How To Introduce Rabbits To Each Other - RSPCA

Skip to Main Content

Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
  • Rehoming and Adoption
  • Fostering

• Useful Links
  • Advice for Adopters
  • Pet Care
  • Pet Insurance

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Favourites

Advice and Welfare

• Pets
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Rabbits
  • See more

• Farm Animals
  • Beef Cattle
  • Dairy Cows
  • Farmed Fish
  • Laying Hens
  • Meat Chickens
  • See more

• Wildlife
  • Badgers
  • Birds
  • Deer
  • Foxes
  • Hedgehogs
  • See more

• Seasonal Advice
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Ways to Give

• Donate
  • Gift Aid
  • Giving Monthly
  • Gift in Wills
  • In Memory
  • Payroll Giving
  • Philanthropy
  • Advice for donors

• Gift in Wills
  • Request a Gift in Will Guide
  • Step-by-Step Advice
  • Free Will-Writing Service
  • Information for Executors
  • FAQs

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Get Involved

• Fundraise
  • Find an event
  • Ideas and Resources
  • Young Fundraisers
  • Fundraising Pack

• Campaign
  • Better Chicken
  • Better Labels Better Choices
  • Born to Suffer
  • Fireworks
  • Save our Breath
  • See more

• Volunteer
  • Big Help Out
  • Types of Roles
  • Volunteers' week
  • Volunteering with Us

• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

What We Do

• End Cruelty
  • Change the Law
  • International Work
  • Investigate Cruelty
  • Prevent Suffering
  • Prosecution
  • Rescue Animals

• Care For Animals
  • Financial Assistance
  • Home for Life
  • Rehabilitation
  • Release
  • Wildlife Centres
  • Veterinary Care

• Who We Are
  • Branches
  • Executives
  • Governance
  • History

• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

Other

• Find a Pet
• Advice and Welfare
• Ways to Give
• Get Involved
• What We Do
• Search
• My RSPCA
• Report a concern
• Gift in Wills
• Colour mode Vivid Calm

• Shop
• Next Gen
• Education

Main menu Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
• Useful Links
• Sponsorship
• Favourites

Find a Pet Find a Pet

• Rehoming and Adoption
• Fostering

Find a Pet Useful Links

• Advice for Adopters
• Pet Care
• Pet Insurance

Find a Pet Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Advice and Welfare

• Pets
• Farm Animals
• Wildlife
• Seasonal Advice
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Advice and Welfare Pets

• Cats
• Dogs
• Horses
• Rabbits
• See More

Advice and Welfare Farm Animals

• Beef Cattle
• Dairy Cows
• Farmed Fish
• Laying Hens
• Meat Chickens
• See More

Advice and Welfare Wildlife

• Badgers
• Birds
• Deer
• Foxes
• Hedgehogs
• See More

Advice and Welfare Seasonal Advice

• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

Main menu Ways to Give

• Donate
• Gift in Wills
• Sponsorship
• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Ways to Give Donate

• Gift Aid
• Giving Monthly
• Gift in Wills
• In Memory
• Payroll Giving
• Philanthropy
• Advice for donors

Ways to Give Gift in Wills

• Request a Gift in Will Guide
• Step-by-Step Advice
• Free Will-Writing Service
• Information for Executors
• FAQs

Ways to Give Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Get Involved

• Fundraise
• Campaign
• Volunteer
• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

Get Involved Fundraise

• Find an event
• Ideas and Resources
• Young Fundraisers
• Fundraising Pack

Get Involved Campaign

• Better Chicken
• Better Labels Better Choices
• Born to Suffer
• Fireworks
• Save our Breath
• See More

Get Involved Volunteer

• Big Help Out
• Types of Roles
• Volunteers' week
• Volunteering with Us

Main menu What We Do

• End Cruelty
• Care For Animals
• Who We Are
• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

What We Do End Cruelty

• Change the Law
• International Work
• Investigate Cruelty
• Prevent Suffering
• Prosecution
• Rescue Animals

What We Do Care For Animals

• Financial Assistance
• Home for Life
• Rehabilitation
• Release
• Wildlife Centres
• Veterinary Care

What We Do Who We Are

• Branches
• Executives
• Governance
• History

1. Home
2. Advice and welfare
3. Pets
4. Rabbits
5. Company
6. Bonding rabbits

Company How to introduce rabbits to each other

Introducing rabbits who don't know each other needs to be done carefully. Follow the advice on this page and build up the time they spend together gradually. Once they're spending one to two hours together without problems, they're ready to start sharing living space.

Here's how to help rabbits who don't know each other form a bond so they can live together.

How to bond rabbits guide

Neuter both rabbits before they meet

Please note that male rabbits can take up to six weeks to become sterile after they're neutered.

Give male and female rabbits time for their neutering surgery to heal before bonding them with another rabbit.

Start with side-by-side enclosures

Side-by-side enclosures help the rabbits to get familiar with each other from a safe distance. Provide a barrier between their enclosures that lets them see and smell each other and lie side-by-side. Each rabbit must be able to hide from one other whenever they want, so ensure they have constant access to hiding places.

There may be some unrest in the beginning. This is normal and may last about seven days. Once they seem comfortable in each other's presence, try swapping some of the rabbits' nesting materials over, or rubbing a cloth over one rabbit and then the other to transfer scent.

Prepare a neutral area separate from their enclosures

A neutral area needs to be somewhere neither rabbit has been housed before. Have hiding places and toys ready to put in the area, but leave it empty for when you first introduce them. Once the rabbits are comfortable with the sight and smell of each other, they can be introduced for short periods in the neutral area.

Take a look at these guidelines on how to introduce them safely.

• Supervise the rabbits. A familiar person should sit with them to supervise.
• Don't allow negative behaviour to escalate. While some negative behaviours are normal during introductions, these shouldn't be allowed to go too far. If they're mounting each other's heads or showing severe or persistent aggression towards each other, separate them immediately to stop injury. Please be careful not to get injured.
• Keep the area empty. During the first few introductions, the area should be completely empty so you can watch them at all times. If the introductions are going well, you can introduce toys, hiding places, tunnels, and so on. Make sure there are enough for both rabbits.
• If it's been a while and the rabbits you are trying to introduce are still not getting along, it might be that they need more time but it could also be that they're not a compatible pairing.

• If the bonding is going well, gradually increase the time the rabbits are together during daily supervised sessions.

Good and bad signs when bonding rabbits

Look out for these signs to see whether or not your rabbits are getting along well.

Positive behaviour

• Sitting or lying side by side, even when the barrier is between them
• Grooming each other
• Seeking out each other for positive interactions

• Behaving normally around each other

Negative behaviour

• Chasing each other
• Mounting
• Fighting
• Growling

How to tell the rabbits have bonded

Once the rabbits are spending one to two hours together daily without any problems, they can be introduced into their living space – though supervise them to begin with.

They can be left alone together safely once they're showing positive behaviours towards one another in that space.

Always speak to a vet for more detailed advice before attempting to bond rabbits. Be aware of the signs of positive and negative behaviour, and if you're concerned about your rabbit's behaviour, ask a vet.

Find out more

Is my rabbit suffering from stress?

Your pet rabbits will need to be able to comfortably carry out their natural behaviours to be happy and healthy.

How to keep a rabbit healthy and happy

Learn more about the health and welfare needs of rabbits.

Find or call a vet

All pets need to be registered with a veterinary practice, where you can take them for routine health care and advice, as well as any emergency treatment.

Hidden