Bonding male and female mini lop kits

[BeccaRose]

Hi 👋🏻

I am going to get an 8 week old female mini lop end of May 2020 and an 8 week old male mini lop end of June 2020.

i want the rabbits to be free roam as much as possible. My worry is, do I keep them separate in separate rooms or have them in the same room separated with a playpen until they are spayed and neutered and if they are separate for 5/6 months or so (if anyone knows the earliest times they can both be spayed that be great as I am getting all kinds of answers online.) What methods can I use to bond them when they are both fixed? Will they be better in separate rooms for territory purposes or will they be better in the same room to get used to each other’s company? I’ve read that male kits can be neutered at 10-14 weeks and then an additional 6 weeks is required to ensure the male is infertile and that female kits have to wait 4-5 months to be spayed is this correct? Would the female have fake pregnancies and be stressed out if she is with the male neutered rabbit until she can be fixed?

I’ve read that they need to feed on alfalfa hay and high fibre pellets only for up to 5 months. Does anyone recommend any particular brand of pellets? I know to feed only the recommended small amount. I have read that kits cannot eat any greens until 5 months old as it will upset their little belly’s is this correct?

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome! The forum is still being worked on, so you may not get too many responses yet!

In the meantime, I recommend checking out the sections on bonding, diet, etc, as I think some of that info will help you plan the approach you would like to use for bonding. If you search “bonding journal” on this site you will also find lots of member’s experiences that will help you know what to expect.

I would recommend keeping at least one room of your house bunny-free so that you have some neutral territory to work with during the bonding process. You are correct that males can be neutered younger, I think around 12 weeks is average. Females it’s usually around 6 months, but varies a little by vet, so you should communicate with your vet about the age they recommend. Typically it’s good for buns to be housed near each other before bonding to allow them to get used to each other. I don’t think the female would be stressed with having the neutered male near, but you can see how they do and adjust their housing as needed.

I don’t have too much experience with young bunny diets, but there are usually young rabbit specific pellets which contain more alfalfa, and plenty of grass hay (timothy).

 

. . . 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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