Attempting to find a companion..

C

ColPer

Young Bun
So after a traumatic beginning of February with yet another bout of stasis. My husband and I have decide we are going to try and find our boy a bun partner.

I have only ever had single buns.. but my gut is telling me that he really would benefit from a partner as it might help with his stress levels and his behavioural issues.. Im praying my gut is right as I have been researching bonding and it looks ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING!!!

any top tips??? We are going through a rescue centre and I’m hoping we can get a lot of guidance!
 
Rabbits are very social animals and apart from in exceptional circumstances they always have a better QOL when they have a companion of their own kind. So well done for acknowledging this. You are right, having a companion is very likely to help with your current Rabbit’s stress and behavioural problems. Living alone is very unnatural for a Rabbit.

Great that you are adopting from a rescue. Reputable Rescues often offer a bonding service. They will have your current Rabbit to stay as they start the bonding process and then they will continue to offer support when you take both Rabbits home.

IME all bondings are different. There are some basic rules to try to follow, but IME the rules are not all are set in stone. Over the last 26 years and caring for 152 Rabbits (not all at once 😳) I have seen Rabbits bond accidentally when one breaks into another’s enclosure and zero aggression occurred. Those occasions threw the ‘must be done on neutral territory’ theory out of the window. BUT it’s still best to assume that introducing the Rabbits in a small, neutral area is best. I have had very successful Buck/Buck bonds, both Bucks must be castrated of course. The one bond combination I have never found to be successful or if it is achieved it isn’t strong and stable is spayed Doe/spayed Doe bonds. Sibling Does are probably the only ones who might be able to rub along together OK, but that’s still not a guarantee.

I have never felt happy with trio bonds. There was always one Rabbit who remains a bit of an outsider. The only exception being a family group I once had which started off as Mum, three daughters and a son. After a few years the 5 became a 3 for a few more years and they were all very close.

I have and would never use any ‘stress bonding’ techniques. By which I mean putting the Rabbits into a situation that will generate a significant amount of fear for them. The theory being that fear will cause the Rabbits to look to each other for comfort and support. Personally I think ‘stress bonding’ is cruel.

There are some useful tips here

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Pairing up Rabbits (Bonding)

Master the art of pairing up rabbits through bonding. Explore expert advice and resources for harmonious rabbit relationships. Start bonding now
rabbitwelfare.co.uk rabbitwelfare.co.uk


It is also a good idea to try to learn a bit about reading Rabbit body language and understanding behaviours.

IMG_2242.png




Good luck 😀
 
Thank you! I will have a good read through and hopefully when I go to the rescue centre next week I will pray he just meets the love of his life 😉

I’m thinking I can borrow a puppy pen and set it up in the new extension as he hasn’t been in there so it will be completely neutral territory??
 
Awww good luck, I really hope it goes well for everybun

Its great you have a rescue on board - they will get you off to a brilliant start by being able to personality match & maybe speed date - I've gone down this route with several of the bunnies I adopted over the decades & they made the easiest bonds. Ask the rescue if they'd be happy to try a prospective mate in a pen with your bun. I find its a really good indication of how bonding will proceed.

A little bit of advice - whilst it can feel terrifying try not to let your feelings show when bonding as bunnies have an amazing ability to pick up on them. Easier said than done I know. Hone your calm & confident skills...you can do this ....& OMG the rewarding feelings of facilitating 2 bunnies falling in love is the best feeling ever ❤️
 
It’s speed dating day tomorrow..: I’m so nervous!! 😥
I have ordered a new litter tray and will clean everything so it’s all fresh (just in case we end up bringing someone home!)

I have done a lot of research and now have a deep set fear of them “breaking a bond” …

… even though he hasn’t even found anyone yet lol!
 
Best of luck with the speed dating today! I hope everything goes well and your boy will find a friend. Please know that if your boy finds a good match, the chances that their bond will break later on are really quite small. And the rescue will make sure that he'll find a good match; that's why your boy is going to choose a friend himself. :)
 
Hey! Sorry it has been one of those days! Fortunately not rabbit related!

So I took my boy along and lined up 3 potentials (size and age) and the first girl seemed sweet with him!

He let her groom all his face and was laying with his head down… she did mount him a couple of times.. which he didn’t react to, but when he approached and mounted her she didn’t like that much.. which he got a bit on the defence about. But we blocked them off and then tried again and they went back to being sweet.

They had a few squabbles but nothing major, from what I read they are trying to sort the pecking order??

I left them to it after a little while as I couldn’t contain my nerves and didn’t want to distract him (at first he kept coming to the edge of the cage I was)

I rung this evening and they said they’ve been grooming and seem good and not much to report (which I assume is good??)

I spent the rest of the day cleaning everything and de scenting all the cage to make it even territory.

Sorry it was a long post! But let’s keep everything crossed he’s found a girl!!
 
It sounds as though things have started off in a pretty normal way. There’s usually a few episodes of scuffles, chasing and nipping at first. I hope the bonding continues to move in the right direction and that you will soon be able to bring a happy couple home 😀
 
Thanks everyone!

Just had a phone call though, and the Mr is in a bit of disgrace 🤦🏼‍♀️ he got more and more confident as the evening went on and kept mounting her to the point she got quite upset, so they were separated.
He’s apparently not fazed and eating like normal.

So now what to do… maybe try again? And see if he calms down? Or give up??
 
ColPer said:
Thanks everyone!

Just had a phone call though, and the Mr is in a bit of disgrace 🤦🏼‍♀️ he got more and more confident as the evening went on and kept mounting her to the point she got quite upset, so they were separated.
He’s apparently not fazed and eating like normal.

So now what to do… maybe try again? And see if he calms down? Or give up??
Click to expand...
I guess it depends how bad the humping is. Its a very normal part of bonding (can be distressing to see as they are so relentless & persistent). Normally its possible to let nature run its course & it subsides in a day or 2. What are the rescues thoughts?
 
i feel so disheartened 😥 they rung and said he got himself in a bit of a frenzy and probably best to come and get him :( so I just picked him up and brought him home..
 
Yer, so come back in about 2 weeks and see how he goes and if it’s the same give up.. which I feel really gutted about. But I’m not sure how to get him out of that mentality!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Bonding impass after a month
Replies
9
Views
292
tulsi
tulsi
M
Elderly bun not eating well
Replies
5
Views
260
bunny momma
bunny momma
D
easily startled bun/ ear infections
Replies
1
Views
99
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
Back
Top