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Advice please

Milly912

New Kit
Hi,

I'm new to rabbit care. I have a male (neutered) rabbit he is 8 months old. He was neutered in December, so the amount of time has passed that I was advised before I introduced a female rabbit. I would like to get him a friend and I've seen a female rabbit that is 4 months old, so obviously hasn't been sprayed as yet (but would be when old enough). They will both live indoors, and my male rabbit has adjusted to sharing the house with me well, I just wondered if anyone had any advise, i.e. firstly is a good idea to introduce an a female that has been sprayed yet, should I keep them apart until she has been.. etc... etc.

Any advise greatly received before I make the decision on getting him a companion.

Thanks :)
 
Hi,

I'm new to rabbit care. I have a male (neutered) rabbit he is 8 months old. He was neutered in December, so the amount of time has passed that I was advised before I introduced a female rabbit. I would like to get him a friend and I've seen a female rabbit that is 4 months old, so obviously hasn't been sprayed as yet (but would be when old enough). They will both live indoors, and my male rabbit has adjusted to sharing the house with me well, I just wondered if anyone had any advise, i.e. firstly is a good idea to introduce an a female that has been sprayed yet, should I keep them apart until she has been.. etc... etc.

Any advise greatly received before I make the decision on getting him a companion.

Thanks :)

Hello

It is possible to introduce an unspayed Doe to a neutered Buck, but it can be more challenging. Especially as Spring time approaches, the hormonal behaviour is likely to be more heightened as the daylight hours extend. It's known as 'Spring Fever' !

When introducing Rabbits it is necessary to do so on 100% neutral territory. If your Buck has access to every room in the house then you may have to keep him out of a particular room for several weeks and deep clean/'neutralise' the room before using a space within it to start any introductions.

I would advise you to take a look around the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund's website. There is a vast amount of information about Rabbit care there

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Some more information about bonding Rabbits :

http://www.fatfluffs.com/info/bonding/

Good luck :)
 
Hello there! This new rabbit sounds a good match for your male, and if she is of a sweet disposition it would be possible to introduce them now and then have her spayed when she is around 6 months old. At 4 months old she possibly won't have begun to act hormonally so should get along with him. Be prepared for your boy to chase her quite a bit the first day or so, this is normal. Keep in touch if you need any more advice.
 
Thanks for your comments. My rabbit has access to whole house but one room that is ‘his’ so I know I can’t put a new rabbit in there with him. I was thinking the kitchen which is next to his room and one he just passes through but does not spend much time is (don’t think he likes the tiled floor!). I have a baby gate that I use when I need him to stay in his room so if I do get a new one they will be able to run around safely until they are bonded
 
Hello there! This new rabbit sounds a good match for your male, and if she is of a sweet disposition it would be possible to introduce them now and then have her spayed when she is around 6 months old. At 4 months old she possibly won't have begun to act hormonally so should get along with him. Be prepared for your boy to chase her quite a bit the first day or so, this is normal. Keep in touch if you need any more advice.


Tonibun has given you excellent advice :D

Neutral territory and patience are the keys to successful bonding.

Some info here:

http://rabbit.org/the-most-important-word-in-bonding-is-patience/

http://actionforrabbits.co.uk/bonding.html

http://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/ (good for pair bonding)



And videos:

Mischief and Tinker’s Mum
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?462466-How-I-bonded-my-trios-videos!

Also, Mairwen Guard has put some brilliant bonding videos on YouTube which are well worth watching - do search for them as there are quite a few.


Welcome to the Forum and good luck :wave:
 
It's much better to get a female to bond with a male. Have you got a Rescue close-by, they might have a young spayed female to be re-homed?
 
Hi

Sadly the one I had my eye on has been sold. Now hunting for another would another buck be better?

It is generally considered that the most likely pairing to bond successfully is a neutered Buck and a spayed Doe. That said, it is not unheard of for two neutered Bucks to get along just fine. I have bonded numerous Buck/Buck pairs.

Have you considered approaching a Rescue to find a friend for your Buck. A Rescue Rabbit is almost certainly going to be neutered/spayed and fully vaccinated. The Rescue may also be able to help you with the bonding process.
 
It's much better to get a female to bond with a male. Have you got a Rescue close-by, they might have a young spayed female to be re-homed?


I agree with tonibun - unless you are very experienced with bonding I would stick to adopting a female.

I too would think about a Rescue for your next rabbit ... What do you think?
 
Hi Milly 912 and welcome. Firstly, the previous threads have given you the very best excellent advice. They are all extremely experienced caring owners who know far more than I do and I can speak from experience of having benefitted from the wonderful advice from Mighty Max and support from Jacks-Jane and tonibun. You will learn far more from their posts than you could from other web pages and sites. From my own personal opinion, you would be best to bond a male and female bun. It is a natural partnership and generally holds better - in my own opinion. I am also a fan of rescue rabbits - personally. All of my buns bar two have been rescue and to me, its giving something back to the rabbits and giving them that second chance they have been denied. And I feel we owe it to our pets to do that - to be the ones to give them that chance of love and safety and friendship that they have not had in their lives. A spayed female would be your best option and this forum has plenty of contacts to good trusted rescue sites.
Neutral territory is key to any bonding as rabbits are quite territorial. I was extremely fortunate with my last bonded pair because they gelled very quickly and there was no real issue about territory. But that's the exception rather than the norm. I'm currently having bonding issues with my present pair - but that's a whole long story! I am also a believer in that the rabbit finds you, not the other way round so as much as it might sound counter productive, don't rush at it and take time to look and find the right one. It is important for buns to have companions but by getting the right rabbit for yours, you will possibly save alot of problems.
Looking forward to any photos and please do use the forum as much as possible. Everyone here is so extremely helpful and supportive and knowledgeable. Good luck.
 
Welcome to the forum, have you searched the rabbit rehome adoption sear h rabbits there are lots on there needing forever homes
 
Hi :wave: Welcome to the forum :)

There's a possibility a rescue further afield could help, if you've no luck closer to home (if it's an option logistically). We have a rescue bun from over an hour away and some rehome nationally (I think?) x
 
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