Bonding big and little?

[BlacknWhite]

Hello! I have always loved large rabbits like harlequins and French lops, as well as Netherland dwarfs. I was wondering you can bind rabbits with this size difference? I am planning on getting two males, but I have heard they are harder to bond then buck to doe parings.

Thank you in advance, BlacknWhite

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I have a pair that I sometimes refer to as Leia and Jabba the hut.

Rupert is big-nearly ten pounds (though less now as he ages) and Kahlua is small, less than 3 pounds. I think the Leia/Jabba joke comes in because he’ll lay around like a blob and demand that she groom him…

It’s actually quite nice as you know who’s poops are who’s-poop is important you need to know if they stop pooping, and with a pair or more you can’t really tell.
So I’m all for opposites attract!

[BlacknWhite]

Cool! I just found out I am getting a magpie harlequin buck this weekend, and I am so excited! I have a wabbitat cage (i think that’s how you spell it..?) it’s like 3’x1.5′, and I’m gonna keep him in there till finish the big cage, which I am planning on being 4’x2.5′, with two levels. Do you think that will be good? I’m planning on doing some kind of grate for the bottom, but it’s kinda hard, cause a 4lb bunny’s paws are not the same as a 10lb bunny’s. I will be littler training them, so maybe I can eventually cover up most of the grate, and get them their own litter boxes? I have a feeling they wouldn’t stay pooping in their’s though

[Gina.Jenny]

Congrats on your new bunny

Both cages sound quite small to me, esp for a bigger size bunny. A bunny needs to be able to take several bounds inside their cage, and also it needs to be high enough for them to stand up and periscope in. Can you make the big cage any bigger, and how soon will it be ready for bunny? Or else, will bunny get plenty of time outside the cage?

[BlacknWhite]

I am buying a pen, and it will be up against their cage so they will have access to it for the majority of the day. The only reason the harli will have the smaller cage for a few days is because the flooring will be shipped in a little late, so he will be in there. He will still be 8 weeks, so he shouldn’t be huge, and I will be having him out running around as soon as he wants to. I have found that they don’t run around much until about 3 days after their arrival, and i should have the cage done by then. Then I can move the harli into the large cage, and put the netherland I am planning to buy into the wabbitat cage until i can fix and bond them. I am planning on teaching the netherland agility, but I know not all bunnies will do it. I also have a deck that they can both run around on, so they will get plenty of exercise. i could probably make the cage 3’x4′, I have to look into the cage mesh size.

thanks!

[BlacknWhite]

Also, is it that much harder to bond two boys than a male and a female? I usually get closer to males, but I could probably get a doe.

[Gina.Jenny]

Pippin came out of his cage only a couple of hours after being bought home, and the first thing he did was climb the stairs. He was successfully bonded to another male, then bonded instantly to a girl bunny we had after Rusty had to be put to sleep.

I think it comes down at least in part to personality, so while generally boy-girl bonds are the easiest, some bunnies can be bonded with another bunny of the same sex, once both are altered.

Glad to hear the bunny will have a run too

[BlacknWhite]

I know all bunnies are different, but in my experience, most are a little skittish on the first day or two. I did get a little holland doe a while ago, and she was just crazy! She was immediately hopping everywhere and eating everything, including my earphones. (I know that sounds like it could have been dangerous, but they weren’t plugged in, and I picked her up as soon as she got them.) Anyway, if he wants to I will let him run as soon as he gets home. Thanks for the info in bonding! I think I will stick with two boys, but I have to figure out which rabbit will be available. What cage size would you recommend?

Thanks!

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