Bonding Help

[Mtowsley]

I currently only have one bunny, he’s almost a year old and he has recently gotten neutered. My friend has to move and cannot bring her bunny with her and has asked if I would take her. Her bunny is and unspayed female and is quite old (about 8 years). I would hate to see her have to go to a shelter, but I don’t know if it would be safe to introduce them since she is elderly and isn’t fixed. I know it is ideal for both rabbits to be fixed but I don’t feel comfortable putting her through a surgery at her age. Would it be worth attempting to bond?

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, it may be possible if you take it slow. It used to be more common for unspayed buns to be bonded with neutered males, but it does depend a lot more on the personalities of the buns. If he is mounting relentlessly or she acts very aggressively towards him at their first meeting then it’s unlikely to work out.

For what it’s worth, 8 may not be too old to spay if you have an experienced vet, and could actually give her more years of life. I volunteered with a rescue that had a few 7 year old unspayed buns come in. They went to spayed them and found they already had reproductive cancer, but were able to remove it and the buns were able to be adopted out. 🙂

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Yes, the chances for cancer in unspayed females are high, very high. It’s estimated at >50% by age 4. I’d discuss it with a rabbit savvy vet to see what’s their take on it.

[Mtowsley]

Update- thanks for your advice! I decided to take her and attempt bonding. Lots of territorial disputes despite being in a neutral space. I did small introductions for a few days, and it seemed like they weren’t making much progress. If she hadn’t been elderly, I would have continued small play dates every day because I know it’s not typical for them to get along right away. However, I was worried that she was getting to stressed and I didn’t want to do anything that was going to harm her. Luckily, my brother fell in love with her so now both bunnies are living happily by themselves. Maybe I will try getting him a friend in the future, but this didn’t seem like the best pair.

[DanaNM]

Sounds like a good plan! I’m glad she found a home. 🙂 I’m sure they will enjoy each others company as neighbors, even if they can’t be bonded.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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