A friend?

[Deleted User]

Hi, I have a mini lop buck, Thumper, I added picks of him on the lounge. But anyway, I need to get him a friend, and my only option is a spayed doe, Ive already found one. I just wanted to know if it will be possible to bond them. My parents will not allow me to get him neutered, is there any hope? Here is a pic of the doe in her shelter, she is spayed.

11227481343571.jpg

[Sarita]

Honestly, I would have to say that if your parents won’t allow you to get him neutered I’d be weary of bringing another rabbit into the home.

What are your parent’s reasons for not wanting to get him neutered? Is there something we can do to help you convince them that it is the right thing to do? That really should be your first priority in my opinion.

[Gravehearted]

kabaam, why won’t you parents let you get him neutered?  it is a serious concern, since he would be happier and healthier.  It help prevents testicular cancer, agression and improves territorial issues like literbox use.

Bonding unneutered rabbits isn’t recommended.  Since Thumper’s not neutered, he’s going to pester a spayed female or fight with another male. Also, it works better to have your rabbit pick his own friend, since you can’t guess how he and some random rabbit are going to get along.

So my advice is work on your parents to convince them he needs to be neutered and then work on finding him a friend.

here’s some info you can share with your parents about why neutering is important.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html

[Deleted User]

well, my parents told me that they dont want him neutered because they think it is un-natural. I totally disagree, so I guess i will try to convince them. Wont he feel any pain, and do they put the rabbit to sleep (not death) before they do it?

[Sarita]

Kabaam, I really hope you can convince your parents!  You sound like you really want to have him neutered.

You will need to find a vet experienced with rabbits – here’s a link:

http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

If you are not in the US, there is a link on another website that I can link too you as well if needed.

He will be put under anaesthesia while being neutered and they will give him a pain shot before his procedure.  Males bounce back very fast after being neutered and he should not be in any pain at all. 

[JK]

Wow.  I think it is totally irresponsible to not neuter because of all the millions of unwanted rabbits in the world.  Have your parents take a look at the pictures of all the homeless rabbits in the animal shelters or better yet have them visit them. They have to euthanize  so many wonderful rabbits because of overcrowding as there are just not enough people to adopt the many rabbits they have.  Please convince them it is the most humane thing to do.  I agree it should be your first priority to convince your parents to do the right thing. Good luck!

[BinkyBunny]

Actually there was another gal on here who was having the exact same issue with her parents, and she was able to convince them. We had a whole thread about it, and the "unnatural" point was addressed. I need to go find it so I can save myself some time. Be back soon.

EDITED:  okay, I’m back.   I found the thread but it was filled with other subjects too, so I am just going to copy my response and change it slightly to fit your case:

Here is my take on it:   Unless you’re breeding them then I think it can be cruel to have a bunny stay intact and deal with hormones that no longer have a place as a domestic companion. As prey animals, rabbits have a relentness need to breed and a need to guard and mark their territory.   In the wild they need these hormones to survive, but in our homes it can make them anxious, aggressive and frustrated.  Rabbits were modified via breeding through human interaction. Domestic rabbits themselves are ‘unnatural" in the sense  that humans manipulated them via breeding…and though many parts of them were made domestic, their instinctual part can still be there, and unless we change all rabbits through breeding to become wild rabbits again, then the domestic unbred rabbit will be burdoned with hormones that can make them unsettled.

I can compare it to "wisdom teeth".  The jaws of humans have changed over time and though many people still get the wisdom teeth, and they are natural, many times wisdom teeth can cause severe pain and infection and must be removed.

Also, as another example.   Unbred nonspayed female rabbits have a very very high cancer rate. 85% according to the House Rabbit Society.    Which is more cruel – to leave a bunny intact and risk a tragic death of cancer, or prevent the cancer altogether, offering a longer happy life by spaying?   Now I know your bunny is male, but if he was female would spaying still be considered cruel if it could save her life?   I am just offering up another example of why "altering" a bunny can be best. 

Good Luck!

[babybunsmum]

i completely agree with binky bunny & the others here who encourage you to convince your parents that neutering is a good thing.  i speak from personal experience, as i have had rabbits as housepets (baby bun is my third) and i got none of them altered.  i took my first bun to a vet who would not do a neuter, nor did he encourage me to seek a rabbit savvy vet.  unfortunately i did not have the benefit of this site, as you do now, to help me learn why neutering is so important.  aside from the health concerns which are so important, from first-hand experience i can tell you that unaltered rabbits mark a LOT and are very hormonal.  this may not sound like a big deal when reading but i assure you it means a great amount of cleaning to keep your house from smelling lke a rabbit barn.  and hormonal behaviour can be very difficult to live with as it often means aggressive behaviour. 

it seems to me like your parents may have agreed you could have a rabbit as a pet because they thought it was a low-maintenance pet that would not require a lot of care much less vet attention.  unfortunately this is a pretty common pet store sales pitch to make a rabbit sale.  i know this from personal experience too… it’s how i got my first bun.  and it’s also how the shelters get full of unwanted buns. when pet owners are faced with aggressive, pee & poo marking rabbits they no longer want to commit to caring for the animal.  i’m so happy to read that you’re willing to convince your parents about why neutering is important.  it’s definitely best to do this before they agree to you getting another bun.  good luck!

[Beka27]

your response is wonderful BinkyBunny! 

Babybunsmum!!!  i love your response too, from someone on the "other side" who did not have your animals altered!  you have done so much for your pets, and for our little group here.  your input is very important on this subject!  you can tell that you love your furry friends so much and you’d do anything for them!  thank you so much for being here and offering your advice!

[babybunsmum]

thanks beka   you set a great example for excellent pet care so your words mean a lot.  i actually have a lot of guilt for not finding a rabbit savvy vet years ago since i realize now that my each of my rabbits health suffered.  it’s nice to know that my love for animals comes across dispite my history.  i’m fairly certain (not due to any word from my vet mind-you) that baby’s mamary tumor was related to her not being spayed.  i figure the best way to balance it out and not beat myself up about it continuously is to offer my experience as a good example of what not to do.  sometimes it’s easier to hear a cautionary tale from some one who has learned the hard way.  thats one reason why i love this site… it strives to educate & learn from each other.  i’m a bit the eternal optimist and i believe that most people will step-up & care properly for their bun if/when they learn how.

[Beka27]

i have a lot of guilt with my first rabbit experience and i think that’s what makes me feel so strongly about proper rabbit care.  from the bunny slave thread…

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&postid=16082&view=topic

i said… "there was so much i didn’t know when i got my first rabbit Stephen.  my friend had gotten him for her daughter who was 3 at the time and she was terrorizing him, so i took him.  i kept him in a 55 gallon glass aquarium.  with pellets.  no hay.  no veggies.  the wrong kind of bedding.  i really had no clue.  we never let him out except to change his bedding.  my whole childhood we had small animals as pets (hamsters and mice and guinea pigs)… they rarely came out… so why would our rabbit be treated any differently?"

i corrected my mistakes towards the end and he became a bona fide house rabbit with the right care, but i still feel he would’ve lived a longer, healthier life had i known more.  he was never neutered.  i had begun inquiring about it and i had decided to do it, but he passed before i had a chance to make the appt.  he was only a few years old.

 

[Lisa_43]

Like you said you have learnt from that. It is better today with websites full of information (some good some not) I am really thankful I found valuable information on the internet.

[BinkyBunny]

Thanks Beka, and just so ya know – I made mistakes with my very first bunny too, and you’ll find that many people who are passionate now, are ones that had alot of learning to do, so we know how important education actually is. We’ve been there, and know the difference. It can be very beneficial when helping others, to know where they are coming from. That can be a powerful tool when educating. It helps soften the judgements and focus on education.

Though there are going to be some people that just don’t care, and refuse to listen, they want what they want, and that’s it, there are also alot people that are caring and open, but just don’t know any better but will quickly take in what you have to say as long as they aren’t shamed. I think experiencing being on both sides can really make it easier to deal with people who making some of the same mistakes we may have. So look on the positive side, I think because of our own mistakes and experiences, you can really make a big difference in the lives of bunnies and their humans.

[Deleted User]

Hi, everyone. Thanks for all your help. It didnt take much time to persuade my parents, I just made them read your comments. He is being neutered tomorrow on Sunday by a rabbit specialist. My cousin is going to keep the doe and give her to me after a few weeks of the op so that I can bond them. If however it does not work, I will look for more does. Once again I want to thank you all, you have made my day.

[JK]

Congratulations on convincing your parents!  That’s just excellent news.  I think everyone here will be so proud of you.  You have made my day!!!! Good luck.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Yay Kabaam! I am so glad they have agreed to have the bun fixed!

[MooBunnay]

Thats so exciting! Then your bun can have a nice friend and they can spend many happy times together Once your bun is neutered, it is best to wait about a month before trying to bond him, that way all his hormone’s will be out of his system, and he will not “harass” the female so much. That female is quite adorable

As a warning, sometimes it is difficult to bond two bunnies, and we generally recommend that you take your male bun to meet a few different female buns to see who he gets along with best (kind of like speed dating). Still, there are many different bonding techniques we can help you with once you start the bonding process, and if one doesn’t work at first, we can recommend some others. My favorite technique for bonding two bunnies is taking them on a “car ride” together in the same carrier.

[Beka27]

this is wonderful news Kabaam!  even if you were not going to bond him, it’s still the absolute best thing you can do for your bun!  you will be able to enjoy his company much more b/c those pesky hormones won’t be in the way, and with proper care he’ll be able to live a healthier, happier life.  i’m very happy for you and your parents.  this is an important decision to make.

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