we know in dogs that after neutering them, hormones actually *spike* rather than decrease, at least for the first few weeks. I would imagine rabbits may be possibly similar. after neutering hormones do not instantly leave the bloodstream, and possibly even go higher for a few weeks. which would explain why some after neutering display more hormonal behaviours before decreasing.
its thought it takes about 4-8 weeks for things to settle down, so I'd wait that, but also to ensure 100% that you do not get babies
personally I wouldn't attempt bonding until she is fixed too, and give her 4-8 weeks for her hormones to settle (we believe the same is true for females). bonding prior to both rabbits being fixed is usually a bit of a disaster and unlikely to go well ime.
I would see if you can make some sort of setup in which the rabbits are housed side by side. this not only aids bonding but can help aid in making sure the rabbits do not become strangers with one another over time. rabbits have supposedly been able to mate through the bars, so I'd ensure its slightly apart, but they're still able to see & sniff one another.
as for bonding, there are many different ways to go about it - each has their own personal preference on what works best for them. I'm going to copy the bonding guide I've written for my server which is a method I've had success with (albeit twice, but, still). its a little lengthy I admit :lol: I hope its of some use. some do a much different way of introducing (big open space, lots of toys etc). however I'm firmly against some methods of bonding such as stress bonding, or the "work it out method", in which people literally leave their animals to fight it out, with the saying "no blood no foul". its def good to intervene if things get a tad too spicy!
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to begin with, you'll want side by side housing, and scent swapping. side by side would be housing the rabbits in their own pens, but the ability to sniff and see one another. you may want to consider making sure that they can not bite through the bars, as injuries could occur. for scent swapping, either you could switch the rabbits respective sides, or items in the pen (litter box, toys, blankets) once a day. this helps mix the rabbits scents & allow them to familiarise!
you really want it to be a small neutral space, a 1x1 pen, with nothing in it except maybe a plate of veggies, or dried forage. nothing they can claim like toys, hides. allow them to interact (but break up any fights that involve chasing or biting). you'll probably want a dustpan on hand to separate them to avoid being bitten yourself.
with the first intro, you'll probably want it to be semi short, 5-10 minutes. & when a fight happens, separate, continue the session. make sure to end the session on a high note (a treat while they're still together) and end the session there.
& depending on how the first intro goes, really depends on the next steps you take.
if the rabbits fight a lot, consider going back to side by side housing, & scent swapping. possibly look into something like pet remedy or rescue remedy to spray in the small neutral space during bonding. attempt to end every bonding session on a high note, such as giving them both a treat - while they're still together - before removing them. try to keep bonding sessions 5-10 minutes, until they become more comfortable and fighting dies down. hopefully they'll either move onto being neutral to one another, or eventually the "home straight"
if the rabbits seem neutral to one another continue to do bonding sessions, and increase the amount of time they spend together each day. make the next session 20 minutes, then 30-40 minutes after that. keep leaving them together to bond for longer periods of time, until you've hopefully worked up them together for an hour.
neutral behaviour may be behaviour such as ignoring one another, humping (they need a hierarchy to sort), nipping, and some mild chasing. but chasing shouldn't go on for more than a few seconds, or be extremely aggressive via biting. make sure to avoid head humping, as genitals can be bitten.
if the rabbits seem to love one another at first sight, I hope you've picked a day with nothing going on. at this point you'll move onto the "home straight". I wouldn't advise removing rabbits from one another if possible as you've pretty much achieved a bond here. this out come is pretty rare in all honesty, but I have had it happen myself on the second intro!
love at first sight would be grooming one another, snuggling up together, and generally comfortable behaviours such as laying down or flopping. there may be some nips, humping, but that is necessary for hierarchy.
home straight: at this point you're pretty much attempting the actual bond, in which they'll live together from this point out. some people actually skip the above, & go straight to this. personally I think some introductions, and building up time is necessary, but some argue removing them "puts you at square one". so I guess its using your own judgement & what works for you!
at this point, you take your 1x1 pen in a neutral space, and keep them there. add in a litter box, some hay, and you're good to go. maybe offer some cardboard, but keep in mind anything may cause them to "contest" and fight if it can be claimed. if you offer a hide, try to make sure it has multiple ways to enter and exit. after a few hours with mostly peace, you may want to consider increasing the space as 1x1 isn't a lot, and you'll be keeping them there for a little while. bump up to a 2x2 or similar.
you'll want to monitor them for 24-48 hours in this space. if possible, sleep by them if you're liable to wake up from a fight. break up any aggressive fights with a dustpan and try to redirect attention to a treat or a toy.
if they've been together for 24 hours with minimal fighting, and are showing good signs (laying together, grooming, and comfortable behaviours like flopping). congrats, they're bonded!
if you get to this step and the rabbits fight a lot, to the point its almost constant, it may be time to go back a step or re-evaluate. sometimes, some bonds just don't work out. not all rabbits are compatible with one another!
however, bonding does not end here. after bonding care is extremely important. this is a step in which a lot of people make mistakes, & undo their hard work.
do not give the rabbits too many items too soon, or too much space too soon. a new bond is VERY rocky. going from a 1x1 pen to a 5x5 with all of their items is..likely going to cause issues.
slowly add back in items & give them more space. if they fight, pinpoint what caused it, and remove it. if that's another pen panel, go back to what you had before. if its an item, remove it and try it again at a later date.
the space they go back into must be neutral also. this would involve washing all items within their pen (including the floor & pen itself tbh) with hot soapy water or vinegar, to remove the scent as much as possible
