Just a bit curious as to why boy pairs aren't recommended. At work, I always recommend being wary if taking two brothers, and to get them neutered as soon as they're old enough, that there's no guarantee they'll get along, etc., but I'm giving this advice and not quite knowing the logic of it.
I know two unneutered boys can get hormonal and fight - but if you get rid of the hormones (by neutering), does this mean a neutered male pairing is as 'stable' as a neutered male-spayed female pair?
I've got four boy buns - When I had Mary, I was planning to get him a girlfriend once he was neutered and had waited the correct length to be 'safe'. Then I took on a poorly male bun. Once he was better and neutered, I tried them together. I carried on bonding for a while, and they got to the stage where Joey always wanted to be with Mary, but Mary just didn't want to know and kept hopping off, resulting in Joey chasing him around the run/floor until I split them up.
I then took on another boy bunny, with teeth problems. He had his teeth out and had the snip, waited, then tried him and Mary together. They got on great from the start, and now live together and adore each other. They're forever cuddled up, or sitting side by side pigging out on their diced veg, grooming each other, etc.
I've got my fourth bun now - another male (always seems to be the boys with problems that I feel sorry for! We struggle enough convincing people not to just look at the cute little babies, but no one wants to take on an older bun with teeth problems). Once his teeth are removed and he's had the snip, I was planning on bonding him with Mary and Squishy - they've met very briefly, not been vicious but Rex kept mounting them :roll:
I was discussing it with a friend last night..do rabbits really 'know' if another bun is a boy or a girl? I assume they release pheremones or something we can't smell, but once they're neutered can other buns tell the difference? And do they 'know' they're not supposed to like other boys if they're male themself?
I know it's a common myth that male mice have to be kept on their own, but I've seen groups together that have got along fine. Though I've also seen a pair that got along for a while, then fell out and attacked each other (though the cage wasn't big enough for one, let alone a pair). There's also a myth that male rats can't be housed together, or that you can't introduce non-related males, when this has been done successfully by many people (including myself). I do have lone male rats, but all have health conditions which I think makes them want to be left on their own (one has a severe headtilt that didn't clear up with meds, and is very aggressive to rats and people, another has very sensitive skin and doesn't like people or other rats touching him - I have his aunt and she's the same, though I've managed to introduce her to two older rats and they're fine, the cage is big enough that she can get well away from them when she wants to, and the other two boys are so elderly they just need a retirement cage on their own to age/die in peace - when with other rats, they just didn't want to know)
I know two unneutered boys can get hormonal and fight - but if you get rid of the hormones (by neutering), does this mean a neutered male pairing is as 'stable' as a neutered male-spayed female pair?
I've got four boy buns - When I had Mary, I was planning to get him a girlfriend once he was neutered and had waited the correct length to be 'safe'. Then I took on a poorly male bun. Once he was better and neutered, I tried them together. I carried on bonding for a while, and they got to the stage where Joey always wanted to be with Mary, but Mary just didn't want to know and kept hopping off, resulting in Joey chasing him around the run/floor until I split them up.
I then took on another boy bunny, with teeth problems. He had his teeth out and had the snip, waited, then tried him and Mary together. They got on great from the start, and now live together and adore each other. They're forever cuddled up, or sitting side by side pigging out on their diced veg, grooming each other, etc.
I've got my fourth bun now - another male (always seems to be the boys with problems that I feel sorry for! We struggle enough convincing people not to just look at the cute little babies, but no one wants to take on an older bun with teeth problems). Once his teeth are removed and he's had the snip, I was planning on bonding him with Mary and Squishy - they've met very briefly, not been vicious but Rex kept mounting them :roll:
I was discussing it with a friend last night..do rabbits really 'know' if another bun is a boy or a girl? I assume they release pheremones or something we can't smell, but once they're neutered can other buns tell the difference? And do they 'know' they're not supposed to like other boys if they're male themself?
I know it's a common myth that male mice have to be kept on their own, but I've seen groups together that have got along fine. Though I've also seen a pair that got along for a while, then fell out and attacked each other (though the cage wasn't big enough for one, let alone a pair). There's also a myth that male rats can't be housed together, or that you can't introduce non-related males, when this has been done successfully by many people (including myself). I do have lone male rats, but all have health conditions which I think makes them want to be left on their own (one has a severe headtilt that didn't clear up with meds, and is very aggressive to rats and people, another has very sensitive skin and doesn't like people or other rats touching him - I have his aunt and she's the same, though I've managed to introduce her to two older rats and they're fine, the cage is big enough that she can get well away from them when she wants to, and the other two boys are so elderly they just need a retirement cage on their own to age/die in peace - when with other rats, they just didn't want to know)
