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Re; Help and guidance regarding introducing a young kit to Lillian

Craig 1965

Warren Veteran
Hello everyone. Please could I ask for your views and guidance and advice please on a matter regarding my bun Lillian. For those of you not familiar with the background, we have a young rescue bun -Lillian. We got her with a view to bonding with our recently widowed male Bun Ben but that didn't work and we sadly lost ben a week later (not as a result of Lillian). So we made a positive decision to keep Lillian - it would not be fair on her to send her back to the rescue centre - not after all the poor young bun has been through. We can and are and will offer her safety, security and love - which she has sadly been denied in her previous home.
Anyway, we are going to get her spayed - probably the other side of xmas. We would want her to feel settled here with us before subjecting her to more stress that she doesn't need right now. But we also wish to have her a bun-friend.
Now, one of my work colleagues has asked me for help because he has a male bun and recently he went to a pet shop and got a male bun friend for his bun. He asked me for advice when he got the new bun (younger than the one he had) as they were showing signs of playful fighting - nothing serious. I suspect some of you might know where this is going. But you'd be wrong.
Anyway, his older bun started to do a bit of 'simulated coitus' with his new 'male' young bun (now you know where this is going) and on monday, he came to me and said "guess what?" And you'd now all be right. New young bun wasn't a male! So he now has 3 very small, very newly born buns. 'Mum' and kits are doing well and I've told him to separate the father because...well, you know.
Anyway, he wanted to know if I would be interested in one of the new babies once they have been weened - about 8-10 weeks from now I assume - or just after xmas.
Now, thing is, I've never had or considered adopting such a young bun and I would imagine that the kit would be very small.
My question to everyone please - and please be as candid as you feel, is - would it be possible to bond a young 10 week old kit (preferably a male and yes I would get him neutered when the bun was up to it) with Lillian? I would be anxious about the size difference but would Lillian be any way 'maternal' towards a new young kit?
I'm not sure how else to put the question so I would appreciate all your views and thoughts. One one hand, I would dearly love to help in this situation because I would hate to think the young kits would end up not being wanted or loved. So I could adopt one. But would it be advisable or not?
Thank you all in advance for your advice on this.
 
Bonding the new young rabbit with Lillian would possibly work as long s you take each step slowly. Wait until the young male has been neutered (around 4 months of age) and by this time Lillian may have been spayed? When they have both recovered from their neuters you could introduce them in a neutral area bearing in mind female rabbits are much more territorial than males.

You must try to make sure you adopt a male rabbit, not a female, as that would be much more difficult to bond with Lillian, if not impossible.

Lillian would not feel maternal about the young rabbit ime so you couldn't put them together until he has been neutered. So, lots to look forward to and hope it all works out well for the buns and you.
 
Thank you so much Tonibun for your extremely helpful advice. I didn't know about the territorial issue with females. I have sort of been fortunate with the buns I've looked after and they haven't really had territory issues. I may need to re-consider things as ideally I had initially planned to try to bond Lillian with a male of similar age (she's about 2 years old) and ideally I was hoping to find a harlequin - to remind me of our dear bun Ben who we lost a few weeks ago. But then these kits came along and I thought there may have been a way I could help. It looks like I've got lots to look think about. Thank you again for your advice. It os very much appreciated. Craig
 
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