Getting another bunny

[Eve]

I was recently at an animal shelter and absolutely fell in love with a gorgeous dwarf lop female they had there.

I have been considering getting a companion for my bun Rodney, but I amunsure as to whether introducing a new rabbit to the family is a goodidea at an early age, as they are both too young to be desexed at themoment. (I already have two large cages if they need to be keptseperate until they are desexed).

Rodney appears to be happy on his own, but likes a LOT of attention. Heis constantly tugging at my pants and nudging me, and I wouldn't wanthim to feel neglected when my holidays finish and I return to uni. Iwill still give him plently of my time, but just though he might behappier if he also had a friend to spend his days with.

I am going to visit the shelter again tomorrow, this time with Rodney,to see if they would get along.

Here is a picture of the bun I am considering adopting. According tothe lady at the shelter, she is around 3 monthsold,anda bittimid, butwillhopefully come good with some gentle handling.She isalsogreat with other bunnies. She was left at the shelter atonly 8 weeks of age because a family didn't want her anymore.

I was just wondering on your opinions whether trying to bond bunnies ata young age is a good idea, or if I should wait until Rodney is olderbefore I get him a friend. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

 

[naturestee]

I would not suggest letting them meetyet. Rabbits can hit puberty as early as 2.5 months, and theycan breed at that age. If you want Rodney to meet somebun,try an older spayed female. I'm not sure how old Rodney is,but males can be neutered around four months old.

I know exactly what you are going through- I did the same withMocha. She needed more attention than I could give her in aday, and I felt bad. I chose to wait until she was healedfrom her spay before I took her to the shelter to find afriend. It worked out well for me.

 

[bunnydude]

Naturestee is right. I don't think you want to have to explain to the shelter why their bun is suddenly pregnant:shock:

 

[jordiwes]

She is geogeous though! Do you have enough roomto keep them seperate for now? It might be fun to have their cages sideby side and they can still interact without fighting or impregnating.

 

[Eve]

Thank you for the advice! Everyone here is so helpful, I really appreciate it.

I have taken Rodney to the vet today and he informed me I could get himdesexed at this age. He is only about 2.5 months at the moment, is thistoo early? The vet told me it is better to do it at a younger age, butI amjust double checking,as the vets in my area donot have very much experience with rabbits.

The vet told me he has never lost a rabbit during the procedure,although he has done very few through out the year. I have calledseveral other vets, but they have not had very much experience withrabbits either. I have found one experienced vet, although she is 2hours away, and I would think the trip would be stressful for my bun,especially since the weather is around 30-40 degrees celcius at thistime.

I also visited the shelter again today. The lady there told me shecould arrange to have the female dwarf lop desexed if I decide to gether. So Imightwait until Rodney has fully recoveredafter his operation and then take him in to see if they get along. Ihad no idea I couldn't take him if he wasn't desexed, as the lady hadrecomendedI bring him along even afterI had toldher he hadn't been altered yet. :?

I would love to get the girl now and keep her seperate, and get to knowher a bit on her own until she and Rodney could meet, but I'm a bitworriedif theymet and then disliked eachother, so Iguess I'd be better off waiting.

 

[rabbitgirl]

Males can still impregnate a doe for up to amonth after neutering, I believe--so you might want to wait some timeafterwards.

Rose

 

[jordiwes]

I believe you can neuter a male as soon as the testicles drop although 2.5 months seems a little young.

HRS says: Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend,usually around 3-1/2 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer towait until they are 5 months old.

For females: Females can be spayed as soon as they sexually mature,usually around 4 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to waituntil they are 6 months old, as surgery is riskier on a younger rabbit.

I think you should take this girl home so she can grow up in a homerather than a shelter. I believe a young spayed female and a youngneutered male are the easiest to bond. Definitely easier if they knoweach other from a young age.

 

[Tatum]

I would get her and put the cages sideby side until they are both altered. She is beautiful anddeserves a good home like Rodney has. I have a young male(10wks) and have had him since he was 6 1/2 weeks old.Whenever I put him in with my rescue spayed Himalyn dwarf female (about5 months) all he wants to do is mount her. I learned fromanother rabbit site that it is easier to bond older rabbits becauseunless they are raised together; when they do mature a bit theirpersonality may change toward the other rabbit and they may end up notgetting along.



I do put them together, but just for a little bit with constantsupervision, but since all the little guy wants to do is mount her, idon't want her to be annoyed with him. so I keep it veryshort.



My vet does many rabbits and likes to get the females spayed at 4months as well as the males, but when i went in yesterday with my dogand asked him about it, it sounded like he may want to do it at almost3 months. He has altered 6 of my rabbits so far and two moreto go and have not had any problems. Two of them were 4 yearsold. Two males and 5 females he has done all together so farfor me.



My vet likes to alter at ayoung age as he can as he says it's easier.



Also if you can put the cages side by side, they can get used to eachothers scent and the familiarity of being together. I havealso heard you can switch rabbits in each others cages, but ireally don't have the experience to know for sure.



Please let us know what you decide. Thanks Tatum

 

[Bassetluv]

How long has the bunny been at theshelter? (She is adorable, btw!) I would be a bit concerned aboutputting the two rabbits near one another without first having asuitable quarantine time with her first...

I'm not sure about the age of neutering (it struck me that 2-1/2 monthssounds a wee bit young). I did a quick search online and found thisinfo from the HRS:

[size="-1"] At what age should rabbits be spayed or neutered?

Females can be spayed as soon as they sexually mature, usually around 4months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 6months old, as surgery is riskier on a younger rabbit.

Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, usually around3-1/2 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until theyare 5 months old.



[/size]

 

[Eve]

Thank you for that information rabbitgirl, I hadno idea that males can still impregnate a doe for up to a month afterneutering!

Jordiwes, the vet told me that Rodney's testicles had already decended,but since he is only 2.5 months I will wait a month or longerbeforeI take him in for the operation then. Is is safer to doit at a young age or is it safer at the 5 month mark?

Tatum,I like the idea ofputting the cages side byside. I might buy an identical cage to the indoor one I already have,as I could keep them seperate until needed, and then in the future Icould possibly stack them to make a double story cage for them to shareif they become bonded. If they dislike each other I could just keepthem seperately.

And thank you for the information and advice Bassetluv! The bunny hasbeen at the shelter since about 8 weeks, she is around 3 months oldnow. That's such a shame she wasabandoned so young. And Iwould definately have some quarantine time with her first beforeputting the cages side by side. How much time in a seperate room wouldyou recomend?

Iam going interstate for a week so I will have to decidewhether I will bring her home as soon as I get back or possibly waittill Rodney is altered, I'm just not100% sure what I shoulddo at this point in time.

Thank you for all of your advice and help everyone!

 

[Bassetluv]

I've heard some people recommend approx. a weekof quarantine, while others will recommend up to a month. This pastChristmas I was given a young rabbit by my niece and nephew, and itturned out he was sick. He had diarrhea two days after I got him, whichcleared up within a day, and I suspected it was triggered by a suddenchange in feed. However, after another week passed he became sickagain, this time severely ill and unfortunately, he didn't survive. Thesecond time he fell ill was 10 days after he was given to me...so Iwould probably recommend at least two weeks' quarantine time for a newrabbit. Though it sounds like the bunny at the shelter will be okay ifthey've had her for2 months and she's been showing no signsof illness.

If you can, I'd recommend getting her after Rodney has recovered fromhis neuter. Will the shelter be willing to hold her for you? It's quitetraumatic to an animal to go through surgery, and when he comes out heis going to need some quiet time...plus he will have all the smells ofthe hospital on his body for a while, which could confuse and irritatethe new bunny if you have her and they have bonded. Or you could gether before-hand and introduce them at a later date, after surgery isover and Rodney has had a chance to recover.

Wishing you all the best with your new bunny when she comes home!

 

[JimD]

Hello Eve,

That shelter bunnie is such a cutie!!

Our vet recommends spay/neuter at approx 6 months and before 2 years ofage. She also recommends waiting a minimum of4weeksafter spaying before introducing to a male bunnie. Shemay not be able to get pregnant after spaying, but she will need timeto heal. Males need 4-6 weeks to ensure all of their "system" is clear.

The vet also says that any new bunnie(s) should be quarantined for at least 2 weeks before exposing to your other bunnie(s).

The only problems I know of when put an unspayed female with a neutered male are..
#1) there are chances that the doe may go into a false pregnancy and suffer adverse effects
or.....
#2) At the age of this particular doe her hormones will already bestarting to rage and they may be exasperated by being in closeproximity to a buck.

~Jim

 

[Eve]

Thank youso much for the advice!I would be so lost without all of your help.

I'm going to follow your recomendations and get Rodney desexed first. He is booked in for next week. I am so nervous about him having surgery. But I have finally found a rabbit savy vet, so at least I am confidenthe will be ingood hands.

The poor bunny at the shelter is still there. Ihave beenso tempted to bring her home on so many occasions. I feel so bad.

I just really need to take my bun to the shelter first to see if they will get along. I would have to keep them both in my bedroom, and although I can house them seperately for a while, I couldn't afford for this to be a long term arrangement in the event that they hated eachother.

 

[naturestee]

Hi Eve!

I think you're making a really good choice, especially since you aren't able to house two buns separately long term. Good luck to Rodney for next week- keep us updated!