New bunny! Bonding tips please?

[EclipseTheLionhead]

So on Monday I'm getting a new male rabbit! He is about a year older then Eclipse (She 9 months old and I was told he is about a year and 8 months old), He is Netherland Dwarf rabbit and Eclipse is Lionhead. Sadly the current owner for the Netherland can't care from him anymore and I've been trying to find a playmate for Eclipse. So my question is, what are some tips to get them bonded? For now they have to be separated because neither of them are spayed/neutered ( they will in the next week or so), what can I do to try to get used to each other? Anything that I should be careful about? Any tips will help!

 

[FuzzyWabbit]

1st, separate them into 2 cages. Put cages close to each others so they get to know each other without showing dominance. After about a week, let them out of their cages and let them 1 to 1 meet each other. They should get along.

 

[Diane R]

I would keep them well apart, different rooms if possible, until you're ready to bond them, 8 weeks after they've both been neutered.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, as above, you need to house them separately and so they cant see or smell each other, also spray yur hands and clothes with 5% vinegar between holding them to remove their scent they can get very nervous and even aggressive and pee on you or bite you so take it seriously.

After they both neutered, you can try bonding them min after 8 weeks. It's min 8 weeks for boy and 4 weeks for girls, but it can be different for different rabbits. Boys will stay fertile for up to 4 weeks after neutering.

It is very individual. I bonded Fred with Bernie after just 1 month after his neutering. But he is very special, he was always very calm and his neutering and post neuter was extremely easy. But he did lots of humping in their first days, there was no aggression and Bernie enjoyed it very much and I left them together (under supervising day and night). but normally you should wait at least 2 months.

 

[zuppa]

Just see your other thread I am so sorry that your girl died after giving birth, just one month after you've got a new rabbit to bond with her. Hope the babies will survive without their mother.

 

[zuppa]

I have to add, I know you have their father and he is not neutered. If the babies will make it to 8 weeks, please separate boys from girls, also make sure dad can't impregnate his daughters. Baby girls are fertile from about 14 weeks.

Ideally, father should be neutered right now to avoid more accidents.

Babies will have to be separated by genders at 8-9 weeks but also you won't be able to keep boys together from about 9-12 weeks because they will become hormonal and will start humping each other, spraying urine and fighting, they can fight to death. So boys will have to be kept separately from each other as well.

Since babies have no mother and it will be very difficult for an inexperienced person to feed them properly and take care of them, I would try finding in your locality another mother rabbit who could foster the orphans, because their chances are very slim without mother's care.

If you manage to save them they can be rehomed at about 6-8 weeks (depending on where you live the laws can differ, in some states it is illegal rehoming under 8 weeks).