11 week male/female siblings bonding

[lilmiffy]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first time bonding rabbits and I appreciate all your help. This site has been super helpful!

So here’s the story – we recently got two baby lion head rabbit siblings that were born 4/26/17, putting them at 11 weeks old. We are not yet sure of the genders but were told they were one male one female. I am taking them to the vet on Monday for their first check up as well as setting up an appointment for neutering/spaying as soon as possible. 

My question is about bonding them at this time. Initially when I brought them home I placed them in the same cage. The next day as I was watching them I saw the male bunny attempt to mount the female. I immediately separated them and since then they have been in different cages but in the same room. I think they’ve both taken it very hard and seem lonely when they are not together. 

I have been letting both of them out at the same time in a shared space and watching them extremely closely. Whenever I see the male attempt to mount the female, I break it up. They are so happy when they are together and they are running full speed across the room and binkying everywhere. I have been very diligent with making sure that they are not mating or anything. They just seem to be so comfortable together. They plop right next to each other and eat out of the same food bowl as well.

Is this okay or should I just be letting them out at separate times? They never fight and never nip at each other. I have seen them grooming each other as well. I just really don’t want them to forget about each other and it’s quite heartbreaking to not have them together.

Thank you for any advice you can give me!

[Jazlyn]

If you can’t tell if one is male yet, so his testicles haven’t dropped yet, he shouldn’t have any way of getting the female pregnant yet, so you should be in the clear for now. I would say for now they should be fine together, but as soon as the male’s testicles have dropped, keep them seperated, but close so they can still see and smell each other and are able to lay side by side if they are not aggressive with each other. Mine are side by side in cages right now until I can start rebonding them.

[Mikey]

Males produce sperm even before the testicles have dropped. Male rabbits start to produce sperm around 2 to 3 months old, even if the testicles are still hidden within the rabbits body. So, they can still breed, which could very well kill the female as her body is not built yet to care for a litter.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Jazlyn on 7/15/2017 12:37 AM

If you can’t tell if one is male yet, so his testicles haven’t dropped yet, he shouldn’t have any way of getting the female pregnant yet, so you should be in the clear for now. I would say for now they should be fine together, but as soon as the male’s testicles have dropped, keep them seperated, but close so they can still see and smell each other and are able to lay side by side if they are not aggressive with each other. Mine are side by side in cages right now until I can start rebonding them.

Even when the testicles have dropped, rabbits can still hide them pretty well. 

[Jazlyn]

sarahthegemini, Oh I know very well haha. When I first got my rabbits, everyone was convinced he was a girl because he hid them so well. I was never particularly concerned about reading up about when the males start being able to get a female pregnant though as I have two boys, I had read though that they weren’t able to until the testicles have dropped. Sorry for any mix up then though.

[Deleted User]

You can’t even bond them at this stage, not until they have been fixed. They could get into a fight and get injured. Even good natured bunnies can have tiffs. Wait for 1.5-2 months after both have been fixed to bond them, then slowly bond them and switch around litter pans and food/water dishes. Yes they seem like they love each other now, my boys were like that. Then Asriel’s hormones kicked in and they had a little fight, and Asriel has been nippy since. Once they reach sexual maturity they could start getting territorial and lunge, which is not good. Keep them separated until that 2 month mark of being fixed.

[Author]

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