what if she’s a boy?

[Adalaide]

This is probably gonna be a really stupid question. When I got Freya it took me about forever to find a female lop baby, and I had to comprimise and get a mini or face waiting my whole life to get her. I named her before I started looking for her and I simply wouldn’t comprimise on gender or those beautiful lop ears. Thursday we have our first vet appointment and I’m a bit anxious. The people I bought Freya from looked at me like I had just grown 3 extra heads when I said she’d be living inside so clearly they aren’t the world’s brightest people when it comes to bunnies. As soon as she’s old enough she’s getting spayed. I want to tell her vet that if she needs to be nuetered to please just keep that to herself thank you very much. If she is really a boy is there any behaviour differences or is there any other harm in me wanting my little girl to stay a girl even if it means I live a lie? I love her very much, but Freya is definately a girl name and I only wanted a girl bunny, I don’t know how I’ll feel if I find out she’s a he. Now that the question has been raised I can’t stop worrying. I’m half way to crazy town and it’s five more days til the appointment.

[RabbitPam]

Hi,
No question is stupid and the selection of gender is important.
First, if you don’t want to change the name, don’t. Freya is an unusual name and, like Leslie or Gene/Jean, it can be for both genders, so call your bunny what you want. If she answers to Freya now, it’s fine. Most people have so many nicknames that it doesn’t mean that much ultimately. (Cutie, Bunnykins, Sweetie, Brat, etc.)
I don’t think it will be as hard to adjust to the change in pronouns. Calling him “he” will be second nature very soon. What we think we want is often different from our reality in many things, and we have to reexamine what we want in that light. I was sure I wanted a boy mini rex again, but the bunny that stole my heart this time was a female english spot. So she’s it.
He or she, it’s the same bunny you brought home and was the one that seemed to be just who you wanted. The good news is that if it’s a boy, they are usually well behaved, easily trained, and gentle. I have not seen any worse behavior with a boy – quite the contrary. But it is important to know the real identity of your bunny for health reasons. Any vet in the next several years needs to know his or her history and health.
Enjoy Freya. That’s your baby.

[Adalaide]

Well if it’s important for me to know, I guess I’ll live with it if the vet tells me she’s a boy. The name Freya though doesn’t cross genders and she doesn’t anser to anything yet so it’ wouldn’t be a big deal to her to have a name change. The reason I picked Freya is because that’s the name of the Norse goddess of fertility who inspired the incorperation of rabbits and eggs into our otherwise christian Easter celebrations. I’ll just rename if I have to. Thor was Freya’s husband, and I’m determined to have a girl, so that name would be fine for a boy if I am forced to have a bonded pair.

 

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try to be brave on Thursday, hopefully I’m crazy worried for no reason. The foster parents were just clearly not bunny smart, he swears they were born the week before Easter, and she’s WAY to big for that. I don’t trust the guy as far as I could throw him. I woulda brought her sister home too if I wasn’t scared he was too stupid to give me two girls. Last thing I need is babies.

[RabbitPam]

I was going to think of names that are similar to Freya, like Free or Frosty, but Thor sounds like an excellent choice for a boy.
Post before and after Thursday if you need support. We’re always here for you. I still think it will be fine because, bottom line, this is your special little bunny that you already love.

[Beka27]

Yeah, I really don’t think it’s a big deal if she turns out to be a he. This has happened to other people many times (baby buns are hard to sex) and it does not change the fact that he/she is YOUR bunny. You won’t love him/her any more or any less. There really are not big differences betw/ the sexes once they are speutered, so nothing to worry about as far as that. How old is the bunny? With males, the testicles sometimes become visible between 3 and 4 months… so you could always flip her over and take a look.

[Adalaide]

We’ll get an age for sure when we see the vet. The man I got her from said she was born about a week before Easter and she is most definately older than that. He seemed confused by the question and had to really really think about it. I think he just threw an answer out there to make me happy. All the more reason to get her out of that house. I won’t flip my baby. We tried playing bunny burrito once so she could start getting used to it, she freaked out. I’ll leave making her mad to the vet and just keep my fingers crossed til Thursday. I’m guessing she’s about 2 1/2 or 3 months old.

[flippersmom]

If it makes you feel better, I have a female bun named…drumroll…Stanley!!!!! We got her at 7 weeks of age and I was 99.9% she was female, but it had already been agreed that my son got naming rights!!!! He plays hockey, as did the boys of the family we got her from, so he was set on a hockey name!! I tried to come up with all the female or gender-neutral hockey related names I could, but it was no use!!!! He insisted on Stanley after Lord Stanley, the founder of the Stanley Cup!! When she went to the vet, after several funny looks, I deemed her Lady Stanley!!!!!! The funny thing is…she is such a tomboy (if bunnies can have that trait!!!!) that the name fits!!!! The only one who has a problem putting “she” and “Stanley” together is my husband!! And she is always remembered at the vets!!!!!!!!!

[ZooLady]

Haha, we have the same problem.

When I set out to get a bunny, I wanted a girl too. I was told mine was a girl, but where it was so young it was really impossible to tell. I named it ‘Mischi’ after a female friend of mine only to discover in a month a little set of testicles. Took a while to wrap my head around the fact my little “girl” was really a boy, but it’s still the same loveable little bunny and it really doesn’t matter. He was neutered and is just as loving as any female. Once they are neutered/spayed they don’t really exhibit any gender-obvious traits.

I kept his name anyway. Freya could be a boys name too–and the bunny won’t get a complex from a less-masculine name! Heehee. Shorten it to Frey even! But there is still 50% chance it is a girl. Trust me, you’ll get over it quickly and love your bunbun anyway no matter what the sex. I love my little boy.

[Adalaide]

WOOT!!! She’s a girl, I’m so relieved. I worried for no reason. The vet can’t really confirm her age and says that maybe she really is only about 7-8 weeks, maybe closer to 12. Around here too many “breeders” have buns that have a pure breed of bunny so it’s hard to say based on size. She is perfectly healthy though and we’re getting spayed in 4 months. So… September we can take care of that and until then I get my little terror of a baby full of hormones. She’s perfectly healthy otherwise and the vet basically started telling me everything I learned here. Don’t use pine/ceder bedding, only do pellets, not a mix, be bunny proofed, don’t let her eat weird things etc… You guys have all been so helpful, I’m not sure we would have made it through the first two weeks without this site.

[jerseygirl]

lol Ditto “WOOT” Stress relieved! Sounds like your vet gave good advice too. Did you actually tell the vet not to tell you if it was a boy?  Wouldn’t you have guessed anyway? lol 

[Adalaide]

I was a good girl and didn’t tell the vet not to tell me. I asked her if she could just verify that my girl is a girl. She recommended getting a harness and taking her outside to play if I can find a safe place for her, so add one more thing to what I bought today haha.

[BinkyBunny]

Girl power!!!

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