Bonding a new bunny

Question
hi, i have an 18 week old rabbit that we got together with
another rabbit which died from diarrhea about 5 weeks ago,
when we brought her to the vet they tried everything but she
died the next day, my other rabbit Amber luckily didn't get
this and is healthy and well at present.
I decided to get another rabbit to keep her company, and
last Friday got a 10 week old bunny.
the thing is that Amber doesn't mind the little bunny at
all, i introduced them on neutral ground and gradually got
to know each other, the little bunny is extremely nervous,
everytime amber cleans and licks her she tenses up and darts
around the room.
i don't know what to do to make her less nervous?
amber showed no sign of aggression to her.
today they shared the same cabbage leaf when i gave them
food, but shes still tensing up when being licked,
i don't know how to make her feel not nervous?
also, whens the best time to introduce her into Ambers
hutch?

Answer
Dear Sinead,

Only time and experience will let the little one know that your bunny means her no harm.  Let them work things out.  They are behaving in a very normal fashion, and it's very lucky that Amber likes the bunny and isn't showing any aggression (in fact, it's pretty unusual!).

If the bunny is shy with you, please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

But if it's just with Amber, then this is normal.  We just had two boys bonded (they are BFFs now!) and while they were getting to know each other for the first few weeks they kept scaring each other with grooming!  It was funny and cute.  But now they trust each other completely and cuddle in an adorable way.

I hope your bunnies will do this soon, too.

As a note on the "diarrhea", please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

And if you have a potentially fatal case of this again, here is an emergency protocol I developed to save baby hares with diarrhea that has saved many lives.  I hope you don't need it, but you might want to share it with your vet if your bunnies get runny stool again:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/squirts.pdf

I hope the two bunnies will be fast friends soon.

Dana