Rabbits getting along on either side of a fence is a neutral sign, not positive nor negative. It does not indicate that the rabbits will love each other when face-to-face without a barrier but that they are currently content and non-aggressive about being neighbors.
For more resources, check out the resources in the Bonding guide and Binkybunny's Bonding overview for more tips on the process.
Some important general tips on the process of bonding rabbits with other rabbits:
House rabbits in nearby pens and swap regularly to encourage sharing. This can be done before both rabbits have been neutered.
Be sure to use neutral territory that neither have been in to use for face-to-face dating.
Wait until 4 weeks after both rabbits have been neutered before attempting face-to-face bonding to allow time for all hormones to dissipate. While it is not impossible to bond intact rabbits, their hormonal behaviors work against them, and rabbits can often end up with serious injuries during territorial spats. Baby bonds with immature rabbits before puberty are often not stable.
If your current rabbit has not been spayed or neutered, do not obtain another intact rabbit of the opposite sex to bond. You will end up with baby rabbits if you do not keep them separated 24/7. It only takes one successful three-second attempt for a male with an intact female. Male rabbits are not sterile until 6 weeks after their neuter operation.
Keep in mind that not all rabbits may be compatible enough to bond without serious work over a long period of time, if ever. However, rabbits will still benefit from the mental stimulation of seeing or smelling another rabbit nearby as long as they are safely separated to prevent injuries.
They weren’t making a sound and this was the first time they met, and just before this photo the one in the pen was following the other as she walked around the pen
It’s not a bad sign, but they can act very different behind bars sometimes so the only way to know for sure is when you put them together but even still - always make sure you take it slow until they have met multiple times and you are 100% sure they are friends
Might also be worth moving the food bowl away from the bars so stop the other one getting jealous whilst eating, other than treats, it’s not ideal to have food involved with bonding
From all my personal experience. This is a good sign. When you put them together. Start with very controlled, super short meetings.
The key is you want the bunnies to register that another bunny was right there and nothing bad happened. So like 10-15 seconds and work your way up slowly. The more successful encounters, the more trust is built up.
It’s definitely a sign of progress, but you have to watch them very carefully. If grooming is involved it can be both a sign of affection and a test of the hierarchy. If one grooms the other and expects to be groomed back but doesn’t receive it, it can escalate very quickly to aggression, and the open wall alone can’t stop a lot of it. Like all stages of bonding, you need to be ready to separate them if there are setbacks.
Rabbits getting along on either side of a fence is a neutral sign, not positive nor negative. It does not indicate that the rabbits will love each other when face-to-face without a barrier but that they are currently content and non-aggressive about being neighbors.
For more resources, check out the resources in the Bonding guide and Binkybunny's Bonding overview for more tips on the process.
Some important general tips on the process of bonding rabbits with other rabbits:
A few useful shortcuts:
If they’re not grunting I assume that they are starting to get along
They weren’t making a sound and this was the first time they met, and just before this photo the one in the pen was following the other as she walked around the pen
Yes very good sign 💕
It’s not a bad sign, but they can act very different behind bars sometimes so the only way to know for sure is when you put them together but even still - always make sure you take it slow until they have met multiple times and you are 100% sure they are friends
Might also be worth moving the food bowl away from the bars so stop the other one getting jealous whilst eating, other than treats, it’s not ideal to have food involved with bonding
Mine would be punching each other, so yes absolutely!
From all my personal experience. This is a good sign. When you put them together. Start with very controlled, super short meetings.
The key is you want the bunnies to register that another bunny was right there and nothing bad happened. So like 10-15 seconds and work your way up slowly. The more successful encounters, the more trust is built up.
I wish you lots of luck.
Aww your little guy looks just like mine the Harliquen one
Love!
Looks good to me, and they're both adorable 🥰
It’s definitely a sign of progress, but you have to watch them very carefully. If grooming is involved it can be both a sign of affection and a test of the hierarchy. If one grooms the other and expects to be groomed back but doesn’t receive it, it can escalate very quickly to aggression, and the open wall alone can’t stop a lot of it. Like all stages of bonding, you need to be ready to separate them if there are setbacks.