Advice after speed dates

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lily2521

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We have two shelters we're looking to adopt through to find a bonded mate for Gizmo. Two scenarios:

Shelter #1 - 20 minutes from home, encourages 2-3 dates before bringing a new bunny home, but discourages the return of a new rabbit if bonding isn't successful (which is the part I'm not fond of)

Shelter #2 - 4 hours from home, will do 1 dating session because of distance, but will allow us to try another rabbit, or return the rabbit we tried to bring home, if bonding doesn't work after 4-6 weeks.

We had our first round of dating with Shelter #1 today - met 3 rabbits. Of the 3 dates, Gizmo pretty much stayed still for all 3. Didn't show aggression towards any of the rabbits, but didn't show much interest either, just kind of sat there. There was one bunny that started to groom Gizmo, and also put her head down to have Gizmo groom her - but Gizmo didn't respond to either request, of being groomed, or grooming in return when the rabbit put her head down.

I've read that grooming is a great sign, but does that count if it's only coming from one bunny, and the other doesn't respond?

I'm trying to decide if we should go with the rabbit that groomed Gizmo, knowing if we bring her home we cannot return her.

Or if we should make the 8 hour round trip to try speed dating again with Shelter #2, knowing that if we bring a bunny home we can bring it back if bonding doesn't work out.

What to do?
 
Those are very good questions. You'll need to decide your comfort level and whether or not you are ok if the two don't bond (if going with option 1).

Grooming is considered an excellent positive. Many assume if a rabbit does this on the first date, it's a match made in heaven. However, I've experienced differently. A rescue rabbit was grooming our girl on their first date and our girl allowed it but did not reciprocate. We brought them home and he was a real sweetheart. But try as we did, our girl became increasingly more aggressive to him. She was so mean that he finally had enough and retaliated. We ended up having to exchange him.

You know your rabbit best. I've had some very easy bonds, but that was one of a few that did not work.

What does your gut tell you to do?
 
Those are very good questions. You'll need to decide your comfort level and whether or not you are ok if the two don't bond (if going with option 1).

Grooming is considered an excellent positive. Many assume if a rabbit does this on the first date, it's a match made in heaven. However, I've experienced differently. A rescue rabbit was grooming our girl on their first date and our girl allowed it but did not reciprocate. We brought them home and he was a real sweetheart. But try as we did, our girl became increasingly more aggressive to him. She was so mean that he finally had enough and retaliated. We ended up having to exchange him.

You know your rabbit best. I've had some very easy bonds, but that was one of a few that did not work.

What does your gut tell you to do?

First instinct, I really liked the rabbit that groomed Gizmo, very cute little lionhead, so I want to make sure I'm thinking clearly and not just going off of the 'cuteness' factor.

On the other hand, I don't want to drive 8 hours round trip if we don't have to, as I think that in and of itself would be stressful for Gizmo (plus the dates on that same day), but if it means we can bring a rabbit back if bonding doesn't work, that it a bonus.

Also, if we make this day trip to shelter #2, my gut tells me that Gizmo will act the same way she did today, as it's just her personality - she'll just sit there in a loaf and let the other rabbit do their thing. I don't know that we'll get a strong sense of how Gizmo feels about a different bunny until we get home and start truly bonding.

It's also hard to know how Gizmo will do once we bring another bunny home, as she's always lived alone, and always been a solo, pretty mellow bunny, so I really have no idea how she'll interact with another rabbit in her own home.

Of course Shelter #1 wants to set up a second date before we bring this rabbit that groomed home (if that's what we decide), and that second date just so happens to be the same exact day that we're scheduled to drive out to shelter #2.
 
If it were me, I'd go for the one who groomed your bun. It's a good sign and your bunny did not retaliate with any hostility. Your bun sounds a little overwhelmed with any rabbit so maybe keeping them separate temporarily in cages next to each other would be a nice gentle introduction before trying to get them to live together permanently.

Both are neutered/spayed? Opposite sex? If so, it'll probably work out. I was stressed out getting a second one as well but now that I see them together, I feel like I should have done this sooner. they are always together.
 
If it were me, I'd go for the one who groomed your bun. It's a good sign and your bunny did not retaliate with any hostility. Your bun sounds a little overwhelmed with any rabbit so maybe keeping them separate temporarily in cages next to each other would be a nice gentle introduction before trying to get them to live together permanently.

Both are neutered/spayed? Opposite sex? If so, it'll probably work out. I was stressed out getting a second one as well but now that I see them together, I feel like I should have done this sooner. they are always together.

Yes No matter what I'd keep them separate in their own cages for a good week or two before starting bonding sessions.

Both are spayed, in this case we were doing dates with males because Gizmo is female, but the one that groomed Gizmo is female, so it'd be two spayed females.
 
I don't know if this makes a difference, but my two rabbits abhor each other (mostly my female Brandy is crazy and tries to kill him when she gets the chance). And we manage. They have huge cages and alter who gets run of the apartment every two hours (when we are home to supervise- usually >4hrs/day for each). So it is definitely possible to have two unbonded rabbits. Mine even have cages which touch and they snuggle through the bars!
 

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