baby male adult male bond? new to boy+boy bonding!

[Noel_dee]

I have read HUNDREDS of bonding articles over the last 4 years. I can admit my way of bonding might not be the most “conventional”. I have only ever bonded baby females to my 6 year old adult (neutered) male. After my bad luck with girls I think I want to try bonding a baby male this time to my adult but am concerned.
In the past my first female passed away at the age of 3(bonded when she was a baby), then we got another baby girl bonded beautifully to my boy but she passed away due to complications with her spaying surgery. I loved all my girls with all my heart, but can admit the sass in females is apparent.
My boy has roam of my full apartment but has his own large pen in my living room with the door always open. How I have been bonding the baby females to him is I section the pen in half and give the baby one side (with cardboard on the side to avoid nipping), then little by little we bond and potty train until we get rid of the cardboard then the section all together. Then the baby gets the pen (locked up when not supervised) and my boy gets the apartment to himself then the female gets the apartment as well. All this BEFORE the female has been spayed. It has worked well so far. Each girl has gotten along with my male beautifully before she has been spayed. This time around I want to try bonding a baby male to my adult but have heard horror stories about boys growing up then turning on one another. How has bonding a male baby to a male adult gone so far? Will my way of bonding not work? We’ve had a disaster once with an older male foster fighter with my boy but I’m thinking bonding a baby will be better? I’m just trying to see if 2 boys can coexist in peace! I love girls but after these past 2 heartbreaks I can’t bring myself to get another girl. Help!

[Noel_dee]

Just realized this should probably be in the bonding forum! Oops, I am new please forgive!

[Deleted User]

Make sure both boys are neutered. If you do get a baby, try not to have them together until after he’s neutered because they could fight. Mine did that, amd we learned the hard way. Why so intent on getting a baby? Why not do bond dates at a shelter that way you don’t have to potentially keep them separated permanently? Also, buying a baby buck just to his potential bond die in a few years seems sad. That buck would have a broken heart unless you could successfully bond again.
Just some thoughts

[LittlePuffyTail]

I moved this to the Bonding Forum

[Mikey]

I have/had a trio of males. Youve been lucky in the past. Unneutered/Unspayed rabbits cannot create proper bonds. Hormonal rabbits are very likely to fight to the death. Baby rabbits cannot create bonds at all. To answer your question “Will my way of bonding just not work?” No, it wont work. You cant rely on luck safely.

[Noel_dee]

How did you initially introduce them? I don’t mind playing it safe keeping this new baby separate from my older boy until the neuter. I’m just not too sure how to go about it or if 2 boys is a good idea in the first place.

[Noel_dee]

I brought home a one year old boy to foster ( who was neutered) and tried to bond him to my boy and he ended up getting hurt so I’m definitely in over protective mom mode when it comes to bonding older rabbits to him!

[Bianca]

Baby rabbits cannot bond because as they become sexually mature and their hormones kick in they will quite often become aggressive with rabbits they are familiar with. So no point getting anything young unless you want to keep them separated until a month after the young one is spayed/neutered.

If you are just fostering a rabbit it might be best not to try bonding to your rabbit at all. If the bond is successful, then both rabbits will be heartbroken when the foster rabbit finds a permanent home.

Personally for your boy I would adopt an adult, spayed female. Maybe even take him for a meet and greet at your local shelter if they have rabbits. The easiest bond is an adult neutered male and an adult spayed female. Male/male is possible both are adults and neutered, as is female/female. But it is much easier with one of each gender.

[Noel_dee]

I have had 2 females and really want to get another male, I know every bunny is different but both my females have been quite “sassy” if you will. Once we are ready to adopt a new baby we will just keep him separate until after the neutering. Is absolute 0 interaction with my other rabbit suggested? I want to do this the right way this time around! If we come across a young adult we will try that but for now we will be on the lookout for a baby!

[Mikey]

Yes, the new bunny would need to be completely separated until one month after he is neutered. One month after he is neutered, move his cage and pen next to your girls’ cage and pen about 10 inches apart. Swap their items (food and water bowls, litter boxes, toys, ect) once a day. Youll do this set up for another month as prebonding. After that month, if theyre not aggressive towards one another, you can consider bonding.

*Ive had a successful trio

[Author]

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