Reintroducing 3y/o brothers after neutering??

[JuliaD]

I’ve had my mini lop brothers, Baxter and Jackson for 2 1/2 years. They just became indoor rabbits last summer and had to live freely in a room together for 2 months because my stepdad “kept forgetting” to get cages or “we couldn’t afford it.” In those two months, they never once got into a fight. They chased each other and mounted each other to display dominance half the time and the other half the time they’d snuggle. (They established a snuggle system, Jackson ALWAYS had to be against the wall. If he saw Baxter laying against the wall, he’d wedge his way into his place) So I know that they CAN get along and I’m not worried about them fighting after they get neutered. What I’m wondering about is if it could be a problem reintroducing them in their shared room. They’ve been taking turns in and out of their cages for the last 7 months, so they both have their scents all over that room. Their cages are side by side and they often spend their time laying against each other through the bars as they always have ever since they came to us smooshed together in a cardboard box, so they’re very used to each other’s scent. Should I just give the room a thorough cleaning? or reintroduce them in a whole other room? Also, when would I be able to let them out in their room together?

[MoveDiagonally]

Hello and Welcome Julia!

I would suggest following “normal” bonding protocol even if they’ve gotten along previously as neutering can cause their scents to change (which is how they recognize each other). This means introducing them in a neutral space and moving forward from there. A really good info page on bunny bonding basics can be found here:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

[Author]

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