Help!

[rinnono]

My two rabbit.Stormy and monday both male and unspayed,They lived in the same cage without fighting for one day after i washed the whole cage.Suddenly, the 3rd day they fought alot and much move vigorous.Should I keep both of them or send them to other people coz i have no money for spaying.

[Deleted User]

If you cannot have them neutered they cannot live together. Separate them now.

[Elrohwen]

Ditto Petzy. They will not be able to live together un-neutered.

[Sarita]

Hi Rinnono, I would first separate them and then find a new home as you’ve suggested. If they aren’t separated they are definitely going to injure each other.

[Monkeybun]

And then the vet bills will be higher than the bill for the spaying would be.

[rinnono]

should i let them live next to each other but dont let them touch each other

[Monkeybun]

You could. Just make sure they cannot EVER get to each other.

And get a vet fund set up, with rabbits especially, you need to be able to afford to take them in to a vet when they need it. And don’t get me wrong, spaying and neutering is needed!

[Sarita]

I really feel you should consider finding them a new home. They truly should be altered no matter what the housing situation is.

[Karla]

I agree with Sarita. To keep bunnies as pets, they should be neutered. Mostly for their own sake, but for yours as well. If you don’t think, you can save money for the neuter, they are much better of going somewhere else where they will be neutered.

It is a shame that it is not something people are told in the pet shops or whereever they buy bunnies, because then things like this happen where your two males suddenly don’t get along and you are not prepared for it, and don’t know what is expected of you. Bunnies ARE actually quite expensive to have as pets. And neutering will not be the most expensive part of it…(although you might be lucky and get a bunny with excellent health that will hardly ever require a vet)

[rinnono]

Is there any cases that 2 rabbit bond together?Then how does rabbit in the wild lives?

[Karla]

Wild rabbits are just as social as house rabbits, but they live under different conditions. During their season which lasts between 4-6 months depending on the area, males and females mate. Males will occassionally chase off any other males to keep their “woman” to themselves, and some fights may occur. Females can be just as feisty when it comes to protecting their breeding nests. However, a warren consists usually of a lot of rabbits living together, but they have a much bigger area than what normal pet owners can provide their house rabbits, so fights can easily be avoided.

Once the season is over and the hormonal level is down to zero, the rabbits will sleep together, groom each other, and basically enjoy the company of each other. This is because they are not driven by hormones at this point in order to reproduce and secure the group. When we neuter/spay our bunnies, we keep them in this state – the state where they are not driven by hormones but when they live peacefully among each other. As house rabbits have plenty of food and a nice and warm place to live, they actually differ from the wild rabbits by having a breeding season all year around. So they are struggling with their hormones all year round.

Also another point is that it has actually been found that the smaller the living area, the more stressed and aggressive the rabbit will be. So this means, that rabbits living in small hutches will be more aggressive towards a new friend than a rabbit living in the wild with plenty of food and a huge area.

[KatnipCrzy]

As Karla mentioned- wild rabbits have much larger territories and can escape a losing fight if needed- a caged rabbit cannot.  And the life expectancy of wild rabbits (Eastern Cottontail in the US Midwest) is approx 3 years.  So the conditions are much different than wild rabbits.

In cases of extreme hoarding and abuse many rabbits can be crammed into cages and live together- but as one member found out that adopted 2 spayed cagemates- once they had their own territory- their own home- they fought terribly- and after 2 serious injuries she was forced to return one of the bunnies to the shelter.  So even though they had gotten along previously once their lives improved and there was something worthwhile in life- the dominant bunny would viciously attack the other bunny- even though they had lived together crammed in with other female bunnies in horrid conditions.  For anyone that remembers- this is the Hailey/Bailey bunnies.

I would agree with the others- if you cannot afford to neuter them- you should rehome them.  A pet bunny is a much more enjoyable pet when neutered- no spraying, etc.  Plus the fighting just cannot continue- and even if you separate them- they will know that the other bunny is still around.

[rinnono]

BUT I HAVE NO MONEY FOR SPAYING……………………………………….Who should I keep?The one with me for 4 month or the one just 3 weeks?4 month one is so stupid and immobile.3 weeks is active and neat!

[Monkeybun]

Honestly, if you can’t afford to spay them, you can’t afford to keep them. And your attitude towards your first bunny leaves much to be desired. They are not toys, they are living breathing animals that need love and attention and vet care.

[Karla]

Sorry to come down hard on you, but if you have no money for spaying, how will you be able to afford medical bills? I can tell you that one of my bunnies has cost me approximately $300 every month the past 5 months because he keeps needing vet care. You don’t know beforehand that one of your bunnies is going to require dental care every month or has another issue which needs regular attandence. But if you know that you will not be able to take your bunnies to the vet, this is just not the time to have such an expensive pet as a rabbit is. Maybe later in life, you can get rabbits.

Also, bunnies are very social and in my opinion should be bonded to another rabbit as this is how they live in the wild. So, just keeping one is not a solution in this case. I guess that you want to do the best for your rabbits and at this point, that is not keeping them, that is to rehome them.

Why not look at an option of another pet which suits you better? What made you interested in rabbits in the first place because it might just be another pet you were in fact looking for? There are tons of other pets that are easier to provide for and much cheaper.

[RabbitPam]

I think you should seriously look at the cost of keeping one bunny. If you go to the home page here you’ll find a link to a description of what you can expect a bunny to cost in the long and short term. It will help you decide for now and for what you think your situation will be for the next 10 years or so.

I would definitely recommend getting rid of one of them, and getting the other one neutered immediately. A little research, ie. local calling, to vets and even shelters will give you a good idea of how much it will cost to do one. But I urge you to do it. If you don’t, you will only have that one male and should never get another.

If you can’t afford the neuter now, but know you will in a year (say you know you will get a job that pays more or something along those lines) than you can consider keeping one and planning on the neuter later on. Even make a date with a vet and start to save.

But in addition to that, you need to save for illness, food, supplies like litter, etc. It’s a weekly budget expense. So think in those terms. The prospect of two neuters and two possibly ill rabbits is too much $. But one might be something you can budget for. Also, if you are really worried about never being able to handle an emergency, you can buy pet insurance for $12 a month per pet. (And I would pick the one you want to live with for 10 years.)

If, being honest with yourself, you can’t even afford the care for one, then give them a new home now before you become more attached. It is the humane thing to do for the bunnies, and before they are bonded to each other. Now that you know how great they are as pets, and how many need homes, you can spend some time learning about what their needs are on this and other sites. You can plan to get one or two in the future, knowing that next time you are prepared.

[jerseygirl]

Who should I keep?The one with me for 4 month or the one just 3 weeks?4 month one is so stupid and immobile.3 weeks is active and neat!

Rinnono, what ages are Monday and Stormy? Sometimes young rabbits are very active but will become less so as they reach adult age. If you do decide to give one or both rabbits up – is there a rabbit rescue in your country who would take them for you? You have to be careful giving them away or sellling them. Some people might not keep them in a good home, mis treat them or even buy them as food for reptiles. If you do give one or both up – please take them to a good rabbit rescue if there is one.

[KatnipCrzy]

if you want to do the responsible thing- rehome them both now.  They will be easier to place in a loving home while they are still young.  Don’t wait until you can no longer handle their problems associated with non-spay/neuter- or they are not cute and cuddly babies.  That is not fair the the rabbit- they deserve loving forever homes as soon as possible.

You seem to tire of your bunnies quickly and are not bonding with them on a personal level- maybe bunnies just are not for you.  All of my bunnies- at no matter what age I got them- I fell in love with them and would never let them go- I have rushed them to the vet, cried many tears when they are ill, and have been prepared to charge a lot of money to my credit card to keep them healthy, alive and with me.  If you cannot love a bunny like that- a bunny is not the right pet for you.

I only had Penny for 4-6 months before she died (she was 1 1/2 yrs old when I got her).  She was acting off- I took her to my vet started her on antibiotics and pain meds and she perked up that night.  The next morning she looked horrible and I rushed her to a specialty exotic vet 45 minutes away- in the exam room she died in my arms- and I made a total fool of myself begging and pleading for her not to die.  I am sure many of the people working there heard me saying “No, Penny, No- stay with me”.  And it makes me cry to even type this and it has been over a year.  It was determined she died of cancer (sarcoma) and there was nothing I could have done.  I contacted her previous owner and let her know- and even though she was sad and cried also she knew I did everything I could and gave Penny a happy life while I had her. THAT IS WHAT A BUNNY YOU HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESERVES!!!!!!

 

[Deleted User]

rinnono, have you contacted the Singapore House Rabbit Society as Sarita had suggested to you in the past? You have had many questions about housing, handling, training and now bonding, and I think that you and your rabbits are stressed from the challenges that you have faced concerning their care. Your 4-month old rabbit might be ‘immobile’ out of fear or he may not be well. The word immobile implies that he is not well. Do you mean to say he can’t move or that he won’t move? Whatever the case, contact your local House Rabbit Society as they might be able to assiist you in deciding whether or not to keep these rabbits.

[Author]

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