Advice on neutering a pair of rabbits

[New_member]

Hi

I’m looking at getting two baby rabbits and was thinking about a male and female from the same litter. I will neuter regardless of what sex I end up getting but I just need some advice please.

I know female rabbits need to be older than males to be neutered but do they need to be separated before/after the surgery for a period of time and then re bonded? If yes, is that still the case with a same sex pair?

I’m not sure what I would do enclosure wise if I had to separate for any period of time so wanted to find this out before going ahead with getting rabbits.

Thank you!

 

[Shimmer]

Boys are usually neutered at around 12 weeks. They can be done as soon as their testicles drop, and you have a vet willing to do the op. They may remain fertile for 6 weeks afterwards.

Girls are usually neutered at around 6 months. Some vets may be willing to do it earlier, so ask yours. Girls need a week or two to recover from the op - so may need a quieter, resticted space to allow them to heal.

There may be a short overlap when the boy is neutered and both are still fertile, so that's the risky time.

It also partly depends on the breed / weight of the rabbit. Large breeds mature more slowly, so neutering is often left until they are a bit older. Some vets may also prefer them to be a minimum weight (usually 1kg), but that can be awkward if you have smaller breeds. Whatever the age, ask around for a vet with experience in rabbit anaesthetics / neutering.

Same sex pairs could be neutered at the same time. As long as there hasn't been any fighting prior to that, the bond should be fine. Adolescence does change things, so you need to be more vigilant until hormones have settled own (so a couple of months after neutering), whatever combination you have.

Baby rabbits are often mis-sexed, even by experienced breeders. Get them double checked by your vet when they get their vaccinations.

A much easier option is to get a pair of rescue rabbits that are already neutered and bonded.

 

[New_member]

Thanks so much for your reply. I have looked into the option of adopting from a rescue but my closest one is 5 miles away and as I don’t drive, it would mean 45 minutes on the bus which I imagine would be quite stressful and I’m not sure if a rescue would even let me take them?

 

[joey&boo]

Thanks so much for your reply. I have looked into the option of adopting from a rescue but my closest one is 5 miles away and as I don’t drive, it would mean 45 minutes on the bus which I imagine would be quite stressful and I’m not sure if a rescue would even let me take them?

We travelled 2 hours to get our last rescue, most have a pretty big catchment area. I am in east lancs and adopted from manchester, leeds and blackpool. Its certainly worth making enquiries
I agree buses might be best avoided, especially with them being in the middle of a big period of change. Taxi would be preferable

 

[tulsi]

I have taken rabbits for very long journeys on public transport. Long train, bus and car and combinations of all three. I have never had any problems. They have just settled down in the carrier and eaten grass and dandelions provided, ignored the cucumber and generally looked pretty relaxed.

Done this on three different occasions.

 

[Shimmer]

If you are interested, it's worth getting in touch with the rescue - leave them a message and wait until they get back to you. They will let you know what their adoption criteria are (eg suitable accommodation & space needed) and if they have anything that you would be interested in. Often, bunny runs (ie delivery) can be arranged by a volunteer. A decent rescue will also do a homecheck - which could be in person, or via a video call.

 

[tonibun]

A less stressful way to do it is to get a boy first, get him neutered, wait a few weeks then get a little girl. If she is young as well they should bond very easily. You can then spay her when she is old enough. This also gives you the time to make sure you have a boy and not a boy and girl which happens more often than we would like. Please read the current thread "HELP - Surprise litter."

 

[New_member]

Thanks so much everyone. I’m considering all of my options and have also messaged my nearest rescue to enquire but have not heard back yet!

In terms of getting a boy first and then adding a girl after neutering - I did consider this but was worried about how things would work with separate accommodation until they are bonded. I currently have a kids Wendy house which I’m in the process of converting to a bunny house and am planning on getting an omlet walk in run with a tunnel connecting to the Wendy house. If I did this option, I would need a whole other set up for a second bunny until they were bonded wouldn’t I?

 

[Shimmer]

Rescues are busy places, and rely heavily on volunteers to keep things running. They will respond when they get a chance. Give a gentle reminder in a week or so if you've not heard anything.

Any extra accommodation for bonding is going to be temporary. You could get a hutch to put in the run, use it for one Bunny, then just leave it there with the door open as an additional shelter once they are bonded.

 

[Omi]

If you intend to bond yourself and get two baby bunnies, even if from the same litter, there will be a 'difficult to manage' time around puberty/neuter time. During this time it might become necessary to house them separately. This is likely to be the case for a short period of time whichever sex pairing you get.

Boys will mature around 12 weeks and can usually be neutered then. But they will still be hormonal and fertile for about 6 weeks after the neutering. It this is a boy-boy pairing, then they might be difficult to bond until their hormones have subsided. If it's a boy-girl pairing then there will be a period of a few weeks when the boy is still fertile and the girl is as yet unneutered. With both these pairings I would plan to be able to separate if necessary. Two girls are considered to be more difficult to bond, but not impossible.

If it would be difficult for you to provide alternative accommodation, the easiest option is a pair of already bonded bunnies from a rescue.