Bonding Rabbits

[Samantha Way]

I have had my bunnies Leo (m) for 4 years and Peanut (f) for 3 years. I would like to and plan on neuter/spaying them and house them together but was curious if there’s anything I should know about this process or tips that I may have not found online already. I know it’s not an immediate process and you should wait about a month after the procedures. When I let Leo out of his cage, he typically goes to lay next to Peanuts cage, Peanut just wanders when I let her out. Any help is appreciated!

 

[JBun]

Once you get both fixed, yes, you do need to wait at least 4 weeks for hormones to fade, but it can sometimes take up to 8 weeks for those hormones to be completely gone. You could try and start bonding sessions after 4 weeks and see how they do, but if he's still too hormonal(keeps trying to hump her, circling, spraying urine) then you may need to wait the full 8 weeks before trying again. You just don't want his pestering her to cause her to get fed up and lash out at him. There will be some dominance humping that occurs between them as part of the normal bonding process, but that will die out for the most part, once they sort out the hierarchy and who will be the boss.

Here's some info on bonding to get you ready. It's really helpful to watch some videos from experienced people doing bonding correctly, to see both, what positive interaction between rabbits looks like, and negative reactions, and what the signs of aggression escalating looks like and when it's absolutely essential to intervene before a fight can break out. Also read up on rabbit body language and the signs of aggression, as this can help you to better understand how their interactions are going and when to intervene.

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Understanding_your_rabbit
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html
http://cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bonding_rabbits_together