Organic Bonding

      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.