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Rabbits, male and female, are social, intelligent animals that make great pets for the right person. Since rabbits are social, they become lonely and can have health issues if they’re kept in a solitary environment. It’s also possible for the rabbit to develop behavioral problems such as aggression and biting when they live alone.
While the best pairing is a male and a female rabbit (after making sure to spay and neuter them before they meet), two female rabbits can be bonded and live together in peace.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of having two female rabbits live together and the best way to go about it.
The Benefits of Two Female Rabbits Living Together
There are quite a few benefits of letting your two female rabbits live together. We’ll go into a few of them below.
Reduces the Anxiety in Your Rabbits
You probably already know from having a rabbit that they’re skittish, scared creatures. Rabbits can be easily startled, even after they’ve been around you for a long time. That’s where having two female rabbits live together comes in handy. When rabbits are kept in pairs, their anxiety levels tend to drop quite a bit.
It’s important to note, however, that every rabbit is different. When you introduce your two adult female rabbits, do it slowly and give them time to bond their way. You can’t force it. Once the bond is set, you’ll be surprised how much calmer both of your rabbits will be.
Gives You Strong Peace of Mind
If you’re a pet lover like we are, then the idea of going off to work or school and leaving your rabbit alone and anxious causes you anxiety as well. Having two female rabbits live together will give you strong peace of mind in knowing you’re not leaving your pet alone when you can’t be home with them.
Bonding Your Female Rabbits:
Because rabbits can be territorial if yours may have been living alone for a bit, it’s important to bond your female rabbits so that they don’t fight. On average, bonding two rabbits can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, so you have to be patient with the process and with your female rabbits themselves.
Once the bond has formed, your rabbits will be friends for life, and you’ll have nothing else to worry about.
There are a few things you need to watch out for in the bonding process as listed below.
1. Let Them Smell and See Each Other
A great way to slowly introduce two female rabbits is by allowing them to smell and see each other through a fence or net. In that way, they can get used to each other’s smell and presence. Pairing this introduction with some high-value treats such as small pieces of peaches, carrots, and apples is ideal.
2. Let Them Have Direct Contact with Each Other
After you allow time for your female rabbits to smell and see each other from both sides of a gate it is time to allow them to have some direct physical contact. Stay near to provide some high-value treats for positive interactions and separate them after a short while.
You will then work on gradually increasing the time they spend together.
3. Always Observe Your Rabbits in the Beginning
It’s essential that rabbits have their own space to retreat to when they get anxious or just want to be alone. Make sure that the hutch you have your two female rabbits in is big enough that each rabbit can retreat when they feel the need to. It’s also best to give each female rabbit their own litter tray, as it’s possible they’ll refuse to share one; this is part of the rabbit being territorial and needs to be taken care of right away.
4. Keep a Closer Eye on the Dominant Rabbit
Just as with every other type of species, there will be rabbits that are more dominant than the others. If one of your female rabbits starts bullying the other, keep a closer eye on them. If the bullying persists, it’s best to separate them for a bit and then try again.
However, keep their separate cages close to one another because just being able to see each other can help with the bonding process as well.
5. Make Sure Each Rabbit Has Their Own Space
It’s essential that rabbits have their own space to retreat to when they get anxious or just want to be alone. Make sure that the hutch you have your two female rabbits in is big enough that each rabbit can retreat when they feel the need to. It’s also best to give each female rabbit their own litter tray, as it’s possible they’ll refuse to share one; this is part of the rabbit being territorial and needs to be taken care of right away.
Negative Behaviors to Watch Out For
There are a few negative behaviors to watch out for when your rabbits are bonding. These are the behaviors that can lead to fighting and one or both of your female rabbits being injured. Look out for aggressive body language, such as raising their tails, flattening their ears, growling, and putting their heads down, which means they are about to charge.
Biting, lunging, and circling one another in ever-tightening circles, called a bunny tornado, also show that the female rabbits aren’t getting along well and need to be separated before a fight occurs.
Positive Behaviors to Watch Out For
There are also positive behaviors to watch out for so that you know when the bonding has begun. Some of those include the rabbits grooming one another, copying each other’s behavior, and laying together.
Final Thoughts
Yes, two female rabbits can live together if they’re bonded properly and watched closely in the beginning. No rabbit should have to live alone, as they are very social creatures. Whether it’s a male and female or two females, rabbits need socialization to be happy. Just make sure to keep an eye on your female rabbits during the bonding process, and things should be fine. It’s also recommended that you get any rabbits you put together spayed or neutered for best results.
Featured Image Credit: Lex-art, Shutterstock
