Please help - two male unneuteured bunnies.

[bunnyandbeanie]

Hi all,

I hope you can help us.

5 months ago we brought home our first mini lop called Bunny who is free roam and lives downstairs in our home. Bunny is very placid and cuddly but does go a little crazy time to time, when we bought Bunny home we were advised Bunny was a girl. Bunny is now 6-7 months and we have decided to get her spayed, and have a pre surgery app on Saturday.

The last few weeks Bunny has been showing signs of loneliness and just seemed generally sad - alongside circling our feet, being quite needy and making honking noises (which we're aware is their sign of showing they're ready to mate)

We decided to get another mini lop a few days ago and bought home our little Beanie, who is 13 weeks old. As we have had Beanie home for nearly 48 hours, Bunny was getting quite excitable and is now poo-ing a lot plus is always trying to hump Beanies head and behind - we do not keep them together for long periods of time, Bunny is still having free roam, where Beanie is in a pen at the moment whilst he gets settled. Beanie may I add does not seem phased by the behaviour of Bunny but doesn't allow Bunny to hump him for too long before running away. I want to reassure Bunny not aggressive towards Beanie in anyway. When Beanie is in the pen, Bunny does try to get in plus will stomp but will eventually lay down next to the pen next to Beanie. When Beanie is outside the pen, he does binky and is enjoying himself.

However, Bunny when around Beanie and a while after will not eat her food or be her normal self (she just becomes so hyperactive) and when we picked Bunny up yesterday to separate them, we found out Bunny is not a girl, but in-fact looks like a boy. As I mentioned above Bunny is booked in for a consultation on Saturday to confirm this.

We just want to know, is this safe for two males to be together (I have a inkling that Beanie may be a girl though - as Beanie is a lot smaller in size and seems different - but this is just my instinct) We do not want to do anything which causes stress, anxiety or upset to the bunnies and just want them to be companions.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[a reader of books]

It sounds like a good idea to first confirm for sure what sexes the bunnies are. Can you ask the vet if you can take Beanie with you to Bunny's pre-surgery appointment to have Beanie's sex confirmed as well? Until then, please keep them separated, as at 13 weeks, Beanie is already fertile and could make Bunny pregnant if Bunny turns out to be a girl after all and Beanie is indeed a boy. And if they're two boy bunnies they really need to be neutered first, as two unneutered boy bunnies are likely to have serious fights, even if things seem to be fine right now. Also, be careful letting Bunny hump Beanie's head, as Beanie could bite Bunny's genitals.

As for your question, though. Two boy bunnies can be bonded, as long as they're neutered. I've had several neutered boy bunny pairs myself in the past, and they were very fond of each other. As always, though, it depends on whether the two bunnies like each other, so careful bonding is recommended.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Regardless of gender both Rabbits must be kept apart until both are neutered. They can’t meet up to ‘play’ as this will risk fighting. If fighting occurs prior to neutering it will be extremely difficult to ever get them to bond even after neutering. Putting them together to ‘play’ then separating them is stressful for them. As shown by the fact that one of them stops eating for some time after they have been together. And of course there is always the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. Bucks are fertile as soon as their testes descend, usually at around 14-16 weeks, Does can become pregnant from about 16-18 weeks.

I would take both Rabbits to the Vet to confirm their genders. They will need vaccinating too, if this has not yet been done.

 

[bunnyandbeanie]

Thank you both for your responses!

We have both bunnies booked in for Saturday and will continue to keep them completely separate. Bunny is keeping her usual space and Beanie has a seperate room and we will let him run around the living room with us there without Bunny and vice versa until they are neutered.

Bunny is back to her/his usual self now, I am just worried we have caused issues but I'm hoping as it's been such a short amount of time hopefully it hasn't plus like I said there was no aggressiveness from either bunnies so that is a good sign, right?

Once both are neutered, do you have any good advice to ensure good bonding?

Thank you both again, we just want the best lives for them.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thank you both for your responses!

We have both bunnies booked in for Saturday and will continue to keep them completely separate. Bunny is keeping her usual space and Beanie has a seperate room and we will let him run around the living room with us there without Bunny and vice versa until they are neutered.

Bunny is back to her/his usual self now, I am just worried we have caused issues but I'm hoping as it's been such a short amount of time hopefully it hasn't plus like I said there was no aggressiveness from either bunnies so that is a good sign, right?

Once both are neutered, do you have any good advice to ensure good bonding?

Thank you both again, we just want the best lives for them.

Leave any attempt to bond them at least 6-8 weeks after neutering so their hormones can settle. Hormone spikes can occur during that time which complicates bonding.

Bonding needs to take place in 100% neutral territory, somewhere that neither Rabbit has ever had access to.

Some additional information here

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/ownership/bonding-rabbits/

https://belovedrabbits.org/bunny-bonding/