advice with rabbit bonding please.

I need some help please, I have a new Zealand white and yesterday I rescued a male rabbit he is neutered she isn't, she will be neutered next week, I wasn't going to get a rabbit as a friend for her so soon as of course I wanted her spayed first and I haven't had her that long, but looking through Gumtree I saw an add for these rabbits who were getting neglected and as I was going to get her a friend in the future I though why not,the neutered rabbit is healthy and eating pooing well. Now I have them in the front room with me they each have a pen 4ft by 2 ft I know they are a little small but they will get more room when bonded. I have then pens next to each other so no harm can be done, I have added extra bar mesh panels between them as yesterday she was trying to bite him though the bars she isn't doing this the morning and they are content to lay and behave normally. Please tell me what to do to bond them, I understand that she is need neutering first and the given time for hormones to die down, I normally let her free range for 2 hours a day, but now I am unsure of what to do for best by them, I would really like some advice.

How long have you had the male? I would definitely not put him anywhere near your current bun. He needs to be quarantined until you know 100% that he is healthy. Has he been to the vets to check that he's definitely a neutered male? Has he been vaccinated?

Before even thinking about bonding you need to make sure he is definitely healthy. You would also need to wait at least 6 weeks after your doe's spey before bonding to ensure her hormones have calmed down.

If she is allowed to go up to his pen they might scratch or nip one another so that is not a good thing to do. After she is spayed she will need time to recover, we reckon on about 6 weeks for the hormone levels to die down but if you feel she might be ready to bond sooner you could try it. It depends on how hormonal she is at the moment really.

You must put them together in a place where neither has been before or somewhere that has been neutralised with 50/50 water and white vinegar. Put the male rabbit in first and try to keep them together for as long as possible in this area, for at least a week. We can help you more at the time if you need it. When they are bonded you will be able to increase their space or transfer them to where they will be living.

As you are introducing the male into the female's territory it is more important to introduce them in a completely neutral area as females are generally more territorial than males. Are you sure the boy is neutered?

Yes I am sure he is neutered, so a bedroom would be better for the bonding, also we have been to the vets and he is healthy we went this morning. yes he has had is vacs same as my female, basically a child owned him and the parents had him neutered and vacs done but then the child lost interested and the parents got sick of looking after him. so would a pen set with them next to each other be ok before 6 week ?

Newzealandwhites said:

Yes I am sure he is neutered, so a bedroom would be better for the bonding, also we have been to the vets and he is healthy we went this morning. yes he has had is vacs same as my female, basically a child owned him and the parents had him neutered and vacs done but then the child lost interested and the parents got sick of looking after him. so would a pen set with them next to each other be ok before 6 week ?

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Spay booked for Friday next week.

You will have to be the judge of whether they are happy to be next to one another. Don't let them upset one another though as it could hinder the bonding, try to keep a calm happy atmosphere and it should be all right. If you wait the full 6 weeks that means 2 months before you introduce them. This is quite a long time in the set up you have. I would try bonding them after she has had her stitches out which makes it 1 month from now. Has she shown any hormonal tendencies ie nesting or aggression?

Can you not increase their space before they are bonded? Th set up is really far too small to be in more than a week or so tbh.

No she hasn't shown any nesting instincts she tried twice yesterday to have a nip though the bars but nothing today and she and him have been content to lay down nest to each other, she has done some foot banging to day, apart them that nothing else, I will try and bond them after her stitches come out, so in about a month, I would struggle to make the space any bigger maybe 5ft by 2ft each but that would be as far as I can get, but to him it must be better than a cage out side not being fed or given clean bedding exposed to the weather,

Newzealandwhites said:

No she hasn't shown any nesting instincts she tried twice yesterday to have a nip though the bars but nothing today and she and him have been content to lay down nest to each other, she has done some foot banging to day, apart them that nothing else, I will try and bond them after her stitches come out, so in about a month, I would struggle to make the space any bigger maybe 5ft by 2ft each but that would be as far as I can get, but to him it must be better than a cage out side not being fed or given clean bedding exposed to the weather,

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She is a New Zealand white? Aren't they are giant breed? :?

they are but she is tiny, cant understand why she is about the size of a mini lop.