Question about keeping multiple rabbits

[Paula]

Hi everyone, I just have a quick question, not based on any plans or anything, just something I’ve been curious about for a while.  Is it possible to successfully keep more than two rabbits of the same sex?

My thought is that if they are littermates and all spayed or neutered, it could work, but I thought I’d ask the folks here that are more experienced than I am.

Thanks.  

[Cheyann]

LOL. I was just about to ask this question. Im curious to see if you can.

[Deleted User]

It is not necessary for them to be littermates but they must be neutered (spayed).
Even if they are littermates, they will need bonding sessions to work out their relationships to a level of live and let-live.
My quartet right now is three neutered males and one spayed female. My four all come from different backgrounds and were added at different times. They took a very substantial amount of time to bond.

[Beka27]

In general, females are the troublemakers when it comes to bonding. They have “motherly” instincts that make them territorial and they can get aggressive when they feel their space has been invaded. Even after spaying, some of these behaviors can still be present. So with that said, Petzy has the right idea. If your goal is a trio or more, you might seek out multiple males and only one female (or none). I would recommend you adopt any rabbits you wanted to add to the group so this way they would already be neutered and ready to be introduced. You could also bunny-date the potential rabbits so you would know right away if you would have big problems. And when you adopt thru a rescue, there is also the possibility they could take back a rabbit if you try for months and months to no avail.

[Beka27]

And an added thought, one of the really nice things about having a larger group like Petzy does is you have the option to have any breed of rabbit, any color, any size… all at once. So if I were looking to start a group going, I would be seeking out rabbits that are different from who I already have. For that reason, I would not want them to be littermates! You could have a giant and a dwarf, a lop and an uppy-eared, a solid and a spotted, a long-hair and a short-hair, etc… This is why Petzy’s group is so fascinating to see because they are all so different!

[Paula]

Okay, thanks everyone.

These guys are what got me wondering if it would be possible:

http://rabbithaven.org/pairs-and-groups/2009/11/17/crosby-stills-nash-douglas.html

I was just wondering what the likelihood of them continuing to get along would be if one were to adopt all four.

Thanks again.

[Karla]

I think that when bunnies are neutered, the sex doesn’t matter so much in regard to bonding. I have had two males, who loved each other, but I have also had two males, who hated each other.

Where I’m from, spaying females is very unusual, yet the majority of pet rabbit owners have two females together. If they are littermates and females, they claim that they never fight or have any tiffs, and this is actually quite a large number who claim this., not just a few owners. Even the Animal Protection Society here recommends to keep unspayed female littermates together, and some breeders only sell females in pair, so I guess it works. I wouldn’t dare to test it myself since it would be so horrible if it didn’t work out. Also, I believe it is important to spay for so many other reasons, so this is not a suggestion to skip the spaying.

Oooh, very cute foursome there. Must be great to get a bonded foursome.

[Beka27]

Oh they are very cute! Maybe you could inquire about adopting two? How many buns do you have right now? Adopting 4 at once would be quite an undertaking.

[Paula]

Hey Beka. I don’t have any bunnies right now, unfortunately, and adopting those four (or even two) isn’t a realistic possibility at this point, but at some point in the not so distant future I’d like to have 3-4 buns and I was wondering what the possibility of successfully doing so would be. When I happened upon those guys it compelled me to ask here whether or not that would be a realistic option with proper planning and patience.

Thanks again to everyone.

[jerseygirl]

There are all sorts of pairings and groups out there. : ) If one has a rabbit and looks to get a friend thru bunny dating, usually the opposite sex is tried first. But sometimes the rabbit will click better with one of it’s own sex. Sometimes even an instant bond.

The Rabbit Haven group is Sweet! The mum was as big as the babies! The resuce may have been offering them as a bonded group after neuter which would make like much easier. I couldn’t tell if they had been fixed yet or not.

[allegrabunny]

I have three buns, two littermates and a one extra, they are all neutered males. The littermates got on well together before one baby bonded (instantly) with the extra bun. IT took a lot of effort to bond all three as a group, they still have occasional thump/poop fights. But it can happen. The spay and/or neuter is MAJORLY IMPORTANT to assisted the bonds, really don’t try until you have it done, buns have steel trap memories.

[RabbitPam]

That group is really adorable. It’s great that you are thinking and researching ahead of time, since a pair or more is an added combination of work, time, expenses and space needed as you get them bonded. More need for vet care and food, and two habitats to begin with. That said, it’s a very nice way of life for both you and the bunnies.

I tend to like the idea of same sex males, but they are better once they are neutered because of the hormones that make them more aggressive and territorial. If you aren’t being won over by a ready made litter like the one you posted, you can have a wonderful group if you start out looking at a shelter with already-speutered bunnies. That way you can have them date and meet right there, and if two or more get along, you take them home to bond them without the worry and expense of the surgery. Sometimes shelters already have a bonded pair (figure about a year old or more) that are just lovely, and you can take them home to one large habitat. You can even have two bonded pairs, and see if they all like each other with two habitats for them set up. Read Petzy’s quartet posts to learn how she’s been bringing hers together.

You sound like you will be a loving and responsible bunny slave. Opposite sex bunnies, already speutered, can be mates for life and very, very close. So it’s another option that you might like. As the others have said, two or more females are the toughest to bond, but it’s still possible.

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