Does My Small Pet Need Company And What Does Bonding Entail?

So I could type a massive Essay on this topic, having professionally bonded buns for a number of years but that would bore you to tears and I really just want to get across key points and dispel some myths and lies. So firstly- such a common question I get asked: does my pet need a friend? Well if we are focusing back on guinea

pigs and rabbits then the answer is yes.

For rabbits: they are naturally social animals and companionship is important to them. In the wild, rabbits live in family groups which can reach up to 30 in one warren! Mammal Society. If they are kept alone, they may begin to show some abnormal behaviour, especially if left without company for long periods of time. It’s the same for guinea pigs who need friends because they are social animals that thrive in the company of their own kind. Keeping guinea pigs in pairs or small groups mimics their natural behaviour and helps them avoid physical and mental health issues that can come from isolation.

Are there exceptions? Yes, just take my current bunny, when her partner died, we attempted multiple bonding attempts but she was having none if it and got so sick from the stress of being put in a bonding situation that it was agreed between me, the vet and a group of expert bonding colleagues that she was better off by herself. I stress that this is not a light decision to make and should only be taken when you have exhausted every other possibility. Also I stress that re-bonding a small pet after their partner has died, especially with rabbits is far more complicated than it looks and you should always seek professional bonding guidance. If you try by yourself and it doesn’t work, it may be because you are not doing a certain step so professional input is really important before you throw in the towel. There may be other reasons why you can’t re bond such as health or behavioural issues. Even in small pet charities, whilst they always try to re-home buns or pigs in pairs, there will be the odd case where for reasons

related to the individual pet, mean that they must be re homed alone.

I get so frustrated when I see folk with single buns or pigs being targeted by so called small pet experts on social media who think that anyone who has a small pet alone is cruel and abusive. This is total rubbish, for the reasons stated above, it is not always possible so while it is better to have them in pairs or groups, ideals cannot always be achieved. Also I would add that bunnies and pigs have very unique personalities and some are just better at being alone then others, while others may become very

depressed and withdrawn, I have in fact seen some thrive. This is especially common if the remaining pet was the submissive one out of a pair as they don’t always miss coming second best.

However, it’s also my job to stress that this is a last resort for a pet that will not re bond after multiple professional attempts or for health or emotional reasons. A vet should sign off and have the final word if they feel that no more bonding attempts should be made. Therefore there is no excuse to be buying a rabbit or guinea pig alone in less you are re-homing a pet from a charity and they state why they must be kept alone. I know for a fact that money grabbing breeders and certain large pet store chains do sell

buns and pigs by themselves without any real cause…if you see this happening, please do not buy from them. Go to a charity where there will be plenty in need of loving homes, you’ll be helping to break a unjust cooperate chain but also helping yourself as often the pets in these stores are stressed and sickly due to cheap breeding and inappropriate care and diet. So to sum up- if you have a bun or pig who is alone due to the reasons listed above and you find your being targeted as a escape-goat by people who think they know better than remember your doing nothing wrong, just correct them and explain that actually there are situations where the pet’s welfare will be better off alone, not ideal but if they have got loving responsible owners, with the correct space and enrichment then they will be fine.

One of my pets has died, what do I do now for the other pet? Well firstly your pet will pine, they will need extra support through this period while they adjust to being one. It can hit rabbits in particular far harder then guinea pigs. You will know your pet’s personality so well and you will see quickly how they cope. I’ve had so many little personalities over the years, some are soppy and really do need to have company all the time, others won’t seem that bothered at all and like their freedom and independence.

You will be grieving too so only you can be the judge of when to take the next step and look for a new friend for your pet. Some pets may be fine for a number of months, others may seem very sad and even stop eating in which case, you will need to seek vet aid help and get cracking with finding a new friend.

But as stated above, I know as a fellow fur ball mum how hard it is when you lose one but try to focus on your remaining pet and their needs. And remember that re-bonding should always be attempted in less for a very very good reason which your vet agrees with.

So what is bonding and how is it done? Now I’ll be honest, bonding small pets is a bit of mine field. Part of the reason why I stopped bonding bunnies was because of just how stressful it was. Most folk have no notion about this process- I can’t tell you how many people I have had who say….they just went to the pet store and picked up another bun and pig and took it home, only to be shocked and surprised that they were fighting and then had to be split up. Yep the so called fluffy harmless bunny rabbit is well, not so harmless when bonding and in some severe cases, if they don’t get on and are not split, severe injury or even death can occur. Now for guinea pigs it’s a bit easier- its actually not so common for them to not get on, pigs are easy going by nature and as long as you’re not trying to introduce two uneutered males (good luck with that one!) then 80 percent of the time, it goes well. But even with pigs, it is possible that they just don’t get on and you may need to try a different pig or rethink your plan of action.

The general rules/guidelines for bonding are the same for pigs and rabbits:

- Separate at first. Start by housing them with a mesh barrier between them so they can communicate and swap scents and look at each other. You can try placing one in a run next to the other's hutch, or two runs next to each other. 

 -Move them closer. After a few days, move enclosures and runs closer together so they can see and smell each other through the barrier. 

 -Meet in a neutral space. Once the pets seem to be communicating positively, move them to a neutral space to meet, like an outside run or spare room. You can use a barrier in the neutral space so they can see and smell each other. I have known bath tubs to be used but it’s important not to have a space that is too large otherwise they may stay well apart but you also don’t want to use a space that is too small

(in my opinion like a bath tub) because then you are forcing them to be near each other and this can be very stressful and lead to illness. That’s why I was saying that bonding is pretty complicated, it’s a slowly slowly softly softly approach…not a case of just buying a pet and assuming they will be cuddling up and kissing by night fall. Bonding can take weeks and weeks or if you are super lucky and they get on, then just a few days. It varies a lot but you need a lot of time if you are going to attempt it yourself.

Remember that a neutral space is needed, that means NEUTRAL! If they have any toys or items that they see as belonging to them then they may fight over it.  

-Be patient and reward interactions

-Make them feel comfortable

 -Give them time out of their cage. Don’t force them to stay near each other all the time, that will not go down well and you will be preventing them from time to eat, poo and groom.  

-Lastly provide enough space. Don’t cram them into two tiny pens or a bath tub, you need to find what works for them and you- remember too big and they will stay well away from each other, too small and they may fight and feel stressed so you need to be flexible and adjust as needed.

Not all introductions will be successful, so you should have a plan in case they can't live together. I have a number of clients who have to keep their small pets separate as they never managed to get them to bond but then were unable to take the other pet back to where they had bought it from. This is another leading cause for pets being re homed or abounded, because the owner bought a pet but then could not get them to bond with their preexisting small pet. Now if you have bonded before and had success then

that’s great and you will probably feel confident enough to try it yourself again.

However often folk struggle and will need professional guidance. Some charities offer a bonding service which takes all the stress away from you, fab! Others will provide you with strict guidelines and expect you to do the leg work at home and there are also independent bonding services out there who can be paid for their time to bond. Most of these services will take back a rabbit or pig if the bonding has been unsuccessful. But

remember to always check out any service before you leave your pet with them. I’d also stress that even folk who have professionally bonded for years don’t always have success- I know from personal experience, it’s really down to the personalities of the pets and while some jel really quickly, others can be challenging and the bonding process can become hard going very quickly.

There really isn’t any magic answer but the guide lines above are what all bonders use. Bonding rabbits is much much harder then pigs (speaking from experience) and also takes considerably longer.

The other reason why seeking professional help may be needed is because when you first introduce two rabbits into the same pen area…..you have to be acting as mediator, watching all the time and not leaving the room. I’ve heard of some heart breaking cases where a pet owner has attempted to bond themselves, put them together as it seemed to be going well with a shared pen wall and left the room for some lunch or a phone call, only to come back to discover rabbits fighting and ripping fluff and skin out of each other. It is very alarming indeed but is a perfect example of the fact that bunnies are

anything but, simple uncomplicated little creatures. They are indeed complicated and even for the most experienced experts, sometimes your left scratching your head and thinking….I was so sure that pairing would work wonderfully. It is pretty normal in the bonding process for some biting and knocks to each other- it’s judging when to jump in and split them or to let it continue which is the hard part. Jump in too soon and you may wreck it when in fact they were just testing each other to see who was the

dominant one and who was the submissive one. Jump in too late and you may have a seriously injured and traumatised pet.

So to sum up- bonding is a process that can’t be rushed and needs your undivided attention. You need to be experienced enough to know when you need to call it quits or when to continue for a bit longer. If it doesn’t work the first time, don’t be too disheartened, it may just be that their personalises clashed, you can always attempt bonding again with other bunnies but me sure to give a good amount of rest time between to avoid your pet from becoming stressed and overwhelmed and even ill. If you are not sure, seek help.

There is no set amount of times you can try to bond but you do need to be realistic and remember the welfare of your pre-existing pet is priority so if you have got to bonding attempt number four or five and your pet just isn’t bonding and seems stressed and unhappy then stop. Take a break, seek your vets advise, it may be that they need to be kept alone or it may be that you weren’t doing the

bonding process right and need some help next time to get it right.

If you have no luck with bonding, you could try again in a few years time as bunnies personalities mature and change just like humans. Some bonders say only split the animals if they injure each other. Personally, I don't think you should let it get that far but it can be a hard watch for the pet owner and stressful because there will be a bit of nipping as they confirm who is the dominant one.

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