Mating Bunnies?

[bunnylover]

Three months ago, I adopted two bunnies that were both supposedly females. Within the last month or two, one bunny have began mounting and mating with the other. At first, I had read that humping could be a sign of dominance, but it hasn’t stopped. Sometimes the second bunny will sit still whiles it happens and other times she runs away. I wont be able to get my bunnies to the vet for another month. How can I tell if my bunny is pregnant? And what do I do to help the situation?

[Wick & Fable]

You should separate them from each other. Two separate living enclosures with at least a space in between, as rabbits have been known to mate and harm each other through a cage wall. Since hormones have emerged, they may fight each other and/or mate, if one of them is actually a male. Both males and females hump, so unless you see one of them has descended testicles, then it’s a bit unknown without an experienced rabbit vet.

What they had prior to this point is what’s called a baby bond. When rabbits are young and without the hormonal urges, they tend to get along very well with each other. Once hormones hit, problems may emerge suddenly and former cuddle mates may have a bad relationship.

Presuming neither are pregnant, they would need to both be fixed and after recovery, you can begin the bonding process. You can find more information about bonding in the RABBIT INFO section of this website. The fact that this has been happening for 1 to 2 months makes me feel like they are both the same sex. I feel a pregnancy would have happened by this time.

Unfortunately, BB forums prohibits the discussion of intentional breeding. As a result, majority of our members (me included) are pretty naive to the timeline and methods of identifying pregnancy. I know other forum leaders may have recommendations so I will allow them to elaborate their knowledge to help you!

… misgendering rabbits is very common, so you are not alone in experiencing this!

 

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.

[LBJ10]

I agree with everything Wick said. They should be separated. Even if they are both female, they could start fighting. Keep them separated until they can both be spayed. Then you can work on rebonding.

If one of the bunnies is a male, then it’s likely too late. If bunny is pregnant, you will notice a weight change over the next 30 days. Sometimes you can palpate the abdomen to feel the babies, but I would advise against this if you don’t know what you’re doing. You could unintentionally harm them. After 30 days, there are no nesting behaviors or (the obvious) babies, then you should be in the clear.

[bunnylover]

Thank you for the advice!

When the one bunny was humping my other bunny, I picked the humping bunny up and it became clear he is a male. I have separated them for now, and I am working on scheduling a vet appointment soon. However it is unclear if my other rabbit is pregnant, as I haven’t noticed any nesting behaviors.

[LBJ10]

You won’t see nesting behavior until right before she gives birth. Keep an eye out for that since it will be a while yet. It’s good you have separated them.

When you say it’s obvious he’s a male, did you mean his testicles are visible?

[Hazel]

LBJ: My guess is he was caught with his pants down 😆

How old are they? If they’re still very young I would be worried about the female not being mature enough to go through pregnancy/giving birth. In that case it might be worth considering an emergency spay, if she’s in fact pregnant and not too far along.

[bunnylover]

Yes, his testicles were visible.

My bunnies are 6 months old, so I’m not sure if my female bunny can go through pregnancy quite yet. I was  planning on having my rabbits fixed, however because of covid-19 my vet is not performing the procedure during this time. I do plan to have both bunnies fixed when possible. I have scheduled an appointment with the vet and I will see what he advises.

[Wick & Fable]

Females can be impregnated as soon as 12 weeks old, so it is important to take appropriate cautions since she is capable of breeding at this point.

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.

[DanaNM]

Yes, pregnancy sounds likely if both are 6 months old.

. . . 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.  

[Hazel]

Yeah… at that age odds are she’s pregnant.

[Author]

Messages