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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 24sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 2 months ago by KatnipCrzy.

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- 01/08/2010 at 12:43 PM
  BuckyCheula
  Participant
  4 posts
  Hello,
  
  My bunny, Bucky, was lonely, and I received a call asking if I’d take another bunny because the owners were worried about space in their home. It turns out, it was a girl bunny. Now, Bucky is male, about 5-6 months old, and not neutered. The girl bunny (Cheula) is 2 yrs old and not spayed. I was worried about bonding so I kept them in seperate cages while they got used to eachothers smell. After just 2 days of having the new bunny, we woke up to find the two hopping around the living room together chasing eachother. The good news is, they like eachother, and Bucky is no longer lonely. The bad news is, we don’t know if they were out for 5 mins or 5 hours. What is the possibility that they mated? Should I be expecting more bunnies in less than 31 days? The guy at the pet store is convinced that they mated, because they are after all, bunnies. I just need to know for the peace of mind I guess… If they were only out for 5 minutes, then theres no need to worry… right?
- 01/08/2010 at 12:46 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  If it were me, I would schedule a spay IMMEDIATELY for Cheula – waste no time, get on the phone and get it done, the sooner the better. Once the spay is done then you won’t need to worry, in the meantime, you should worry.
- 01/08/2010 at 12:51 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Do you have a vet that can spay her?
- 01/08/2010 at 1:00 PM
  BuckyCheula
  Participant
  4 posts
  I have a vet, but I don’t want to spay if she’s expecting. I was going to get Bucky neutered (don’t want him spraying), right away. I know I’ll have to wait at least 30 day’s before I can let them play together anyway. And the pet store may take the bunnies if she is pregnant… Like I said, it’s more peace of mind that I need. If we’re having bunnies, then I’ll need to prepare for it a little…
- 01/08/2010 at 1:16 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Well if it just happened it should be safe to spay her as long as you do it quickly.
- 01/08/2010 at 1:35 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  I agree with Sarita 100%. An emergency spay is the best thing to do. It will terminate the pregnancy and spay her at the same time. Then you won’t need to worry about this happening again. Rabbits can get pregnant within seconds, so if they were out together for ANY length of time, there is a risk of pregnancy.
- 01/08/2010 at 8:17 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  One thing to remember guys is that some people have issues terminating pregnancies… may want to give tips on what to do after they are born too
  
  Definitely get Bucky neutered too!
- 01/08/2010 at 8:32 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Here are some links about “oops” litters
  
  Pregnancy/Babies – Uh Oh, Surprise Litter?:
  And here are some previous discussions from other Oops litters that have happened on our board before that may be helpful as well:
  
  https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/2/aft/23891/afv/topic/Default.aspx#23891
  
  I also just messaged you so check you message box.
- 01/08/2010 at 11:24 PM
  BuckyCheula
  Participant
  4 posts
  Thanks you guys… It really is helpful. I’m used to how cats do things, bunnies seem, in a weird way, to be a little smarter than them. When I was offered Cheula, the owners were really desperate to get rid of her, they jokingly admitted to thinking about the possibility of dropping her off at the Stanley Park petting zoo. It’s great there, and they would care for her, BUT, there are a lot of abandoned bunnies in the UBC (University of British Columbia) area. I thought that if I took her then at least they would know that she was coming to a good home. I’ve already talked with the pet store where I bought Bucky, and they suggested I call them when the bunnies (if there are any) are ready to leave their mom.
  
  Bucky and Cheula are a really great pair of bunnies, and the plus side to all of this is, they’ve bonded quickly so, we don’t have that to worry about, for now…
- 01/08/2010 at 11:34 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Psssst… post pics
- 01/09/2010 at 3:19 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  I’m used to how cats do things, bunnies seem, in a weird way, to be a little smarter than them.
  
  Bunnies are FULL of surprises!
  All the info Binky Bunny gave links to should have you wwell covered if you do plan on seeing if Cheula has a litter. And of course there’s always these boards to ask further questions.
  
  Bucky and Cheula are a really great pair of bunnies, and the plus side to all of this is, they’ve bonded quickly so, we don’t have that to worry about, for now…
  
  I’m sorry to say…you may have to separate them. Bunnies can actual be impregnanted twice and this is really dangerous for the Doe. Also, if she is pregnant, she’s likely to become a bit testy. The buck should also be kept out of the nest if a litter is born. The Doe can can also get pregnant again right after having her litter. AND, if you get Bucky neutered, he can STILL impregnant her up to 4 weeks after. There’s so many ways!!!
- 01/09/2010 at 8:03 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Well, if you take those babies to the pet store unfortunately they may end up in the same predicament at the park. A pet store does not require spay/neuter and they do not screen potential buyers either so that will be contributing to the cycle of the neverending pet overpopulation problem. That is something you need to think about since you are concerned about it and you will never know the fate of the babies once they go to the pet store…it’s out of your control. If you consider getting her spayed immediately you won’t have those worries and I’m hoping you were considering this to begin with…
- 01/09/2010 at 10:42 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  I’m going to agree with everyone else – get her spayed now!
  
  Also, if you do let her have the babies, I would highly recommend you do not take the babies to the pet store. They won’t be well cared for and quite probably end up going to owners who won’t care for them and may dump them in the park. Not a good life for them. If you’re dead set on having the babies, please keep them until you find good homes and see if a shelter will take them and place them in homes responsibly. Dropping them at the pet store is not responsible.
  
  Finally, I’m going to agree wtih Jersey that they cannot be left together. Unfixed bunnies often get along well because they are thinking of mating. Unfortunately, this in no way means that they are actually friends, just that they want to mate. Plus, bunnies can become pregnant twice and have two litters, which is devastating because there is not enough milk for all of the babies. Also, the doe can become pregnant as soon as she has her litter, which would mean more babies in another 4 weeks (when the first little isn’t nearly old enough to be weaned). Also bad is that the doe will typically become very territorial as she gets more pregnant and begin to attack the male. The babies could even be hurt by one or both of the stressed out parents. I can’t stress enough that both buns need to be separated until after they are spayed and neutered. No buts – it is very important to separate them.
  
  I’m sorry if this post sounded harsh – I realize you didn’t intend for this to happen and you didn’t mate them on purpose. However, it did happen and now it’s your responsibility to take care of the buns. A first labor, especially on a doe that old, can be traumatic and you may lose all of the babies; you may lose the doe as well. You may end up paying hundreds in vet bills to save the doe’s life if the labor doesn’t go well. Getting her spayed now is the best thing for her health in the short term and the long term. Please do the right thing for your pets and any potential babies they may have.
- 01/09/2010 at 11:03 AM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  I have already talked to her about the pet store, as this is a person I know and recommended to join BB. Her pet store screens people that come in for pets, and won’t even adopt out buns to teens without parental permission. Her and her husband got fully screened before they were allowed to bring Bucky home. I had expressed my concerns to her about the store, and theys eem to be very good about who they let their animals go to.
- 01/09/2010 at 11:12 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  MB, that’s really good news. I’ve never heard of a pet store that is that responsible! That’s great.
- 01/09/2010 at 11:14 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  But what about spay/neuter? Pet stores do not do that nor do they require it.
- 01/09/2010 at 11:17 AM
  BuckyCheula
  Participant
  4 posts
  My vet is absolutely phenomenal, he’s from England and during our discussion he mentioned the rabbits were his favorite of all! Bucky is getting neutered, and we’ve taken steps to make sure he CAN’T get out again, even with the help of his co-conspirator. The two will not meet again until the fifth week after he’s neutered, more if I’m paranoid about it. Our vet can also help with Cheula, and advise if she’s in well enough condition to have a litter.
  
  The pet store I bought Bucky from did screen us, and have always been amazingly helpful with information for all of our pets (especially our African Grey Parrot, he’s a bit of a jerk). I’ve seen them refuse a sale of an animal to people because they didn’t feel comfortable with the information provided.The pet store though, is not the only place for them, I already have good homes inquiring about the possibility of a bunny if she does have a litter. The good thing about that is, I know the people and can inquire after them regularly.
  
  Some may feel that the responsible thing is to spay, and I understand the reasoning around it. In the articles I’ve read it talks a lot about hormones in bunnies, and how they effect a bunnies personality. I guess the concern would be, does it make sense to spay a bunny that’s 2 yrs old? The original intent was to have Bucky neutered, spraying bothers me, as it would anyone, and Cheula seems to have a good grip on her hormones.
  Things will go well, and they will be responsible.
  
  P.S Moneybun, the flash on my camera broke, I will see if I can save the pics from FB to my computer and upload that way. Pics of Cheula won’t happen until I can get another camera , or until we go to Vegas in March….(I’ll need another camera by then)
- 01/09/2010 at 11:34 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  It definitely makes sense to spay a rabbit at 2 years old. I’m not sure why you think it may not. Unspayed rabbits have an 85% of uterine cancer and spaying TOTALLY eliminates that. Two years old is not old at all for any animal and certainly not too old to spay. Did you have that discussion with your vet about spaying her?
- 01/09/2010 at 11:39 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  As Sarita said, it is absolutely worth spaying her. At 2 years old, she may be close to the end of her life span with the high rate of reproductive cancer present in females. Without a spay, she may only live another year, which would be very sad. Also, without a spay, the chances of her getting along with you boy are very slim. Unspayed females can be extremely territorial towards other buns (even if she seems nice to him now in his unneutered state).
  
  I had another question – how large are the two bunnies? Is the male larger or smaller than the female? There can be some serious complications if the male is larger because the female’s body will not be able to handle such big babies. Just something else to keep in mind.
  
  I’m really glad you’re considering all of the information and working with your vet to do what’s best for your bunnies! I really hope your doe makes it through labor and has healthy babies.
- 01/09/2010 at 2:41 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Vegas eh? You should come to portland instead lol. And yes, get her spayed, you want to keep her around for awhile! The lady I got Moose from has a bun that she recently rescued around 6 years old, and she got her spayed. They do fine at that age, 2 is nothing
- 01/10/2010 at 10:19 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Why does spaying bother you??
  
  spraying bothers me, as it would anyone
  
  Actually-NOT spaying bothers most. Put it this way-you have an 8 out of 10 chance your female will contract cancer and either suffer or die from it-either way it will be expensive. Spaying is the only thing that will take that 8/10 chance and make it zero.
  
  So, actually-no-spaying does not bother most.
- 01/11/2010 at 12:12 AM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  K&K, it may be time for glasses.. she said spraying, as in what buns do to mark
- 01/12/2010 at 11:58 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Posted By Monkeybun on 01/11/2010 12:12 AM
  K&K, it may be time for glasses.. she said spraying, as in what buns do to mark
  
  “Doh!” LOL
  
  I think I need glasses too. (oh wait, I’m wearing my glasses right now!) For some reason I made the same mistake KK did looking at it – too much Spay on the Brain.
- 01/13/2010 at 7:49 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  K&K, it may be time for glasses.. she said spraying, as in what buns do to mark
  
  Bahahha ohhh nooo sorry!!! It may be time for sleep-working OT at work (well over time but not overtime pay-yeah me) and I’m just exhausted. Be nice if Dave helped out a bit at home so I could sleep :p
  
  Sorry op!! Yes too much spay on the brain
- 01/14/2010 at 12:02 AM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  I believe there is a huge difference in a pair of unaltered rabbits that are “bonded”- they are not bonded they are mated- they get along most of the time because every 30 days or so he gets to remate her again. And her hormones tell her that is what she is bred to do and allow.
  
  A truly bonded pair of bunnies involves spaying/neutering and affection without mating.
  
  You should really talk to your vet about spaying first- because even if you neuter first there is a very good possibility even though they get along NOW- once one is altered- their behavior will change drastically- fighting, territorial, etc.
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