Think of a group of wild rabbits, nibbling on grass, nervously looking around for predators, ready to run for a bolt hole at the slightest provocation. Those that have had the pleasure of seeing wild rabbits in their natural habitat, may take for granted that they are always in groups or pairs. It seems so… natural. This being the case, why, when it comes to pet rabbits, do an estimated 680 000 rabbits in the UK live alone (PDSA Animal Wellbeing report, 2015)? This equates to over 57% of the pet rabbit population. Is it ignorance on the part of the owner (the same report showed a staggering 93% of owners concurrently considered themselves ‘well informed’ about their pet rabbit's companionship needs)? Is it a misinterpretation of a rabbit's territorial behaviour? Those who tried to bond their rabbit with a companion incorrectly and perceived the failed attempt to mean their rabbit liked to live alone? Should the veterinary profession take more responsibility for this failure? When was the last time companionship needs were discussed with an owner bringing in a lone rabbit for a health check or vaccination? The following article is designed to highlight why companionship is so important and what factors contribute to the success and failure of rabbit bonding.
Why companionship is so important
The importance of companion rabbits for comfort, safety and to alleviate boredom cannot be underestimated. As prey species, an extra set of eyes on the lookout for predators can literally mean the difference between life and death. In a study by Seamen et al (2008) a rabbit's desire to spend time with other rabbits ranked as highly as its desire for food. Observations in one study showed that in a near natural environment, 90% of a domesticated rabbit's resting period was spent in body contact with one or more other rabbits (Stauffacher, 1986).
A rabbit's need for social contact is a fact that is well recognised in commercial and laboratory settings. This has led to recommendations for group housing being made for laboratory rabbits in many countries worldwide. An Australian panel into the housing of rabbits for research recommended that rabbits be housed together in enriched environments (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2004). Similarly, European guidelines recommend group housing for rabbits wherever possible (Lindfors and Edström), 2010).
This need for social contact makes companionship a necessary part of pet rabbit ownership as well (RSPCA, 2014). Despite this fact, the recognition of social housing as an integral part of pet rabbit keeping is not the well-established habit that it should be.
There are additional benefits to having companion rabbits apart from the obvious comfort they provide one another. Rabbits spend a large degree of their time in mutual grooming behaviours — as anyone who owns more than one rabbit can attest. While engaged in foraging and grooming behaviours there is less time spent engaging in destructive and abnormal behaviours (Chu et al, 2004).
Many owners believe that if they pay a lot of attention to their rabbit and provide opportunity for environmental enrichment, that a second companion rabbit is unnecessary. In some instances this may be the case. However, unfortunately such intentions are not always met in reality. For most people it is impossible to spend the equivalent amount of time with a lone rabbit to compensate for them not having a companion. Despite their devotion to their pet, the provision of an excellent, spacious environment and toys and environmental enrichment, they cannot hope to fill the niche that a companion rabbit could. Social housing is a better form of environmental enrichment than the provision of bedding, hides, toys, chewable items and foraging opportunities because companions provide constant novelty and interaction.
One of the possible contributing factors to a lack of necessary companionship for pet rabbits is people's lack of understanding on how to introduce two rabbits together with the best chance of success. It would be lovely to think that their need for companionship meant that rabbits could be placed together and live harmoniously without incident. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Although they need a companion, rabbits are also territorial. A second rabbit suddenly placed in an enclosure with a lone rabbit could be seen as a threat and may be treated as such.
Simply buying a second rabbit and placing it in the hutch with the first will potentially lead to fighting and can be a source of chronic stress and anxiety (Noller, 2013). The chances of fighting are particularly high because the environment many rabbits live in is already too small and competition for space between rabbits is exacerbated by this (PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report, 2015).
Considerations when bonding rabbits
There are several elements to both the choice of companions and the way in which bonding is undertaken which are likely to improve the chances of success: the gender and neuter status of the rabbits, the environment that introductions take place in, the way the introductions are conducted and the experience of the person supervising the bonding are all important factors.
Gender and neuter status of the rabbits
There is no doubt that gender of the rabbits being bonded contributes to the success (or failure) of the pairing. While there are a lot of anecdotal generalisations made about which gender pairing works best the general consensus is that the most likely harmonious bondings will occur between a neutered male and female pair (Magnus, 2005). Although there will be exceptions to the rule, most would agree that the rabbit's gender has to be factored into the decisionmaking process. Litter mates of the same sex can be bonded together but are less likely to succeed long term. This may be due to the fact that rabbits of the same sex are in direct competition with one another.
In the wild, rabbits live in colonies with separate hierarchies between males and females (Myers and Poole, 1959). Both the males and females will fight within these gender groups for mating rights and nesting sites. This pattern of behaviour is influenced by several factors including availability of space, food and age (Lehmann, 1991). One study showed that in captivity, infighting between male rabbits coincided with an increase in testosterone levels at approximately 70 days of age (Berger et al, 1982).
Neutering
Sexual maturity occurs between 4 to 6 months of age and is dependent on a rabbit's weight. Smaller breeds reach sexual maturity faster than larger breeds. Neutering of both male and female rabbits dramatically reduces the risk of interspecies aggression. Sex hormone levels can take up to 4 weeks to dissipate after neutering (Meredith and Lord, 2014) so in previously unbonded rabbits it is important that bonding attempts are delayed until they have ample time to recover from surgery.
Rabbits can be neutered when older but the recommended age of neutering both male and female rabbits is at approximately 4 to 5 months of age. Female rabbits accumulate fat in the broad ligament as they age, making the spey operation more challenging. Additional benefits to desexing rabbits are avoidance of unwanted pregnancies and improved litter training. Speying female rabbits also prevents the development of uterine cancer which is very common (Baba et al, 1974).
How to introduce a companion
Communication amongst rabbits is very subtle, being prey species they do not rely on loud vocalisations which would serve to draw the attention of predators. Instead, their communication centres around body postures and scent marking (Magnus, 2005). This ‘language’ must be observed closely during the bonding process.
Rabbits use scent glands and urine and faeces to mark their territory. Other rabbits entering this territory are seen as a threat. Therefore, introductions need to take place in an area that neither rabbit has previously claimed as their own. This ‘neutral territory’ reduces the risk of fighting. The selected space needs to be quite small (around 2 m2) so that they are made to interact with one another. A large space may cause the rabbits to claim their own separate territories within that area that they defend.
The rabbits should be housed completely apart and then placed in this ‘neutral territory’ for short excursions together. These excursions are typically 10 minutes or more in duration and supervised constantly. This is repeated at least once daily and the length of time they spend together increased gradually. An environment designed to avoid competition is important. For example, food can be scattered around but should not be provided in one place that a rabbit may feel the need to guard. Multiple hides are also recommended to prevent nervous rabbits feeling too exposed.
During the time when they are separated swap bedding and litter over between the separate enclosures to get them accustomed to one another's scent; also it may be advisable to house them close together to allow limited contact through wire (Crowell-Davis, 2007). The negative side to such a cautious approach is that the constant separation (designed to reduce conflict) makes it difficult for a hierarchy to be established between the two rabbits which may be a source of frustration (Meredith and Lord, 2014). Also housing them next to one another without them being able to form a hierarchy could lead to aggression when they are placed in direct contact with one another.
Experienced supervision
Careful monitoring for signs of aggression during introductions of new rabbits is important. Due to their subtle body language and the speed at which things happen, inexperienced people may not be able to read the body language well enough to know what is appropriate and when they should intervene. For example, mounting behaviour — which is used as a way to assert dominance — should not be disrupted. This is a natural part of the process and provided no biting is occurring it should be allowed. Rabbits grooming one another or lying next to one another are positive signs that a bonding is going well. A small amount of chasing one another is acceptable and necessary for establishing hierarchy. See Table 1 for body language of rabbits to monitor for.
| Positive behaviour | Acceptable behaviour | Negative behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring one another. This normally happens initially and is a good sign | Mild short skirmishes with missing fur but no damage | Rapid, aggressive behaviour from the outset |
| Self grooming indicates the rabbit is relaxed enough to perform normal behaviour | Intermittent mild chasing | Inflicting wounds (bites or scratches) is to be avoided |
| Mutual grooming is an indication that things are going very well (see Figure 1) | Grunting and thumping is initially acceptable but should dissipate with time | Excessive chasing or constant attention without respite |
| Lying down next to one another is a sign that the bonding is progressing well (see Figure 2) | Lunging but not biting is acceptable | Ears forward, tail up is indicative of an imminent attack (in non lop eared rabbits) |
| Humping is a dominance behaviour and expected during bonding | Hiding is acceptable behaviour for more nervous rabbits | Screaming or squealing is a signal of extreme stress |
| Eating is a sign of increased relaxation in one another's presence | Rapid movements are acceptable but rabbits should be encouraged to slow down by patting or gentle restraint. Rapid movements may make more nervous rabbits aggressive | Circling one another rapidly is often indicative of them manoeuvring to bite and should be stopped |
| Crouching, immobile with ears back is submissive behaviour often observed when the dominant rabbit is trying to hump and is a good sign |
Negative training methods such as spraying rabbits with water or making loud noises in an attempt to discourage conflict are not recommended. All efforts should be made to avoid the rabbits getting into conflict by separating them before things escalate. Having a sturdy pair of gardening gloves to hand to allow you to rapidly separate the rabbits if fighting does occur will avoid injury to the rabbits and those supervising.
Various online sources advocate the placing of both rabbits in an empty bath tub for introductions because it is ‘neutral’ and the slippery surface makes fighting more difficult, however, concern over potential injury if they slip means this is not recommend.
Expert advice
Another option which many do not realise is possible is to rescue a rabbit from one of the many rescue centres available and enlist the help of one of the ‘bunny bonders’ who regularly pair up rabbits for rehoming. This method has many advantages not least of which being that you are rescuing a rabbit. The experience of such people means they can identify troublesome behaviour before it escalates and the neutral territory makes the process much more likely to succeed. The journey home together is also a source of mild stress for the rabbits which means they may naturally seek reassurance from one another and cement the bond.
Other considerations
Making sure owners have the resources to accommodate a second rabbit prior to obtaining a friend is important. Consideration needs to be given to the available space as well as the added expense of the food and veterinary bills.
Care should also be taken to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission between rabbits if intending to introduce a new rabbit. Taking steps to make sure both rabbits are healthy prior to introduction and to prevent diseases such as Encephalitazoon cuniculi and respiratory disease is important. Having both rabbits checked by a veterinarian is recommended before bonding begins. An unwell rabbit will be less likely to respond well to another rabbit being introduced.
The housing of guinea pigs and rabbits together is not advised. Such a pairing is unsuitable for several reasons including interspecies bullying, their different dietary requirements and the potential for disease transmission between the species.
Once a pair (or group) of rabbits is bonded, avoid situations where rabbits will be separated again even for short periods of time as this may cause a disintegration of the bond. This is why housing rabbits together in hospital if one of them is sick may be advisable, however, care needs to be taken that the healthy rabbit does not become stressed and develop gut stasis as a result of hospitalisation.
Conclusion
There are many advantages to housing rabbits together: the alleviation of boredom, reduced destructive behaviour, the potential to provide a loving home to a rescue rabbit in need, the improvement of a lone rabbit's welfare. The success of bonding is dependent on several factors such as the rabbit's gender, neutering status, availability of space, techniques used and experience of those responsible for the bonding. The importance of planning and seeking advice cannot be underestimated. Thankfully there are many excellent resources owners can turn to for advice including welfare organisations, veterinary clinic staff, books and online resources. Recommending companionship for every rabbit that comes into the clinic, and ensuring owners have the information they need to succeed in the bonding process has the potential to improve the lives of many of those 680 000 lonely rabbits.
Key Points
Useful resources
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/rabbits/companionship
http://rabbit.org/faq-should-i-get-a-second-rabbit/
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/Bunny-Buddiedwebpage.pdf
http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/company
file:///C:/Users/naden/Downloads/RSPCA%20Rabbit%20housing%20advice%20(1).pdf
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bonding_rabbits_together
Conflict of interest: none.