Introducing baby bun to junior bun

[Buneary]

Hello! Long time reader, first time poster. I’ve done hours and hours of research but want to get tips and opinions for my specific situation. I have a 5 month old lionhead named Buneary (Bun-eery) who was spayed last month and has recovered beautifully. I am also getting tomorrow a 9 week old female holland lop. I realize it could have been more ideal to get a boy but I fell in love with her. Also, please no talk about adopting from a shelter, I have already purchased her from this breeder I have been talking with for about a month now.

Now, I have read that bonding a baby with an older rabbit isn’t easy, and the bond could be broken after puberty hits the little one. What I’m wondering is that still the case for my bun? She is 5 months, still pretty young. My goal here would be to introduce them to each other (neutral territory of course) and have short bunny dates until the baby reaches puberty, maybe they get used to each other but will not fully bond yet? I will be keeping them in separate cages next to each other, BUT they will have the same play pen which connects to both their cages. I’m thinking of letting them out at different times in the day, even switching cages with each other sometimes to get used to each other’s scent. I will be spaying the girl as soon as I can when she reaches puberty.

My questions are
Is introducing them okay?
Will Buneary get mad seeing another bun playing in her pen and not being able to do anything about it? (Being in her cage)
How long after spay should I reintroduce them and try bonding them?
Will this whole process be easier because they are both still young?
Can I bring Buneary when I get my new baby? Introducing them with their first car ride together?
I am willing to bond them right now if they fall in love (which probably won’t be the case) and separate them when the baby reaches puberty. Would this be okay?

I am going to take this time before the baby reaches puberty to try and bond individually with each bun. I’m not worried about bonding them with each other just yet, and not for a while either. They will be roommates for a few months and hopefully that will help when the time comes to bond?

ALSO, I wanted to get from this specific breeder because she knows what she’s doing, genuinely cares about where her buns go to and how she takes care of them, updates me all the time on how the baby is doing and giving me tips and information on how to take care of the baby. She’s amazing, And I also understand it would have been better for me to adopt at a shelter, but I had made my decision. She claims her babies have been well cared for and handeld since birth, and are very sweet and well socialized. I’m wondering if socializing them and handeling them at such young age really does help them become more social? I really wanted a sweet bunny and that’s what sold me.

Thank you so much!

[Deleted User]

They will not bond until both are spayed, and they should not be out at the same time together. Female buns can be very territorial, which means your 5 month old girl could be very aggressive, especially with an unfixed female around. Buns in puberty, or smelling a hormonal bun, can cause a lot issues for both sides. You need to wait until your second girl 1-2 months post spay before you can do any kind of bonding.
Let your new girl settle in and get to know you. What she is like with the breeder will be different from what she will be like with you, especially in the beginning. You could have a very outgoing bun with the breeder and when you bring her home she could very well switch to being shy because you and the environment are new Develop trust with your new girl and let her get her bearings. It’s okay to have their cages near each other, but they should never be let out together. Cage switching won’t matter until after they spay, as their scents change after they have been spayed.

[sarahthegemini]

Everything Asriel said. Plus you can’t determine a bunny’s personality when they are 9 weeks old nor from what the breeder says.

[Buneary]

Oh wow! Thank you! Yes you’re absolutely right, how she is with the breeder will be different with me. I had been texting a girl who had gotten a baby bun from the same litter as mine (mine is to small to go home right now) and she said at the farm the bunny was very calm and sweet, but when she took her home she was very scared and hated being picked up and only came to her when she had food. So I should have no introductions at all with Buneary? They will be in cages next to each other, sharing the same play pen but going out at different times of the day to play. Of course one of them will be curious of the other. If they seem okay would it be okay to let them meet? Of course I will supervise and if any agressive behavior I will cut it short. Even after meeting they will still have the same routine, being in different cages. They will not have any interaction with each other once the baby reaches puberty and is spayed and recovered. But of course, if there are signs they don’t get along now, I will constantly keep them separated. And is having them share the play pen okay? I’ve read they will probably be very territorial and will starting marking everywhere.

[Deleted User]

Not even an introduction. They will get acquainted well enough through the bars. It’s best to start off there bonding with that “neutrality” of neither one of them really knowing each other except through the bars. And just because they could possibly show signs of not getting along now, does not mean that’s how it will be after the spay.

[Author]

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