Two Bunny Breeds Co-Existing

[ChrisNH]

I've had a cute little Netherland for several years. A boy, that I had fixed. Two years ago I 'adopted' a rather neglected female bunny (unfixed) that had some Lionhead in her. But I would stop short of saying she's purely that.

Anyway, I kept them separate for a couple years...in their own cages. The cages were next to each other so at least they knew of each other's existence. Little by little I would set up playpen dates and they generally seemed to get along. My male Netherland would try to mount the much larger black 'Lionhead.' She'd generally submit to that but would reverse roles and try that herself.

This past week I decided to give it a go by putting them together in the same cage, using a webcam to monitor things. They 'sleep' side by side and groom each other, which I take as a sign of successful bonding. But one thing also is that the larger female is very 'bossy' about the pellets and water...shoving my little Netherland out of the way at every opportunity. So I put a second pellet bowl and a second water bottle in the cage, and I think that will help.

 

[Laur]

Cute!

 

[Blue eyes]

Breed of rabbit makes no difference when it comes to bonding. Any breed has the potential to get along with any other. I don't think any of my pairs were the same breed.

That said, the bossiness of your girl is probably because she is still intact. Females can be particularly territorial and possessive even when fixed. If not fixed, that can be all the more exaggerated.

Putting a second bowl could be a good idea, but keep an eye that the girl doesn't hog both bowls. You wouldn't want her to overeat pellets (nor him not get enough).

It's always nice to see an adorable pair of bonded bunnies!