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Thinking of getting a partner

Jmc96

New Kit
I currently have a 8 month old, neutered buck who lives in my 2m x 3m spare room (with access to the rest of the flat at times throughout the day). Next week I am planning on getting a baby female to bond with him. I’ve chosen next week as I have a full week off work so I’ll be able to commit fully to bonding them.

I’ve read that the best strategy is to place them in a small, neutral area, however this seems kinda cruel to me. Is it possible to bond in a bigger area? E.g if I just fully clean and disinfect the spare room, and use white vinegar to remove any of my current rabbits scents, then just pop them both in there, is there any chance of them bonding?

I’m fully open to suggestions, there’s just so much conflicting advice around and I don’t know what to do!

*edit to add, he was neutered in October*
 
Hi there! Bucks are not normally very territorial so after giving the room a reasonable freshen up it should be ok. Please try to make very sure the baby is a female as sometimes Bucks look like Does until they are a bit older. I would put her somewhere safe for a day or so to help her get used to her new surroundings and so your boy can get used to having another bunny there. Boys usually chase the girls at first so she will need somewhere to hide away and space to run away. If he is very intense you can separate them for a night or two in order to give the little girl a break, then continue in the morning. Please let us know how it is going so we can give you more help if you need it. Your boy might try to prevent the girl from eating for the first few days so I would scatter food and hay so she won't go hungry. Also find out if you can as to whether she is used to vegetables as if she isn't you will have to withhold them from her for a few weeks. Try also to keep her on the same food as she is eating now so as to avoid an upset tummy.
 
Thanks for your response! That’s really reassuring!

Do you think it’s likely I’ll have to separate them as the new girl gets older (before she’s neutered) or do you think they’ll be fine staying together until she’s neutered?
 
There should be no need to separate them as no fear of babies and they go together when she is spayed. Let us know how it is going.
 
I would recommend adopting a spayed female from a rescue, they will be able to suggest a suitable partner for your rabbit. They have so many rabbits available that they have to turn them away. They may have young rabbits available too.
 
So I ended up getting a 10 week old girl today. Unfortunately in my area there are no rescues with female rabbits at the minute (I even checked all of the local pets at homes for females up for adoption rather than for sale). I’ve split the room in half using a double wall of C&C grids, so they each have their own space for now.

So far they’ve been completely disinterested in each other through the bars.

Either throughout the week, or next weekend I’ll be beginning the bonding process, and I’ll let you know how it goes.
 
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