Keeping two males together uncastrated? who has done it or is doing it?

I have been keeping males together uncastrated for nearly two years now without any problems. I have just seperated them due to one of them having a little graze above his eye as this i am taking as evidence of fighting.

They have lived in harmony and snuggled up to each other at night as they are outdoors and it is a real shame seperating them.

Has anyone else done this before successfully? I can understand seperating if there is a full on fight, but in this case, where it's an obvious little graze. I am wondering if the problems of having two lonely rabbits outweigh seperating them. I have several bunnies so do not have an unlimited amount of time to give them which is why i like to keep them within site of each other or together if i can.

Trouble is the hutch they are in now is abit isolated and they wont be able to see each other because of the setup i have,which makes me really sad. I know rabbits forget each other in a few hours and will fight if you put them together, so i'm wanting to resolve this now.

I'm just not sure seperating them when they have been snuggling up together in harmony for the last 2 years nearly is the best idea. Although it does make logical sense and i would give that advice out to others too, seeing them interact gives me a deep understanding of the bond they have and i don't feel that they are an ongoing threat to each other, even if they have had a little strop.

Anyone have any other thoughts on this? Thanks

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Hi :wave: I've never done it and i wouldnt recommend it. I dont know how old your buns are, but if they have or soon reach sexual maturity they are almost guaranteed to fight, and may even kill each other, especially if there are other rabbits around, and especially females. Why not get them neutered then rebond them?

VikkiVet said:

Hi :wave: I've never done it and i wouldnt recommend it. I dont know how old your buns are, but if they have or soon reach sexual maturity they are almost guaranteed to fight, and may even kill each other, especially if there are other rabbits around, and especially females. Why not get them neutered then rebond them?

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http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=222235

I agree with Jane that you do need to neuter boys to keep them together. Are you sure they were fighting? Could he have damaged his eye on something in the hutch, or with a nail.

I would get them neutered and rebond them. As they have been together two years, its worth a try.

Yes possible it could be damage from the hutch- the hutch i'm just about to renew. I will get a double hutch with seperate compartments rather than a hutch for them both to be in. I can then keep them apart until neutered and try rebonding them later. The hutch can be used for some of my other rabbits i need to keep seperate and i'll do away with that one as i think that maybe the hutch is worn, which could have caused the damage. I'll look over it tommorow. I hear you can take bunnys in for neutering at the same time and they don't have to be seperated. They have been away from each other when they go to the vets and never come back fighting either. Even if i seperate them for awhile, they are still easy to put back in together.

http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/details.php?product=104

Are these hutches any goods- 18 inch deep doesn't sound to great. I have 2ft deep hutches at the moment.

If you neuter them I would take them in together and keep them together afterwards. When they come back from the vets them will smell like vet which can trigger fighting but if they are both groggy and smelling of vet there is less likely to be an issue

As you have quite a lot of rabbits, have you thought about a shed and bonding some into a group?

Thanks i do have a shed, i have thought about it, but my only problem at the moment is that i have several males who have runny eyes- i'm trying to sort, but seems to be an ongoing tear duct problem, sometimes conjunctivitis, so i don't want to mix my girls who are fine with the boys when neutered.

I am getting some of my males done today, so they will be able to go in with the females after a couple of months i imagine, but they are showing runnys eyes too, i think it's quite contagious conjunctivitis and a nightmare to get rid off. I've had them on eye antibiotics from the vets for months.

I darent' put bunnies that have been ill in the past with my healthy buns incase they re-infect and get ill or cause my other buns to get ill.

I guess i could bond all the poorly ones together and bond all the healthy ones together once neutered. Thanks for the ideas

I took two male rabbits in at christmas that were 3yrs old and never been neutered. They get on great and I have had other rabbits near them neutered and unneutered and it hasn't caused a problem. I have since neutered them and they are still as close as ever. I guess it just depends on the rabbits.

kayj said:

I took two male rabbits in at christmas that were 3yrs old and never been neutered. They get on great and I have had other rabbits near them neutered and unneutered and it hasn't caused a problem. I have since neutered them and they are still as close as ever. I guess it just depends on the rabbits.

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really kay????? i am dying to get some more but im a bit scared! :lol:

sorry to hyjack the thread but i am so tempted by 2 new boys for my 2 girls....

kayj said:

I took two male rabbits in at christmas that were 3yrs old and never been neutered. They get on great and I have had other rabbits near them neutered and unneutered and it hasn't caused a problem. I have since neutered them and they are still as close as ever. I guess it just depends on the rabbits.

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Thanks,

To be honest i'd say mine are more like a few years old now. It's been ages or maybe more they have been together.

Ambience