In certain instances, bunnies bond almost instantly. It is often referred to in the bunny community as 'Love at first sight." It actually isn't love at first sight; it's friendly chemistry at first scent. Bunnies rely on their olfactory senses far more than humans, who rely most on vision. When bunnies who are first introduced seem friendly toward one another and later grow that friendship into a lasting bond, it is because they both released amiable hormones at the time of introduction that each other detected through scent. This is a type of naturally-occurring bonding.
       What about the other 99% of bonds? These are the ones where most people struggle to make work. There are a few ways to identify when a potential bond might be less of a struggle and more organic. One way is to introduce bunnies in a space that they have not been in and/or has lots of smells from other animals wafting around i.e. a vet clinic, a shelter or rescue facility, a friend's house who has pets, or a room in your home where other animals have been but the bunnies have not. Observing their primary interactions can often predict their receptiveness to having a new companion. 
          Usually, bunnies behave differently around each other in spaces they are used to, especially since those spaces have already been scent marked by them. If bunnies have not been introduced in a neutral space, that does not mean they cannot be bonded. Difficult bonds are one involving a previous history of fighting. The more fights they had, the more challenging it is to get them to drop grudges. Organic bonding methods I use are desensitization therapy. This involves them smelling, seeing, and hearing each other in close but safe proximity for a period of time until minor friendly behavior presents. Receiving daily sensory information on each other clears up their concerns and ambiguities. Using both rotating and changing spatial arrangements lessens the chances of either bun becoming territorial (thinking a specific space is theirs alone). Allowing interactions in limited ways is comforting and non-threatening, preventing the release of fear-based hormones. 
          Organic bonding may take longer in most instances but is safer and produces better results than forced bonds which have a tendency to break under distance and/or perceived threats. 

        What are Freak Times? They are the times during bonding when you notice bunny engagement increases and it  usually circles around dawn and dusk. Also, the times when you continually correct poor behavior, feel exhausted, and want to give up. Bunnies reach breakthroughs just after interactions that sometimes appear to us to be hazardous. You might notice increased circling, chasing, mounting attempts, possessiveness, guarding, lunging, and even fur pulling during freak times. Just about the time you think bunnies have gone mad, they behave better. Just like in human-to-human communication, bunnies barter, beg, and negotiate for resources and reputation. Often, bunnies who really like certain resources such as hay, pellets, hidey houses, and attention from humans, will want first dibs at them. If another bun also wants top access, they must negotiate. The physical behaviors observed during freak moments are their negotiations playing out in  real time. It isn't always good to intervene during these times as the buns need to sort out issues, make determinations, and come to agreements. The more humans intervene, the less is accomplished from the bunny perspective. Unexplained, odd, and hold-your-breath interactions between bunnies during barrier-free bonding sessions can only be termed 'freaky' when the rest of the time, they are friendly, sweet, and loving. Instead of throwing in the towel, remember to take deep breaths and push through. Playing soft instrumental music, reciting a calming mantra, and cooing the bunnies in a low, soft voice helps calm them and you. Don't let freak times stop sessions. Keep calm and bond on!

         Commonly asked questions and answers before bonding: 

 1. How long will it take?    It is determined by the bunnies during pre-bonding.
 2. How much time will I have to devote each day?  It depends on the level of difficulty of the bond.
 3. How will I know when they bond?   When they coexist at least a full day and night peacefully.
 4. Can I bond and still work full-time?  Yes, it just takes a bit longer. The more time you give to bonding, the more results
                                                              you see.
 5. Can I bond if the bunnies have already been all throughout my home?  Yes, there are ways to neutralize areas even
                                                                                                                      if they are already known to bunnies.

           Commonly asked questions and answers during bonding:

 1. How much longer?   It depends on the bunnies and the pace they set.
 2. Are you sure they will bond?   Only the bunnies know for certain.
 3.  What are the steps involved?  The plan is customized during the pre-bonding stage and modified throughout
                                                       bonding. During the initial consultation, basic steps are explained.
 4. What does a typical bonding session look like?  There are no typical sessions as each one is unique.

            Commonly asked question after bonding:

                                                    WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS SOONER???????

        If you are in the midst of bonding and desperate to move forward, read this to get your bearings: small acts are huge breakthroughs to bunnies. Stop looking for big dramatic changes and begin to focus on subtle nuances. Bunnies are cautious creatures always alert to evade capture by multiple threats from overhead and ground predators. They are experts at silent body communication, quick dart movements, and extremely careful maneuvering. When applied to the microcosm of a small bonding space, it can be difficult to see improvements even for the more discerning eyes. Some examples of positive signs from a bunny's viewpoint are simultaneous self-care, ignoring each other, slow approaches while keeping respectable distances, relaxed ear posture, lounging, simultaneous eating and enjoying food from the same platter, creeping to the other's bum and sniffing, nose touches, lowered heads while in close proximity, and touching lasting several seconds. Usually the first breakthrough is passing by one another without lunging or attacking. Often, the second breakthrough is keeping to the same part of the pen. Just being in close proximity without attacking is very encouraging. If eating together face-to-face or side-by-side occurs, the breakthroughs will continue. Change your focus from large macro evidences to tiny micro signs and you will not easily become disheartened. 

          I am often asked why bonding takes so much work and time. It's a multi-faceted answer. Each individual bonding scenario requires careful analysis. Since humans rely on sensory input to determine progress, when our eyes don't see it, we think there hasn't been any. This is not only false but often produces feelings of discouragement which bunnies can smell. Each time we feel an emotion, our bodies release hormones related to that emotion that bunnies perceive as negative. So, when people become disheartened, it stifles bonding. Before tackling sessions, reset your mind to positive hopeful outlooks and you will avoid the number one hinderance to bonding.
           The number two impediment to bonding is judging the time it takes. Bunnies operate on a large scale nature-based way to quantify time whereas humans judge time by small nature-based ways. In the wild, rabbits understand timeframes seasonally. They know what food, hiding spots, and predators are available based upon climate.  Humans rely on the sun-to-moon ratio of a twenty-four hour day. Each season lasts about three months and there are four per year. Bunnies depend on seasonal weather to support the growth of vital foods and water resources. People who grow food understand this better than ones who frequent markets for their produce. In a colony, rabbits use three month intervals for many milestones including alpha challenges, birthing and rearing kits, and determining and executing roles. So, while bonding, keep in mind the three month timeframe instead of hours and weeks. 
          Bunnies live within the bounds of nature meaning they do not violate the rules of species-specific biology. Often the quintessence of bonding from the human's perspective is observation and reaction. However, the essence of bonding from the bunny's perspective is building trust, evaluating valuable resources, and accepting companionship. During my pre-bonding stage, bunnies learn the other bunny is not a threat- to themselves physically or to the availability of resources necessary for survival. This process requires time, calm confident energy, and the building of positive associations during sessions. 
         

        Sometimes bonding bunnies follows a strict set of rules that keep the human and bunnies safe, pace according to the bunnies' tolerances, and lessen the chances of hostility triggers. Other times, bonding breaks those rules and friendships are still forged. So how does one know what to do? 
       The bunnies tell us how to approach bonding. When rabbits have been previously introduced without incident, avoiding most of the safety rules might be satisfactory. If bunnies have been in direct contact previously and demonstrated aggression, either with circling and lunging or fighting, safety guidelines must be followed. If bunnies are sound or scent reactive, carefulness must be given to their comfort. Highly reactive buns should be desensitized to a certain degree before bonding sessions to avoid negative interactions. All reactive triggers should be identified before face-to-face sessions. 
        Eliminating variables which might contribute to unfavorable outcomes is beneficial to forward progression. The individual temperaments of buns should be evaluated first, then identifying their roles as they would be in a colony, followed by reactivity and poor habits, sensitivities and resource preferences. After all considerations, I can calculate a bonding algorithm to suggest. 

        Bonding takes two valuable resources humans do not like to use: time and patience. Let's chat a bit about both. Time, although a quantifiable resource, is measured differently by bunnies or any other animal species for that matter, than it is by humans. Bunnies judge time more by seasons than by hours or days. To us, time passing each day that doesn't show vast improvements in a bond can be disappointing. The days turn into weeks and, although we remind ourselves to not judge bunny timeframes by our own, we become discouraged usually around the one month mark. Once we entertain thoughts of frustration and despair, t's a slippery slope to hopelessness. Bunnies sense our emotions based on the smells those hormones have. Unable to understand why we emit negativity, bunnies in bonding sessions may act disturbed, aggressive, introverted, and this can delay bonds. Realizing we are a huge contributing factor to negative bunn-ergy, we reach into the depths of our souls and conjure up patience. Patience, a long holding out of our desires for a greater goal, is a resource most humans do not have vast amounts of. The good news is patience is like a plant seed. Once planted in fertile soil, it can be grown with the right care. So, when you feel anxiety over the length of time bonding takes, remember to grab deep into your patience reserves and sprinkle in positive thoughts, give your self a well-deserved pep talk, add a bit of hope and remind yourself the end goal will be worth it all! Synergy is a combined effort on the part of two or more beings to produce a joint effect greater than the separate parts. During bonding, you are combining bunnies to each other as well as you to the bunnies with the goal of becoming one heap of love. 

         If you are trying to bond bunnies and are unsure of what behaviors to look for during the process, this is a must read article for you. My approach to bonding uses three stages: pre-bond, bond sessions, and post-bond. During the pre-bond stage, bunnies are housed next to each other so they can chat, smell, and observe one another. They must be in fairly close proximity. Communication through body indications included ear, head, and tail positions, eye blinking, closing, and pinning, fur ruffling, whisker positions, lying (sphinx, sideways, back), sitting, facing each other, twisting, etc. They can determine the other's thoughts by smelling hormones releases and physical body cues. They have a mostly silent language that involves subtle respiration changes, heartrate, and nose twitches. Purring, thumping, snoring, grunting, and screaming are audible communications. While living a period of time adjacently,, they gather information. This prepares them for the next phase, bonding sessions without barriers between the bunnies or bonder.
        Now able to touch, extra safety measures must be in place. Human bonders analyze the rabbits, looking for signs of amnesty( if they had previously fought), courtesy, and hostility. During this time, bunnies need to be encouraged to slow down their movements to show politeness. Bunnies value and demand respect, especially during the establishment of hierarchy roles. A cautious slow approach instead of a full forward charge is always best. When one creeps toward the other with ears back (not fully flattened) and head down, it is a polite request to approach closer. If the approach has ears forward or fully flattened, the posture is threatening and should be diverted. 
         When one bunny rapidly gallops past another it gives them a quick chance to test the waters, a way to deduce if the other bunny is going to ignore, lunge, or chase. During the bonding sessions, many drive-byes should happen with each attempt closing the gap of space between them. Lunging, circling, and chasing should not be allowed. The same body positioning they demonstrate in the adjoining housing will be repeated in the sessions. Over time, buns will be less reactionary and more cooperative, eating hay together, patterning resting positions, simultaneously grooming, and such. When they touch noses softly, this is often one of the first evidences they are receptive to friendship. Side-by-side eating, lounging, and sleeping are indicators of a good match. Allowing each other to share resources (litterbox, hidey, food, and attention from bonders) equates to success. During the entire journey, hormones releases undetectable to humans are what the bunnies rely heavily on. Actively twitching noses indicate tiny airborne scent particles enter the small lip separation each time the nostrils expand upward. Although we cannot know fully what they think and feel, they absolutely understand each other- almost as though they are reading each other's minds.