Let them mix or not?

[Howard cordingley]

Hi folks. Hope you experienced bunny keepers can help me. I have two house bunnies in seperated cages. One is an old rescue buck not neutered and the other a doe who is speyed. She is 2. When I let them out to excercise they do sniff each other through the cage. Snd the buck will sit for hours next to the does cage.
sounds great? Only problem is when I let them out together he goes for her wanting to have sex all the time. He’s much bigger. I’m worried if I leave them like this unsupervised onewill hurt the other. I have tried the bonding and they have been like this for a few months. I feel bad thinking am I being unkind to them seperating them but I don’t want an injured bunny.

 

[Momo and Midna]

i’d suggest neutering your bunny first and if that isn’t an option then just let them have supervised play time together as long as they don’t fight so they aren’t lonely! make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your female too much though. i hope this helps

 

[Preitler]

My free range house bunnys are an intact buck and a spayed girl.
As with all pairings, their characters need to be compatible, other than that, I think this is one of the more easy pairings. But there are issues and things to consider.

When you just let them together periodically, the buck will always be excited and eager, always starting from zero all over again. Even the most horny buck will get tired at some point, or hungry, that are the times when they can can get used to each other.
Thing is, you'll need a patient doe. And set up things so that she can get away from him trying to hump her. But I even keep intact does with a buck for a week sometimes.
My boy still keeps trying at times after 2 years of never succeeding, she just keeps hopping away. When she has enough she goes into a tunnel, under a low table, or into a cardboard hidy house where he can't get into position. Or she just goes out of sight, they have lots of options for that in the house and garden. I think this is a very important point, that she can get away if she wants to. Anyway, for me, the benefits by far outweight this issue.

You say the buck is much bigger? Maybe you can make a hidy house or solid divider where she can get through, but that is too small for him?

Dotty is really a very patient girl, there was never any sign of aggression or overboarding annoyance, and 95% of the time this topic isn't an issue. That changes somewhat seasonal. Rabbits are social animals, they can sort out quite a lot. "Trying to bond" imho quite often is actually messing up rather natural behaviour. I had occasions when dominant, intact does attacked the buck, but that was all in a hormonal rage. Me trying to breed them when they had other things on their mind didn't help.

Another thing you shouldn't be surprised about that he might try to spray her now and then, I have to mop up the aftermath of those incidents 1-2 times a week.

This is the thread I started back when I got her spayed to become his cuddlebun:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threa...bond-with-intact-buck-what-to-consider.92855/

 

[Howard cordingley]

My free range house bunnys are an intact buck and a spayed girl.
As with all pairings, their characters need to be compatible, other than that, I think this is one of the more easy pairings. But there are issues and things to consider.

When you just let them together periodically, the buck will always be excited and eager, always starting from zero all over again. Even the most horny buck will get tired at some point, or hungry, that are the times when they can can get used to each other.
Thing is, you'll need a patient doe. And set up things so that she can get away from him trying to hump her. But I even keep intact does with a buck for a week sometimes.
My boy still keeps trying at times after 2 years of never succeeding, she just keeps hopping away. When she has enough she goes into a tunnel, under a low table, or into a cardboard hidy house where he can't get into position. Or she just goes out of sight, they have lots of options for that in the house and garden. I think this is a very important point, that she can get away if she wants to. Anyway, for me, the benefits by far outweight this issue.

You say the buck is much bigger? Maybe you can make a hidy house or solid divider where she can get through, but that is too small for him?

Dotty is really a very patient girl, there was never any sign of aggression or overboarding annoyance, and 95% of the time this topic isn't an issue. That changes somewhat seasonal. Rabbits are social animals, they can sort out quite a lot. "Trying to bond" imho quite often is actually messing up rather natural behaviour. I had occasions when dominant, intact does attacked the buck, but that was all in a hormonal rage. Me trying to breed them when they had other things on their mind didn't help.

Another thing you shouldn't be surprised about that he might try to spray her now and then, I have to mop up the aftermath of those incidents 1-2 times a week.

This is the thread I started back when I got her spayed to become his cuddlebun:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threa...bond-with-intact-buck-what-to-consider.92855/

Thanks very good points and ideas there! He does spray when he smells her lol. He’s too old at 11 to be neutered a d would not change his behaviour. One of your ideas is good about letting them together longer this taking off that initial wanting to mate. I will get her a get away tunnel too. I just get worried they may hurt each other.

 

[Diane R]

Have you discussed neutering with the vet? I know he's 11 but they could do it while he is having one of his regular dentals? His age should not be a problem if he is otherwise healthy.