vee-jay
Mama Doe
I have started my new blog with a post all about how I do rabbit bonding Hope you find it useful!
http://www.elmbankrabbitboarding.com/blog/how-i-do-rabbit-bonding
Who
Neutered
At least a month, longer is better
Sex
Male and Female pair easier but male/male or female/female can also work
Numbers
A pair is easier to bond than a trio or quad (or more).
Where
Neutral territory
An area neither rabbit has been before. If you have a free range house rabbit try a room the rabbit doesn’t/ rarely goes in to. You can always block off a room for some time before bonding.
Size
Small but not too small
I typically use an area around 7ftx3ft (1mx2m) which works well, sometimes I reduce the size a little but it depends how the bond is going (will discuss later).
As the bond progresses and you see more positive signs and less negative signs you can slowly increase the space.
Contents
I start out with a big pile of hay in the middle and water bowl. Rabbits must never be deprived of food or water. If a rabbit seems unwilling to go near hay/water because of the presence of the other rabbit then I will add another bowl/pile of hay nearby.
I don’t have anything else in the enclosure to start with, some rabbits will become territorial even over a litter tray, while others would be fine. Hidey houses/ carriers are very easy for a rabbit to become territorial over, they can sit in them and guard them, attacking if the other rabbits comes near. Additionally if two rabbits do start a fight inside a hide its difficult for you to intervene and injuries might be worse as they cannot get away from each other. As the bond progresses you can add in litter trays, then hides, then toys etc.
Feeding
I always scatter feed pellets/fresh food especially in the early days of a bond. Ideally you would wait a few hours and for things to settle until you introduce a high quality food. This is because its very easy for them to become aggressive fighting over tasty food, scattering helps rabbits feel less threatened and ensures they both get their share.
Accessible but secure
Its important that you can get into the bonding enclosure quickly in case a fight does happen.
http://www.elmbankrabbitboarding.com/blog/how-i-do-rabbit-bonding
Who
Neutered
At least a month, longer is better
Sex
Male and Female pair easier but male/male or female/female can also work
Numbers
A pair is easier to bond than a trio or quad (or more).
Where
Neutral territory
An area neither rabbit has been before. If you have a free range house rabbit try a room the rabbit doesn’t/ rarely goes in to. You can always block off a room for some time before bonding.
Size
Small but not too small
I typically use an area around 7ftx3ft (1mx2m) which works well, sometimes I reduce the size a little but it depends how the bond is going (will discuss later).
As the bond progresses and you see more positive signs and less negative signs you can slowly increase the space.
Contents
I start out with a big pile of hay in the middle and water bowl. Rabbits must never be deprived of food or water. If a rabbit seems unwilling to go near hay/water because of the presence of the other rabbit then I will add another bowl/pile of hay nearby.
I don’t have anything else in the enclosure to start with, some rabbits will become territorial even over a litter tray, while others would be fine. Hidey houses/ carriers are very easy for a rabbit to become territorial over, they can sit in them and guard them, attacking if the other rabbits comes near. Additionally if two rabbits do start a fight inside a hide its difficult for you to intervene and injuries might be worse as they cannot get away from each other. As the bond progresses you can add in litter trays, then hides, then toys etc.
Feeding
I always scatter feed pellets/fresh food especially in the early days of a bond. Ideally you would wait a few hours and for things to settle until you introduce a high quality food. This is because its very easy for them to become aggressive fighting over tasty food, scattering helps rabbits feel less threatened and ensures they both get their share.
Accessible but secure
Its important that you can get into the bonding enclosure quickly in case a fight does happen.