Can my rabbits live together? 

     This is one of the most frequently asked questions from pet owners. Often times, a family will bring a pair of rabbits home with them, throw them in a cage, and hope that they are a same-sex pair and will get along well. Sometimes, in a few very rare cases, this will work out...but not usually. If you want a pair or trio of bonded "bunny friends", there are several steps you must take to properly bond your rabbits.

1. Very rarely, a pair of two unspayed does or unneutered bucks will get along if they are littermates and are raised together. But most of the time, the best pair is a male and a female. However, both rabbits must be spayed and neutered before attempting to bond them. The surgery should be performed by a rabbit savvy vet, and is usually done when the rabbits are about 4-6 months of age, depending on the vet. The rabbits must be housed separately until they are altered, as rabbits are able to reproduce sometimes as early as 4 months old. There is also a recovery period for the rabbits after surgery before they are completely sterile, so I suggest keeping the rabbits separated until about 6 weeks after surgery. Once the rabbits have recovered, you are ready to start bonding.

2. I suggest at this point moving the rabbits' cages beside each other and switching each others toys around. This way each rabbit will get used to the other's scent, and hopefully be more open to a new friend.

3. Many people suggest a car ride as a "first date". They will sit both bunnies together in an open box or carrier, and have someone in the back seat to keep watch so that the driver doesn't have to deal with fussy bunnies. Driving in the car is a scary experience for rabbits who are not used to it, so most of the time they will snuggle up together for comfort, making their first experience together a positive one. I highly suggest this as a first step. Start out with a 5 minute car ride around the block, then after a few days try 10 min, then 15 min. If all goes well, you will have a solid foundation for your bonding experience. With the high prices of gas, some people have changed to "washing machine" rides- put the bunnies on a towel in a laundry basket and turn the washing machine on. The movement mimics that of a car, and you are also able to handle the bonding session by yourself since there is no need for a driver.

4. Next are play dates. Make sure that these take place in a neutral area, away from each rabbit's cage so that they have no need to be territorial right off the bat. Usually a bathroom or a kitchen is a nice place to work. Start out with just 5 minute play times together. It is suggested that you keep a spray bottle full of room temp. water on hand during these play times. Anytime one of the rabbits chases, nips, bites, attacks, or mounts the other, spray them and say firmly but without yelling, "NO, (name)!" and either separate the two rabbits or squish them together side by side so that they cannot fight anymore. Stay for 5-10 seconds, and then let them go again. Do this as often as needed to establish your dominance over the two rabbits. These play sessions can also be accompanied by the car rides if you are still having trouble with your pair getting along for the 5 minutes. Do a car ride, then come in and try to play. Once your pair becomes more comfortable with 5 minutes, move to 10 minutes for a week or so, then 15, 20, 30, and hour, and so on. Increase the length of time your rabbits are together based on how comfortable you feel with their improvement. However, if at ANY time they start fighting again, it may be necessary to back track to the beginning of your bonding and start over.

Here are more articles about bonding to refer to:
Bonding Multiple Rabbits
Bonding When the Going Gets Rough
Should I Get a Second Rabbit?