Can I bond a neutered male and an unspayed female?

Katmais_mommy · Apr 7, 2010

The only way I can keepy Kody (female) is if I neuter Dutch ASAP, and then house them together. They've lived together before. They werent too friendly with each other but not aggressive. Of course I'll spay Kody but not now due to finances. My ultimate question is can I bond them if he's fixed?

kirbyultra · Apr 7, 2010

You can try, but I think having her spayed is a much more likely bond. Females tend to be very territorial and that can throw a real wrench in any chance of bonding a pair. Bonding in and of itself can take weeks, maybe even months -- making the assumption that you can house them together because Dutch is neutered is premature, if space is your constraint. The shouldn't live full-time together unless they have 100% bonded and have proven that they won't fight or somebunny might get hurt

How long ago was Dutch neutered? Sometimes a neutered male can impregnate a female for up to 4 weeks after they are neutered. :shock:

elrohwen · Apr 7, 2010

Most likely - no. Females are quite territorial and aggressive when unspayed. They may even get along for a little bit, but the chance that they'll fight when you're not around to stop them is pretty high.

And I agree with everything Helen said. It can take weeks or months to bond two bunnies - even those that are fixed. It's not a quick solution. And you would have to keep them separated for at least 4 weeks, but hopefully 6, so that they couldn't impregnate her.

You said they were living together before - was this before Dutch was neutered? If so, she is most likely pregnant already.

Katmais_mommy · Apr 7, 2010

Dutch isn't neutered. When they were housed together back in November, we thought Kody was a male. Then, Kody had babies on December 24th.

elrohwen · Apr 7, 2010

Ahh, I see. Unfixed bunnies will often get along because mating is first on their minds, but after fixing it will take a bit more effort for them to get along.

DeepSeaGoddess · Apr 8, 2010

My first pair, the female was not spayed at first. She was a rescue, had showed up in my back yard (domestic bunny...not wild) and I took her in. I got a neutered male to try to bond with her. It didn't go well until after I got her spayed and waited 6 weeks. Then they bonded within about 2 weeks, lived together for over a year before she passed away this past January.

Anyway, before she was spayed and we tried to bond them, she even went through a false pregnancy with pulling out fur and building a nest and everything...very crazy but then we decided, ok, we have to get her spayed and then try again. Which we did and it went perfectly afterwards.