NEW NIC CONDO

Question
HI! As you know I have two rabbits and they both live in two separate NIC condos that are placed side to side. I was wondering if collapsed their houses and build one HUGE condo and put a divider in the middle so they can't get at each other would that be safe enough for my rabbits? Or do I have to have separate condos that are at least 3 inches far apart?

Answer
Hi Vanessa,

it depends on how your rabbits behave with each other.  If they try to box each other or bite each other when they are both at their gates, and get each other riled up, perhaps what needs to happen is more time to get used to each other.  

What you can do to see how they will do is slowly over a couple weeks move their separate condos from 3 inches apart, to 2 inches, to 1 inch apart for a week each and see what their behavior is.  If they look like they are fighting and can't touch the other, keep them there until they both are okay with the other.  If they fight and can touch each other, move them back so they cannot get to the other (start over at the 3 inch mark) and wait another week).  Also you can trade some litter from each one's pan to the other to get them used to the smells of the other being in close proximity.  The bottom line is to take things slow and observe their reactions and responses to the small changes.  Go back a step if things look like one or both can't handle it.

The ultimate goal is to get them as close as possible via their double gates and have them not trying to box/bite the other.  If they won't do this through very close double gates, they probably won't through single gates.

It may be easier, however, to simply place the condos side by side rather than having to dismantle them and rearrange things.  It also would be less stressful on your rabbits as altering their cages may stress them out as they will not be used to their cages being set up in that configuration. It could wipe out all your good work at getting them used to each other with the cages in their regular configuration they are used to.

The more I think about it, the better off you'd be just slowly moving their cages together closer and closer.  If you ever have problems it will be so much easier to simply move a cage away from the other.

Lee