Need bonding help and info!

[lillyt95]

Hi, I am wanting to get some information and facts sorted out after a lot of mixed information and want to know what is actually true!

I have a 1 year old neutered mini lop male and am wanting to get him a friend, I am considering a baby mini rex male that will be neutered too.

I have been told that they will be able to get on fine after they are neutered by one source, but from another person I have been told that mini rexes are a bossy breed and won't get on well with my bunny at all...

I'm wondering which information is correct and what I should do, thank you!

 

[selbert]

Hi, well there sure is a lot of mixed up information and the simple reason for that is every rabbit is different! Breeds don't reflect personalities the same way as dogs do, but some do have certain traits that are familiar amongst breed. I think that it's great that you want to get a friend for your bun!

Personally, I'd recommend going to a shelter. There you can get advice and information on all of the bunnies, they're often already neutered (especially in the UK) so would save expense there. Also baby rabbits are quite a handful when their hormones kick in! Getting an adult would avoid this naughty stage in a rabbit. You could bring your little mini-lop to the shelter and let him decide who he wants! By seeing which rabbit he gets along with the most, you can avoid any long and hard bonding sessions and hopefully jump straight into a strong bond.

If you do really want to go for a baby bun, you could still ask the breeder if you could bring your bun along and do the same? If they start off aggressive then you know that maybe that isn't the best option.
I hope your bonding is successful! Let us know how it goes!

:brownbunny

 

[lillyt95]

Thank you for your reply!

I started off by looking at shelters but there aren't many bunnies in shelters in my area, the few I found were quite large breeds of rabbit and I don't have the extra space and larger beds/litter trays etc. that is required for a larger breed.

I was mostly concerned about the fact that mini rexes were bossy and wouldn't get along with others (apparently) but if personality isn't related to breed then that clears that up Will definitely see if I can bring my bun along and let him choose a friend!

 

[selbert]

Oh that's a shame about the shelters, I suppose it's the larger breeds that people can't accommodate for.

Brilliant news! I hope your little guy finds a forever friend soon! You could also try gumtree (I know that sounds maaad but a friend of mine found her bun on gumtree, someone was moving country and posted it).

I would make one last recommendation: I would start the bonding sessions after the little one is neutered (especially if he is older than 8 weeks as they tend to start puberty VERY early). But then again, if they don't seem bothered about territory or whatnot then there wouldn't be an issue. I bonded mine with only one of them neutered. I say I did it, rather I woke up to find they had escaped from their cages and were caught canoodling! So I just kept them together, there was no chance of the girl becoming pregnant as the boy had been neutered for over 6 weeks.

Be sure to post pictures when you find your mini rex!

All the best

:brownbunny

 

[Blue eyes]

Just wanted to chime in that if you are going with a young baby, there really is no reason to bring your current rabbit. Any "bond" with a baby is actually meaningless. If 2 rabbits get along just wonderfully and snuggle and cuddle, but one or both is a baby, then it won't mean much once hormones kick in. Once those kick in, everything changes. In fact, the rabbits can then suddenly turn on each other and fight. If you aren't there to stop it, it could get quite ugly.

I agree with Selbert that if you do get a baby, wait until after surgery before attempting to bond. The only downside is that there is the possibility that the two simply won't get along. If that happens, you'll need to be prepared then to keep housing them separately.

The only sure way to get a true bond is to go through a rescue. Mini lops aren't very tiny. Mine is about 6 lbs. The shelter must have some average sized rabbits (you only need to find one, lol). Rescues work with you to help ensure a successful bond. If a bondmate is really your goal (as opposed to just having a second rabbit) then it might be best to give the shelter another look. There are just too many stories on this forum of bonding nightmares, headaches, and difficulties to not warn you fairly.

 

[Sindri27]

I thought I would mention my experience. I too have a neutered male that I wanted to get a friend for him. I didn't have any rabbits in the shelters near me. The only rabbit rescue was over 3 hours away. I thought ok I will scan Craigslist and find a friend for him and I saw a cute baby girl bun and I just couldn't resist getting her. I thought great I have lots of time to do pre bonding things and I am sure they will bond after she was spayed. I would STRONGLY suggest going threw a rabbit rescue if you could find one. I am having a very difficult time trying to bond my rabbits. I am now on yet another break. I really wish I could have gone threw a rescue because they help you find a match and the one here in my state says they will help with the bonding process for as long as it takes or help you find another rabbit that is best suited for your rabbit and you. Its what I so wish I could have done. Most people don't have as much difficulty as I have had but I would really hate to see you end up with two rabbits living separately. I know that's what I really didn't want. You need to make sure you have the extra room just in case that happens and of course while you are waiting to get him neutered and before bonding.
I wish you the best of luck and please let us know what happens!