Bonding bonded pair to current bun?

[Sparkles]

I’ve posted before about planning to adopt a second bun to bond with Sparks. I’ve been in contact with a rescue near some family I’m visiting over the holidays (I live a few hours away and the only rescue is the humane society and buns are very rare there—I haven’t seen any out there since I adopted Sparks!), but now a family friend here is asking me to take two of hers.

She had four bonded rabbits for a time. Two she adopted when they were older and they passed away rather quickly, and the other two were a younger pair of bonded sisters. Sadly this summer one developed seizures and got very ill, and had to be put to sleep

They went to the rescue and did some dates and found a new mate for her, but while there they found another bonded pair she fell in love with. They tried introducing them all at the rescue and it went well, but things have just gone down from there.

The rescue told them to just kind of put them all together and let them work it out. As you can imagine, that didn’t go well. One of the new pair had a giant chunk of flesh ripped off her ear and needed stitches. For some reason, the rescue again told them to just put them together.

Long story short, it’s been six months now and the aggression has gotten really bad. They’re finally keeping them totally seperate (unless one hops over the fence during out time—in which case they fight), but they’re doing a lot of territorial peeing near the boundary between play areas, and when they do accidently come into contact, fights are just getting worse and there have been more vet visits.

The bonded pair get along fine with the original female, but the new male they adopted as a mate for her fights with them, and they attack him as well. I have no idea why the rescue encouraged them to just keep trying knowing how escalating the fights were (and knowing about the stitches incident), but they’re to a point where they feel like they should rehome the new pair because all of them don’t have the quality of life they want for them.

We’ve talking about trying to introduce them and Sparks to see how it goes.

The pair are a similar age to her, and the male of the two seems to have a very similar disposition to Sparks. The female is very timid for the most part.

I’ve never introduced rabbits before, so trying to bond a trio my first time is making me a bit nervous, especially with the aggression there has been. But there is so much tension at their house, and I feel awful leaving them their if it could potentially work.

My understanding is the new male is the one who usually instigates, but that the bonded pair male will go after him as well. The female only fights if she’s attacked first, and just tries to run away.

She wants to try to introduce them tomorrow (in a totally neutral space), and I don’t know what to do. Advice?

(Sorry, I know this is long and rambley!)

[Sparkles]

I’m also worried with all the tension and aggression those two have experienced lately, they’re going to attack Sparks and she’s going to get hurt

[Gina.Jenny]

When I introduced Podge and Gina, I set up two very small pens with just one corner touching, as Gina was still half feral and I didn’t want to risk her attacking Podge, and Podge wasn’t neutered (on medical grounds). With initial responses positive, I moved the pens slightly, so they were almost, but not quite, side by side, i.e. with a long thin triangle shape between them. Podge soon lay down along the side near Gina, and at that point, he was left with us to see if he and Gina could be bonded.

[Sparkles]

Thanks Gina. Jenny

I’ve read a lot about bonding two, and feel pretty comfortable with that. Especially if I’m able to go through a rescue and do some bunny dating to pick the new guy to bond with Sparks.

I’m more just concerned with bonding a trio, and looking for pros and cons of that. Especially coming from the situation they’re currently in.

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