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Additional Rabbits

ewest

New Kit
Can someone please help me, I have two female rabbits which I got from Vets for Pets and they are now a year old. I love my rabbits so much but I would like to have a couple more, there are two rabbits now in vets for pets and they are up for adoption as no one wants them. However they are also female rabbits, the shop assistant told me that I was 'absolutley not' to have these rabbits. I am prepared to take as long as it takes to bond the four together, I have read up online and it doesn't say that it can't be done and I don't know who else I can ask for advise. Can someone help?
 
If all 4 rabbits have been neutered for some time (at least a couple of months), then in theory it is possible to bond 4 girls - but in all cases, there is the possibility of all bonds breaking down and you may end up with any combination rather than a quad. If you have the resources (time, money, space, etc) to cope with eg 4 singles to re-bond into pairs, then you could try - assuming that they will actually let you take the new pair after what they have said. They could refuse the sale / adoption. Did they say why you should 'absolutely not' have these rabbits?
 
Can someone please help me, I have two female rabbits which I got from Vets for Pets and they are now a year old. I love my rabbits so much but I would like to have a couple more, there are two rabbits now in vets for pets and they are up for adoption as no one wants them. However they are also female rabbits, the shop assistant told me that I was 'absolutley not' to have these rabbits. I am prepared to take as long as it takes to bond the four together, I have read up online and it doesn't say that it can't be done and I don't know who else I can ask for advise. Can someone help?

Does are certainly the most challenging to bond and I would not attempt it unless all 4 were spayed. I wont say that bonding 4 Does would be 'impossible', but it is unlikely to be easy. You'd need to have a back up plan if it did not work out. Worst case scenario would be that your current pair fall out when the new pair arrive and the new pair fall out too. That would leave you with 4 single Rabbits.

So aswell as the obvious additional expense of spaying/vaccinating 2 more Rabbits you'd need to factor in the availability of funds and space to accommodate separate pairs or 4 single Rabbits (if 'worse case scenario' happened).

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Thank you both for your advice, I have taken this into consideration and I won't adopt the new females. It is just really sad that these two rabbits haven't yet found a loving home. Could I ask then, could this work more so if we were to try and bond two Male rabbits instead?
 
I find girls the most difficult to bond anyway. I would be feeling particularly brave to attempt to bond 4 girls.
2 girls and 2 boys would probably be a much better / easier mix. There is still a chance of it not working as you would like - so the riders on bonding a quad still stand. Can you manage if you end up with 4 singles, or maybe 2 different pairs to the original ones?
 
I know everyone says girls are hard to bond but my girls have been perfect no problems, which upsets me if I was to get two more rabbits and then my original girls have their bond broken I would be devestated. I just can't help but feel sorry for the other two still at the pet store... My girls have been neutered and the two new girsl would also be neutered, does that make a bigger difference for it to work??
 
I wouldn't even consider trying to bond a quad of any combination unless they had all been neutered at least 2 months previously. They are likely to be too hormonal for it to work and then you have to upset the group again if some still need neutering. Best to wait a few extra weeks and give the bonding process a much greater chance of being successful.
 
My pair that I have already have been neutered for over 6 months now, it will just be the new bunnies that I will have to get neutered and as they are being adopted they do this for you.. So if I keep them seperated for at least two months after that do you think it could possibly work? Sorry so many questions but I don't know where else to get advise.

Thank you for your help I appreciate it
 
Thank you both for your advice, I have taken this into consideration and I won't adopt the new females. It is just really sad that these two rabbits haven't yet found a loving home. Could I ask then, could this work more so if we were to try and bond two Male rabbits instead?


Hi there and welcome :wave:

In theory all bonds are possible. In practice, some are more difficult than others :)

If I were you (and I have done hundreds of successful bondings) I would get a single male. Preferably already neutered and from a Rescue Centre. Then if you feel you can't tackle the bonding yourself (and it can take nerves of steel!) then the Rescue can bond for you if you ask them nicely beforehand :)
 
My pair that I have already have been neutered for over 6 months now, it will just be the new bunnies that I will have to get neutered and as they are being adopted they do this for you.. So if I keep them seperated for at least two months after that do you think it could possibly work? Sorry so many questions but I don't know where else to get advise.

Thank you for your help I appreciate it

Even spayed Does can be a big challenge to bond. As previously mentioned, I am not saying it'd be totally impossible. But of all the possible combinations of a quad 4 Does is the least likely to be harmonious. Personally if it would be impossible to accommodate a worst case scenario outcome I would not take on two more Does.

If you bring new Rabbits into an environment where other Rabbits already live you also need to consider the chance of referred aggression between Rabbits who are already bonded. The Rabbits smell/see the newcomer(s) and start to squabble amongst each other as they feel their established hierarchy is under threat.

Obviously we are giving you all the possible 'negatives', which IMO should always be taken into account. It may be that were you to adopt the other two Does, have them spayed (P@H give you a voucher to get this done, they rarely have them spayed/castrated before you take them home), things may eventually work out. No-one can give you any cast iron guarantees either way. For a period of time you would have 2 unspayed Does which could be an issue for them when theY become aware of your current pair aswell as potentially causing aggro' between your current pair.


Having the ability to keep both pairs out of sight/smell of each other would be necessary initially, both for quarantine purposes and to avoid the risk of any referred aggression between either pair.
 
My pair that I have already have been neutered for over 6 months now, it will just be the new bunnies that I will have to get neutered and as they are being adopted they do this for you.. So if I keep them seperated for at least two months after that do you think it could possibly work? Sorry so many questions but I don't know where else to get advise.

Thank you for your help I appreciate it


Please don't be sorry!

Those of us helping you do so of our own free will :D:wave:
 
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