Bunny despair

k.coppard

New Kit
Hi everyone I am really at between a rock and a hard place and hoping some of you can help…here’s my story (bare with)

We got 2 baby bunnies in August for our son and daughter after the loss of a dog which left them heart broken (we couldn’t commit to another pooch at this time) the buns were from different litters but born a week apart and together from start so bonded fine 1 dwarf lop (buttons) and the other dwarf lop x Rex (twiglet) (both male) I was told by the breeder they may be fine together and if problems occur just get 1 neutered. from the very beginning the pure dwarf had a chilled personality and very quickly bonded with us humans and was easy to please and look after, the other however was always a lot harder, never trusting and difficult to even stroke.
Fast forward 3 months and the not so nice one (twiglet) began humping….a lot. The last week it became very persistent and aggressive about it to the point where they are now separated. The other one doesn’t retaliate bless him just lays and takes it eventho he is having his hair torn out in the process 😔. They have been separated for the last few days until I got Xmas out the way. And my first thought was well I’m just going to have to get him neutered now.

But (and now please don’t judge me) am I a bad person for not wanting to fork out £175
(What the vet quoted me) neutering a bunny which is now so antisocial he won’t even be touched unless he’s eating his food ☹️ …knowing that they may not be able to rebond and may end up fighting.

My son (11) bless his heart has tried everything to get him to like him, toys, treats, training, basket lap time. And with age he has just gotten worse and worse, meanwhile the other one (my daughters) is so chilled it’s like a bloody dog, hops round the lounge, and plonks itself on your lap, super cuddly and not scared at all. So you can imagine my sons upset and disappointment everytime he so much as tries to stroke his and it runs and hides 😔.

Here is my question - if I pay for twiglet to be neutered is it likely to help his personality problem and be friendly so my son has a friend? And do you think they will rebond and live out life a happy male male couple as before?

Or am I better off trying to rehome him (I’m sorry) while he’s still very young and trying to find another friend for buttons and my son who is a little more relaxed? And if this is the best option am I better off getting a female? My only concern with that being Iv read females are not as kind.

Any thoughts without judgement hugely appreciated I’m so upset about the whole thing, Iv now got a sad boy, a rampant bunny and 2 lonely ones 🤦🏼‍♀️ photo is buttons the super chill bunny with my 5 yo daughter having morning cuddles (he regularly sleeps like this)
 

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If you get them both neutered you may be able to rebond them, once their hormones have subsided. I wouldn’t try bonding them if they are not both neutered. If there is a rabbit rescue they may be able to take one of the males and you could try bonding your other neutered male to a neutered female as this is the bond with the best success rate.
 
They really both need to be neutered, separated until they have recovered and hormone levels have sorted themselves out (so at least 6 weeks), and then try rebonding. If that doesn't work, can you cope with a third rabbit (after neutering the boys)? I'm thinking of a neutered girl for Twiglet. Most rabbits prefer the company of other rabbits rather than people. You have just been super lucky with Buttons.

Don't forget that they also need annual vaccinations.
Rabbits are not a cheap option, I'm afraid.
 
The breeder gave you very poor advice. The chances of two male rabbits living happily together without BOTH being neutered is near to non-existent.

The behaviour you describe sounds like normal hormonal dominant behaviour, not aggressive, which is a positive for the chances of the rabbits getting on in the future. However, the chances of the rabbits rebonding after both are neutered is reasonable and the spirited bunny is likely to calm down but, from my own experience, very unlikely to be craving human company.

Rabbits on the whole don't make good children's pets, a cuddly rabbit is the exception to the rule. So it's unlikely he's ever going to be like your daughter's rabbit. However, you can learn to change your expectations and enjoy rabbits for being rabbits. I have 35 rabbits (kind of a sanctuary). The vast majority of them were bought as children's pets and re-homed under a year old because they don't match the perception.

As a starting point, I would look to get both neutered. I haven't paid for a male neuter for some considerable time but £175 sound steep, you might be able to find cheaper but also need to be sure they are rabbit savvy as not all vets are. It's sad that the breeder didn't give you more accurate advice as you would then have factored £350 into the essentials budget.
 
I agree with the above, the behaviour sounds normal for un-neutered rabbits. They’re likely very hormonal. I noticed a massive difference when my girl was spayed, she went from trying to attack me to being so affectionate. It really is in their best interests to be neutered and bonded back together.
 
The breeder gave you very poor advice. The chances of two male rabbits living happily together without BOTH being neutered is near to non-existent.

The behaviour you describe sounds like normal hormonal dominant behaviour, not aggressive, which is a positive for the chances of the rabbits getting on in the future. However, the chances of the rabbits rebonding after both are neutered is reasonable and the spirited bunny is likely to calm down but, from my own experience, very unlikely to be craving human company.

Rabbits on the whole don't make good children's pets, a cuddly rabbit is the exception to the rule. So it's unlikely he's ever going to be like your daughter's rabbit. However, you can learn to change your expectations and enjoy rabbits for being rabbits. I have 35 rabbits (kind of a sanctuary). The vast majority of them were bought as children's pets and re-homed under a year old because they don't match the perception.

As a starting point, I would look to get both neutered. I haven't paid for a male neuter for some considerable time but £175 sound steep, you might be able to find cheaper but also need to be sure they are rabbit savvy as not all vets are. It's sad that the breeder didn't give you more accurate advice as you would then have factored £350 into the essentials budget.
Such a good reply!
 
Agree with all the advice you've been given, you really need to try and neuter them both. You've been given bad advice by the breeder for sure. Best bet is to keep them apart and try getting them neutered ASAP before attempting re-bonding - at least 6 weeks post-neuter. Male rabbits if left unneutered can fight incredibly badly, worst case they can even kill in a fight. I don't say this to scare, just to point out the benefits of neutering. Given they have bonded as babies, neutering them both now would give you a greater chance of maintaining their friendship.

Your cuddly bun is very much the exception rather than the norm, and while it's lovely when they are that way, they are happier with their own company. They all have their own personalities and some will be friendlier than others. Neutering your other boy may help make him "friendlier" but you may have to accept his personality is the way it is. I have a female and she is very much like Twiglet, and only likes attention on her terms, so there's no guarantee a female would be any different. You'd still need to neuter them both if you went down this route so it wouldn't be any cheaper than neutering your boys.

Also unfortunately if you consider £175 is too steep you may need to reconsider rabbit ownership as any vet fees can easily be more than this.
 
You've had some good advice, but I also wanted to add, are you sure both are boys? The breeder has given you such poor advice I wouldn't be surprised if Buttons turned out to be a girl and you end up with a lot more than you bargained for. Id take them both for a check up asap at a vet and arrange for both to be neutered as a start.
 
I agree with the advice others gave you. Even if you surrendered the one bunny it is likely any young unnutered bunny you get for your son would behave the same as they hit puberty. I am sorry the breeder misled you. Cuddle bunnies are rare and bonding bunnies is not usually easy.
 
Best of luck with your decision. I would always go to a rescue and get a bonded pair. I bought two males from a pet shop and had them neutered. They fought. I separated them for over six weeks with no sight or smell of each other and rebonded them. They were together happily for years.

Since then I have only had bonded rabbits from rescues, muuuch easier. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
 
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