Male bunnies ok together??

[RF]

Hi, I just brought home two little bunnies (8 weeks old, part giant, and not siblings). I’d heard that rabbits get really lonely by themselves, so wanted a companion, which the breeder recommended as well. But am now wondering if the breeder was correct in telling me that any gender pairing would work and make them just as happy as any other (assuming that they get fixed at the right time)

 

I had done some research and read that male female was the easiest, but male male was also ok, but now am finding other sites that say that two males together should be avoided, and that one could be killed…

 

The breeder had several of both sexes available, so not sure why she would say it didn’t matter if it did… One is mounting the other a bit and clearly more dominant, but for the most part they seem to get on well.

 

So I was hoping someone could give their opinion on the following:

 

1. Are two males usually ok, or should I return one of them and look for a fixed female later on?

2. If males should be ok together, can they also be kept together before they get fixed, or should I seperate them?

3. If they’ve been fixed, should I still have to worry about fighting? Should I keep them in separate cages just in case, only bringing them out for exercise when we’re around? I had hoped to house them together in an x-pen…

 

Thanks!

[LBJ10]

My boys love each other. I don’t believe a lot of that stuff about male-female pairs are the best. I think it depends on the individual personalities and gender doesn’t really matter. Of course there will be rabbits that simply do not get along, but that is not limited to male-male pairs.

Since your boys are both 8 weeks old, they are probably fine with each other right now. My only concern is when hormones begin to kick in. If they fight because they are hormonal, you will need to separate them until they are neutered. Then you can try rebonding once their hormones have settled (~1 month post-neuter). If they are allowed to fight, then they may end up holding permanent grudges. Again, this can happen with any gender pairing.

[Annabel93]

I have 3 boys who love each other too. Just listen to everything LBJ10, keep an eye on them when they’re reaching puberty and if they’re fighting you may need to separate them, but getting them neutered will hopefully solve that.

[Hazel]

Boys are fine together. I second what LBJ said. Also, if you want them to be bonded they have to live in the same enclosure. Getting together for play time isn’t enough. If they aren’t together 24/7 they won’t form a proper bond and the chance of fights would actually increase.

[MoveDiagonally]

I agree with everyone else. When you’re dealing with spayed/neutered rabbits and bonding I don’t think gender is very important.

[RF]

Hi, thank you all so much for the advice. I feel so much better about them being together now!

Hopefully there isn’t any fighting before they get neutered so that they don’t have to be seperated. But if so, we’ll just have to try to rebond them afterwards  Thanks again!

[xomichelle]

Ohhh I’m in the same boat right now! Trying to bond my neutered 8 month old buck with a baby unneutered buck. My eldest has gone on bunny dates a few times and never really hit it off with any of them. It wasn’t his fault, none of the other buns were as affectionate as him! We had always intended to get him a girlfriend but stumbled upon a baby boy who was so docile and affectionate, so we thought that since our eldest had been neutered a few months ago, they would get on fairly well as they are both affectionate. But so far my eldest is just being really mean to the young one, who is very kind and used to living with other boys.

My eldest actually used to live with boys when he was younger and before we adopted him, and the new addition has been living with boys too and getting on really well. Yet my eldest doesn’t seem to be taking to the young bun. Perhaps it’s mostly because it’s in our house? We’ve tried neutral territory like the bath and kitchen and are now going to try stress bond them, but I’m really anxious that we’ll have to give the young one back if our eldest doesn’t stop attacking!

[LongEaredLions]

xomichelle-i wouldn’t try to bond an older neutered buck with a younger unfixed one. Wait until he is fixed before you attempt to bond them.

[tanlover14]

xomichelle, wait until both buns are neutered! It’s much safer and the chances of creating a successful bond are much higher! =)

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