How to successfully bond rabbits as companions and why rabbit companionship is one of the most significant welfare improvements for domestic rabbits.
Companion bonding is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions for domestic rabbits. Like guinea pigs, rabbits evolved in social groups and have strong needs for conspecific companionship. A single rabbit, however well cared for by its owner, is living without a fundamental dimension of its social life. The difference in behaviour between a bonded pair and a single rabbit is often dramatic: bonded rabbits spend hours in mutual grooming, sleeping in contact, and playing together in ways that reflect genuine positive emotional states. The bonding process itself requires skill and patience but is achievable for most compatible pairs with appropriate guidance.