new to bunnies need help

[Cookie&Coco]

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and new to bunnies all together. I have been doing a ton of research and I am a bit overwhelmed so I thought I’d just throw it out there for some help.

I was given two bunnies as a gift. Something I really wanted but didn’t expect so I was a little less prepared than I would have liked to be. I was instantly in love and had no idea how awesome they are. They were sold as two females and was told they were 6 weeks old at the time which would make them about 9- 10 weeks now if that was correct. From my research I see that is very young to be sold. I believe they are litter mates. 

I just discovered that one is a male! I see this is not uncommon but now I am concerned. Do I have to separate them immediately? I have all intentions on getting them spayed/neutered. The only facility that does low cost spay neuter is an hour and half away and won’t do it until they are 4 months old. Can they stay together a little while longer? I am concerned about separating them now because they really are a bonded pair for the time being. How will this bond change if I separate them for the next couple of months and try to put them back together?

I acknowledge my ignorance. I want to become as educated as I can and do what is best for them. Thanks in advance!

[Bam]

By 12 weeks, young rabbits must be separated. But there are cases with very early sexual maturity, so it’s really best if you separate now. They should still be kept in the same room, but they can mate through cage bars, so you need a little bit of space between the cages or some sort of shield around the cage when one bun has play-time outside the cage and the other hasn’t. As long as they can hear and smell and see ech other, their bond will most likely not be broken by separation since they have grown up together. Once the de-sexings are done and the buns have healed (allow a month), you re-bond them. Re-bonding shouldn’t be a problem then, since they’ve never really been away from each other.

It’s important to not let the buns together too soon after their spay/neuters. The first time after a spay/neuter the bun goes through a period of hormonal imbalance that lasts a few weeks for a boy and at least a month for a girl. During that time the buns can become extra sexually aware with everything that follows – territorial aggression, pee- and poop-marking, excessive humping/courting etc. That’s not a good time to bond two buns, for obvious reasons. Wait it out, then re-bond.

All bunny-owners have been newbies at one time. We are happy to have you here =)

[Love4Bunny]

Hello and Welcome Cookie&Coco I think you should separate them soon, even though they’re still very young. They can reach maturity at 3 months. You can have them live next to each other for the time being, but not so close that they can mate through the bars or injure each other when hormones rev up, which will probably mess with their bond anyway – and people have to re-bond afterwards. It’s not a bad thing, but it is better to be on the safe side. You don’t really know bunny personalities till after they have grown up a bit (hit maturity), and I think that’s what really makes or breaks a bond. It’s too early to know what the outcome will be, but since you did not create the situation, prudence is best.

[Love4Bunny]

Gosh, in the time it took me to respond, Bam was on it! Haha A bit slow on the typing here.

[Bam]

[Cookie&Coco]

Thank you so much for the quick replies! Going out today to get another cage so I can I can separate them. Looks like I might have to change Cookie’s name to Kooky lol. If one was gonna be a male I thought for sure it would have been Coco.

The fact that his testicles have descended already, does that mean he’s older than we thought? he’s reached/reaching maturity? can be neutered now? He is bigger than the doe but there have not been any behavioral changes in either.

[Bam]

Bunny testicles can drop at 10 weeks, so he can very well be 10 weeks. Testosterone makes muscles grow, so it makes sense he’s bigger than the girl right now.
It’s good to separate them before there’s any fighting, fighting between intact bunnies is common and can be detrimental to a future re-bonding.

[Cookie&Coco]

So they have been separated. I knew there would be an adjustment period. But poor Coco is is very stressed. She is not eating, lots of pacing, and just trying to find a way out. I have both habitats close enough that they could see and smell each other. But Cookie remained in hiding which stressed Coco out even more. Is this just a matter of time? Anything else I could do to help calm her? Someone suggested rotating their hutch/cages every other day (one day coco in the cage cookie in the hutch, then the next day the opposite). That just seems like the inconsistency would cause more stress. to me. Someone also suggested a small stuffed animal with Cookie’s sent on it. I did buy her a little igloo so she can hideout if she wanted to. One of my cats lied down next to her cage and she calmed down for a little bit. It was really sweet. I’m starting to feel like the neurotic crazy bunny lady lol.

[LBJ10]

Can you do fleece swaps so they can have the scent of the other in their cage?

[Bam]

You can also swop litter-boxes between them.

If she really isn’t eating, that must be your first concern. It’s traumatic for a bun to be without his:her bonded mate, but not eating is lethal. They must have food in their tums all the time or their GI system can slow down and stop working. If her inappetence persists you’ll have to syringe-feed her. You can use pellets soaked in water.

[Cookie&Coco]

She started eating on her own!!! That was such a relief. I did the fleece swap (well a towel swap really) and they both spent the majority of the day on each other’s towel <3. They are still a little stressed but huge improvement today. Coco was much more cuddly with me than usual. I at least feel that the trust I have worked to build with them is not totally broken.

[Author]

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