How to Introduce Rabbits to Other Pets

Rabbits are very sociable creatures. They enjoy interacting with their human companions once they learn to trust you (see the Bond With Your Rabbit'Gain Your Rabbit's Trust eHow). Their social nature makes most rabbits happiest when they have a rabbit companion or another companion. (see #5 Choose a Rabbit Companion for Your Rabbit). I know of several rabbits who get along with the family dog, cat, guinea pig, and even one who gets along with a bird. Since rabbits are also very territorial, you will need to carefully introduce your rabbit into your home and to your other pets. Their territorial nature may cause them to viciously fight with another animal (or they may be afraid of the other animal), so never leave your rabbit alone with another animal. There are many ways to bond different species. It's a good idea never to leave your rabbit alone with another animal when you are out of the room or out of the house. Here is one technique you can use to bond your rabbit with other pets.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Take your rabbit and the other animal to a neutral place in your home (a place that neither animal has marked as "his"). Usually, this is the bathroom or a bedroom.

2. Protect your rabbit from sliding on the slippery surface, if the floor in this room is linoleum by placing a rubber-backed rug or a flannel-covered, waterproof baby crib mat on the floor. Cover the entire area where the rabbit will be, block off the shower stall and bathtub, and close the toilet lid and cabinet doors.

3. Ask an adult family member to help you. Each of you will be responsible for one animal.

4. Kneel on the floor and hold the smaller of the two animals on your lap.

5. Have the other family member hold the second animal and slowly approach you and the smaller pet.

6. Be prepared to pull back if either animal tries to attack the other.

7. Let the two animals sniff one another. If they nuzzle one another, this is a good sign, but be prepared for one of them to attack the other, so you can quickly pull away.

8. Talk to the animals calmly and praise them for being so good. Encourage them to be nice to one another. Only one human should talk at this point, so the animals won't get confused.

9. Speak loudly and clearly if they begin to fight or do something not allowed, saying, 'No-no-no-no-no! No Fighting, No Biting" and clap your hands loudly.

10. Separate fighting animals immediately to avoid injury to them and to you.

11. Continue this for approximately 10-15 minutes. Stop immediately if the animals are fighting viciously. Never leave them alone. Always be ready to separate them because they can seriously or even fatally injure one another if they fight.

12. Repeat this bonding process for about 10 or 15 minutes every day, until they begin to groom each other almost immediately when they are together. Once they begin to groom one other, continue the procedure (steps 1-6) for a few more days, to be sure they're really bonded, but do not ever leave your rabbit alone with your cat, dog, or other animal.

Tips & Warnings

• Show the animals that you are in charge by staying in control (clap loudly and firmly say, "NO-NO-NO-NO-NO' when they begin to fight).
• Animals who groom one another for several minutes at a time, lie down next to each other and snuggle, and romp about playfully together exploring their play area, and do not fight, are usually beginning to bond.
• Stop any fighting, harsh nipping, or biting immediately. Rabbits are fierce fighters and can seriously injure or even kill a smaller animal in a matter of seconds.
• Rabbits will nip one another when mating. Don't confuse this nipping with the harsh nipping rabbits do when fighting.
• Rabbits you are bonding with another animal often will mount the other animal as part of the bonding process. This is a bid for dominance with the rabbit asserting his or her status as the 'top rabbit.'
• You can separate the animals, if they are fighting, with your hands, if you're wearing heavy gloves to protect yourself from being bitten. Rabbits have very sharp teeth and they can draw blood when they bite, so make sure you wear gloves.
• Never use your bare hands to block fighting animals. Instead, wear heavy gardening gloves or use a splatter guard to separate them.
• Never leave unbonded animals alone, not even for an instant, while you are trying to bond them. It only takes that one second for one animal to seriously injure or kill the other. Do not look away from them for even a split second. Rabbits can be vicious and may seriously harm or even kill another animal, if they're not bonded. And even bonded animals can become unbonded.

[smacquart]

on 7/22/2007 I am interested in articles for a small, tabliod-sized newspaper that I'm starting about pets (and plants and other creatures). This, among other things, is the kind of material I'm looking for. How can I go about using this one and others like it? I certainly don't want to just copy it without permission or whatever, so please let me know. Thanks a lot.

on 12/15/2005 Watch out when you introduce your rabbit to predator animals. I tried to introduce my baby rabbit to my dog, and the dog killed it. It was very traumatic. Don't trust your dog with your rabbit unless you are sure it won't hurt it.