Re-bonding mum with babies after her spay

Hey there, just wondering if anyone can give me some advice?

Maisy, my mummy bunny was spayed a week ago and the vet said I can reintroduce her with her two boys I keep together but separated from the mum when they became fertile up until her operation, totalling just over a month apart. Now shes fixed but the boys are still pretty randy and keep mounting and chasing the mum, she seems to be tolerating it but im not sure how to handle the whole situation.

Ive still got them separated when im out but when Im home Ive been experimenting with putting them together, day one I let out all three together and both boys chased her and humped her so much I ended up taking them away, but I worked out that Rolo is the more dominant of the two. So day two I let out Dusty (the other boy) and Maisy and after a short while of chasing they were fine for the few hours they were out. Day three I tried the same with Rolo and they sort of went thru 20 minute or so cycles of lying together happily for a bit and then chasing.

No actual fights yet but how should I go about putting them all together? the boys are nearly 3 months old so I cud probably get them neutered when ive saved up the money but I was kind of hoping I could avoid it if anyone thinks thats possible?

I dunno I just need advice please!!!

thanks bunny fans,
Liv xx

I think you will probably struggle to get them together if the boys are unneutered. They will be very hormonal, and it would get quite tiring for Maisy who risks being constantly humped by them. There's also the risk that the two boys will fall out with each other.

I think it would be fairer to get the boys neutered then leave it 4 weeks or so after that for their hormones to die down, then try again with putting them together. You will have to keep a close eye on the boys if they are kept together between now and when they are neutered, as their hormones will just be kicking in now and you may find they start to get a bit 'chasey' with each other, or even aggressive.

When you do introduce them it needs to be on neutral ground where none of them have been before. Many people prefer to use a very small area for bonding (like 2ft x 2ft space) so that the rabbits stay in close proximity to each other during the bonding session.

Yes, you will need to have the boys neutered - otherwise they will fight with each other and their mum.

Your boys will start to fight soon (around 14 weeks) but could be earlier, unless you are very very lucky. They can injure one another too. Even if you only had one of the boys with Mum, he would still constantly pester her if not neutered. With 2 boys they would definitely fight over her. It would be so stressful for all of them.

poop. i knew this was gonna be the answer i just wanted it confirmed like. what is the best time to get the boys neutered do we recon? their just so little still its a bit scary the thought of them going under anaesthetic :S but also wont it be harder to rebond them the longer i leave them apart? oooh its a minefield lol! xxx

They can be done as soon as their testicles appear. Around 4 months old usually. It is possibly better to bond after the spring. I have got 2 brothers who have fallen out (both neutered) and will now wait for a couple of months for sprin/summer fever to die down before bonding them again. Although they do have to have a ga it is surprising how quickly the boys bounce back. One of mine was back to normal by the end of the day, the other after two days. Good luck :wave:

liv862 said:

poop. i knew this was gonna be the answer i just wanted it confirmed like. what is the best time to get the boys neutered do we recon? their just so little still its a bit scary the thought of them going under anaesthetic :S but also wont it be harder to rebond them the longer i leave them apart? oooh its a minefield lol! xxx

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It's incredibly likely there's going to be a fight within the group and if that happens they might never go back together, better to separate them whilst they're still on good terms than wait till they fight. Two of my males once had a fight and they never forgot it, they used to go absolutely mental if their cages were near each other, you could tell they were really out to hurt each other (and they were never like that before and never like that with any other males)

Don't worry about the anasthetic, they're young and fit and a neuter is no where near as invasive as a spay

By the way they will need to all be separate from one another until they've healed and their hormones have really settled down, the vet should be able to give you a time estimate for this

thanks everyone for not taking the mickey i kno i must sound kinda dumb i just wanna be sure before i do anything cos i kno u cant always trust the vets word as gospel lol!!
definitely gonna get the boys neutered then, the only question is when. i only recently lost a bunny a couple weeks ago which is why im so paranoid about the boys u c, but i am fully aware that their relationship for the rest of their lives is more important so i wont be putting them bak with mum in the meantime. they hav got little bunny balls already, but they are only just 3 months old so ill ask the vet for her opinion wen they go for vaccinations on monday. do people here think i should wait another month just in case? and do we think i shud separate the two boys in the meantime? they are littermates and iv never seen any inkling of bad feelings between them but as sum1 said if they suddenly start to fight i mite never get them bak together!!! dus that seem over cautious or sensible?
thanks again everyone id be so lost without this website lol!!! xxx