I’m Getting another bunny!!!

[sally]

Hi all, I’ve only had my rabbit 2months and I love her too bits! But I must’ve caught the bug, as my partners aunty is wanting a good home for her bun, as due to new work commitments she feels he isnt getting enough attention, so I was first in line! yes i’ll have him!! Now he’s obviously a male and the one I have already is a female, his aunty is unsure if he is neutered but I know our female isnt, so I will have to keep them apart to start with! which could be time consuming but so worth it! The new bun is a floppy eared one aswell so ill have one of each! It;s gonna be so fun! She is bringing him over tomorrow, so i will add pics, as is an unwritten rule on this forum lol ! Im so excited though! My friends say im crazy but I cant help it, if an animal needs a home I will take it in!!!!

 

So once I have spayed my first rabbit, who kinda goes by the name Mouse lol , and the new male has been checked by vets and sorted if needed, I will need some advice on bonding!!

[Sarita]

Congratulations :~) He’s probably not neutered – she would most likely know if he was – that’s been my experience with this doing rescue work.

Do you know how old he is?

Bonding is a big commitment so don’t get too frustrated when the time comes to start bonding – persistence in bonding will usually pay off.

[sally]

I dont have a lot of info yet, but she will be bringing him to us as she lives a few miles away so i will find out everything, she is sad to let him go, but wants him to have attention he deserves. She has said she got him from someone else which is why she is unsure on the neutering, so this poor bun been passed around a bit, I imagine he’s probably an older bun, but I will see 2moro.

Would it be a problem with say letting “mouse” out for a few hours, and then new bun ? would they mind sharing same space, but not at the same time? as I also wil have to get the cat used to a 2nd bun ! As my friends say its turing into a zoo at my home lol

[Sarita]

It’s hard to know how they will react – most times unaltered rabbits will mark when there is another unaltered rabbit in the same territory.

Poor little dude! at least he keeps going to good homes.

[KatnipCrzy]

aww….your new addition sounds as though he will be adorable and need his forever home!

I would expect to see increased territory marking from Mouse- she will KNOW there is another bunny in the house even if she does not see him- she will be able to smell him.  And the new male will probably also territorial mark.  This is common even with spayed/neutered- but I am not sure how long it will last between 2 unaltered buns.

[BinkyBunny]

Congrats! I know you may have some challenging time ahead with marking and bonding, but it sounds like you have a big heart and so hopefully this will be his “forever” home.

I also agree though with Sarita and Katnip, marking will most likely happen. And they don’t have to be in the same room at the same time for that to happen. Their scent on the carpet – just even where they sat or were lounging, plus their scent on your hands from petting, may cause them to mark, so things could get a little messy. Don’t get discouraged though as once they are both altered, this should at least settle down a bit.

[sally]

Well I have often said that when you take on an animal its like taking on a child, so when your child has dirty nappies you dont get rid of them so why would I get rid of my rabbit who has started poopig in the corner! as most of my friends keep asking if im getting rid now. So with having another one coming this afternoon , I will take him on as a family member and I know its gonna be very stressfull for a while, untill I can sort them all out!! So once he arrives later ill upload a pic of him! thanks for your advice so far, im sure it will all work out in the end!! Im just too soft!!

[RabbitPam]

Sounds challenging but wonderful.

Until you said she had taken him in herself I was going to ask if she could get him neutered for you first, then let you have him after he’s recovered from the surgery. It’s a big expense to put both speuters for both bunnies on you. If he gets checked by a vet right away and he has been neutered already, you can slowly start the bonding process. If not, they’ll get used to knowing the other is in the house for the time being.

Read up on the bonding section for tips on what works. You might get two small stuffed animals to act as surrogates. Each can take on the other’s smell, and introduce the surrogates to each bunny to get them used to the new family member. Then if one is aggressive, it will take it out on a surrogate.

[sally]

 

Here he is, will get better pics on when I can !

[Sarita]

Oh, he’s cute. Are you certain he is a boy? It kind of looks like he has a dewlap in the picture which is usually a characteristic of a female rabbit.

[sally]

she said she wasnt sure lol how can I check? the cage she has gave us is the same as the one I have for mouse, with one problem, it has no top! So i put an old cot mattress over mouse’s cage and used her bars on the new one, nxt thing i know mouse has wiggled her way out and they were scrapping thru the bars! Ive been to local pet shops and they are all closed already, half day wednesday or something!! So tonight is gonna be a struggle, now new bun, is also very grumpy, hasnt come out the cage yet (they are now in seperate areas) she/he doesnt seem to want to be here but i expect it really as its a new home but thought it would’ve been more curious if you see what i mean, I forgot to ask the age aswell but ill email her and ask soon.

[Sarita]

Well, if you turn him over and see balls that is usually the easiest way to tell (if he will cooperate). Sometimes they suck up their testicles though.

You might try a sheet on top sometimes if they think they cannot get out that way they will try. I’m not sure that a mattress will give her air or circulation too.

It’s also possible if that the new rabbit has not had a top on his cage it might be because he will not try to get out – of course you are taking a chance that way…might ask your aunt about it.

[sally]

Well so far he/she hasnt bothered to even attempt to get out, maybe shyness or just bcoz its not familiar, she said he’s like a 50/50 indoor outdoor rabbit, so maybe thats part of it, reason for no top was she just said as he has been outside recently through summer, that she just doesnt know where the top is! So If i find new bun is female, with them not being spayed will they fight 2gether? or does it not matter>both will be done at some point, my mouse seems very curious about the new arrival! lol

[RabbitPam]

Two females often fight, but it’s because one is trying to establish dominance over the other.

If it’s an unneutered boy, and his hormones have kicked in, then eventually you may get a peek at him if he gets amorous. (My boy loved my ankles, and would show his little toothpick just sitting alone in his cage.)

[sally]

What do I do, if they fight then? I mean how do I stop it ?

[Beka27]

You would have to split them up yourself, but you’d have to wear some kind of protection b/c this can be dangerous for you as well! Once two buns get into a vicious fight with circling and tumbling over one another, it’s unlikely that they will stop by themselves until one or both are badly injured. Two females (if the new addition is in fact a female, which it looks like from the size of the dewlap) are notoriously hard to bond. I would wait until both are spayed and have healed for at least 1-2 months before doing any introductions.

Also… how certain are you that the new baby is a girl?  At such a young age, petstores and breeders can make mistakes, especially inexperienced ones.  It’s unlikely that at 2 months, the baby could impregnate or get pregnant, but I would have them both checked out and sexed by a rabbit savvy vet before putting them together at all.

[sally]

Mouse is around 7months old im told, and was told she was a female, but I think im pretty sure on her. The new one, was rescued from a bad situation apparently, but the reason I have him/her is bcoz of work commitments, so far s/he has been a bit of a grump but I keep trying, i sat down on the floor let her/him wander and s/he came over for a nosey a few times,but unless i lift him/her out of the cage s/he wont come out, not that she cant come out, just must be new surroundings etc.

so far there has only been introduction through cages, mouse seems most interested! The cat and new bun have been introduced, and sasha (the cat) seems fine and so does new bun so, so far so good, fngers crossed will be next week or so to get them both fixed, if they aren’t already, i mean i was only told that both might not be!!

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