Rabbit Bonding Guide

Bonding two rabbits is a gradual process that requires patience and careful planning to ensure a harmonious relationship. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you:

  1. Neuter Both Rabbits: Ensure both rabbits are spayed or neutered before introductions. This reduces hormonal aggression and prevents unwanted pregnancies. It's advisable to wait at least four weeks post-surgery to allow hormones to subside.

  2. Set Up Side-by-Side Enclosures: Place the rabbits in separate but adjacent enclosures where they can see and smell each other without direct contact. This allows them to become familiar with each other's presence.

  3. Use a Neutral Space for Introductions: Choose an area unfamiliar to both rabbits for their initial face-to-face meetings. This neutral territory minimizes territorial behavior and reduces the likelihood of aggression.

  4. Supervise Initial Interactions: Begin with short, supervised sessions in the neutral space. Observe their behavior closely, looking for positive signs like grooming or sitting together. If aggression occurs, separate them immediately and try again later.

  5. Gradually Increase Interaction Time: As the rabbits become more comfortable with each other, slowly extend the duration of their interactions. Continue to monitor their behavior and ensure both rabbits are relaxed and stress-free.

  6. Prepare Their Shared Living Space: Once the rabbits consistently display positive behaviors during interactions, you can transition them to a shared living area. Ensure this space is clean and neutral to both rabbits to prevent territorial disputes.

Remember, each rabbit pair is unique, and the bonding process can vary in duration. Patience and attentiveness to their behaviors are key to fostering a successful bond.

The Rabbit Bonding Guide consists of the slides I use for my Rabbit Bonding Class. All photos and videos were taken by me over the years while working with 501(c)(3) rabbit rescue groups.

Rabbit Bonding Guide author's name, Ray Okamoto.
Information about Ray Okamoto, a rabbit foster and adoption counselor, with details about their experience, current work at SaveABunny, and contact website, presented on a light blue background.
A PowerPoint slide titled 'Rabbit Bonding Basics' on a light blue background, listing guidelines for bonding rabbits including spaying, neutering, recovery times, indoor health, and choosing a Forever Friend.
Slide titled 'Rabbit Bonding Process' with bullet points explaining steps in bonding rabbits, such as initial sessions, hands-on training, and finishing at home or at SaveABunny.
A light blue background with the title 'Questions I ask during bonding' and a cluster of four blue question marks. To the right, a list of questions related to bonding with bunnies, including asking if the bunny has met another rabbit, about previous
A diagram of a pyramid called 'Rabbit Bonding Pyramid' with five levels, color-coded from top to bottom. To the left, there's a red line drawing of two hearts intertwined. The pyramid symbolizes stages of bonding with possible rabbit choices at the b
A presentation slide titled 'Bunny Dating Plan' with bullet points on bonding, follow-up sessions, understanding rabbit comfort zones, and considering bunny personality traits. An illustration of a plan checklist with location markers.
A presentation slide with a blue gradient background and black text, discussing how to determine when rabbits are a good or bad match for each other. It lists signs for when a match doesn't work, such as fighting or disliking each other, and signs fo
A protocol setup for bonding pen with two large litter boxes on one end behind a white sheet, enclosed in a wire fence with a fall protection cover, on a green floor in a room, with a feeder hanging on the inside of the enclosure.
A pet cage with two rabbits and two blue litter boxes filled with hay and pellets. The cage has a white cloth on the bottom.
Guide on how to control a rabbit’s head, featuring a photo of a person placing a hand on a white rabbit's head inside a cage, with instructions about calming and safely handling rabbits.
Slide titled 'Bonding Videos from Bonding Sessions' with bullet points listing bonding techniques and signs, and a drawing of a video camera with a heart on the front, on a light blue background with blue accents.
A photograph of two rabbits inside a wire cage, with one rabbit on a litter box and the other on hay, surrounded by toys and a colorful fleece blanket.
Photo of a designated home bonding area for rabbits, featuring a pink blanket with bunny prints, a small enclosed space with a tunnel, a cardboard box, and two rabbits, one lying down and another sitting upright.

Questions about your rabbit before bonding starts.

A light blue background slide titled "Questions I ask during bonding" with a graphic of five blue question marks and speech bubbles on the left. The slide lists questions about bonding experiences with rabbits, such as whether the bunny has met another rabbit, the previous bonding experience, how the bunny is housed, the bunny's personality, age, gender, and types of rabbits to avoid due to medical or grooming concerns.

I use the bonding questions to get a better understanding of your rabbit. If this is your bunny’s first time bonding, I may take a different approach, as they may need extra time to adjust. Your rabbit may meet several potential matches in a short period of time.

Free-roaming rabbits are often the most challenging to bond at home because there may not be a truly neutral space available. For these rabbits, I look for an especially strong match—typically one that can spend several hours together successfully. If I find a promising match, I may briefly introduce another bunny for comparison, then bring the best match back.

Rabbit Bonding Pryamid

A pyramid diagram titled "Rabbit Bonding Pyramid" with five levels of gradient blue rectangles, topped with a red line drawing of two hearts intertwined. The pyramid is labeled "Possible Rabbits" at the bottom. To the right, there is text explaining the bonding process: "Love at first sight," "You bring home a rabbit with asking your bunny," "Rabbits sense your tension," "Free-roaming considerations and or time for bonding at home," "Avoid based on your personal preference (e.g., color, eye)," and "Let your bunny choose (exceptions: medical or long-haired grooming needs)."

The Rabbit Bonding Pyramid shows how we start at the foundation and work our way up to finding your bunny’s Forever Friend.

At the rescue, your rabbit may meet several potential buddies. It’s usually best to let your rabbit choose their new friend! Still, a few rabbits may not be right for your home, such as:

  • Rabbits with ongoing medical needs

  • Rabbits with high-maintenance coats (like Angoras or Jersey Woolies)

  • Rabbits that are too large or hard for you to lift comfortably

Sometimes people limit their choices because of personal preferences—like a specific fur or eye color—without realizing it.

Free-roaming rabbits especially benefit from longer bonding sessions. We often let them spend several hours together and may change the bonding setup so we can see how they handle new environments.

Bonding isn’t always easy. We’ll teach you bonding techniques as we go, and you’ll take part in the process so you feel confident at home. Rabbits pick up on stress, so if you’re feeling nervous, we’ll focus on finding a very steady, reliable match.

One of the hardest situations is when someone brings home a new rabbit expecting an instant bond.
But sometimes, magic happens—just like the love at first sight we saw with our own Sugarplum and Prince Charming.

Bunny Dating Plan for your rabbit.

Bunny dating plan with tips for bonding, follow-up, understanding rabbit's comfort zones, and considering bunny's personality, alongside an illustration of a plan checklist.

Each Bunny is different. Rabbits may act one way you and totally different with other rabbits. We will adjust the type off rabbits based on your rabbit’s reaction.

We are looking rabbits who can communite with each.

Rabbit Bonding Pen Setup

Inside a wire enclosure with two large litter boxes filled with litter, a yellow cardboard barrier with holes, and white fabric lining the bottom, set up for bonding. The room has green flooring and shelving on the side.

Our bonding pen is 4 ft by 6 ft. We set up two big hay-filled litter boxes side by side, and as bonding moves along, we may add tunnels or other objects. The pen is large enough for you or the bonder to be inside with the rabbits. You can sit right next to them or close enough to step in if anything concerning happens.

Inside the pen, we use a variety of bonding techniques:

  1. Holding the rabbits together

  2. Petting them at the same time

  3. Putting a little water on their heads while petting to mimic grooming

  4. Gently guiding the rabbits closer

  5. Moving a rabbit if one starts acting territorial

Slide titled 'Bonding Videos from Bonding Sessions' with a list of bonding techniques, including bond with a pen, control the head to control the bunny, hold and pet the rabbits, rabbit bonding techniques, good signs, concern signs, break with greens, no match, and caution signs. There is also a simple illustration of a video camera with a heart on its screen.

Rabbit Bonding Videos during bonding.

We use a 4 feet x 6 feet bonding pen with 2 sets of litter boxes and hay placed on one end. We will add tunnels and water bowls later in the bonding. The pen allows space for you to monitor and guide the bonding. It also allows space for the rabbits to hop away if needed.

We teach that you can place the palm of your hand on the bunny’s head to control the bunny. There are times when you may break up a fight. When you place your hand on the bunny’s head you will control the bunny. If you place you hand any other place the bunny can turn and bite you.

We like to start off the bonding session with gentle head pets as we are holding them. We are looking for heads to lean in towards each other. The bunny introduction is a gentle way to start of the two rabbits meeting each other for the first time. We will then let them off or we will let them go.

We go over several rabbit bonding techniques that teach. Holding them on a couch. Pet them in a laundry basket. Taking a break and many more.

Rabbit Bonding Good Behavior: Ignore each other, mirror, eating, lay side by side, Super Bunny. Grooming alone and with each other.

We go over when to stop such as circle and or major fights. You need to stop head humping or chacing when the other rabbits wants to hop away.

Bonding Break

Bonding is over with this bunny.

Good Behavior

We did our bonding with our Sugarplum at SaveABunny. Sugarplum found her Prince Charming. You can see the bonding process that we did.

Sugarplum and Prince Charming.