You'll need to find either a pair of siblings, or two rabbits from different litters both between 8 and 10 weeks of age. Same-sex pairs must never be separated, even for short periods of time. Even then, many will have occasional squabbles. Any visiting rabbits may upset the balance and trigger fighting.
Two baby rabbits (under 12 weeks of age) that are the same sex, or a “love at first sight” couple, can live with each other immediately. All other combinations will need to be carefully and gradually introduced.
Your rabbits will also need time to get to know each other. 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.
The FALSE bond: Baby rabbits don't truly bond to each other or to an older rabbit-- at least not in the long term. Often owners will start out with two sibling babies and assume that because they are so cuddly together, they will surely remain best buddies forever.
Once the rabbits are spending one to two hours together daily without any problems, they can be introduced into their intended living space, initially under supervision. Rabbits can be left alone together safely once they're showing positive behaviours towards one another.
Put the rabbits in nearby enclosures, where they can sniff each other through the wire. If your existing rabbit is free range, put the new rabbit in a small separated area so they can get used to each other's scent. You can swap around their litter trays and rub a cloth over each transferring scents.
Truly bonded bunnies should spend the rest of their lives with each other. The best pairs are generally opposite sex rabbits of about the same age. While that doesn't mean that same-sex and baby and adult bunnies can't bond, it can take more time and effort for the pairing to succeed.
If the rabbits have a bad experience, or if one of the rabbits is elderly or has health considerations, you may need to take it slower, or take some time off. Rabbits that are not fully bonded need to be kept separate when you are not with them. Once the rabbits have bonded, DO NOT separate them.
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.
Give your rabbits a large neutral area to spend time in.
Once your rabbits are comfortable with each other, move to the gentle bonding technique. Put them into a larger area for a few hours every day to make sure they can interact with each other without acting aggressive.
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.
If you are only gone for a few months, like the way I went to college but came home after every semester, then in my experience it's unlikely that your rabbit will forget you. This is especially true if you've spent a lot of time with your rabbit and developed some routines that can help jog your rabbit's memory.
One male and one female is the best pairing. Make sure they're spayed and neutered before introducing them. There's no guarantee that two rabbits will get along together. However, if you introduce them slowly and carefully, they should form a close bond.
If you find you are stuck in the bonding process, try switching up the bonding area. Sometimes the first location you choose is not a place that's working for your rabbits. The area might not be neutral enough, or your rabbits might just not like the place. Try experimenting with different sized spaces as well.
Baby rabbits need to stay with their mother until they are about 8 weeks old. Baby rabbits start nibbling on hay and pellets at about 2 weeks old. However, just because they start eating on their own does not mean they can be taken away from their mother.
Many people ask, can rabbits live alone? Rabbits are social animals, and, like us, can suffer from loneliness. Though there are exceptions, most rabbits want and need another rabbit for company. For this reason, we always recommend keeping rabbits in groups of two or more.
Generally, mounting means "I want you." This is a good thing. Watch for aggressive behaviors: tail up, ears back, growling, boxing, circling, chasing and biting. If one of these behavior occurs several times in a row; if neither rabbit backs down; if it leads to further aggressive behaviors, it should be interrupted.
While they shouldn't be in the same shared area together at first, due to rabbits being highly territorial, they should be able to see each other. Separating the areas with x-pens is a good idea as it allows the rabbits to see and smell each other, but not be in close enough contact to allow any biting.
Bonded rabbits will use the same litter box without fighting – make sure you have one big enough for both with space to move around.
Rabbits should never be split up once bonded. They should always travel in the same carrier. If one rabbit needs to go to the vet, talk to your vet about this and make sure that the other one can accompany them.
Barring the odd rogue rabbit that likes the lonely life, rabbits generally benefit from the company of other rabbits. They will often be far happier and content with a mate. Rabbits are not that unlike humans, they also get bored, even depressed, and when they do, they often act it out with destructive behaviour.
Breeding rabbits
Does are mature and can breed at 5 to 6 months of age and can continue to have young for 4 years. The length of pregnancy in the rabbit is 31 days and the doe can produce from 1 to 12 young each time she gives birth. She can become pregnant again within a few days of giving birth.
Rabbit pairings
Rabbits can live happily in male/female, female/female, male/male pairings and larger mixed groups. However, the most natural and therefore easiest pairing is male/female. In the wild, rabbits tend to live in male/female pairs and will sometimes remain partnered for life.
Most owners house a pair of rabbits, but keeping three or four are also popular options. Be sure that you have enough space to comfortably house all your rabbits, or else you'll have to purchase multiple runs to create enough space.