As a general rule, rabbits are bonded once they can spend 48 hours together without any chasing or aggressive behaviors. You also want to see positive signs such as grooming, sharing food, and sleeping next to each other to confirm that your rabbits feel safe around each other.
Bonded rabbits spend the majority of their days and nights together. They tend to visit the litter tray at the same time, eat together and groom together. A lot of time is spent simply snuggled up together sleeping. They can become competitive with each other over food and attention from us.
The whole bonding process can take as little as one day or up to several months – it all depends on your rabbits. Usually, it's a few weeks before your bunnies will be living happily together but it is well worth the wait.
Once the rabbits have bonded, DO NOT separate them. If one rabbit needs to go to the vet, both need to go. If they're separated and one rabbit comes back with a different smell or change in health, they may reject each other and begin fighting.
Since they are very social animals, rabbits who are bonded have a deep and lasting relationship. Many of these pairs do almost everything together. Whether it is eating, sleeping, grooming or simply exploring their surroundings, bonded pairs make everything a group activity.
Rabbits are happiest living in pairs. While they love and enjoy human companionship, there are certain social needs that even the most loving pet parents can never completely fulfil. Rabbits living in bonded pairs are generally healthier than singly kept rabbits.
Bonded rabbits will use the same litter box without fighting – make sure you have one big enough for both with space to move around. The litter box is like the sandbox in elementary school.
Bonded rabbits can also break their bond. This can happen if they've been separated, for example if one bunny needs to spend a few days at the vet.
If your rabbits are mounting each other a lot, instigating fights, stop them, place them side by side. Pet them together and talk to them quietly. Do not let much chasing ensue. If they are persistently aggressive, separate them to prevent injuries.
Nipping will most likely happen at some point during the bonding process. It is normal and isn't always a negative action. Sometimes a rabbit will nip the other because they want him/her to groom them.
Make sure to spend some time with the rabbits in one or more neutral space every day. When you're not actively working with them, they should be apart if they fight when together. If they do not fight, then they can be left alone if you're not working with them, but not when you're not home at all.
The easiest way to tell which one of your rabbits is dominant is to watch their grooming. A dominant rabbit will groom the other rabbits far less and for shorter periods of time than the other animals. A dominant rabbit will often thrust their heads towards the other rabbits.
Although trying to bond rabbits will inevitably be stressful to them, there are other factors that cause stress too and every rabbit owner should be aware of them.
Don't separate them once they're paired up
If one of your rabbits needs a vet then take them both in the same carrier. They will stick together for comfort.
For bonded rabbits, the loss of a partner can be very traumatic. Bonded rabbits live very closely together, spending hours sleeping, grooming, eating, playing and "talking" so the sudden absence of their partner is difficult for them to cope with.
Aggressive rabbits are also a risk to their owners as well – never put your hand in between two fighting rabbits, as you can easily become injured. Separate them with something solid, like a board, and keep them apart.
If fighting is serious, the bunnies should be separated when unsupervised. Once they seem to be getting along, they can be re-introduced into familiar territory. Often they start to fight again in their own space, so be ready with the water, and don't give up.
It's important that rabbits live with at least one other rabbit at all times, so that they feel safe. As they're social animals, they also enjoy eating together, grooming each other and lying down together to keep each other warm.
Circling is part of a rabbit's courting behavior and is sometimes accompanied by a soft honking or oinking. Circling can also be a way to ask for food or attention from human companions.
CHASING: in the wild, males chase females as part of “courting”. Sometimes, males and females chase each other Some of this is just fun and games, sometimes it is part of the dominance relationship. This behavior is not dangerous.
It's okay if the rabbits aren't lovebirds
Some rabbits are just more independent than others and prefer to spend time alone. Your rabbits are still bonded as long as they get along and don't fight. You don't need to try to force your rabbits to be closer together than they want to be.
Introduce rabbits on neutral territory. Never split up bonded pairs unless serious fighting occurs. Introduction a third rabbit into a bonded pair rarely works. Some nipping, chasing or mounting is normal, even in bonded pairs.
A lonely rabbit may become hyperactive and angry. They may display destructive behaviour such as gnawing at the carpets and other furniture. Lonely rabbits may pull at their fur and overeat.
An easy way to tell which of your rabbits it dominant over the other is to watch them grooming one another. Typically, the dominant animal will groom far less frequently, and for far shorter periods of time than the other. You will often see the dominant rabbit thrusting their head towards the other one.