Question, bonding, siblings!

[Ollie’s mom]

Hey all! I am not new to house rabbits (my Olive is 11 years old now and he is certainly not my first bun) but I have never had a bonded pair. My older bun went to rabbit speed dating and was not considered a candidate to have a friend.

 

my husband rescues two baby bunnies from a terrible fate. They are 8 weeks old. they believe one is male, one is female. Hard to tell at this age… I’ve had early estimates of sex be wrong before..

I’m trying to figure this out, here’s what I’ve gathered.

-I need to get a hold of the vet ASAP and see what she feels comfortable with a spay and neuter. I have seen this vet before she seems to think 11 is the oldest rabbit in existence and her knowledge doesn’t inspire hope, but she is the only exotic for hours :/

– separate babies by/at 10 weeks to avoid hormonal behavior and pregnancy

– I’m going to have them switch spaces regularly, have them able to see each other but have pens spaced in a way so they can not reach each other.

-get them fixed when the vet allows..

-separate 4 weeks post the last spay/neuter

-go though the bonding process… something that scares the heck out of me!!!

-lastly I think I’ll leave Ollie out of this. He can “see” them from his pen and he ignores them. He is disabled post stroke and has basically lost the use of one leg. He cuddles my cat frequently and seems very content with his little life.

 

is this all correct?? Separate in a week or two, fixed in a month or two, separate for a month post neuter, re bond.
this stuff stresses me out.

 

[Wick & Fable]

1 – a spay/neuter is two to three visits typically (the procedure, the follow-up, and sometimes a pre-op visit beforehand). If you’re uncomfortable with the closest vet, perhaps you’d be willing to go to a much further one for just a couple visits?

2 – I don’t know the actual age boundary for viability of pregnancy, but yes, the sooner the better for separation. Keep in mind there have been cases (so I’ve heard) of rabbits that manage to get pregnant through a pen/cage wall, so ensure there is a gap between their enclosures.

3- Yes!

4 – Indeed. It may be quicker for the male than the female, as many vets prefer to wait longer for females to ensure everything has developed enough to be removed.

5 – There are some bonding basic information in the RABBIT INFO section of this website that can help give you some structure!

6 – I’m sorry to hear about Ollie, though am happy to read he has a cuddle buddy! Yes, it is probably best to leave him out. There is also a chance that the presence of hormonal rabbits can bring about hormonal behaviors in him, so just be mindful of this.

 

… I know it can be stressful, but it sounds like a lot of this isn’t really going to take action for a while, so just take it one day at a time with what matters in the present!

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.

[Ollie’s mom]

Woo! I believe we have found a second rabbit friendly vet in the area! Hopefully we can get in for a consult there and establish care and I can really get a sense of if it’s a better fit. Our old vet is basically the next closest exotic and he’s a 5 hour drive. Not ideal

 

thanks! I will definitely check out more bonding info. I’ve always read up on it and thought to myself I would never go through it.. I guess never say never.

good to know about Ollie possibly getting hormonal having them around. I might move the babies to another part of the house to avoid it. I’ve already decided to keep all their supplies separate to avoid stressing him out.

we are waiting on the second x-pen to separate them it should arrive later this week.

you’re right though, this is going to be a waiting game now. Bonding makes me anxious, and by my husbands approximation the parents of these buns were around 15-20 lbs. for some reason that makes me all the more nervous! But I’m trying to stay positive.

I’m sure I will be back posting all about it when the time comes.

[DanaNM]

It sounds like you have a good handle on everything! Shelters usually separate siblings at 12 weeks to prevent accidental pregnancies and fighting. It seems like the sooner you can get them neutered/spayed, usually the easier it is to rebond them because their hormones don’t fully set in.  You don’t need to worry about switching spaces so much now, you can wait to do that until after they are neutered/spayed.

. . . 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.  

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