Bonding rabbits - What to watch out for

What is bonding?

It is the process of creating a bond between two bunnies that are new to each other or that have been separated from each other over a long period of time. This process can involve two females, a male and a female, but hardly ever between two intact males that have not been desexed.

Bonding bunnies is an easy task, but can sometimes turn ugly as the rabbits may end up fighting and biting each other. Understanding behaviors associated with bonding is indispensable especially for a novice. The behaviors described here are by no means all you will see, but they are behaviors that could (and in some instances, should) pop up along the way. These are isolated behaviors, so to be aware of what you are seeing, you need to start to look at the whole picture, not just the isolated action.

Remember, if you see any behavior that could potentially cause problems and lead to a fight then you need to divert the rabbits before it actually leads to a fight.

What to watch out for:

Grooming:

When a rabbit grooms another, this is a good sign. Often, the dominant rabbit is groomed first, but not always.

Lying together:

Lying together is also a good sign, because it means the rabbits feel relaxed and safe with each other.

 

Head down:

You might see one, or both of the rabbits, approach the other bunny, or each other, with their heads down. This is an indication that that rabbit wants to be boss and wants to be groomed. Always watch this because if both bunnies want to be dominant it could progress to something nasty. The picture shows two bunnies with their heads down, both wanting the other to groom him/her.

Ears pointing forward:

This can indicate that a rabbit is very interested in something in front of him/her, so this can be a positive sign.

 

Bobbing:

By bobbing, I mean when a rabbit goes long and low to the floor and moves his or head up and down slowly, whilst approaching something. In this instance it would be another rabbit. Bobbing indicates that they are interested in what is going on, but are not entirely sure of the situation so are being cautious. 

Ignoring each other:

When rabbits ignore each other, there is both hope that it will tum out well and the potential for it to tum out not so well. This means that if you work through things and do thing positively then you should be able to have a successful bonding.

Mounting:

Rabbits mount for two reasons, firstly, hormones and secondly for dominance. If your rabbit is not spayed or neutered or has only recently been 'done' then it could be hormonal; however if the hormones have died down in your bunny, then it is most likely to be a dominance issue. This is very normal behavior (be it the 'correct' way, or the 'opposite' way), however, if the rabbit being mounted is not overly keen then it can escalate to circling, although it is also very common for a rabbit to sit and take it, or for chasing to follow. If you are watching carefully then you should be able to work out if the rabbit being humped is tolerating it and if it is ok to let it continue.

There can be risks with mounting. If a male rabbit is continually mounting another rabbit then he can make himself sore on his penis and become inflamed and also sometimes infected (This can occur at any time when bunnies are bonded too). So remember to check the boy if you think he is doing a lot of mounting. In addition, if the boy is mounting the 'wrong way', then there is a risk of the penis being bitten, which can be a horrific wound and needs immediate veterinary attention.

 

Thumping feet:

Rabbits thump their feet for many reasons. This can be fear, or it could be warning off another rabbit. Equally, it could be excitement at being with another bunny. When this happens, it is just worth keeping a careful eye on the situation to make sure that nothing escalates, as this can be a warning sign.

Ears flat:

If the rabbit is advancing towards the other rabbit and she/he has his/her ears flat against the neck then this can indicate a hostile feeling. If this happens, it is worth gently directing the hostile bunny away to avoid any potential issues. When you get to know your rabbit and read the body language, you will start to notice little flickers of the ears where they dip slightly backwards and then come upright again. This movement shows the rabbit is not impressed and is on alert to attack if necessary, and that can tell you exactly how the bunny is feeling, even before she/he properly shows it

 

Running and jumping over:

This behavior is commonly exhibited by hormonal or recently spayed girls do. It is a way of flirting with the other rabbit to make them chase them (which is a key part to the mating process and getting the lady 'in the mood'). This can confuse the other bunny, and can lead to a situation that you need to diffuse. When the rabbit does not respond, the hormonal rabbit might start to get more insistent, sometimes running into the other rabbit and then jumping over. If this keeps happening, it may mean that the rabbits are not yet ready to be bonded; however, you can still do the groundwork in terms of doing lots of bonding without them actually meeting.

 

Nipping:

Either rabbit might nip the other. This is ok as long as both rabbits are tolerating it, and is a sign that they are trying to sort out their dominance issues. Little nips are ok, but full on biting is not, although that comes under fighting. However, little nips can quickly escalate into something more serious if you are not paying attention and not proactive enough to stop it, if one or both rabbits are being stressed by the situation.

Chasing:

It is a common behavior for rabbits to chase each other and chasing is ok provided both rabbits tolerate it. If a rabbit looks stressed by it then stop it, because it can potentially lead to circling or other signs a fight could happen.

Lifting the tail:

Rabbits have scent glands beside their anus and when they lift their tail, they are marking their scent. This can mean they do not feel comfortable with the other rabbit, or that they want to be the dominant one. This can also be due to hormones. Sometimes circling or fighting can follow a lifted tail, other times it can be a nonthreatening action. Once again, it comes down to being vigilant with an action that could potentially turn nasty.

Circling:

This is where one bunny goes to nose the tail of the other, and the other bunny then spins round and they then circle nose to tail. This behavior must be stopped immediately because it can lead to fighting.

Fighting:

This behavior is undesirable and harmful to either rabbits involved. A full on rabbit fight is intense and loud. People often question how they will know when it is a fight, and the answer to that is just that you will know. It might start with the bunnies rearing up at each other and boxing. The rabbits will probably lay on their sides and attack each other with their teeth and all the paws. They might also ricochet off anything in the vicinity. This should never be allowed to happen and you should always stop a fight before it breaks out. This means stopping them when they start to circle, or when they rear up at each other.