two rabbits?!

[breckle]

Hi all, I am hoping to get 2 holand lops, I will have a cage that is 4ft long on two stories, so it would be possible to separate bunnies if necessary… I will definitely get both neutered, but would love to have at least one baby… so whats best? – two male babies from same litter – two female babies from same litter – a baby male and a (rescue) neutered female from different litters – a baby female and a (rescue) neutered male from different litters? I don’t want to get a male and female (from the same litter or not) that are un-neutered… thanks for your advice everyone!

[Hokankai]

I did the last option! My male Holland Lop was 2 years old and I got him from a breeder who retired him. I was also fostering a mother rabbit for the humane society and decided to keep one of the babies since I’d raised it from birth. Once she was 8 weeks old I moved her in with the male and they’ve been like glue ever since. He was neutered right when I got him and she got spayed at 4 months old.

My situation is a little different because my two started interacting when the baby was only 2 weeks old and they both came into my home at the same time, but it’s worked out perfectly. It’s MUCH easier if the adult is chill and not overly dominant. Fortunately Theo fit the bill

[breckle]

aw the bunny in your avatar is too cute!

Thanks for the input… My plan is to bring them both into my home at the same time too (if i get two from different litters I’m thinking of getting the baby first and bringing it to the shelter, and taking them home together…)

[LBJ10]

Your best bet would be to get a baby, get it fixed, then pick out a companion at the shelter. There is no guarantee that siblings will get along once they get older, so it’s better to let your bun pick out a friend.

[breckle]

thanks, ok so its best to wait till the baby is like 4-5 months old (when it would get fixed) and then get a companion? Would it not be lonely in the meantime? And do you think this is definitely better than getting a baby of one sex and a 4-5 month old of the other sex (neutered) both at the same time?

I just want what’s best for the rabbits but it’s very confusing so all advice welcomed!

thanks

[LoveChaCha]

Male rabbits that are recently fixed still have sperm in them for a few weeks. It is really cool when you bond with your rabbit, especially baby ones because they will learn to trust you, and open up slowly. I raised an 8 week old rabbit and she is still a single gal, but we have bonded to each other. It is a very special bond. There should be no rush into getting another rabbit, I would say focus on getting to know one rabbit, and bond with it, and take him/her to the shelter to allow them to pick a buddy out.

2 Rabbits of the same litter are not guaranteed to get along as they get older. Rabbit personalities tend to not fully blossom until they are near a year old.

[FrankieFlash]

IMO you’ll be overwhelmed with two buns if one is a baby. I raised Bunjamin from like 10 weeks until now and the first 5 months was a lot of work. Building trust, getting him health checked, finding the food he likes, etc. If you want to be super-interactive with your bun I agree with LoveChacha to wait to let them pick out a friend when he’s a little older. I’m about to go “bunny-dating” with Bunjamin soon because my attention is not enough :/ Plus I’m getting busier. Plus that cage is more appropriate for the size of one bun. And be careful with buns, they are escape artists. Especially baby buns because of their size. I hope my opinion based off experience can help you make your choice!

[Elrohwen]

I would definitely not get two from the same litter. Rabbits of the same gender tend to have a harder time bonding, and having siblings won’t make things any easier.

I would recommend exactly what I did since I think it worked out really well. Start with a male baby, since you want a baby, bond with him over time and let him grow up. Once he’s older and neutered, take him dating for a female friend who is already spayed. For one, nothing compares with bonding time one-on-one. If you rush into getting two, they may just become interested in each other and ignore you most of the time. Both of mine had lots of individual time (I had my boy for a year, and my girl’s previous owner had her for 3 years as a single rabbit) and both are fairly people oriented, especially my girl.

It might not matter whether you get the baby as a male or female, but females tend to be more aggressive during puberty which can be annoying (of course, some stay sweet). Also, I’ve read that since females are more territorial, it’s easier to have a resident male and try to introduce a female, rather than having a female first and trying to get a male. If you fall in love with a baby female then I’m sure it will turn out great, but that’s just my two cents. I think the most important point I’m trying to make is to get your baby first, really bond with him/her, then go on bunny dates later to find the perfect partner.

[tobyluv]

I know that you said you want a baby bunny, but many rescues have bonded pairs for adoption. Besides the fact you won’t have to go through the bonding process, they will already be spayed and neutered at a rescue and probably litter box trained too.

[Sarita]

You can definitely bond with an adult just as easily as you can bond with a baby. I think the idea of an already bonded pair of rabbits from a shelter is a good idea for someone who has never had rabbits and never bonded rabbits. Bonding is not as easy as you may think and is many times stressful for the owner and the rabbit. And you would be saving 2 lives! Having had rabbits and bonded rabbits, if I had to do it all again, that is what I would do.

[Monkeybun]

Babies can cause quite the headaches I’ve dealt with 2 babies now, and oh my. The chewing, digging, peeing, pooping, tugging on carpet, ugh. Squirrel even bit a mole on me once, wondering what it was. Ow! Those taste-testing days can be painful

I too suggest getting a pair of adults at a shelter. Bonding can be very stressful too. I’m doign it for the 2nd time with my boys, after bonding a pair of girls. yeah. Migraine city.

[breckle]

Thanks everyone- I’m taking all the advice so keep it coming!

[Hokankai]

Yes babies are annoying, but it was so worth it for me. They’re just like puppies who need outlets and training, but if you go into it knowing it’s going to be frustrating for awhile then it’s no big deal. I’ve fostered two mother rabbits and a total of 24 babies between the two of them (they both came with babies and were pregnant without the shelter knowing) and it is so much fun going through the growing process with them.

I didn’t have the opportunity to bond with my bunnies individually because I wanted Ariadne to grow up with Theodore and I got Ariadne’s mother and siblings on an emergency foster basis the same day I went to pick up Theodore. However, since I’m gone so much anyway it’s been perfect for us and I didn’t have to go through the bonding process!

[bullrider76543]

@ Elrohwen should I have really avoided the same litter? Chipmunk and Hazel are from the same litter and get along great, and the two new ones I am fostering are geting along very well too. maybe I just got lucky

[Hokankai]

@ Elrohwen should I have really avoided the same litter? Chipmunk and Hazel are from the same litter and get along great, and the two new ones I am fostering are geting along very well too. maybe I just got lucky

I don’t think litter matters, it’s the personalities of the rabbits that make the bond. It’s not that you should avoid getting them from the same litter, but that you shouldn’t go out of your way to get them from the same litter because it’s not going to make a difference in the end.

[Roberta]

Personally I think it all comes down to the luck of the draw. There is no guarantee that babies from the same or different litters will stay friends through puberty and some people are lucky like me to enjoy the harmony whilst others go through terrible problems. The bunny dating seems to be the best idea.
I didn’t have a choice, I have rescue buns and my rescue buns turned out to be a boy and a girl. I thought they were both boys and by the time I knew it was too late and the first litter was on its way. Took Piglet in for the op but no one told me they had to be separated for a month not just a week. Now I have Mummy, Daddy 1 girl from the first litter and 2 girls from the second litter. Bonding wise they are great except for Nermal who was adopted at 10 weeks and returned when she was 6 months old as the people did not have time to care for her properly. Nermal is fine with Pepper Mummy, Daddy Piglet and Blossom but there is going to have to be some serious bonding work before I can trust Nermal and Pipi on the same side of the Xpen.

[Elrohwen]

Posted By bullrider76543 on 08/02/2012 07:16 PM

@ Elrohwen should I have really avoided the same litter? Chipmunk and Hazel are from the same litter and get along great, and the two new ones I am fostering are geting along very well too. maybe I just got lucky

It’s not that getting two from the same litter is a problem, it’s that many people start out thinking “If I get two from the same litter, they’ll always love each other and I won’t have to go through a stressful bonding period.” Getting two from the same litter is basically the same as getting two babies the same age from separate litters – you still have two babies to get through puberty and they’ll probably need to be rebonded. If someone is willing to deal with those potential issues then it can be great, but most people expect it to be much easier than it actually is just because they’re siblings.

[bullrider76543]

oh ok, that makes sense, 2 sets of siblings are right at the puberty stage, chasing and circularing and humping. I have kept a close eye on them and not seen any issuses as of yet. I plan on getting them fixed as sets too is that a good idea?

[Elrohwen]

You can definitely get them fixed at the same time. Just separate them if they are bothering each other’s stitches or fighting – some rabbits do need to be separated when they go through puberty, but not all.

[bullrider76543]

Thank you for the advice

[Author]

Messages