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What should i do?

Bugalugs

Warren Scout
Quick question re: bonding.

I have a pair of bonded female buns and have just accidentally aquired a 9week old male. He will be neutered in a few months as soon as he's old enough. I'm going away in 4weeks for a fortnight and my non rabbit keeping neighbour will be looking after my buns. I know it's not ideal, but it's the only real option!

They are currently sharing living quarters with a wire partition seperating them.

I'm unsure as to whether i should attempt to bond them so they can all live together when i'm away. If i did it now, i'd have almost 4weeks to work on it and i could then put the partition back in in a few months before neutering and afterwards during recovery.

I'm worried that delaying it by another 6weeks will make bonding more problematic as realistically i'd probably have to delay until after his op, meaning he'll be on his own for months and months......

Any advice?

I had no intention of getting him, but found out he was being released into the wild if he didn't find a home before last weekend!

Thanks
 
What will happen though if the boy starts chasing the girls. One or both could turn on him and bite him then your neighbour might not notice and he could be injured enough to need to go to the vets. So I would definitely say No to that idea. Can you not find someone to look after the boy while your neighbour looks after the girls. Or just give up your holiday and look after your animals.
 
Even if the bond went well (which I certainly wouldn't advise until he's neutered and less likely to harrass the females) four weeks is no time at all for them to settle into a stable group and they could fall out whilest you are away leaving your unrabbity neighbour with warring possibly injured buns. I'd wait until he's neutered.

He can be done as soon as his bits drop if he's over 1kg so you shouldn't have to wait long. You may even be able to get him done before you go away so that he's healed and his hormones have settled ready for bonding when you return from hols.
 
That's what i was thinking. Thank you..... I was just worried that i was being over cautious leading him to be alone more than neccessary?

I have never had a boy bun before so i'm new to this!

So would you suggest keeping him totally seperate until after neutering? Or starting bonding once i get back from holiday and then reintroducing the partition once he reaches sexual maturity and is recovering from his spay?

Cancelling the holiday For the rabbits isn't really an option. We have four kids and it's our first family holiday in three years. Even the flights have cost well in excess of a grand so i'm pretty sure that if i was to say we're not going because of the critters my husband would divorce me!!!!!!!:shock:
 
Personally I'd wait till he's neutered, otherwise you will have to rebond after he's been seperated for his op, plus hopefully his hormones should be better controlled so it should make things easier for you.
 
To add it wont do him any harm being on his own short-term, plus I think you are panicing unnnecssarily about how long you'll have to wait, one of my boys reached sexually maturity at ten weeks old! Unfortunately he was a nethie so to light weight wise so I had to wait a few weeks for his op which was a nightmare as he kept spraying me!
 
I would leave your neighbor with instructions as I left my buns with a non bunny person and my buns lost a lot of weight as they didnt put enough hay in :(

Also give her this forum address so she can ask any questions if she needs too
 
Little-laura,
She already has a full set of instructioms and the number of our vets incase of any probs. she has looked after the girls in the past and i have always returned home to very happy healthy buns :D
 
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