• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Advice about adding a baby to an adult couple please

Peanut-Toffee

Warren Veteran
As I said in a previous post, Ive fell in love with a black male dutch bunny, hes only a baby at the moment and will be ready to leave in a couple of weeks. Please dont judge me for this.

My plan is to keep him in a hutch inside the shed that Roxy & Rory live in, until hes been neutered and can start a 'proper' bond....but at least having them in the same place they can get to know each other?
Would this work? He would be vaccinated before I brought him home.
Just want advice please, no judgement.
 
Personally, i wouldnt have him anywhere near them.

An un-neutered male in the same territory as a current pair could cause many things, aggression and fighting between your existing pair, at worst, horrid injuries to somebun and the current bond breaking down completely irretrievably. To be honest, even if he was neutered it still could.

Should quarantine him well away from them until he's neutered and fully vaccinated (3 weeks post-vaccination).

Might be worth reading the 'Thinking about a Trio' sticky thread at the top of the 'Behaviour & Bonding' section :wave:

NB:I'm not going to judge you, but just be aware, this could become a rather emotive subject matter, you know how pro-rescue RU is and this is another baby coming from A N OTHER place other than rescue.
 
As I said in a previous post, Ive fell in love with a black male dutch bunny, hes only a baby at the moment and will be ready to leave in a couple of weeks. Please dont judge me for this.

My plan is to keep him in a hutch inside the shed that Roxy & Rory live in, until hes been neutered and can start a 'proper' bond....but at least having them in the same place they can get to know each other?
Would this work? He would be vaccinated before I brought him home.
Just want advice please, no judgement.

I would keep him totally away from your bonded pair as once the baby Buck matures he will start to spray and that will cause chaos with fighting between your bonded pair.

I would house him in a separate environment away from sight, sound and smell of the duo. Also, try to avoid handling him before going to attend to your pair. Especially once he becomes mature as the smell of an entire Buck on you is likely to set your pair off.

Once he is neutered and he has had a few weeks to recover and his hormones have settled I would only attempt to bond him into your pair by doing so in a 100% neutral small area. If you just put him in a separate cage in their shed referred aggression between the pair is very likely. If that led to a fall blown fight you could end up with a broken bond between the pair and thus have three single Rabbits.

Good luck
 
Thanks for all the advice.....guess my hearts ruling my head as I want a new bun so much, but dont wanna risk breaking Roxy & Rory up :(
I dont have anywhere else I could keep another bun either :(
 
Thanks for all the advice.....guess my hearts ruling my head as I want a new bun so much, but dont wanna risk breaking Roxy & Rory up :(
I dont have anywhere else I could keep another bun either :(

Perhaps you should re-think obtaining said bun?
 
agree with all Jane said re quarantine from your pair..also keep in mind bonding trios often works..but also someitmes it doesn't and again, you could end up with 3 singles..that is something you must consider
and yep I'll say..there are plenty of gorgeous bunnies you could fall in love with sitting in rescue...and most would be in rescues that would help you to bond your trio

just one example

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/moreinfo.asp?RabID=28888
 
Last edited:
I have done this, bonded a baby bunny with adults, without problems and just got the baby neutered asap as soon as the balls drop (13 weeks was the youngest I've had a boy done). It IS higher risk though, and you would definitely need the capacity to keep them separate in case the hormones kick in and you get trouble before the balls have dropped. The other thing to consider is that whilst they may be accepted as a baby, as they develop their personalities they may not really like each other as adults and just sort of 'tolerate' each other.
Bonding adults is a much better way of getting a strong lasting bond.
I can't remember where about's you are? but I'm sure there are dutchies coming up all the time.
 
As I said in a previous post, Ive fell in love with a black male dutch bunny, hes only a baby at the moment and will be ready to leave in a couple of weeks. Please dont judge me for this.

My plan is to keep him in a hutch inside the shed that Roxy & Rory live in, until hes been neutered and can start a 'proper' bond....but at least having them in the same place they can get to know each other?
Would this work? He would be vaccinated before I brought him home.
Just want advice please, no judgement.

I'm sorry but putting another rabbit into a space that a bonded pair live in is a receipe for disaster. They won't "get to now each other"- your bonded pair will fight with each other!

I would never upset a bond just for your own personal gain of wanting another bunny, it's not fair on your other two.

I speak from experience, I had a bonded pair. Took on another bunny who needed help. My pair smelt him in the house and had a fight. I have never managed to rebond despite numerous attempts. I now have three single bunnies.
 
Thanks for all your advice....guess Im just being selfish :(

I don't want to sound mean, I just know how terrible I felt when my bonds broke down and I ended up with three singles.

If you really want this baby why not have two and get them separate accommodation?
 
I think I would only add another rabbit to a happily bonded pair if it was for their own good.
I agree if you really want the bunny then could you get a pair and house them seperately.
Is it because you want another bunny or is there something about this one in particular? A rescue would probably have a nice already bonded pair for you, already neutered and vaccinated most likely.
 
I've two trios and they work well together, but as others said he would need to be neutered and I would leave him a good six weeks after neuter before you attempt to bond.
 
I think I would only add another rabbit to a happily bonded pair if it was for their own good.
I agree if you really want the bunny then could you get a pair and house them seperately.
Is it because you want another bunny or is there something about this one in particular? A rescue would probably have a nice already bonded pair for you, already neutered and vaccinated most likely.

Really want a black dutch bunny and found the perfect little boy who Ive fell in love with.
My 2 are in a 7x5 shed, dont have the space or money to buy another shed! Have the money for vets etc though, just not got spare money to spend on another shed.
 
Really want a black dutch bunny and found the perfect little boy who Ive fell in love with.
My 2 are in a 7x5 shed, dont have the space or money to buy another shed! Have the money for vets etc though, just not got spare money to spend on another shed.

Maybe if it aint broke dont try to fix it ;)

As hard as it can be to follow your head rather than your heart (and believe me I KNOW having seen a Rabbit that I WANT SO BADLY but can not have.) taking on the Baby may compromise your pair and that would not be fair. They must come first in any decision you make.

I really DO understand what it is like to see a particular Rabbit and desperately want to have them. But sometimes heart ruling head decisions can lead to lots of heartache in the long term. Not always, but it can happen.
 
Back
Top