I'm here to try and get some advice/confirmation/assessment of my three rabbits' bonding behaviour - if things are normal, how it's all going etc. We have:
Merlin - M, ~8 months old, neutered (black lionhead lop)
Halloumi - F ~10 months old, neutered (on 9th April 2025) (blue otter Netherland dwarf x Dutch)
Enya - F, 3 months old, unneutered (booked for 4th July 2025) (black otter Netherland dwarf x - Halloumi's daughter)
We originally adopted Merlin from a rescue. He took a shine to us back when we thought we didn't have space for three, but we never adopted him because he was with his two brothers. They started getting stressy with each other though and the person who runs the rescue intended to split them, so we took him home. We had him as a single rabbit for a few weeks whilst Halloumi - whom we reserved - reared her litter. She was neutered on 9th April and we were offered the chance to take her unhomed daughter, Enya, as well.
Merlin went back to the rescue to bond with them for a few days whilst he cleaned out his enclosure and, as they seemed to be getting on well, we brought them home on the 17th April. We kept them in their enclosure and there was some chasing for the first week which mostly calmed down. Then we set to getting them used to the entire lounge. That is where we are now.
Things aren't bad. They will sit together, they explore together, they eat together. When they are in their enclosure (when we are working from home and cannot supervise), they cuddle up together to sleep. The only issue is that Halloumi seems to have a very short fuse when it comes to Enya. She will lick her ears or her face and then suddenly nip her. She will be around her happily for a while and then go for a butt sniff before resorting to nipping. She rarely even chases, just enough of a nip to get Enya to move away. And then within a few minutes they are back sitting quietly next to each other again. Halloumi loves Merlin and Enya loves Merlin too, it's just the Halloumi/Enya dynamic which sometimes worries me (but I worry easily!). They have been with us for three weeks now, Halloumi has been spayed for four weeks. Is this normal behaviour? What is Halloumi trying to say? Do we think this will calm down once Enya is spayed and her hormones have calmed? (Can neutered Halloumi smell Enya's hormones; does Enya just smell angsty to her?!)
We've never had bonded rabbits before, so I am after the opinions of more experienced owners. Thank you all in advance!
Merlin - M, ~8 months old, neutered (black lionhead lop)
Halloumi - F ~10 months old, neutered (on 9th April 2025) (blue otter Netherland dwarf x Dutch)
Enya - F, 3 months old, unneutered (booked for 4th July 2025) (black otter Netherland dwarf x - Halloumi's daughter)
We originally adopted Merlin from a rescue. He took a shine to us back when we thought we didn't have space for three, but we never adopted him because he was with his two brothers. They started getting stressy with each other though and the person who runs the rescue intended to split them, so we took him home. We had him as a single rabbit for a few weeks whilst Halloumi - whom we reserved - reared her litter. She was neutered on 9th April and we were offered the chance to take her unhomed daughter, Enya, as well.
Merlin went back to the rescue to bond with them for a few days whilst he cleaned out his enclosure and, as they seemed to be getting on well, we brought them home on the 17th April. We kept them in their enclosure and there was some chasing for the first week which mostly calmed down. Then we set to getting them used to the entire lounge. That is where we are now.
Things aren't bad. They will sit together, they explore together, they eat together. When they are in their enclosure (when we are working from home and cannot supervise), they cuddle up together to sleep. The only issue is that Halloumi seems to have a very short fuse when it comes to Enya. She will lick her ears or her face and then suddenly nip her. She will be around her happily for a while and then go for a butt sniff before resorting to nipping. She rarely even chases, just enough of a nip to get Enya to move away. And then within a few minutes they are back sitting quietly next to each other again. Halloumi loves Merlin and Enya loves Merlin too, it's just the Halloumi/Enya dynamic which sometimes worries me (but I worry easily!). They have been with us for three weeks now, Halloumi has been spayed for four weeks. Is this normal behaviour? What is Halloumi trying to say? Do we think this will calm down once Enya is spayed and her hormones have calmed? (Can neutered Halloumi smell Enya's hormones; does Enya just smell angsty to her?!)
We've never had bonded rabbits before, so I am after the opinions of more experienced owners. Thank you all in advance!
