Fast track bonding post-speuter?

[jerseygirl]

Hi everyone
Today I dropped a friends rabbits in for their desexings. They are a 2 yr old female and we think a 6 month old male (old enough for neuter but we dont know exact age) they both gorgeous!!!
They will be staying with me for recovery and some bonding work.
The owner has suggested starting to put them together right away as they’ll both be groggy and away from home etc. I agree this could be a good idea and possibly speed up their bonding. Obviously I’ll need to test the waters and make sure it doesnt compromise their recovery- so I’m very much going to play it by ear.

The girl lost her bonded mate (her desexed brother) in December and seems to be reacting well to scent of this new rabbit. The boy appears to be a total love-bug. Kind of a chilled-out cruisey bunny.

What are people’s thoughts on this? Concerns? Advice? Has anyone done this with a good outcome?

[jerseygirl]

I’ve just thought of one concern: monitoring toileting if they’re together. I am thinking I may put them together for the first few hours when they come home and just want to sleep. I don’t expect there to be any poo at that stage.

[Bwbedard]

I feel like this could go either way. If they fight at all while they are still healing it could be bad. On the flip side it is pretty much one huge stress bonding session which seems to work. I would be cautious… hormone levels are still high at that point.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks Bwbedard. : )

Well, I tried them in a small cosy space together and it was obvious right away that it was too early. Lasted all of 10 seconds. Lol

The boybun is doing fantastic and you wouldn’t even think he’d had surgery. He was too keen on her and she not happy about it. Under normal circumstances I’d do a bonding session but its too risky to atm judging from this initial meet.

The girl is much quieter post-surgery but looks good. They actually found a tumour on her uterus and she’s barely 2yrs old. So it was fortunate she is now spayed.
It’s been a big day and she deserves a quiet, peaceful night.

[Sarita]

I think putting them together initially would be fine but I agree with Bwedard, it could go both ways.

Wow, glad you got her in to be spayed – I think people don’t realize how quickly unspayed females can develop uterine cancer – scary!

[Emmie]

I don’t have much to add here except I hope it goes well!

[LittlePuffyTail]

That’s so nice of you to offer to do the bonding work for your friend! Wish I had a friend like that!

[jerseygirl]

It was more i was taking them for their surgeries. the bonding was to be something we’d try since they would be in neutral territory. Taking the rabbits away from home seems to have a positive impact for bonding.

As I said, putting them together during recovery didnt really work

BUT

I’m happy to report that yesterday the girl was much more back to her usual self so I allowed them to interact. It went really well!!! So well in fact that after several hours I decided to merge their pens.
They’ve just spend the first night in a shared pen.

Wish my rabbits were so easy to put together!

[jerseygirl]

He’s chinning her blanket. :p

[Sarita]

They are cute!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Awww…..cutie pies!

[bunnygirl]

Wait…can’t boybuns still get a girlie pregnant just after being neutered? That’s what I’d always thought…am I wrong? :S

[MoveDiagonally]

They’re adorable, glad everything worked out.

@bunnygirl – They were both spayed/neutered. After neuter impregnation is only a concern if you put the male with an un-spayed female.

It’s pretty hard to make babies without a uterus

[bunnygirl]

Oh of course! (Duhhh!) ignore that post I made just then. I’d only just woke up and wasn’t thinking straight! -.-

[jerseygirl]

Yes, just intact females they can still impregnate.

Gosh, I’d be in trouble if I sent home this bun pregnant!!! Lol
The owner has already learnt the hard way with back to back litters with her original pair. They were sold to them as 2 females… which you can guess was incorrect. This was a couple years ago. She dealt with the situation admirably and is now very rabbit-savvy and a devoted advocate.

The bunnymooners went home just hours ago. I no doubts that their bond will continue to grow.

It was sweet to watch the girlbun’s reunion with her human mama. The boy is their newbie so he has only spent minimal time with them. He’s a love-bug anyway and was happy for all the attention regardless. : )

[LittlePuffyTail]

awww….bunnymooners…..lol

[Emmie]

D’awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!! Wow! So adorable.

[bunnylova123]

SO CUTE

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

They’re so cute together! And how fortunate they bonded so easily.

[jerseygirl]

I know! We’ve been very pleased about that. They did great back at their home also. The female of her other pair is not reacting well to the newcomer though! She’s due to be spayed this week so there’s hope this will calm her down.

This pair are with me again for a few days as the girl licked at her incision and it started to look infected. So she had go back to vet for a recheck. All is looking well and I hope she heals up well. I supposed I can call this the “cementing the bond” phase since they are confined in a pen for the time they’re with me.

[jerseygirl]

I should add; I really think their bond came about quickly because of their natures & that they were in somewhat neutral territory. I don’t believe it was anything to do with their both being in recovery in the end.

@bunnygirl: I’m actually glad you brought up the thing about bucks still being fertile post-op for a while. Although its a non issue for this pair, it’s always good to get that info out there. You never know who might be reading that was unaware of the fact. I just don’t understand why it’s not more well known? People should be told by their vets. I’ve taken several bucks to be neutered and have never been advised about keeping them separated from intact females. And this at rabbit savvy vets. : (
I understand its not unique to rabbits either. Even after vasectomy, there is still a risk of pregnancy for a short time.

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