So you got a bun huh? …. And now you caught the bunny fever?
One fluffy floof just isn’t enough now huh? We totally get it, no really we do. The zoomies, the flops, the dramatic side-eyes—it’s addictive and these little muffins are seriously so lovable why wouldn’t you want another? But before you hop into a second bunny, let’s talk about the good and the hard in regards to bunny bonding / caring for more then one rabbit.
If you have adopted from us in the past or if during our phone interview you had requested two buns, you would have known by now we do not adopt out two bunnies from the same litter to the same family at the same time. The reason for this hard fast rule is simple, my goal is to place babies in homes where they will thrive all the days of their lives. I want you, the family adopting from me, to have the best experience possible during the process of adopting your furry friend and the days that follow as you bring the furry friend home. Two rabbits means double the love but also … double the poop, double the hay, double the socialization and double the bonding process. It is absolutely double the fun, but also, double the work. Litter mates are born with a bond that will last until hormones kick in at and around 4/6 months of age. Regardless if they are from the same litter, all bunnies will have the same surge of hormones that can effect their relationship with one another (to the point of injuring one another). As a mom to 5 kiddos, my goal is to never have you (or your child) walk in to the bunny area and see something you will never be able to unsee. I also equally want to protect my babies traveling to their forever homes from being put in a situation where they could be harmed in any way. For these reasons, the process for getting two buns from me is simple. Adopt the first bun, wait till he/she is 6 months of age, get first bun fixed and then contact me expressing your desire for a second bun. You will be added to our waitlist for your second bun.
Now, if you made it this far and are ready to hop in, please keep reading because the following info will help you when you bring that second baby home!
We’ve gathered the most common questions from families who’ve successfully bonded their fur babies —along with their real-life tips, lessons learned and what made the biggest difference in creating a happy, hoppy duo.
Please note: These tips are based on suggestions from families who have adopted from us in the past. We encourage you to do your own research before beginning the bonding process, as we cannot guarantee or take responsibility for the outcome of any bonding experience.
Question #1: How old was your first bun when you brought home your second bun?
“My first bun was 11 months old (and neutered) when we brought home his best bunny sister/friend. I feel like that was the perfect age gap that allowed for my first bunny to go through puberty, develop his own personality without any additional factors or stressors that would enhance his hormonal growth and allowed for enough time post-neutering to fully develop his personality without any raging hormonal influences.” - Sarahh (bun mom to Seamus & Prudence)
“Our first bunny was just a couple weeks shy of a year when we brought our second one home.” - Stephanie (bun mom to Roo & Buckley)
Question #2: What was the biggest lesson you learned while bonding your two buns?
“Biggest lesson I learned was no two bunnies are the same; what worked for your first won’t always apply to your second. They each come with their own unique personalities and require understanding for what each individual bun may require out of the new experience and big life change. I would equate it to almost bringing home a new baby to a kid who has been the only child; except the obvious language barrier that doesn’t allow for any explanation of your new growing colony. I learned that there is no failure just inevitable growth when it comes to developing your own technique for the new bonding pair. One day you will think you have it all figured out and the next day your buns will show you that perhaps, there is a better way to maneuver that has yet to be discovered. I learned that the goal is to maintain their individuality by slowly integrating them to allow for organic harmony and to not hold the expectation that unity happens right away- because it won’t and even in the moments it feels like you achieved a bond, understand that it’s like learning a person- there is always layers and that applies to your buns too.” - Sarahh (bun mom to Seamus & Prudence)
“The biggest lesson we learned was patience and consistency.” - Stephanie (bun mom to Roo & Buckley)
Question #3: What was your biggest regret in regards to the whole bonding process? What was your biggest win?
“I didn’t experience any regret per se during the bonding process but I did experience a bundle of nerves on the way home with my new bun; which I think is important to note that excitement and trepidation can exist at the same time during this process and it’s OK as this experience will be a new adjustment for all of you! I thought a lot about whether I could meet the needs of my first bun and provide the same amount of love and attention to my new addition. Turns out the nerves subside quickly when your buns trust you and melt in your arms. Which leads me to my biggest win, the trust my first bun had in me fueled my confidence for the journey ahead. I trusted the fact that even though I was still going to be learning my new lil bun’s personality, one thing was certain in the fact that I absolutely knew my first bun’s big personality- so well that I would use that knowledge of him to “gauge the room” based on his responses and traits. He trusted me to allow for breaks and intermissions during the small sessions I would have with them. I understood that he relied on me just as much as I did his training to get through the process. This allowed for me to not only protect both buns but to ensure they both felt safe and secure with each other while being with me..” - Sarahh (bun mom to Seamus & Prudence)
“Our biggest regret was not getting a second one sooner. Lol! But i also regret not being as consistent as i should have when we started the putting them together in a neutral environment, it prolonged the process. The biggest win was once we finally got them bonded and seeing how happy they are together. They're inseparable now.” - Stephanie (bun mom to Roo & Buckley)
Question #4: How did you start the bonding process?
“The key word here is ‘process’ and understand that is not one that happens overnight. When I first brought my second bun home, I didn’t even introduce her to my first bun for about a week (my boy was big and my new girl was TINY). I did my best to allow for the new addition to have her own space in a neutral zone but was made private to her to allow for the best adjustment into her new environment. (The bunnies from Bend Bunny Lops take VERY easy to their new environment(s) and I never had any issue with any stressed buns. I attribute that to the love and handlings poured into them before they came home with me.) That said, my first order of business was to build trust with my new bun. During the first week, I would hold each bunny after the other to allow for them to become familiar with each other’s scents- (that appeared to be very helpful by the time I allowed them to meet face-to-face). As far as their formal introductions to one another, I used a pen with a gated partition. This allowed for them to see each other, be aware of one another’s presence, get close enough with a protective barrier and set the scene for me to observe any boundaries either of them were to make or any I would have to adjust. I cannot express enough how SLOW I went (and continue to go even now) with this process. I still work in increments that are comfortable for each bunny and myself as well due to the age and size differences of each bun. It was my responsibility to make sure my first bun had boundaries that I set for him with his new little bonding mate and even though he is neutered, I always make sure they are in a neutral space to avoid natural territorial response. And now four months later with my second bun continuing to grow big and strong, there are more allowances for each of them to coexist. Once each bun is neutered/spayed, the bonding process will begin again, not starting from scratch but starting from a place of familiarity without again, any natural hormonal interference. Your bunnies will look to you to provide them with space to reset, start over and begin again. Understand that each time you do that, it is not a failure- it’s just an adjustment. I see it as rearranging a room, changing it for the season and it eventually always goes back to feeling normal. My buns are both very food motivated, so I always make sure that there is an abundance of good greens, hay and favorite snacks to encourage sharing, coexistence and good behavior. If any bun begins to get a little “rowdy”, I don’t hesitate to separate them with a partition but allow them to stay in the same area. Eventually, they learn that neither of them are going anywhere and neither is the food. (LOL)” - Sarahh (bun mom to Seamus & Prudence)
“We started the bonding process by having their cages within a foot of each other. Every couple weeks we pushed their cages closer until they were touching. We watched behavior closely to make sure all interaction through the cage was positive/neutral. Once they were laying next to each other through the bars, we started putting them together in a small neutral space. That's where patience was needed. Our older bunny wanted to be the dominant one, which we expected, but it was important to make sure he wasn't causing distress. We weren't consistent with the frequency or expansion of the neutral area so we had to backtrack a couple times. But we slowly increase their time and space together until they were able to go all day without the older one showing dominance. That's when we knew they were good to go!” - Stephanie (bun mom to Roo & Buckley)
Question #5: Any tricks or suggestions for other bun families who are considering adopting their second bun?
“If you are considering bringing home a second bun, do it. Don’t let the idea of bonding create hesitation just because it’s a process. In my experience, bringing home my second bun brought a whole new set of love and joy to my first. And your bunny will absolutely grow to love the company of his or hers new partner after they become familiar. Be patient with yourself as you learn to be a bunny owner of two, it’s a lot different from being a bunny owner of one- this is where your confidence comes in. This is where you learn that there is so much more love to give than you thought possible and you will have the best return of not just one bun loving you but two. Bunny loving is easy from our perspective, but when you learn how selective bunnies are with who they give their love and trust to- and you get to see how they BOTH choose you, it’s a pretty special feeling. I learned the bonding process wasn’t just for the two of them, but for all of us. And what a privilege to be included into their special bond.” - Sarahh (bun mom to Seamus & Prudence)
“Make sure they're both fixed first. Even if one is already fixed, hormone shifts in the other bunny can completely re-set the bonding process. Be consistent, and patient.” - Stephanie (bun mom to Roo & Buckley)