Help/advice needed with attempting bonding! :-/

[birdlady]

Hello

I would like some help/advice please re. the following...:roll:

I had 2 male neutered brothers who lived very happily together as house rabbits aged 6. Sadly one died of cancer last December. I've had a bee in my bonet about getting another for a couple of months now. I enquired about rehoming but there was no rescues in my area. My male is fairly friendly, use to being handled. He occassionally use to hump his brother which was possibly a dominance thing.

I ideally wanted a spayed female but stupidly last saturday came home with a 2-3 year old beautiful but nervous mini lop which had had a pretty naff life as was used for breeding hence not spayed and not use to being handled etc.

So... Since last saturday I've had her in an indoor cage in one room away from the room where my male predominantly lives. He's been in the room to see her and has showed some interest, sniffing through the bars at each other and then appears to not acknowledge her existance, sitting with his back to the cage etc.

He has started spraying and leaving droppings around her cage which I assume is territorial behavour? Also running past her cage thumping his feet! I have read up online how you have to bond them in a ''neutral'' area was thinking about the kitchen as its quite small with a tiled floor, have also read about using the bath?! :shock:

Basically I am DREADING trying them together, I get the feeling he will hump her and I am unsure how she will react, she may hump too as not spayed?! To be honest I have read up on what a nightmare bonding can be and am worried now about trying it. My sister had a neutered male live with a unspayed female and had no problems bonding etc.

Help/advice much appreciated.

Thanks. :thumb:

 

[SamanthaJane]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

To be honest, I would recommend getting her spayed first - the bond can work without, but it has much more chance of working with her being spayed. Also, female rabbits have a very high chance of uterine cancer (about 80-85% chance) if they aren't spayed. So it's definately worth doing.

For the actual bond, you need a small space, where neither rabbit has been before (or really well cleaned and neutralised if not) and essentially, put both rabbits in there and stay with them for as long as it takes (upwards of 2 days usually).

Search on the old fourm posts, lots of great advice and more detailed information for you there as well.

But I would really recommend getting her spayed first. They will be much more settled and happier for it I believe.

 

[birdlady]

Spaying

Hi

Thank you for your reply.

I was considering getting her spayed but the problem is if I do before I attempt bonding how long would I have to wait after the op before I try them together? Also if I do pay £95+ to get her spayed and they hate eachother then I've payed all that money for a bunny that I don't know what to do with.

Kind Regards :wave:

 

[SamanthaJane]

£95 is very expensive for a spay. I paid £80 and that was at the high price end so I believe.

It can take a month or so for hormones to calm down after a spay. With the time of year as well (spring fever and all that jazz) I'd give it 3 weeks - a month to bond, depending on your opinion.

My girls are littermates - they were fine until they started squabbling at about 5 months. I took them to be spayed and had to seperate after the spay as one of them had problems with her stitches. I then had to rebond sadly as they wouldn't be together. BUT I was able to rebond after about a week successfully. They had been living side by side though and I believe this helped.

But I wouldn't look at it as a case of 'money wasted' more money well spent due to the health benefits for her either way.

To be honest, most rabbits will bond if it's done properly.

He will be acting the way he is, because she is on his territory. Once she's spayed, you will be able to bond them - and whilst doing so, give his area a really good clean so it's new to him.

I can't see any problems arising. Of course, it's a possibility they won't bond - but that's a bridge you'll have to cross when you get there.

 

[Sky-O]

To get the maximum chance of success for bonding, she needs to be spayed. You need to then wait 6-8 weeks after a spay to start proper bonding.

It's important, when taking on a bunny, to consider what will happen if they don't bond, so you're going to need to think about that.

This might be of use to you. http://flashsplace.webs.com/bondingbunnies.htm

 

[GrahamL]

Hi

Thank you for your reply.

I was considering getting her spayed but the problem is if I do before I attempt bonding how long would I have to wait after the op before I try them together? Also if I do pay £95+ to get her spayed and they hate eachother then I've payed all that money for a bunny that I don't know what to do with.

Kind Regards :wave:

Please take this post as meant.

Spaying a rabbit is not solely for the purpose of her being able to be bonded with another rabbit. It is for her health. 85% of rabbits get ovarian cancer by the age of 5 if not spayed. She will be controlled solely by her hormones once she becomes sexually mature (anywhere from 4-6 months old) and could become aggressive due to those hormones, her behaviour would not be reflective of her personality.

Why would you not want to pay the money to have her spayed, as you wouldn't want to keep her on her own anyway, so she'd need a partner at some point? What are you going to do if they DONT bond? Have you considered this? A rabbit is a lifetime responsibility.

Once she is spayed, you would need to wait 6-8 weeks before you attempt a bond to allow her hormones to calm down.

Humping is part of normal rabbit behaviour, it doesn't stop post-neuter/spay The bonding would need to be done in 100% neutral territory, or they WILL fight over that territory. The space needs to be small to start with, 4ft x 2ft max roughly. Then it can be increased ~48hours later if no fighting, no space increases at all until 48 hours have passed without fighting. Be aware, bonding can easily take over a week and you NEED to stay with them for at least the first few days until you are happy they are comfortable together without fighting.

 

[Alleycat]

I agree with what everyone here has said, and I would like to add to that another benefit of spaying:

I live with a 3-year old unspayed doe who cannot be spayed as I live in a country where I don't trust any vet to operate on her, and she has some days where she is so hormonal and so stressed she is clearly uncomfortable and spaying would eliminate this.

Just out of interest: what are you planning to do with the second bunny, spayed or not, if they don't bond? It sounds like you've taken on a bunny under the condition that it bonds with your exisiting bunny, and if not, you are not going to keep it?

 

[Vegan_Bunny]

If the bond doesn't work out and you are unable to keep her separately you could try to rehome her and ask for a donation towards the expense of keeping her. That would be a last resort of course and getting her spayed would be essential if you were to rehome her as nobody wants to take on an unspayed doe.

 

[birdlady]

Spay

Thank you all for your help.

Just to let you all know I've booked Rosie in to be spayed next Monday (27th). Feel a bit guilty but its for her own good.

How long do I need to leave it after her spay before I try bonding them?

P.S. I am intending to keep her even if they don't bond but will have to worry about that if and when it happens.

Regards.