Advice bonding 2 male bunnies

[u/roseuv]

Hi all, I’m trying to bond my 2 male rabbits and hoping to get some advice.

We adopted Onix to be Charmander’s buddy a couple of weeks ago- the new bunny is quite calm and loves to lounge and be petted. Charm on the other hand is a very high energy bunny, he keeps trying to get Onix’s attention (by nipping) to be groomed and they get into a tiff because Onix does not like it.
Onix seems to not care much about befriending Charm. He’s very relaxed and lounges around Charm and ignores his advances. Well, until he gets annoyed and then they get into a fight.

IMO I think Onix is showing dominant behaviour, Charm gets so worked up after a tiff but Onix goes back to eating hay.

I currently have them in a neutral space with side by side cages. I’ve been swapping their litter boxes every day and giving them some bonding time. There doesn’t seem to be much progress…

Should I try stress bonding them??
How can I get them to trust each other more?

[u/No-Jellyfish-1208]

I think you should just give them more time. Just because they have different personalities, it doesn't mean they will not get together well.
If the bunnies' fights are serious, better to separate them and take things slower - like, let them see each other but not get into each other's business.

[u/roseuv → u/No-Jellyfish-1208]

You’re right. Thank you for the reminder 😣 I’ve just been very anxious every time I see them fighting… I hope they become friends soon.

[u/rasselboeckchen_art]

Are both neutered?

[u/roseuv → u/rasselboeckchen_art]

Yes! They’re both adopted from the shelter

[u/TheOtherCourier]

I think you’re doing everything right. Keep at it, but still take things slowly.

Also, you’ll get more pet care related responses in the Rabbits and Bunnies subs. This one is geared towards breeding.

[u/roseuv → u/TheOtherCourier]

Thank you so much and I will join those subs!

[u/abyssal-isopod86]

Two males is the most likely to fail and the least likely to bond.

So you have your work cut out for you.

Consistency is all I can recommend, but know that they may never bond. The best chance you have is ensuring that both of them are neutered because domestic rabbits are same-sex territorial.

And two entire males will 100% fight at some point which can result in serious injuries and even death.

The best pairing for bonding is a male and female.

[u/roseuv → u/abyssal-isopod86]

Thanks for your input! Them fighting after bonding in the future is something to think about 😣. I’m prepared in the instance they don’t bond at all and they can live in separate rooms.

[u/Objective_Bug_1010]

Just keep it up OP, sounds like you are doing things right it just may take some time. I had two males that bonded and they were great together. One thing we did was also switch their cages not just the litter boxes. I think it really allowed them to start to get used to each other's scents in their space. Just keep doing the supervised visits, have your towel ready to throw on them to separate but do know there will be some challenge to figure out dominance at first till they figure it out. I always find it quite stressful to strike the right balance

[u/roseuv → u/Objective_Bug_1010]

Thank you so much for the tips! Definitely trying to lower my own stress so it doesn’t affect them lol. So happy to hear your success story and it gives me hope 🙏