Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Shelter had sex of newly adopted bunny wrong

Viewing 21 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • mint
      Participant
      91 posts Send Private Message

        Hello, this is my first post and I joined the group to ask advice about a new bunny I just adopted.  I recently lost my heart bunny, my baby boy, and I was looking for a new boy bunny.  I have two girl rescue bunnies and they are fine, but they don’t really want much to do with me since they have each other.  My lost boy bunny was more bonded to me, he didn’t get along with the girls so I kept them separate and he was pretty much my heart bunny.

        So I searched for a few days on rescue sites and also on shelter sites using petharbor, and I had a few boys who I was interested in.  I visited a few.  Ultimately I chose a bunny who was only about two and a half months old who was left at the shelter because the owner’s landlord found out about it.  I visited the bunny at the shelter, spent some time with it, and it seemed nice and docile.  I could pick it up and pet it and it seemed ok, it was very sweet.  I checked it out and the testicles hadn’t descended, so I asked the shelter about that and they said it would be ok to be fixed.  I asked them if it was actually a girl and they insisted it was a boy.  The shelter had the bunny fixed and I picked it up a few days ago.

        Well when I got home the paperwork on the sterilization showed the bunny to be a girl and that they did a spay.  The shelter paperwork all said male.  The sterilization certificate said male.  This morning I checked the bunny out and sure enough it’s a girl, I can tell with the shaved tummy.

        Now that bunny is home, it grunts and won’t have anything to do with me.  I know a lot of that is because it is in a new home and also is uncomfortable due to the spay.  The spay was just three days ago.  She won’t let me pick her up or touch her.  I can’t let her out of her cage unless I pick her up because she is on the top floor of a Leith Petwerks condo.  She’s super hyper, which I know is because she is so young.

        So my question is, do you think she will sweeten up to me?  Should I keep her when I really wanted a boy?  I know that people say it is not the sex but the bunny that determines personality, but in my experience the boys have been so much sweeter to me.  I love the feet circling.  The girls never want anything to do with me.  I’ve had two boys, and three girls, two of the girls are still with me.  I love the girls but I dearly miss having a heart bunny.

        There is a boy at the shelter who I could “trade” her for.  I feel really terrible putting the little girl through this.  I’m so torn.  What should I do?  I only have a few more days to decide before the shelter won’t take her back.


      • mia
        Participant
        519 posts Send Private Message

          Only you can decide what to do. It’s a personally decision without a right or wrong answer.

          IMO, adopting a pet means that you accept it and do what it takes unless there’s something horribly wrong that you cannot live with or for some reason, cannot provide it with a good life. I’ve even kept a pet that was both mis-sexed and was found to have cancer within the “trial” period. A pet is a life, not an object to be returned.

          The personality you are seeing may not be the personality of the bunny herself. You also don’t know what the personality of the boy at the shelter is. I don’t think you can simply trade to get the attributes you want.


        • mint
          Participant
          91 posts Send Private Message

            In my heart I know. I know you’re right. Thanks.


          • Stickerbunny
            Participant
            4128 posts Send Private Message

              If the girl was sweet at the shelter, I don’t see why her personality would change at home once she’s more comfortable. Males are not always friendly, girls aren’t always moody. My girl does foot circles, sniffs, jumps on me … though she’s still skittish about being pet and hates being held, but that is just her personality after being traumatized and neglected at her first home (she’s a rescue). Let her heal up from her surgery and actually show you her personality before you decide anything. All rabbits will be stand offish after surgery and being put in a new home.


            • Monkeybun
              Participant
              10479 posts Send Private Message

                One of my girls is rather anti-touch, but my other is a total doll. She gives kisses and snuggle. My boys are different too. Squirrel adores pets, snuggles a it. Moose doesn’t mind being petted, but don’t you dare snuggle him

                Give her time to heal from the spay, she may surprise you


              • mint
                Participant
                91 posts Send Private Message

                  Yeah I’m gonna keep her. She’s a handful but I already love her.


                • Marshall91
                  Participant
                  34 posts Send Private Message

                    I’m glad to hear you’re keeping her, and hope that she turns out to be a snuggly, cuddly girl.


                  • TaraMichele
                    Participant
                    285 posts Send Private Message

                       I currently have a girl and a boy and Ive actually found that once sophie warmed up and got comfortable she became my mush, she doesnt like being held but she jumps into my lap and loves attention, my boy is a sweetheart when shes not looking and when he wants something, but Im glad youre giving it time because you truly never know!


                    • Beka27
                      Participant
                      16016 posts Send Private Message

                        I’m concerned about this. She was spayed by the shelter at only 2.5 months?


                      • T.Bunny
                        Participant
                        44 posts Send Private Message

                          Posted By Beka27 on 07/15/2011 05:05 AM
                          I’m concerned about this. She was spayed by the shelter at only 2.5 months?

                          yip im concerned about that too and I know sometimes its hard to tell the sex of a very young bunny but a shelter should know better.I think your bunny will take to you once she is recovered, its just she really should not have been neutered that young and now she is in a  lot of pain in a home she doesnt know. It will just take her time and her personality will come back and im sure she will bond with you then.

                           


                        • mint
                          Participant
                          91 posts Send Private Message

                            I know that’s what I told them, but they kept insisting she wasn’t too young. I kept saying first that the testicles hadn’t even dropped yet. Then when I found out it was a girl I was even more mortified because we are supposed to wait even longer for a girl. They wouldn’t release her without getting fixed, and they didn’t want to wait because they are so full. I hope it doesn’t cause bone problems for her? Has anyone ever experienced that?


                          • T.Bunny
                            Participant
                            44 posts Send Private Message

                              no im sorry all my buns have either been from a pet shop or from someone re-homing them so they have all been spayed / neutered later than that, I couldnt use the shelter here because we dont drive and its in the middle of nowhere so I settled for re-homing buns that would end up there.

                              I know our vet would not spay Berry until she showed signs of sexual maturity, even at that I felt so guilty when she came home in so much pain. My partner sat up all night with her because she was just sitting shaking, she wasn’t prescribed metacam or any pain killers after her injection and she was home the same day they neutered here so im a little angry about that because when our male bun was neutered he got painkillers and so much more attention and the surgery is so much less stressful in a male. sorry for the tangent there


                            • mint
                              Participant
                              91 posts Send Private Message

                                Yes it is much harder on the girls, poor things.


                              • Stickerbunny
                                Participant
                                4128 posts Send Private Message

                                  I would probably call my own vet and ask what to keep an eye out for if she was spayed that young, they can probably give you a lot more information than we can. It is sad that the shelter would spay her that young just to get her out the door fast I mean… they could have let you foster her until 6 months and then had you sign the adoption contract after her spay. I didn’t even catch that she was that young when I first read your post.


                                • mint
                                  Participant
                                  91 posts Send Private Message

                                    That’s a good call I’ll do that. Yeah they were totally unflexible. It was one of those sad shelters though, where the bunnies are right next to the kennels and dogs are constantly barking. It’s a wonder she survived all that and still could be sweet.


                                  • Elrohwen
                                    Participant
                                    7318 posts Send Private Message

                                      Congrats on your new bunny! I’m glad you’re going to keep her – I’m sure she just needs time to settle in.

                                      My boy is a total grouch and hates pets, but my girl is a sweetie who wants nothing more than nose scritches. It’s definitely the bunny vs the gender, especially as they get older and are fixed.

                                      I’m not sure what problems she could have from being spayed so young, but I have heard of some vets and some shelters doing it that early and if she made it through surgery and is adjusting fine, I think she’ll be ok.


                                    • mint
                                      Participant
                                      91 posts Send Private Message

                                        Thanks for the support everyone! She’s taking no time at all to own the place, and she’s also starting to show her sweet side. I’m so glad I asked your advice.


                                      • Stickerbunny
                                        Participant
                                        4128 posts Send Private Message

                                          I’m glad she’s settling in we will need more pictures though when she is more comfortable with the house!


                                        • Malp_15
                                          Participant
                                          601 posts Send Private Message

                                            Glad to know that everything is going good

                                            I don’t know about rabbits, but in cats and dogs being fixed too young can cause incontinence starting around middle age. My SPCA does the same thing because they won’t adopt out an animal that is un-altered and they want to get them adopted while they are still cute. It sucks, but understandable.


                                          • bab1204
                                            Participant
                                            2 posts Send Private Message

                                              Our bunny is a sweet girl… but it took some time for her to adjust to our family as she was shuttled around a lot her first 2 years. She’s responded well to our constant attention. I wish you the best with your “unexpected” girl (that would be a surprise!) and hope she turns out to be a perfect bunny pal for you. I like to think those little glitches in life mean it was meant to be! I often find the critters we didn’t pick (emergency rescues) have been the best of the best! Best wishes to you!

                                               


                                            • bullrider76543
                                              Participant
                                              1288 posts Send Private Message

                                                it happens to the best of us, I got Raven and Cinnamon from the house rabbit society of Missouri and I was told that they were both girls! but I found Cinnamon’ little boy part lol. Wish you the best of luck.


                                              • Sarita
                                                Participant
                                                18851 posts Send Private Message

                                                  This post is from 2011 – I am locking this – PLEASE do not pull up old posts to respond to.

                                                  Thank you.

                                              Viewing 21 reply threads
                                              • The topic ‘Shelter had sex of newly adopted bunny wrong’ is closed to new replies.

                                              Forum BEHAVIOR Shelter had sex of newly adopted bunny wrong