Male/Male or Male/Female

[ashmashpotato]

Hello!

So I currently have a male English Lop bunny approximately 7 months old? I can’t remember.. He currently is not neutered but I plan on neutering him in the near future.

I’m interested in getting another bunny! Since he is a large bunny ( around 10-11lbs ) I am looking to get a smaller rabbit ( 2-4lbs ) such as a Netherland Dwarf or Mini Lop. I am looking into double deck hutches that do not connect. They would roam free outside when I am supervising as I have over 13 acres, but I also have a very large dog pen that sits outside that the two would be in together.

My question is, would it be better to get a male bunny or a female bunny? I can afford to neuter my current bunny & a new one or spay a new one if that is necessary for them to be friends.

Anyone have some experience they can share with me?!

Thank you!!

[Elrohwen]

I’m confused about the description of your hutch – do you plan on keeping them in separate living spaces? Or bonding them together?

If they are going to be separate, the gender doesn’t matter. If you plan on bonding them, they will need to live together full time.

Most of us prefer to let our existing bunny pick out a new one in a shelter – it can be hard to know if they will get along until they meet. If you’re set on getting a young bunny and hoping that it works, male/female is generally recommended, but plenty of people have success with male/male too. Females can tend to be bossy and territorial which can make bonding harder in general.

I would absolutely recommend getting both fixed. The chance of a successful bond is very very low with unaltered bunnies. Unspayed females also have an extremely high rate of cancer by 3 years, so spaying is the healthy thing to do.

I want to add that I would not recommend allowing them to free roam, no matter how supervised. A frightened rabbit will run away blindly, and you may never get them back. There are also a lot of variables with hawks, cats, dogs, etc that can turn up suddenly.

[Quantum]

Seconding the ix-nay on the outdoor pen. It only takes a second for a predator to kill or seriously injure one or both of your buns. As Elrohwen said, bunnies bolt when frightened. Assuming that they don’t get out of the pen, they can be badly injured or killed when blindly running into it. Supervision sounds good and I admit to having thought about it myself at one point, but I didn’t want to have to live with a story with a sad ending starting with, “I only ran in to use the bathroom…/I only looked away for a second…/The phone rang and I….”

[ashmashpotato]

I apologize for the confusion. The hutch would be two levels, but the cages would be separated, not attached.

I understand your worries of leaving my bunny unsupervised. The pen is over 6 ft tall & extremely large. I would be outside at all times while the bunnies are hopping around as yes, I do not want wild animals to attack them. They would come in each night. I have one dog & one cat; all of them get along wonderfully.

Thank you Elrohwen, I believe I will look into a female bunny & having her spayed as well. Also thank you to Quantum for the response.

[Beka27]

I agree with Elrohwen. I would neuter your current bunny first. Wait about 4 weeks to allow him to heal, and then take him bunny dating at a local rescue. Resist the urge to get a second bunny right now. Wait till he is taken care of and then let him pick his friend. The other good thing is most rescues neuter the bunnies before adoption. One less thing for you to do!

[tanlover14]

So the cages will not be together? At least that is what I’m getting from your description. If the cages will be separated then there is really no point in bonding. For buns to be bonded, they need to be together 24/7. So if you plan on bonding the bunnies, you need to look for a hutch that has connecting levels. If separated after bonding, buns can go into severe depression and refuse to eat or get very ill.

Females and males are RUMORED to be the easiest to bond. I have four bonded buns and in my experience my girl was actually the hardest to bond to all three boys. When looking for another bunny, you’ll want to try to find a personality (male OR female) that will fit well with your own bunnies which is why going to a rescue/shelter and letting them pick out a friend is the best way to find a bunny to bond. It can make the bonding process A LOT easier. I would also suggest not a baby – their personalities can change quite a bit as they mature. If you get a baby, you will need to wait to bond until after the other is neutered/spayed. Even if you DO manage to bond them before they are spayed/neutered, their hormones and personalities can change quite a bit together and they can instantly start fighting creating a broken bond which can be harder to repair.

Either way, squeaaaaal for a new bunny!! They’re always so exciting!

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you everyone for the advice!!

Beka27, I agree with taking care of my first bunny. He was here first, he is my top priority as of right now(: But no favorites! That would be unfair to my other animals, aha.

I like the idea of bringing my little bunny boy to pick out a friend for himself, I never even thought of that until several people mentioned the idea, so thank you all!

tanlover14, I do want the bunnies to bond as they would be playing with each other. So I guess I shall be looking into a connecting two leveled cage.

I do have another question: My bunny is a pure bred English Lop, so he weighs about 9-11 lbs. I want to find a smaller bunny.. Is itpossible for a larger bunny to bond with a smaller or is that not such a good idea due to the sizes?

Thank you!

[Sarita]

Well you won’t be able to do any bonding until he is neutered, so that first and then let him pick his friend.

If your rabbits are bonded they will share the same space, not a separate space – you would need that initially until you bond but after that they stay in the same enclosure, not separate.

Size does not matter, but if you are going to let him pick his own friend, then you have to be open to whatever rabbit he chooses.

[tanlover14]

Size definitely does not matter with bun buns – I myself want a larger bunny but as of right now, we have four smaller sized ones who are all happily bonded with each other and a bigger bunny is not in the cards.. YET! With that being said, I think those large bunny, smaller bunny bonds are the CUTEST. From what I’ve heard mentioned, it always seems the smaller bunny is bossing the big bunny around which just sounds HYSTERICAL to me! Going through a shelter for bunny dates is always a good idea also because they can easily help find bunnies that will match yours personality. If after a few dates you see your bunny being aggressive and expressing dominant behavior, you’ll know to look for a calmer docile bunny who doesn’t mind being the “bottom bunny” of the group. If yours seems submissive then you’ll probably have a wider variety of choices as long as another bunny isn’t overly aggressive to yours. Although, this can easily change. I brought in a seemingly docile, non-aggressive bunny to my trio and this docile and calm newcomer ended up being the top bunny! LOL. Boy, did I not expect that.

As Sarita mentioned, you’ll need to keep them separated for however long it takes to bond them since they will need to be supervised together until bonded. Also, if you’re looking for a certain kind of rabbit (small you said) then I would only do bunny dating with smaller bunnies if you’re set on a small bunny. Setting him up on bunny dates with bunnies you’re not interested in will just be a waste of time and energy.

[ashmashpotato]

I love the terminology fellow bunny owners use!! “Bunny dates” “bun buns” and “bunny bonding”, so CUTE!!!!! If my bunny now ends up choosing a smaller bunny & gets bossed around, I’ll be sure to inform everyone aha! It sounds perfect! I am definitely going to bring him with me when I choose another bunny for him to be friends with; I can’t believe I never thought of doing that! I do very much want a smaller bunny in the hopes that he/she will want to be held more; my bun hates it ):

My bunny is very calm with my dog & cat. In fact, my cat always runs from the other room to wherever my bun is & then puts her paw on his head to prevent him from moving. Then she opens her mouth & tries to eat his head… She’s never bitten hard, but I never let them be together unsupervised, JUST in case.

Thank you Sarita, I am completely set on getting him neutered first & as Beka27 said, I will give him a few weeks to heal & “adjust” after the procedure before I bring him to pick out a bunny girlfriend<3 Thank you tanlover14 once again, your advice is appreciated, I loved your story about your little buns, thank you for sharing; they sound adorable!!

[tanlover14]

You should tell the rescue you are looking for that then! We actually picked out our 4th one because he loves being held and grooming you. So the rescue I was with helped us find Simba who was perfect for that!

[tanlover14]

As a side note: If you’re looking for a smaller one because you want one who likes to be held then I will say definitely dont say you’re just looking for a small one then. In my experience, most BIGGER buns LOVE being held. Although my fourth Simba is a Lionhead and only three pounds. All of the Lionheads we currently have at the shelter I volunteer for also seem to love being held and having attention given to them. But my other three are all smaller and DETEST being held. With every ounce of their being. They will scratch, dig, and claw at you for trying to pick them up. haha! So I would say keep your mind open to big or small, male or female, and try and find one who has the personality you are looking for.

[Sarita]

I agree, those small ones are hard to hold – my Netherland is easy for me to hold, but my mom has problems holding him (and she always wants too because he’s so small and cute) and you cannot really cuddle with him – he loves to be petted though.

My larger buns are much easier to handle as far as holding – I would say you might like a medium size better like a larger size Dutch (they can be anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds in my experience), a Mini Lop (which is not really Mini) or a standard Rex (which are the softest rabbits on earth – they come in Mini and Standard) or heck just a nice mixed breed rabbit from a shelter :~)

[Monkeybun]

Ha yeah… those little ones sure do get cranky about stuff My Monkey, at 1.5lbs, does not like being snuggled She hates being touched, but has learned to accept me picking her up, as long as I don’t try to pet her at the same time She is definitely the boss around here! lol

Of all my buns, my little holland lop is the easiest to handle. He is calm and patient about most things, and is easy to pick up and snuggle now and then. It’s just the way he is, he’s laid back and easy going. Look for that in a bun, rather than a particular breed. They are all different

[ashmashpotato]

tanlover14, you say the little buns you watch over detest with every ounce of their being ( love that saying! ) that’s EXACTLY what my bunny does now!! It makes me sad because I just wanna cuddle him all day, but who doesn’t want to do that to a little bunny<3 aha!

Thank you again Sarita.. I’m going to have to keep in mind to pet a Rex breed bunny.. Hehe! But due to the advice thus far from everyone, I will do my best to keep an open mind & I am DEFINITELY bringing my current bun with me to find a girlfriend :3 That’s such a great idea; again thank you all for bringing that up!!!!

I agree Monkeybun, I have a pure bred English Lop, about 10lbs maybe? and he wants nothing to do with me. unless I’m holding a carrot, apple or laying on the floor with my computer trying to get work done.. Or responding to you fellow bunny owners(; Unfortunately for him, I DO want to hold him so he has to suck it up & let me; though he gets me back my chewing my hair & nibbling on my jaw… Buns are such strange & unique animals! Thank you!

[tanlover14]

Rex’s have AMAZING fur. AMAZING.

That’s sooo cute. Bunnies are so strange and unique. I absolutely ADORE them. My little brats were HYSTERICAL when we first got our fourth, Simba. The snuggley and total lovebug kind they were SOOO jealous and when we first started bonding they’d see him sitting on my lap and snuggling into me and BOY were they JEALOUS. They were climbing all over me and trying to get in my arms just like him. It was beyond entertaining to watch them get so worked up about this new bunny and him loving on their momma.

[ashmashpotato]

That’s too cute!! Bringing that new bun Simba in must’ve made them friendly towards you I’m assuming?! I’ll never understand why my bunny wants nothing to do with me the majority of the time but I have come to terms with it; & he has to when I do a sneak attack & pick him up to cuddle for awhile<3

Do Rex’s have long or short fur? My bunny has some pretty long fur in some areas & I’ve started to notice: he sheds!! Thank you again tanlover14 for sharing your bunny story!!!!

[tanlover14]

Rex’s have short fur. Although once again, absolutely gorgeous.

My three little bratscals have always been friendly… but more like you have to catch them while they’re bouncing around and make an effort to play with them. They DO NOT like to snuggle or be picked up or held. But they love to play with you. We have a game with them that they love where when they’re running around binkying I’ll say “Mommas gonna get you!!” and then kind of tickle their bums and they go running like something lit them on fire with their little feet flinging everywhere and bouncing around. It’s hysterical and they seem to love it. They love munching on sticks when we are holding them in front of their face so we always play games where we’ll stick a stick in front of their faces and they’ll spend a good half hour trying to grab it out of our hands and chew it to miny pieces. With them, it’s all about finding things THEY like to do rather than what WE as humans want to do with them.

My bunnies LOVE digging into towels though and will dig into them for quite awhile so thats when we really like to sneak our pets. Or I’ll kiss them all over while they’re doing it. Haha! I would suggest just finding ways to sneak in some bunny love!

[ashmashpotato]

tanlover14, your bunnies sounds like they have it made with your family! And as usual, I love the terminology you use; a true bunny owner! I think I’m going to try easing into the game you play with your bunnies & see if Sniffles takes to. He loves binkying around the house & flapping his ears every which way. I’m also going to try your “finding things that they like to do versus us humans”. I’m truly glad I joined this site. The forums & articles have helped me so much with raising my little guy<3

Digging in towels? My gosh, Sniffles canNOT get enough of that! He loves kicking the towels aside & just digging his way through my hard wood floors. Half the time he’s trying so hard, I swear he’ll make it to China aha!!

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