Bonded rabbits?

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Saviee

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I have 2 male rabbits, when I got them they were both supposed to have been female, but after we tried to bond them, they started pulling out each others hair. So we separated them, and while I was checking them over for injuries, I found that they were both male. After that experience I separated them. But ever since then, Zoey, my dutch has been trying to groom Simi my lion head through the baby gate that separates them. He even went so far as chewing a hole through the baby gate just so they could lay side by side to groom each other. Ever since that day I have seen no signs of aggression from either of them, but I'm terrified to put them back together, I don't want either of my buns to get hurt :( basically what I'm asking, is should I try to put them back together with the way they have been acting the past few months, or should I just leave it be?

I should also note that neither of them are neutered.
 
That is a tough one, especially since they are un-neutered. My only experience is with male/female bonding with both fixed. My experience with MALES is that they are very territorial. My males are the only ones that would hop around and poo to mark their territory. That reduced once I got him neutered.

I think you could see a lot of food swings putting two male unaltered buns together. Can you get them neutered?
 
I could but the bun vet here doesn't like to do any surgeries unless absolutely necessary, and I don't think that me wanting to bond the two of them would be enough reason, I'd have to travel way out of town to have it done. As far as I can tell neither of them have been territorial, they are both very mellow, no spraying and neither of them have tried to "court" me, both potty in their litter boxes, except for the occasional poo here or there, neither of them are caged by the way, they have their own designated areas, Zoey in my bedroom, and Simi in the living room

I had them together for 3 days before they started pulling each others fur out, and we worked on bonding them for 3 months before that, with one in one cage and the other in another side by side, we'd let one out to sniff around freely, then put him back and let the other sniff, and switching cages every so often, we had no problems before that incident, but after that I was to afraid to put them back together, but when Simi ventures upstairs he just lays in front of the baby gate and him and Zoey groom each other
 
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I'm not sure where you are located and obviously access to quality vet care varies in different locations, but I'd also recommend neutering them. Until recently I had a bonded pair of neutered males. They had come into the shelter together and the shelter kept them together through their neuter and they were very close. That said, I would not keep unneutered males together. I think the stress of a shelter environment can be enough to help nearly any rabbits bond.
 
Obviously your two males do like each other. They're grooming and cuddling, but their bond would be unstable unless they were neutered.

How old are they? are they old enough that the hormones would be in full swing by now?

If you were unable to get them neutered, I guess you could continue to have them live next to each other. That way they had some sense of a bondmate without the risks that would be involved if they would be housed togther...
 
In some cases it is possible to have two unneutered male rabbits together without any problems, but that is a very rare thing. If it's something that you are going to try, then just be ready for any signs of aggression, and if so, split them up immediately, before a fight breaks out, as it will be very unlikely they will be able to get along together.

You could always just ask the vet if he would be willing to do the neuters.
 
you might check our library of rabbit-savvy vets to see if maybe there's a good one fairly close to you who could do the neuters - http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f21/

another option is to contact shelters that take in rabbits or rabbit rescues/sanctuaries to see if they can recommend a local vet to do the neuters.
 
neuters are far cheaper than spays most places.

The reason that your vet may be apprehensive about neutering your rabbits is because putting a rabbit anesthesia is a very sensitive thing. If your vet is only willing to do it under what they consider to be "absolutely necessary" then he may not be as rabbit-savvy as you need. For rabbit-savvy vets, a spay/neuter on a rabbit is a routine procedure. Sure, the risk when putting under anesthesia is still there, but they are more trained and practiced at it. It is worth the money that they are asking to have a piece of mind that it is done right.
 
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Yeah he doesn't like the risk of putting them under, he wouldn't even vaccinate them since I don't let them go outside. I live in Kansas, the town I live in there is only one vet that will take care of rabbits, someone told me that there was a rabbit rescue in kansas city, but I've never heard of it before she told me about it, so im gonna call them tomorrow morning and see what they can do, I didn't think about the humane society, thats a good idea I think I'm gonna call them first. Zoey who is a little dutch bunny, he weighs about 3 lbs, and he will be a year old in february :D. Simi is an albino lion head, he weighs between 5 and 6 lbs and he just turned a year old in november :D.

I think I'm gonna get them neutered before I try again, I don't want either of them to get hurt, and it seems that the risk is much higher if they are unneutered, thanks all!
 

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