Bonding - Flemish Giants

[Liquidtravel]

Hello all,

I have a 10-month-old Flemish Giant. I have considered getting another one but I am not sure about how well Flemish Giants bond with other rabbits. I have seen a few Rex rabbits I can adopt and I have also considered getting another Flemish giant (new litter about to be born) but if I do, it would only be 8 weeks old (2 months from now) and I am not sure about a 2-month-old Flemish Giant and a year old Flemish Giant. Would their ages be too far apart for them to bond well?

 

[Abi :)]

Personally I don't think age really matters, but do keep in mind that the new bun will have to be spayed/neutered at around 2-6 months (depending on when your vet can do the surgery) and then the rabbit will also need 2-3 months to allow his/her hormones to settle. I've seen elderly buns bond with buns less than 2 years old, so age doesn't usually matter! Hope all goes well

 

[Mac189]

While all of the above is very much true, I have a policy of trying to have by bonded buns be close to the same age. Not for any reason regarding the effectiveness or ease of the bond, but due to the fact that I want them to age and grow old together. I don't want one to bond closely to an older rabbit who dies and they are left alone. The idea breaks my heart. While I know it will likely be harder on me down the line, I hope my bunnies get to live their lives together and only have to be separated from their bondmate in death for a short time.
I don't think 6 months is much of a difference, however, you would have to wait until both are neutered.

 

[Abi :)]

While all of the above is very much true, I have a policy of trying to have by bonded buns be close to the same age. Not for any reason regarding the effectiveness or ease of the bond, but due to the fact that I want them to age and grow old together. I don't want one to bond closely to an older rabbit who dies and they are left alone. The idea breaks my heart. While I know it will likely be harder on me down the line, I hope my bunnies get to live their lives together and only have to be separated from their bondmate in death for a short time.
I don't think 6 months is much of a difference, however, you would have to wait until both are neutered.

That idea really is heart breaking

Hello all,

I have a 10-month-old Flemish Giant. I have considered getting another one but I am not sure about how well Flemish Giants bond with other rabbits. I have seen a few Rex rabbits I can adopt and I have also considered getting another Flemish giant (new litter about to be born) but if I do, it would only be 8 weeks old (2 months from now) and I am not sure about a 2-month-old Flemish Giant and a year old Flemish Giant. Would their ages be too far apart for them to bond well?

Now that I think of it, our new rex bun Duke is actually 6 months older than our lop bun Bambi and they get along fine! The age difference in your case isn't that large, but if you are worried about it like you said you could look in shelters as they tend to have buns that are older than kits (although if you want another Flemish it may be unlikely that you will find one in a shelter).

 

[Blue eyes]

What matters far more than age, is whether or not they are both fixed. They need to both be old enough to be fixed. But if they are both fixed, age only matters in so far as considering how long of a life they will have together (statistically anyway). Flemish don't live as long, so if you get a non-Flemish rabbit, that can be considered as well.

If, on the other hand, one of the rabbits is a baby, then you'll have no way to know whether or not they will ever truly bond. Almost all babies will get along with an adult -- but it is only temporary. The onset of hormones can break any "bond."

So the real risk of getting a baby is that once you've had this baby for a few months, spent all the $$ on getting him/her fixed, waited for the healing time (8 weeks after neuter for a male), ....after all of this.... only then can you begin the bonding process and only then will you find out if they have a chance of getting along. What happens if they don't? Then what? Will you house them each separately for the next 10 or so years? These are the risks with getting a baby as a potential bondmate for an existing rabbit.

The more sure way is to find a rabbit rescue (different than generic shelter) and have your fixed bun meet some other fixed buns to pre-screen for potential compatibility. This increases the chances of a compatible match. If they don't work out, then the rescue will typically allow an exchange. This is really the only way to ensure that you wind up with an actual bond.