Neutering them will help with spraying. If you spay/neuter both you can bond them and they can live together. make were you have fresh hay available to them at all time, not timothy cubes. Timothy hay helps were down there teeth and is very important to there health. the cubes should be offered as treats.

Welcome! I’m so glad you brought you bunnies indoors!!

For one-they can mate through the mesh-so one needs to be fixed asap.

2) They both need to be fixed as soon as you can-male for spraying, female becuase there is an 80% risk of cancer by age 3 so it’s really really important.

3)If they are mesh divided, Im wondering if they have mesh floor-in which case you will want to make sure the floor is soft and solid. We couldn’t stand 8 hours on mesh and we have foot padding, most animals do…rabbits don’t so its especially hard on them. They can be litter trained so it’s a cinch to clean up after them even without a ‘potty floor’

4) Cubes are fine especially if they are timothy but they should also get regular hay (not alfalfa) to eat

5) Once they are both fixed they could be introduced to see if they bond-check out the bonding section for tips and tricks (some rabbits love each other right away, some need help)

Keep asking questions-we’d love to help! Also we’d love pictures!

Welcome!
The mesh was the first issue to be worked on as I see it, and you need to add at least an inch, maybe two or three, between their cages to keep them separated immediately. I would take both to the vet for a baseline check up, confirmation that they are male and female, and make an appointment right away to have one (preferably the female) fixed. If you do the male first, it is a simpler operation and usually less expensive, but he will still need to be separated from her for one month afterward. It’s better for her health and to avoid pregnancy to do her first. She could already be pregnant, but the vet can handle that, too. He will stop spraying when he’s fixed, but he’s also marking new territory with pee in the new indoor habitat.

They sound like they are off to a good start, and you can continue to bond them after they are safe to be together. You can get each one a little stuffed toy so it gets their scent on it, then switch them so each can smell the other one and get used to each other that way too. This will give them a substitute to snuggle until they can bond.

You are off to a great start with their set up. I also encourage fresh hay over cubes. There’s lots of good brands to get – timothy hay is the most available and recommended.

Check out the green banner at the top of this page where it says Bunny Info. You can scroll over the menus and find a ton of basic info. that will really help you learn what to start off with so you get a set up that is great for them and one you will enjoy. Also, if you go into the Photos section you can see pix of other habitats members have built. There is simple startup advice in the Habitats section of the Forums, plus Diet and Care section will get you some fundamental advice, so scan the posts. The push pin symbols at the tops are info. we thought so important that it is there to be easily accessible. It’s a great site for just what you are doing!
If you need another site, the best is the House Rabbit Society, http://www.rabbit.org. You can find lists of vets who are experts in bunnies (exotics) by location too, so check it out if you need one.

Welcome Gailann : )

I won’t repeat too much of what has been suggested other then this point: neuter, neuter, neuter. This will solve many problems. Reduce the spraying and reduce the odour the urine has of intact rabbits. It will also cut that constant drive of wanting to mate and the 2 can make for better companions then. If you don’t have a rabbit vet, check out this listing from House Rabbit Society. 
http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html 
 

for the first time I have decided to bring rabbits into my home. I’m trying to adjust to the idea of rabbits being in my home and how to care for them.

You have had rabbits as pets before but outdoor pets? I’m curious as to how you’re finding the experience of having house rabbits. Are you enjoying the interaction? You get to see much more personality when they’re part of the household.

Rabbits indoors are very rewarding! Like Jersey said, you get to see so much more of their real personality and once you get into a routine, it’s really much simpler to care for them indoors, just like cats with a litterbox.

My Binkybunny cohorts covered all the basics perfectly. Spay and neuter is very important, both for behavioral and health reasons, as well as the prevention of pregnancy. Unneutered males (and some females) are very stinky and spray, so for the sake of living in a house with them, it is vital that be done.

Welcome to BB! Please keep us updated on how they do!

Hi Gailann

I believe the albums here are not currently working at the moment. The site will be undergoing some technical changes in the coming weeks.
You can try attach photos directly in your post on the forums. When you go to Add Reply (not the Quick Reply box) it has an attachment feature under the text box. We’d love to see the rabbits!

I must urge you though not to mate your rabbits. Actually, this subject is not permitted in the forums. See the Rules & Guidelines for more detail. In brief, it is because there is an over population problem with rabbits and there are shelters full of them. This community has a strong rescue focus. May I suggest if you’re wanting your grandchildren to see baby rabbits, to take them along to a Rabbit Rescue? They receive pregnant Does all the time. If they are wanting to have rabbits themselves, these shelters often give intial vet care and neuter the rabbits before adoption. So it really saves alot cost wise. The can also already be socialised and litter trained.  There is so much benefit in adopting from a rescue. You give an animal in need a home and it frees up a shelter spot for another.

With your question about neutering both male and female, obviously the main reason is to prevent pregnancies. The other major reason for neutering the female is her health. Left intact, she has an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer. A spay brings this risk to zero.

Neutering both sexes also reduces urine odour, reduces territorial behaviours and makes them easier to litter train. Are the 2 litter trained? You mention bedding…this is over the cage floor as litter or they have one spot?

Hi and Welcome

I would have to agree with jerseygirl.
Rabbits are the 3rd most surrendered pet to shelters and are not very easy pets. I would advise to spay and neuter both rabbits, and let your grandchildren interact with the 2 bunnies.

Females will also get ‘false pregnancies’ if not spayed. They will pull out their fur and make nests. I have not seen one myself, but I would be frightened by witnessing one

Smudge ahd the whole fur pulling thing when i picked her up to foster her. She was abandoned at a lady’s house… very sad as she is the sweetest bunny ever.

Definitely spay and neuter both, do not let them mate. I volunteer for a rabbit rescue/foster group, and the bunnies we have in all the time… it’s sad.

Hello!! Welcome to the best bunny site in the whole world! You will find everything you need to know to have healthy bunnies who live long, happy lives. You can search for topics in the forum, and of course you can ask any questions you need. I know from experience!

I have to reiterate what Jersey said. One thing we all agree on is that it’s never a good idea to mate your bunnies. There are countless breeders out there who make it their jobs to mate rabbits over and over again, and as a result there are whole shelters dedicated to homeless bunnies. There’s one right near me… a shelter with so many bunnies they have no other animals. Also near me is a commercial breeder with a huge room full of stacked cages and newborn rabbits. I can’t stand to think of how many of them will end up in that shelter.

There are so many ways you and your family can experience the cuteness of a newborn bunny without breeding your rabbits! Check out shelters in your area and adopt a bun for your grandchildren. You will feel so much better and you will give an abandoned bunny a second chance at happiness.

I’m not clear on what you’re asking. You want to tattoo the female’s ear for ID purposes? If you’re concerned about losing your rabbit, a better method may be to have a microchip inserted by the vet. This is usually a breeder thing to tattoo the rabbit’s ears so they know who is theirs. You mention the fair, are you planning on showing the rabbits, are they for 4-H or something like that?

I’m so glad you decided to neuter them! You are obviously determined to be the best bunny parent you can be, and that’s why we’re all here!

If you do the “add reply” button instead of the “quick reply” section, there a place underneath the writing space where you can add attachments. You can browse your computer and find the pictures and upload them, and then add thumbnails to the writing space.

I hope this helps!

Becka: I think by putting them in the fair she wants to show them, or at least just the male. I don’t think you can show altered rabbits can you? I don’t know too much about showing rabbits, but I do know you have to leave them in tiny tiny tiny cages overnight and I wouldn’t want to put my buns through that, especially how timid rabbits are in new scary surroundings.

A lot of shelters have small animals too, it doesn’t have to be a specific rabbit rescue to adopt a rabbit.

Just like everyone else has said, you really need to spay and neuter them. Please don’t breed them, there are other ways of having good experiences with your grandchildren than that. Your grandkids will benefit from just having the experience of owning them and helping you care for them – no babies necessary

In order to show a rabbit it has to have a pedigree, have a tattoo, and it can’t be neutered or spayed. If you want to enter into a county fair that requires your rabbit to be marked you can always just write in his/her ear. Also you can enter an altered rabbit into a county fair, they are more relaxed than an actual rabbit show.
And no a vet typically doesn’t tattoo a rabbit for you.

Usually the breeder tattoos the bunnies ear- there are specific tattoos for ID from each breeder- with no universal data base. 

If your bunnies are not show quality (and that is fine- they can still be wonderful pets) and you want them as calm, suitable pets- it would be best to spay/neuter them.  You should check with your local 4H and see how the bunnies can be shown if spayed/neutered and what is involved with showing.  I personally would never be able to leave my bunnies at the fair as is required by many 4H shows- I would be a nervous wreck worried about them- and i would not want them exposed to other bunnies that other owners may not care for properly.  It could make your bunny sick.

The site has been experiencing some issues with photos the last few days. I don’t think they are loading for that reason.