Bonding rabbits

Teddy and Peppa are bonded rabbits. It wasn’t always the case, in fact, when they first met there was a lot of conflict, in particular, Teddy was very aggressive towards Peppa.

Placing two rabbits together that do not know each other, can lead to serious injury. Rabbits need to be introduced carefully and not left unattended until they show signs of bonding. The first signs of bonding usually start to show within a few days but it can take a lot longer. Rabbits are individuals with their own characters so timings will differ.

Until rabbits have bonded, they should not be left alone together unsupervised. In addition, when they are placed together, it should be in a neutral area with plenty of space and distractions. An established pet can be territorial so it is not a good idea to introduce a new rabbit into the home of an established rabbit until the two are bonded.

The goal is to ensure that they can be left together without doing each other harm.

Teddy and Peppa were only able to spend an hour at a time together at first. It took a whole week for Teddy to stop being aggressive, and wanting to attack and hurt Peppa. They were not friends but Teddy stop chasing and biting Peppa, becoming indifferent to Peppa being around.

Rabbits should be introduced under close supervision and not left alone until the show signs of bonding. They do not have to demonstrate all the characteristics of long-term bonding but they should show that they are starting to bond. For example, while bonded rabbits sleep together, it is enough to see them happy to be close without paying each other attention to assume bonding has begun.

Most pairs of rabbits won’t show all the characteristics of being bonded for several months, and some cases years together. In addition, rabbits being bonded does not mean they will act like best friends and inseparable partners at all times.

The main characteristics of bonded rabbits include,
Bonded rabbits share food.
Bonded rabbits sleep together.
Bonded rabbits groom each other.
Bonded rabbits move around together.
Bonded rabbits play together.
Bonded rabbits follow each other.

The Farm at 64 raises money for the charity Porridge and Rice, an education charity supporting education in the slums of Nairobi, home to some of the poorest people in the world. They charity website is http://www.porridgeandrice.com/.

The Farm at 64 is not a business, just the name that my children have given to the many pets that I keep. The Farm at 64 website is http://www.thefarmat64.co.uk/.