safe'. If we get her first jabs done on the day we pick her up before she comes home. Will that mean they are safe to be introduced? Obviously we will give her time to settle in home. How long should we leave it before bonding?

And how long before we can let them into rest of flat where Mischief usually lives?

So much to think about once you start thinking about the dynamics of it all! I'm so relieved I have this forum now for advice. It has given me the confidence and knowledge to do this. It's a worry that we do it right and it works out. I worry about Mischief rejecting the baby or bullying her so I want to be sure to take it as slow as needed.

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tulsi said:

Oo how exciting!!!! Any colour preference? I know you dont know the gender yet.

Look forward to baby rabbit updates and then bonding updates.

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I did love the grey one. It was a very pretty. But the agouti one I cuddled was pretty too. And the copper ones look lovely when their fur comes through. They are all lovely! [emoji7] I guess if had to pick I would like the grey one though as she would be a totally different look from Mr Chief.

I did specify that I would love one with big long ears though! The conti type huge ears are just adorable [emoji175]

Of course I will update you with plenty of pics and everything. I will be on here asking questions every 5 minutes anyway lol.

I'm already thinking of names [emoji23]



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Others may have different views, but I think the timing of the various next events are going to be where I would focus my attention. You will need to base it all around Mischief's vaccination date next weekend. Is his vaccination history such that he can have just the one triple dose of vaccine this time?

I would arrange for his neuter to be 3 weeks after the vaccination, which will allow his immune system to have processed the vaccine successfully and for him to be fully fit and well before his op. I would then leave at least 6 weeks after the neuter before introducing them.

I think, if possible, once you have decided on which kit to have (and I would have her sex checked and re-checked), I would have her fully vaccinated by her current owner, which will hopefully give her 3 weeks accruing immunity before introduction.

You possibly need a spreadsheet :lol: I would get all these 'health' issues out of the way, before planning the detail of the bonding.

Omi said:

Others may have different views, but I think the timing of the various next events are going to be where I would focus my attention. You will need to base it all around Mischief's vaccination date next weekend. Is his vaccination history such that he can have just the one triple dose of vaccine this time?

I would arrange for his neuter to be 3 weeks after the vaccination, which will allow his immune system to have processed the vaccine successfully and for him to be fully fit and well before his op. I would then leave at least 6 weeks after the neuter before introducing them.

I think, if possible, once you have decided on which kit to have (and I would have her sex checked and re-checked), I would have her fully vaccinated by her current owner, which will hopefully give her 3 weeks accruing immunity before introduction.

You possibly need a spreadsheet [emoji38] I would get all these 'health' issues out of the way, before planning the detail of the bonding.

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He is not up to date with his jabs. As he was ill for a while we held off getting them done and then I have been dealing with my own issues.

I looked at the dates and if we booked his 2nd jab 2 weeks after first one and then had him neutered 3 weeks after his 2nd jab that would make her about 12 weeks old. We could have her before then and just keep them seperate.

We have one giant cage which Mr Chief sleeps in at the moment sometimes and we use it when we need to keep him 'safe' for any reason. We also have a medium cage that would be fine for her. Mr Chief had that cage until he was 4-5 months old.

We could let them sniff each other through the cages for a couple of weeks and even let them out individually in the living area. Or we could keep her in the lounge in a cage but I would rather not do that as she would be lonely. We tend to be in the bedroom where Mr Chief is.

I'm not sure which way is best way to bond them and will need to decide on a plan after more reading. Any advice would be much appreciated on this of course! [emoji6]

I did ask her if she could get her vaccinated for us before we picked her up and she didn't look too keen. She is only charging £45 per bunny which I feel is low compared to bunny sell sites.

She said she would only sell in pairs unless there is another bunny at home already. And she is more interested in a good home for them rather than making money and I did believe her. But maybe she doesn't want to pay out vaccine costs?

We wanted to put her on the same pet plan as Mr Chief at the vets which means she gets jabs included in a monthly payment plan. We were going to get her vaccinated on the way home. I take it there is a risk for Mr Chief if we take her home then? Even if his vaccinations are fully up to date by then or they are kept in different rooms?

I am happy paying for vaccine costs but not keen on giving her the money until we pick bunny up but don't think she will be willing to get them done for us. I can ask again.

I'm starting to have doubts about this now as I don't know how we can work out getting her vaccines done before she comes home. Maybe we should wait until he is neutered and then find a princess bunny for him. Perhaps we are rushing it and should be getting him sorted first.

I did love those bunnies though [emoji22]


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I've contacted the seller and offered a bigger deposit if she can get her vaccinated. Was thinking about £30 to show commitment but still protect myself aswell. Will see what she says.

At the end of the day if she isn't prepared to get jabs done then I would rather look elsewhere anyway. There will always be more baby bunnies but there is only one Mr Chief [emoji175][emoji175]

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This is what I would do. Have Mr Chief vaccinated. 3 weeks later have him neutered. As soon as the little girl is ready to leave Mum go and get her. Have her vaccinated. Keep them separated for 2 or3 weeks. Mr Chief should be covered by his vaccine by this time and recovering from his neuter. This time inbetween will give the little girl a chance to settle in.

tonibun said:

This is what I would do. Have Mr Chief vaccinated. 3 weeks later have him neutered. As soon as the little girl is ready to leave Mum go and get her. Have her vaccinated. Keep them separated for 2 or3 weeks. Mr Chief should be covered by his vaccine by this time and recovering from his neuter. This time inbetween will give the little girl a chance to settle in.

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That sounds like a good idea. However the seller has agreed to get her jabs done and asked what vet I am with. I then realised we can get her signed up with the monthly plan to cover her for jabs, worming and her first check up all for free so seller does not have to pay further costs and baby is sorted with vets. A win win situation [emoji4]

We will keep them apart and let baby settle in first anyway plus baby will need 2nd jab which we can always take her to when pick her up to take her home. She will need to recover from that aswell.

I'm happy again now. My mental health is not great at the moment due to pain situation and the excitement of baby coming has taken my mind off it. Baby bunnies do make you happy don't they! [emoji178]



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