Bonding Rabbits STRESS FREE In A Week Using Desensitisation Method

[@jenniferbaez1725]

This is a great bonding video. I thought humping and chasing was okay because that is how they establish hierarchy. I’ve seen this in so many other videos. I really liked your approach! Calm, gentle, and I liked that you were very involved at first.

[@lorinagore]

Glad you like it! I try to keep the bunnies safe from injuries and have the experience as positive as possible for all involved! Kind of just like bunny dating. :D

[@joannevezey3948]

This is the best rabbit bonding video on You Tube! Everything else I’ve seen is full of misinformation. With 8 rabbits of my own currently, & a whole history of successful bonds, learning something new from someone this experienced was a real treat. Good work!! ❤

[@lorinagore]

What a lovely compliment! Thank you and I'm always learning from other wonderful bunny people too! 🙂

[@LoveABun]

So to confirm, you do 3-4 sessions a day for 30 mins to 1.5 hrs each time, depending on how well they’re progressing. Is that correct? And as the days progress and they become more comfortable with one another, you begin to do the longer, 1 and 1.5 hr sessions. Is that correct? I REALLY love this non-stressful bonding method! I think it’s much more kinder to and for the bunnies! I’ve been hesitating on bonding my spayed rescue girl for fear of fighting and not knowing how to progress through each step. But seeing your method and how to do it IN DETAIL, I’m now more confident about trying it! The info you provide along the way is also very helpful. This is the best rabbit bonding video on You Tube!

[@lorinagore]

Yes I tend to do sessions that are long enough so that they can have something to eat, have an explore, and eventually relax in each others' company. If you can do sessions during the day, sometimes they'll be a bit more sleepy and less reactive. At night and early morning they are usually a bit more active. I usually mostly do either one or two sessions a day, to fit around whatever I have to do that day. Sometimes I've done longer sessions of up to 4 hours at a time, which can be quite tiring for the hoomin! But I also try to meet the rabbits' needs, so occasionally with tricky pairs that really dislike each other I will sometimes have shorter sessions. The more time you spend with bunnies, the more you learn their 'language' and pick up on the cues that will help guide you to know when they are feeling anxious, or relaxed. Thank you for your lovely comments, and I hope you can find a lovely friend for your rescue girl! If you have had her for a little while, then a neutral space like this that she hasn't claimed as her own is very important, otherwise you might find she will be territorial which can make things harder.

[@lorinagore]

Sorry, I should have clarified - I do long sessions. Minimum 2 hours, ideally 3 to 4 hours. It's very tedious. But worth it when you finally get them bonded.

[@ST-no1st]

Thank you Lorina for sharing your method. I decided to adopt a female rabbit for my male rabbit yesterday. And she is coming to our home soon. I am really nervous because it is my first time to bond rabbits. But your video is much better than other's and I will follow this video. I hope everything goes well 😅

[@lorinagore]

Good luck! I hope you have had success with bonding your bunnies.

[@vickiclancy2556]

Thanks Lorina, lots of new ideas to try on our buns 👍🐰❤️

[@lorinagore]

That's great Vicki, and thank you for adopting a rescue bunny! 💕

[@Soraine_]

Very helpful video, love your approach, I'll be doing the same when I get my second bun next month. So excited to see how they get on.

[@lorinagore]

Wonderful! Wishing you a successful bonding experience 🙏

[@JuliaWaddell-rw3fv]

Thank you so much fpr this. It makes so much sense. I am trying to bond a newly adopted male with a female we got 9 months ago, both rescues. Since watching your video and adjusting my approach things are looking promising and hopeful. Thank you x

[@lorinagore]

So glad to hear that! 💗

[@leaallen2262]

This was very helpful ♡ Thank you

[@bethsimmons8755]

Thank you so much for showing us the process.

[@lorinagore]

A pleasure, I hope it helped you.

[@belleboucles3646]

Thank this has been very informative.

[@Britney-r6j]

Loved the video ❤

[@BBpinto]

I wonder if this method wouldn't work for me since one of my buns doesn't like me to pet her...much less be picked up! I've had her for a couple of months, and ive gotten her to tolerate my petting her, encouraged by the pellets she eats from my lap. (The other bun loves being petted.), but she gets moves away as soon as the pellets run out. I really want to try this method, but do you think I should instead go for a method that is not so hands on?

[@lorinagore]

When the bunnies get close to each other and you pat them, they actually think it's the other rabbit doing the 'grooming'. It's usually something they like, and they start to think the other rabbit is a friend. Being able to handle and control your bunnies is important, and the only way to learn is by getting in there and doing it 😊

[@LoveABun]

Very helpful! Ty!

[@lorinagore]

So glad it was helpful for you!

[@micheleh9596]

I wish my buns would get along. They go into a tornado fight instantly. The male bit my little girl hard on the cheek, and she was screaming! It was horrible!! That was 4 months ago, and now they live in a bedroom separated by an X pen. They lay next to each other and sometimes groom each other through the fence. I am terrified to try bonding again. I think they're both too aggressive. They are spayed/neutered, and I'm at a total loss as to how to bond them. Rabbit screams are heart-wrenching. I put them in neutral areas when I tried, and they went straight for each other as though it was all that mattered.

[@Chihuahuamama94]

How are your bunnies getting along now? Are they still separated by an x-pen but in the same room? It sounded like they were making progress at the time you wrote this comment, but I realize that was 7 months ago now. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are happily bonded by now! I hope they are both doing well and are best buddies! There’s nothing like seeing two rabbits that love each other snuggling or grooming the other. It’s so heartwarming! 🥰

[@lorinagore]

For a situation where this happens, you can add a barrier such as a playpen panel with gaps to keep the bunnies separated in the neutral space. Put grass in the middle and they can eat together on each side. You need to get them used to cohabiting calmly together, and meals are a good distraction. Also have gloves and work out which bunny is 'starting' the fighting. You need to focus on that rabbit and help them to feel safer and calm around the other rabbit.

[@roseadesjarlais5496]

Thank You…

[@tashholder8416]

Do you think having them in adjacent cages prior to the bathroom sessions helped? My girl isn’t cage ever , when we have to she gets furious. I’m concerned about how to prepare her and our house (which is so small) so closing off spaces is kind hard.

[@lorinagore]

Sometimes having your new bunny too close to your exisiting bunny can make them resentful and more territorial of the 'intruder' rabbit. We usually recommend housing in completely separate areas until bonded to prevent this happening. Having said that, some bunnies will become desensitised to each other by being housed next to each other, so it's not black and white. In your case, I would allow your girl to remain free roam but put your new bunny in an area she doesn't normally access.

[@fairmaiden6472]

Any videos of when youre not actually around? Bunnies are very smart lol and they know youre watching right now

[@lorinagore]

When I'm bonding, I'm always with the rabbits. I don't leave them unsupervised until they are bonded, as a fight can set you back by quite a bit and make the process take even longer.

[@fairmaiden6472]

@@lorinagore well you must sleep, so do you sleep with them or in your bed with a camera on them?

[@lorinagore]

@@fairmaiden6472 this is not 24/7 bonding, it's date bonding. I do long sessions of 3 to 4 hours each day, and then they go back to their separate areas when I sleep/rest/do other work.

[@Sylvester_Kim]

I have a similar rug, but mine is about 2 by 1.5m, and my bunnies really love to lay on it.

[@felicitysonaram281]

Hi there your video was very helpful, however i have a question, ive had my bunny(male) for about 7 months now and i want to introduce a new bunny but she will be much younger, do i go about bonding them the same way? Also, just to mention, he's pretty comfortable around me but still doesnt let me pick him up

[@lorinagore]

Is your male bunny desexed? It's incredibly important to do that, before bonding rabbits. Hormones will interfere with the process and make it harder to bond. If he has been neutered for at least 6 to 8 weeks you can introduce a younger female, but be prepared to separate and rebond if the relationship changes once she starts to become hormonal (when she's ready to be desexed, at around 6 months).

[@josephprestifilippo9119]

Thank you so much for the wonderful video. I just have one question for you - Is this done after doing table bonding for sometime or did you go straight to this method?

[@RabbitSanctuary]

This was not done with table bonding. However, if your bunnies are starting to get aggressive with each other, you may want to switch to table bonding for the time being.

[@rebeccajones9084]

Could this work for 4 bunnies? We’ve got 4 rescues, 2 original ones (that were bonded for a few months but not fully). We thought adding another one would help the dynamic, but then we ended up saying yes to another rescue 😅 so now we have 4. 2 are bonded, but one of them showing aggression towards the other 2 that went bonded

[@lorinagore]

In theory yes, however you would have to be fairly confident in managing so many rabbits and preventing fighting. Doing it with another person would help too. Another way to bond multiples is with table bonding.

[@cheyteav]

I would love to hear your opinions on introducing a third rabbit to an already bonded pair! I took in a new rescue and they had never seen him but they smelled him on me and fought a little. Nothing too bad but now they are split in their room. They get along great outside of their room but cannot live back in their old home together. I try to rebond them in one small area of the room. Male nips at female, usually lightly, it feels like "look at me" nips. He grooms her but she never grooms back and he gets annoyed. Should I keep allowing these light nips as it seems like his way to communicate or stop them/cuddle him for a bit like you showed. I do try the treat on head method which works for a little bit sometimes. I think he just really wants more grooms. Plan is, once new bunny is neutered and healed, they will meet him one on one neutral area and see how that goes. He seems extremely submissive (according to my friend who rescued him, he was with another male and would groom him all the time) so I am hoping he will put my other male at ease. I am a bit worried about bonding all three together once we get to that point. Really don't want injuries! Any tips appreciated!

[@JN-se4ok]

I have a question. Still watching the video, so far it's been wonderful. You mention you need to be comfortable picking up a rabbit. I'm currently trying to bond a middle sized Lionhead rabbit with a French lop looking rabbit. Picking up the Lionhead is no issue, but the French lop is twice as heavy and as big, I've been struggling to pick it up, and I've been even advised to not try and pick up the big bunny, do you have any suggestions?

[@Sophia-w5h2f]

I have six bunnies myself and I have a lion head and a lop the key to pick up a rabbit without it freaking out and kicking is to cover its eyes. If it cannot see it will be more calm!

[@garnetlusk2216]

To confirm- we should combine their current spaces into one when they are at the tail end of bonding? Or do we need a new neutral space for them to share?

[@lorinagore]

If you have a new neutral space, this would be the best. As it will help prevent territorial behaviour once you move into their shared space. If you can't do a new space, you need to really neutralise the area. New flooring (I use carpet offcuts), all new and cleaned with vinegar water bowl, brand new big litter tray. An underbed storage box is a great litter tray for 2 bunnies.

[@melkmb]

I have two male bunnies that my husband got for me for Christmas. They have been good buddies since Christmas but they do chase each other and mount each other on occasion. They both get neutered next week and I was wondering, because they were close before neutering, is it more likely that they will rebond easier? Or is it like starting from the beginning again? I plan on keeping them separated after the surgery but next to each other.

[@lorinagore]

Hopefully once their hormones settle, they will be able to be bonded again. Same sex pairs can be more challenging to bond however, and sometimes they will not bond at all. However most bunnies crave social company from their own species, so with care and patience, it can sometimes be done. Wishing you luck with it!

[@melkmb]

@@lorinagore they were successfully neutered this past summer and I was lucky that their bond remained intact besides one fight that included some screaming 🙀 but they are best buddies now! Thanks for the reply!

[@lorinagore]

@@melkmb that's wonderrful news! 👏

[@JinkeesTV]

May I ask if is it okay to bond 2 adult male bunnies they are 2 yrs old? Both neutered but one bunny is only 1 week neutered, thank you.

[@lorinagore]

Hi there! Bonding two bunnies of the same gender can definitely be more challenging. But the principle is the same, to desensitise them to each other's company in a safe way. I have not personally tried to bond two bunnies of the same gender, but I have heard of people doing this. It would be best to wait until at least 6 to 8 weeks post desex, so that the residual hormones have well and truly settled. Wishing you all the very best with your bunny bonding.

[@sandratracy5755]

How long were your daily sessions?

[@lorinagore]

Hi Sandra, usually around 30 mins minimum, up to 1.5 hours! I start with shorter sessions and work up to longer ones just to get them used to cohabiting with each other.

[@milchreis8311]

I wanted to ask, does this work for introducing a third bunny?

[@lorinagore]

Yes, the principal is the same. Desensitisation in a safe environment. It can be very challenging bonding 3 though - sometimes one bunny becomes a 'spare wheel' so to speak, and a bit left out by the other two.

[@animalcrossingnerd8142]

This has nothing to do with the video but that rug i though it was uncommon but appearantly its so common.

[@roseadesjarlais5496]

Where do you get that grass?? Missed hearing the name??

[@lorinagore]

It's just fresh grass from a clean source that has been washed. We cut it and store it in the fridge for a few days.

[@hhdbhn302]

All great tips but what do I do when 1 bunny hates to be pet? Or both dont like it? Then what? How do I calm her down?

[@lorinagore]

Don't pat the bunny that doesn't like to be patted, if they aren't keen on it. Although when rabbits get close and you pat them, they often think it's the other bunny doing the 'grooming' and they are usually ok with that. Is often just the hoomins they are pat averse to. If your rabbits don't like being patted by you, then you need to also work on gaining their trust and helping them to feel safe around you.

[@hhdbhn302]

@@lorinagore She allows me to touch her sometimes but Cleo is just the kinda gal who doesn't like to be pet 😭😅 and she knows if I'm the one petting her or not even when I squish their heads together after a fight. She's too smart for my manipulation tricks lol that being said, they get along well now!

[@LoveABun]

I have a friend who tried to bond three fixed rabbits and although they seemed to bond quite well initially, their relationship has since turned south and they are in an all-out fighting mode! Luckily no injury has occurred. So would this method be appropriate to use for bonding 3 rabbits at one time instead of just 2?

[@lorinagore]

Yes you could certainly use the same principles to encourage them to spend time together again in a safe, supervised environment. Sometimes I use close fitting gardening gloves on my hands if there is a lot of nipping and negative behaviour between the bunnies. It's important to prevent injuries both to the bunnies, and yourself!

[@hhdbhn302]

Bunnies can always be re-bonded

[@joechau9271]

Were Ella and Charles neutered first?

[@lorinagore]

Yes both of them had been desexed for quite some time. It's important to have bunnies desexed before bonding, as reproductive hormones interfere with the process and make it a lot harder.

[@cj_annie9300]

I can’t even pick my bunnies up :( I’m feeling a bit discouraged that my two gals won’t bond

[@Sophia-w5h2f]

When you say you can’t pick them up do you mean that they kick when you do or they just won’t come to you.

[@lorinagore]

Two females are much more challenging to bond, as they will both be wanting to be the top or 'alpha' bunny. I would work on handling techniques first, and really get comfortable with picking them up and letting them know that *you* are actually the alpha 😊

[@BarDahan]

Ho no! Don’t give them Kale! It’s not good for bunnies 😢

[@julienorton81]

Curly kale is fine !!! Just in moderation as it's high in calcium like cilantro. Look it up

[@lorinagore]

Kale is a higher calcium vegetable, so it was just a special treat to distract them on the first day of bonding. The bunnies I look after don't normally get kale - we try to stick to a primarily grass & hay based diet with 2 to 3 varieties of hay plus fresh grass. We also give a very small amount of high fibre, premium quality rabbit pellets.