Questions : Want new bunnies after death of our young bunny

[eLMo]

I posted in the Rainbow Bridge about our Ginger dying during a spay. My wife’s birthday is in two months and would really like to get her another two bonded Miniature Holland Lops. But I am so scared to get them so young because they won’t be fixed but at the same time I want to be able to have them young so they bond and bond better with us, Ginger didn’t like to be picked up at all. It’s just that I am going to have to fix them and after losing our Ginger while getting fixed I am so scared to put my wife through that pain again god forbid it happens again. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also should I get from the same person I got her last time, I heard some bunnies have the some sort of heart condition that causes them to die during the surgery, so would that mean that all her rabbits have this condition since it’s the same genealogy? Can two boys be bonded, those apparently are a lot easier to be fixed, it’s not so invasive?  Thank you so much, I want that companionship again but so scared to get heart broken again. 

[Deleted User]

Baby bunnies can’t bond. Even if they are littermates, they are not bonded. Bunnies need to be spayed/neutered before they can be bonded. So you’d have to keep them separate for months. This is due to the fact that hormones give them the desire to only breed and mate. Baby bunnies are often incorrectly sexed, so even if you think you’re walking away with 2 boys or 2 girls you may very well actually have one of each or even have both be the complete opposite gender. If you’re worried about the procedures, why don’t you adopt an already bonded pair from a shelter, if you want a pair? Age has no affect on how well they bond with you or with each other. If you buy from the breeder you will be waiting anywhere between 5-8 months to bond them depending on their genders.

As a general rule, bunnies don’t like being picked up. That’s not because you didn’t bond with her. The majority of bunnies do not like being picked up. They are prey animals by nature. Would you enjoy being picked up by someone 6 times your height? The best way to bond is at their level and sit on the floor with them. Every bunny is different personality wise. Breed doesn’t have any affect on personality, neither does the amount they are handled. What age you get them at has no bearing on how they bond with you. Some bunnies take months to open up even a year or two and other bunnies are very loving immediately. Again, it’s not an age thing.

To answer your other questions: just because one rabbit had the heart condition doesn’t mean the rest do. It really is just genetics. It would all depend on who the parents. Considering neither are obviously fixed, you wouldn’t know if they had it. As for males, like I said it’s really tough to accurately sex at 8 weeks and under, but if they are males, the procedure is much less invasive, but complications can still happen. Males aren’t more or less likely to bond than females. It all boils down to the personalities of the bunnies involved. Two males can be perfectly happy together just as well as two females. Though, two females would be a bit tricky because they can be notoriously territorial and aggressive. 

Hope this helps, and I’m so sorry for the loss of your precious Ginger. Binky Free Ginger

[Gordo and Janice]

It would be hard to add anything to what Asriel and Bombur said. I just read an answer from Azerane to a thread that still resonates with me. Azerane made the great suggestion of meeting and spending time with the bunnies that they have up for adoption. Some shelters or rescue organizations will allow that sort of thing (maybe they all do, I don’t know). It enabled Azerane to be able to discover an instant “connection” with a bonded bunny and so she adopted the bonded pair. Obviously that would give you a much better idea about their personalities before committing to an adoption, if that is important to you. Otherwise you would have to wait for their spaying/neutering surgeries and wait to discover their personalities as they emerge and wait for the bonding procedure between the two (which may be easy or very difficult), etc, etc. Because as A and B stated, breed and the age that you get them has no bearing on their personality and how they bond with you.

Anyhow, just a friendly suggestion, again giving credit to Azerane. Either way you sound like you are the kind of people to give a bunny or bunnies a very loving home which is wonderful.

Again, sorry about Ginger.

[eLMo]

Oh man that was amazing “Asriel and Bombur” & “Gordo and Janice” thank you for all that information.

[Author]

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