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4 female bunnies, 1 ill informed caregiver

N

Newtobunnies

New Kit
I became the caregiver of 4 female bunnies a few weeks ago. They had been housed together before they were brought to me. Their age is unknown, but I'm sure they are no older than 6 months, although, 2 look a little bigger than the others. I'm not sure if they're the same breed, but the smaller two resemble a mini rex according to online photos, black fur on their backs, around their eyes, and a small patch by the nose with a white stripe down the nose and a white chest and belly. One of the bigger ones is solid black and the other is white with small patches of grayish black fur on her back. A few moments ago, they were chasing and hopping over each other, and I thought they were playing but I suddenly got a whiff of a pungent skunk scent. This took me by surprise as I've never known rabbits to give off a skunk scent. They're also thumping a lot, which I've read means they're not happy, and also digging into the carpet. There are plenty of things for them to chew on, they always have hay available, and they have 2 litter boxes plus the cage tray. They had been laying together and grooming each other, so I'm worried I may have to separate them.
Thanks for your help.
 
If they haven’t been spayed, they will need to be done ASAP if they are to stand any chance of being able to remain together. 2 or more females is considered to be one of the most difficult pairing/group, especially once hormones kick in. If they are chasing and circling and humping, this may lead to fighting so you will need to be very vigilant in watching their behaviour.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum :wave:

Rabbits are very social animals and are happiest when kept together, but if the bunnies are not spayed, they may exhibit aggressive behaviour and hurt each other. As Zoobec says, it would be wise to get them spayed and then try re-introducing them to each other after they have recovered from their operations. Everyone on here is very knowledgable, so I'm sure we can answer all of your questions :)
 
Hi, welcome to the forum :wave:

I think your first task will be to find yourself a rabbit savvy vet. If you haven't already got one, I suggest you submit another post in Rabbit Chat, saying the area in which you live, and asking for recommendations.

As Zoobec and Beapig have advised it sounds as though your little ones are ready to be spayed. It would also be worth getting the vet first of all to confirm that you have in fact got four females :)

You should also discuss with your vet having your rabbits vaccinated. They will need 2 vaccinations. One is against RHD1/Myxomatosis and the second is for RHD2 (but also includes RHD1).

It may be that you will need to separate them before they are spayed and then rebond. Hormonal rabbits can inflict very nasty injuries on each other and so it is wise to consider this seriously.

And any questions, then just ask :)
 
Omi said:
Hi, welcome to the forum :wave:

I think your first task will be to find yourself a rabbit savvy vet. If you haven't already got one, I suggest you submit another post in Rabbit Chat, saying the area in which you live, and asking for recommendations.

As Zoobec and Beapig have advised it sounds as though your little ones are ready to be spayed. It would also be worth getting the vet first of all to confirm that you have in fact got four females :)

You should also discuss with your vet having your rabbits vaccinated. They will need 2 vaccinations. One is against RHD1/Myxomatosis and the second is for RHD2 (but also includes RHD1).

It may be that you will need to separate them before they are spayed and then rebond. Hormonal rabbits can inflict very nasty injuries on each other and so it is wise to consider this seriously.

And any questions, then just ask :)
Click to expand...

Definitely my 1st thought!

Welcome to the forum, you will find a wealth of information here :)

I'm quite interested in the circumstances of how you came to have the four of them xx
 
Newtobunnies said:
I became the caregiver of 4 female bunnies a few weeks ago. They had been housed together before they were brought to me. Their age is unknown, but I'm sure they are no older than 6 months, although, 2 look a little bigger than the others. I'm not sure if they're the same breed, but the smaller two resemble a mini rex according to online photos, black fur on their backs, around their eyes, and a small patch by the nose with a white stripe down the nose and a white chest and belly. One of the bigger ones is solid black and the other is white with small patches of grayish black fur on her back. A few moments ago, they were chasing and hopping over each other, and I thought they were playing but I suddenly got a whiff of a pungent skunk scent. This took me by surprise as I've never known rabbits to give off a skunk scent. They're also thumping a lot, which I've read means they're not happy, and also digging into the carpet. There are plenty of things for them to chew on, they always have hay available, and they have 2 litter boxes plus the cage tray. They had been laying together and grooming each other, so I'm worried I may have to separate them.
Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...


Hi there and welcome to the Forum :wave:

There's loads of really good info here:

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk

http://www.therabbithouse.com/index.asp


I should keep an eye on them, and get them to a vet (you may have already?) for their vaccinations.

Info about that here:

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/category/rabbit-vaccinations/

Rabbits should be vaccinated with both Nobivac/Myxo RHD and either Filavac VHD K C + V or else Eravac to cover RHD2. That's two separate vaccines. I can't stress enough how rampant RHD2 is becoming, and it would be a good idea to get that one done first.


Also, unspayed females will probably fight when they get to maturity, and you don't want that, so assess them with the vet with a view to spaying. And good luck with them. Were you planning on having rabbits, or were these additions rather unexpected? :)
 
Wow - you have certainly taken on a challenge.

I would advise getting them checked out with a vet ASAP - chances are they are not all female and you may have others on the way shortly. Best get it confirmed so you know what you are dealing with. Boys can be neutered from about 12 weeks (but will still be fertile for a few weeks after), and girls from 6 months.

They will also need vaccinations (2 each, a couple of weeks apart - VHD1&2 and myxo & VHD1).

We always like to see photos....
 
Thank you all for advice. To answer those who are interested in how I ended up with the 4 if them, it was quite unexpected. They belonged to a friend of my sister's, who had to rehome them due to unfortunate circumstances. I was little preparred and didn't understand the mess I'd be in for by taking on the 4 of them. I was just going to take 2, but felt guilty for splitting their unit. It's proving to be a very big challenge.
I know of a few vets who will see rabbits and will be contacting them on Monday.
Thanks again everyone.
 
Well done for taking on all of them, it sounds like you’ve got your hands full though! Let us know how you get on at the vets x
 
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