Bonding a neutered male to an unspayed female?

[wamouse]

I'm thinking of getting Lupin a friend.... Eventually.
He'll be neutered at 12 weeks by a vet that specialises in rabbits. When I bred mice, my best mouse-buddy reccomended her to me (and she still does), so that's where I'm going. He isn't quite that old yet, but when he is... Yeah.

I'm thinking of getting him a girlfriend though. She will of course eventually get spayed as well, but is it possible to introduce an unspayed female to a neutered male? I understand that female rabbits can be aggresive towards males (I read that somewhere.... The girl in the boys cage, not vice-versa).

And my cage... 3.5ft long x 2ft wide with a 1.5 foot long shelf. Would that be big enough for the two of them? I'm guessing not.

Thanks for any help. I'll draw a diagram today,

-Nora + Lupin

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

It's possible to introduce them, but I wouldn't take it much further than that as after the female is spayed, her scent will change a bit and you will have to start all over anyway. Just house them next to each other, but not too close that they could nip each other through cage bars. As the female reaches the teenage stage, she will be more aggressive and want to fight, possibly, not always. Just something you have to watch. It also takes a males hormones about a month after a neuter to calm down completely.

I'd have to see a pic, but not sure about that size for a cage of that size, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't bond a female to him until she's spayed, like I said, more than likely, you'd have to start over.

 

[Haley]

Hi Nora,

It is possible to bond an unspayed female to a neutered male, although most people want to have the female spayed at some point due to health reasons.

Also, you have to wait at least 6-7 weeks after Lupin is neutered before you can introduce him to an unspayed girl. Bucks can still impregnate a doe up to that long after they are neutered.

As for the cage, I'd say it would probably be too small for two unless they get a lot of free time. You would also need to have two cages to quarantine a girl for at least a few weeks before introducing them, and for housing them separate until they bond.

Im sure he would eventually love a friend though. Id say have him neutered, wait a few months and go from there :biggrin2:

 

[wamouse]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know about the whole after-spaying thing.

So, I'll get him neutered, get her and get her neutered, wait a while and then introduce them. Sounds good to me.

 

[Haley]

Sounds good. Also, not sure about in Australia, but most shelters here will allow bunny owners to bring in their rabbit for bunny dates to meet other buns. You should definitely check into that, it saves you the time of really having to work on bonding

Oh, and heres our Library thread with loads of bonding info: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12072&forum_id=17

 

[Bunny Mum]

We have been really lucky with bonding our buns.

We bonded them when they were both little bunnies seperated them at puberty brought them back together so they could have babies, taken them both out to the vet to get desexed then back in the cage no rebonded required.

As i said we have been really lucky have heard disasters from other people. We still hoouse them all together with there teenager babies. We have had a few spats but out of the cage not in and even that has settled down UNTIL next time maybe.

Best of luck every rabbit is different

 

[wamouse]

Thanks for the info.

If I get another, I'll be getting her from the same breeder. Lupin is a darker tri, and he also has lighter tri's (grey 'brindling' as opposed to black). They would be the same age as he keeps some older ones.

Are there issues in bonding a sister to a brother, even though they are fixed?
Here's my plan-

Have 2 NIC cages next to each other, allowing the buns to sniff and check each other out. Get them both fixed, wait a while, and then intoroduce them in the laundry room (neutral territory).

If all goes well the first time, can I put them together immediately, or do I re-introduce them a few times first?

Thanks again,

Nora.

EDIT
How about 5 x 2 feet with a 1 x 2 foot shelf? I don't know if I'm going to do a closed cage yet or not. I'm still drawing out ideas.

 

[Haley]

Sounds good!

With bonding, it really doesnt matter if the buns are related/different breeds/different sizes etc. The only thing that matters is the individual personality of the bunny (and the sex also has some effect-male/female are the best).

That cage size sounds great for two bunnies!

Oh, and be very careful if youre not having him neutered before you bring her home. Boys have a way of getting to the girl even though you think they cant (like through cage bars etc). And it would be really bad if it was his sister.

If all goes well with bonding (its best to wait until after both are spayed/neutered even though you could safely try 2 months after his neuter) you can house them together.

It all depends so much on how they act towards one another. They might snuggle and kiss the first day and then you can house them together right away. Or they may be a little apprehensive and it might take a few weeks. Or they may hate eachother and you have to either set in for months of bonding (as I had to do with my boys) or resort to separate cages.

Keep us posted, always glad to help!

 

[wamouse]

I have photos!

Well here's Lupin's photo from when he was at the breeder...

And THIS is the girl I'm getting- His sister.

I think I'm going to name her Tonks.

As you can see, Lupin isn't really a Tri, but he has some grey on his ears. I'm excited about getting my girl too. It's all in the bag!

 

[Haley]

Wow, I missed the pics! She is beautiful (and I love Lupin and Tonks)