Weak Moment.. or Two

[Smote]

I have a bonded pair: female lop (spayed) 2.5 years old and a small Rex mix (neutered) 1.5 years old.  These two are in their X-Pen during the day and roam most of the house when I am home at night and weekends.  I was offered a 3 month old female Flemish Giant (too young to spay) and when I went to pick her up there was a 9 month old (not spayed) female in the small cage with her.  The owners did not want her and since the two rabbits were already together I took both.

I have expanded my X-Pen so there is a shared X-Pen wall and hard sheet of thick, semi-opaque plastic between the two pens, but when my sweet lop is allowed out to roam the house she goes to the newcomers pen and attacks the older Flemish Giant through the uncovered area (clawing and biting between the bars).  

I am having the older Flemish Giant spayed in three days, but I understand that it will take 4 – 6 weeks for her hormones to die down.  Should I moved the two new bunnies to another room (the 3 and 9 month old Flemish Giants) for another month?  If so, the younger will be ready to be spayed.   I think I am in for a lot of trouble for the next 6 months at least.  The bonded f/m are now peeing outside their litter box to add to the problems.

Any recommendations on how to house these indoor bunnies and for how long before an attempt to bond the two pairs together or even have them near each other?  Hopefully, the youngest female will still get along with the older female and remain bonded as they grow and are spayed, but that is another issue that I cannot worry about yet.

[jerseygirl]

I think I am in for a lot of trouble for the next 6 months at least.  

Possibly… Let hope not though.

Should I moved the two new bunnies to another room (the 3 and 9 month old Flemish Giants) for another month?

I would. Your pair may still detect them but they’ll hopefully settle down without the 2 newbies in their space. Not a bad idea to house new rabbits elsewhere as a bit of a quarantine period also.

[Smote]

Thank you. I knew the answer was to move them… I just needed to hear if from others. Sigh, I am running out of house.

[VivaLaBunz]

Wow four bunnies! That’s a big commitment. I don’t think I would have the strength in me to pass up cute, free bunnies either xD

Sadly I have no advice to give because I’ve only ever owned one rabbit at a time.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hello and welcome – the sweet lop prob thinks the 2 big new chicks are there to steal her man away!
Jersey’s advice is of course good. Separate for quarantine purposes (Jersey, how long?).

If you have “run out of house” (lol) could you put a hardboard up between 2 xpen grids instead of plastic so they can’t see each other after the old femmie’s spay…. that may be enough to calm things down and for you to reclaim your house

[Author]

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