John

[koo2cat]

Hi Everyone, I am normally on the chicken forum but we have just bought 2 Rex Rabbits from a rescue centre and need some advice. Bear with me as it is kind of complicated!!!

 

The rabbits are brother and sister, about 6 months old and were living together. The female then had a litter of 3 babies which all died because I guess she was too young to look after them. So they are now living in separate hutches next to each other at the rescue centre. I have booked them into the vets to have both "done" and vaccinated on 23rd June after which they will come home with me. We have bought an oversized 5ft two tier hutch and a separate run on the lawn. So, will they be okay to go together when they come home after their operation? The other option is I collect one rabbit this week but I have heard that the rabbit will mark the hutch with its scent and might not like the other one coming in a week or two later.

 

I can't keep them together until they have been "done" for obvious reasons and the rescue centre are happy to have them until then.

 

We just want to do whats best for the rabbits - so any advice would be really welcome!

 

Many thanks

Cat

Edited June 27, 2008 by Guest

[catherinee99]

How exciting- I love Rex rabbits!

 

I am afraid you will have to keep them separately after the op for at least a couple of weeks. It can take a while for the testosterone to leave the male rabbit even after the op and you would not want him to inadvertantly harm his sister. The operation for a female rabbit is quite extensive and so she may need some quiet time anyway. Could you separate the two tiers of the hutch and have one in each as a temporary measure? You could then reintroduce them in the neutral territory of the run.

 

 

They should be fine to be together after a couple of weeks and then you will no longer need to worry. Ask your vet for guidance. My male rabbit was done yesterday and was fine, if a little quiet last night.

[Lera]

I hope that as your rabbits are already friendly, it will not be difficult to bring them back together again.

 

I adopted a rabbit from Wood Green this weekend, to be a companion for Angel, recently bereaved. Angel is a Rex too, and quite a gentle, shy boy.

 

I had thought of dividing the run for a few days to give them a chance to get to know one another, but the advice on integration from Wood Green was to put them straight into together. Obviously you'll want both your bunnies to be healed first, but they felt that dividing the run might mean that the rabbits each established a territory that they then wanted to defend.

 

The advice was that there might be chasing, fur pulling and even some biting, but that we should keep a careful watch on this rather than intervene. Intervene if there is any kicking / attempted disembowelling...

 

Two days later they are sitting contentedly side by side. The new bun is still quite scared if she hears a dog bark or sees a cat stroll up, but Angel had stopped chasing her after the first afternoon.

[koo2cat]

Thank you both for your replies. We are very excited about getting them but a little nervous too! I kept Guinea Pigs as a child and we have the chickens and 2 cats but I am not used to rabbits!

 

We will take your advice and close off the run to the bottom tier of the hutch to keep them separate while they heal and then pop them in the run together when they are fit and see how they get on. As I said they were together since birth until the poor little mite got pregnant with her previous owner!

 

The hutch only has one (large) bedroom on the top tier so I am guessing I need to provide the bunny on the bottom with somewhere sheltered to sleep/hide? Any suggestions?

 

Thank you again for your advice and we will look forward to getting Rosie and ? Yet to be named? home!!!! Speaking of names any suggestions for the boy rabbits name? Anything but Jim or Rodger!!! We thought something beginning with R might be good!

 

Cat

[pepe]

Good luck with your new bunnies. Sounds like you will be doing the right thing. Not sure what to use for sleeping, I suppose it depends on the weather, also watch out for mr fox! How about Rupert, Ronnie, or even Rex for names!

[FruitandNutCake]

when I had my male rabbit done, I was told he could still be fertile for a month after the op. So I waited a month before getting Steffi from a rescue centre (who also paid for her to be done too). I took them both in separate boxes to my sisters house, and introduced them in neutral territory and they fell in love (literally) instantly. Obviously Bugsy hadn't realised he had been done, but soon gave up trying. There was no fighting and they live happily together.

 

I would guess that if the two have been together in the past, they should still get on (hopefully) but I would still recommend re-introducing them in neutral territory just to be on the safe side.

[ecudc]

most good vets would advise waiting 8 weeks before pairing a neutered male with an unneutered female but as she is also neutered you can cut that down to about a month. By then all the scars will have healed and hormones should have died down a bit.

 

When they are ready to go together you need to bond them somewhere neutral like your bathroom for a couple of days. Scattering food and a big pile of hay is usually quite a good bonding tool and try and make it so they can't hide from each other. Some chasing and humping and possibly a bit of nipping is normal rabbit bonding......locking on, drawing blood, screaming is not and you should separate them.

[koo2cat]

Our two rabbits have now settled into their new home! They had their ops last Mon and did really well. We have temporarily blocked off the run in their hutch and they seem really happy, Rosie on the top and Rexy on the bottom. We are going to introduce them to each other on neutral territory this weekend(on recommendation of the vet), they are brother and sister and used to live together. Hopefully all will go well. We are looking forward to seeing them hopping about on the lawn! Would love to do some pictures but haven't a clue how to do that!

 

The vet did say to me they were a little on the plump side and that it is now recommended that pet rabbits don't have any commercial food, just hay, water and fresh veg. She said to gradually reduced their cereal until they weren't having it anymore. Wondered what everyone's thoughts are on that? Also how much veg should I give them? Have been taking it very slowly, tiny bit of carrot, couple of leaves of spinach, small floret of broccoli a day. Is that too little/much?

 

Cat

[Lesley]

We mostly feed our two Rex's with hay and a small amount of veg. We were told the plainer the better as regards food.

 

They are in a large run with grass and we give tham small amounts of Rabbit Royale.

 

i'm glad to hear that your two are settling in nicely.