Advice needed please!

Please help! We have a brother and sister 4.5 month old rabbits living together...until today! The fella decided to become a man today and we caught them fighting whilst having a run around and a bit later we had to stop him as he was just about to have his wicked way! So now they are living in separate cages, he's due to be neutered next week anyway (couldn't just wait another week could he!)
Anyway what I need to know is what to do with them in the mean time. They're missing eachother already bless them, do I keep them completely separate, do I Let them have supervised time together and watch them like hawks, do I put the cages facing eachother so they can see and smell but not get together...these are the only 2 bunnies we have and they need to be living together after the little fellas op. Gutted this has happened before he went for his vet visit

Welcome to RU

I'm sorry that things have gone a bit awry with your bunnies, but you did the right thing by separating them. They do absolutely need to stay 100% separate. I think that you're also going to need to get the girl checked out because she may be pregnant so it may be advisable to have an emergency spay because there will be a risk to her and the babies because she is so young; an emergency spay may be safer.

When it comes to rebonding you need to wait until 6-8 weeks after his neuter (because he will still be fertile for that amount of time) and ideally the same after her spay. There's lots of topics on the forum you can read about bonding which will hopefully help.

For now you can give them heat sources (such as SnuggleSafes) to sit on, you can give them cuddly toys to huddle with (make sure the toys have nothing on it that they can chew off and that they don't chew them generally), and you can keep them in view of each other- just make sure if they have close contact through bars that the bars are too small for teeth or nails to get through if they fight.

I'm so gutted, He's a tiny mini lop cross that's why I'd left him an extra couple of weeks til he was a bit bigger, what with the anaesthetic risk and all that. They're our children's rabbits and my 8 year old is getting himself in a state about his rabbit having the op anyway, just trying to lessen the risk.
Just running round the house for cuddly toys, jumpers and anything else that might fill up their very empty looking cages...they SO love each other.
Thanks very much for the advice though, looks like a trip to the vets for them both next week

Sorry you have encountered this.

It can be a problem having a brother and sister because of the need to neuter at different ages.

Remember that he can still be fertile for about 6 weeks post op so unless she is neutered now too you will have to keep them separate for at least 6 weeks and preferably until she is neutered and has time to recover.

Some advise mixing their litter so they stay used to each others smell in their area - not sure how well this works, I did it and also swapped hutches daily but mine never rebonded

Oh no! Don't tell me that- they're both looking so lost and sad right now its awful I feel so bad for them. Hope I manage to get them back together again - they were such good friends.

LainiT said:

Oh no! Don't tell me that- they're both looking so lost and sad right now its awful I feel so bad for them. Hope I manage to get them back together again - they were such good friends.

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Can you keep them next to each other with just mesh between them? That should keep the bond and they can still lie next to each other and groom through the mesh but can't hump. If you can afford to get them both neutered then they can stay together but the vet may say that your girl is too young.

Just some advice, if you're worried about getting them both done if you find a rabbit savvy vet it should make you feel a lot better. Ask at your vets if there is someone who specialises in rabbits or who has done a lot of spays and neuters. Here are some useful questions to ask the vet. I hope this helps.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?84269-Vet-Questions-Neutering

I might have to try and rig something up like that cos its heartbreaking seeing them missing each other. just so long as they don't try and fight though the wire like someone said they may. I really want them both sorting now to get them back together in a couple of weeks rather than prolong the separation.

The more I look into her op though the scarier it is, can't think its going to be easy having 2 post op bunnies at the same time but if its better for them in the long run.... Will know more after I've spoken to the vet on Monday. SOOOO mad at myself for leaving it just that one week extra. you live and learn eh.

At 4.5 months, he might have done the deed already so I'd keep a close eye on his sister and watch for signs of pregnancy....

Paws crossed that you caught him in time!

I was in this situation with my buns back in May.

I swapped hutches, food bowls, litter trays etc daily. I set up side-by-side runs for them to use every evening.

I know it's not recommended, but I did let them have joint playtimes. But if they were together I was in the run with them. The slightest hint of amorous attention and I'd move them apart. They would not get to mount. This is, however, hard work and a dangerous game and if you're not sure you'll be able to stop them EVERY time, then don't even try it.

Mine are now neutered and rebonded and devoted to each other!!

Well we let them have joint playtime yesterday...really not a good idea, poor girl, every opportunity the fella was sniffing round trying his luck! He wasn't getting anywhere near, we kept removing him before he got into position... and I felt like I was being too mean, so they're back and separate now!

Vet's going to see if my little girl is big enough for her spay tomorro...worked it out this morning and they're not even 4 months old - (D'OH!) 2 weeks to go. Hope it all goes ok with the vet tomorro cos I really need them healed and sorted to get them together again, they're still looking VERY lost and lonely bless them.

Update!!

I don't know if this is the right way to go about asking for new advise but thought it would save all the background.

Anyway, Ellie and Maverick were kept separately but had a few hours playtime together every day. Still get on great, Mav was slightly too amorous on occasions though but seeing as Ellie was booked in for her spay I figured it wasn't too crucial if he got to her a split second before I could separate them.

So, castration and spay took place on Thursday- yay and all is well!! They're going back outside tomorro, had planned on separate hutches until his hormones are definitely well and truly gone, but today they've been together out in the kitchen more or less all day and Mav has not even had a sniff of circling Ellie let alone trying to mount her which has been the case a few times each day they've been out together.

So what I'd dearly love to know is - are his hormones like a tap?? Or is he just on his best behaviour so I don't pounce on him like I have been doing?? They love being together, share food, groom eachother, lie together all the time, and I need to know where to go from here...is she safe to be left with him, are there any obvious signs to look for that tell me no? I've never done this before and I'm scared its too soon and there's no going back if they fight.

Please help! Thankyou

I'm glad their spay and neuter went well

I think from here you need to do the full bonding process (but give her a bit more time- maybe another two weeks or so, at least- because her insides will still have a lot of healing to do and she should really still be on limited exercise- if it was last Thursday and I had understood that correctly).

If you have them in the space they are used to being in together and then keep them together, supervising all the time (including over night), then at 72 hours with no issues you will hopefully find that they can be trusted. You will need to ensure that when you move them into a home that this is entirely neutral territory (so if one is used to it, then you will need to neutralise it using a distilled vinegar solution).

limited exercise?? She's been binkying around my kitchen like a mad woman today!! I did ask the vet nurse if i should limit her - no was her reply she'll be fine!! eeek!

her op was on 3rd so yeah last thurs. now I'm feeling really bad.

Don't feel bad, it wasn't your error, that was down to the vet nurse. If you think what it's like for a woman having a hysterectomy and how ong it takes to recover, it can take a while. Generally they say limited exercise for at least 10 days because she will still be healing inside.

Oh my word. I'll go and break the news to the crazy bun in the kitchen...they're all snuggled up together I hate to drag them away from each other.

My son broke his foot when he was 2, docs said they didn't pot youngsters cos then they do their own physio and decide when they're ready to walk again...presumed it was the same kind of principle...hey ho!