Introducing a New Bunny to a Bunny You Have:

Pet rabbits usually enjoy another bunny as a friend and others prefer being the only rabbit to receive all of your love and attention. You must evaluate your bunny's behavior to decide which category your bunny fits into. This blog is to help you introduce a new bunny to a bunny that you already have.

It is easiest to purchase rabbits that are already bonded or may be brothers or sisters from the same litter. It is always best to have both bunnies neutered or spayed around 6 months of age in order for them to continue getting along and to not have fighting.

If you decide to get one bunny and then get another bunny later or if you end up in a situation where one bunny passes away, it is very possible to help your bunny bond with another bunny.

It is best to introduce bunnies slowly. Bunnies can be territorial and at the beginning they can feel that this new bunny is a competitor to them. It can take bunnies a day or two or up to a few months to become good friends. However, it is a very precious thing, watching the two bunnies play and snuggle together, once they are bonded. You will get much joy from watching them, and they will be very happy having a friend as well. But remember, this often takes a little time....so take it slow.

Always let your new bunny get used to his/her new environment, food, and surroundings, before introducing him to a new bunny. Introducing your new bunny too quickly can put too much stress on your new little one.

Take a look at your bunny area....will the space be large enough for two bunnies to run around and play? They enjoy hopping around and binkying. They enjoy tunnels, toys, and boxes. They are very playful. Do they both have an area they can retreat to for personal space if they want it? If your current bunny is forced to share all of his/her toys with a new friend he/she may not be very excited about that.

Always make sure both bunnies are in good health before introducing them to one another. When one bunny does not feel well, it will make them grumpier when being introduced to another bunny.

Once these things are done, here are a few helpful pointers to help the bunnies get used to one another before personally introducing them:

Let your bunnies see one another from separate areas. Keep them separate, but facing one another so they can see, smell, and hear one another. They will begin to get interested in and curious about this new bunny that they see without feeling threatened.
You can place some of your new bunnies toys (that have his/her smell on it) into your other bunnies cage and vice versa. Bunnies have a strong sense of smell and this will help them begin to get used to their future best friend's scent.
Another fun thing is to have their food containers near one another with maybe a special treat in each of their bowls so they will relate their new friend with a delicious treat and also have another way of connecting. At first keep them further apart and you can gradually move them closer to one another. Once their areas are closer together, this will allow them to see, smell each other, and lie side-by-side.
Once the cages are closer together, if they lay down next to one another while they are in separate cages, this means they might be ready to connect more and move onto the next steps.

Having un-neutered/un-spayed rabbits are more likely going to cause fighting between them. Males and females can also mate and produce a lot of baby rabbits-even brothers and sisters will mate once they are adults. If this happens, the babies can be born with birth defects or be stillborn. It is always best to spay or neuter for best results. Wait until they have fully healed from being spayed or neutered before placing them together to be sure that neither of them hurt the other.

When you introduce them to one another:

It is best to choose a neutral place that you want to introduce them. As I mentioned earlier, bunnies tend to be territorial, so having a neutral place to help them adjust to one another will always work best. Make sure it is a large enough spot, where they can each have their own space if needed...at opposite ends of the space is best. Make sure they have lots of boxes and or toys and tasty treats to play with and chew on to help make this meeting an exciting thing for them both. You may also want to sit in the middle of the area if you can while they are getting used to one another. It is best to monitor at all times until you are sure they are fully bonded. You may also want to have a solid piece of cardboard you can put between them or a towel to gently pick one of them up if they begin to fight.
When you place them in this special neutral area, place them at opposite ends of the area that you have setup for each of them. This way you are allowing them to decide if they want to stay in their own area or if they want to meet this new bunny. Be sure not to force them together and let them come together on their own.

Things you might see with this first introduction:

Mating: This is common. They are trying to decide who will be the leader or the boss of the two of them. They are not actually going to breed as long as they are neutered. They may also pull on each other's hair. This is very normal. Continue to watch them closely....as long as no fighting occurs they should be fine. This is one way they get to know one another.
Chasing one another: Again, a common test of dominance. Who will be the leader?

These are both normal. But, if they begin to fight, show aggressive behavior (growling), or either of them seem stressed, end the session quickly and begin again another day after going through some of the other steps again. They may not be quite ready yet. Wait a few days, and then you can try it again.

Other things you might see:

Cuddling, lying side-by-side, behaving normally, and grooming one another: This is a great sign that they have bonded. However, keep a close eye on them, because you many need to separate them again if you see them fighting at all until they have fully formed a connection.
Once they have bonded, gradually increase the amount of supervised time that they spend together.

Once they seem connected, and are spending 2 hours together without any problems, you can place them in the area that you planned for them to live together. Congratulations!! All of your patience and hard work has paid off. Your bunny has a new best friend, and you have a lot of special moments of entertainment ahead of you as they play together and with you.

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