Rebonding after Spay/Neuter

[BugsnHoney]

Hi all! I apologize if this has come up before. I did a quick search and couldn’t find my exact issue so hoping for some direct advice. I am a brand new bunny Mom. I recently rescued two buns from living in a milk crate and being passed around from person to person. Turns out they were an unfixed pair male/female so I kept them separated. I was a little bit in over my head not knowing anything about bunny care but I caught up pretty quickly when my boy went through a bout of GI stasis that lasted about a week. I’ve had them for about a month now and they just recently both went in to get fixed at the same time 2 days ago. I’m assuming they came bonded as before I knew they were male/female I had them together for a week with no fighting and lots of grooming and cuddles. Also they had been together for who knows how long before that. Not aware of their history over one week before I adopted.

My question is, will I need to rebound them? My female has gotten very aggressive where before she was very passive about the male being in or around her, just ran away when he mounted but no fighting or biting. Today though while switching out their cages for cleaning I had them
I’m the same x pen for a second and she charged him with no provocation. Lots of grunting and snaps at him while I held them apart. Then when I went to remove her from the carrier I placed her in just after the fighting she lunged at me and attacked my hands. Luckily I was wearing gloves. I know it’s soon after the spay and didn’t mean for them to have any significant contact with each other this soon, but my set up isn’t ideal for keeping twp rabbits separate and they do just fine with a cage door in between them and had been fine switching them from cage to x pen in the weeks leading up to the surgery. I have my girl on pain medication as well after the surgery and she is moving fine and all. I’m not sure what started this aggression. Any help or insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Deleted User]

Baby bunnies aren’t already bonded. They can be friends, but at the onset of hormones they can turn violent. They need to be kept separated for 1-2 months after their operations to allow for hormones to die and do prebonding. During this prebonding, switch their items between the cages along with the buns between the cages. Males can still produce sperm for a month after they have been neutered, so it is really imperative to keep them separated at all costs, including playtime. After spays and neuters bunnies can go through a craze where their hormones dump and it can get worse before it gets better. After the 1-2 months are over, you can begin bonding in completely neutral territory, beginning with short sessions and increasing the time as they get along. Move at their pace. Also, due to the invasive nature of a spay, your girl should really have her exercise restricted for a week as not to open her incision site.

in 1-2 months when you begin bonding them, you should know it could takes weeks or months to actually bond them. It can be a long and it’s a very involved process. You should also have a plan in case they refuse to bond.

I hope this helps

[BugsnHoney]

Hi thanks for the reply! I should have put their ages in the original post, but they are definitely not babies. The vet placed them at a year at the very least. Most likely older. They are also not litter mates as they are definitely two different breed of rabbit. Based on my research the male is a Dutch or mix of Dutch and the female is a mini satin? (Unsure). I really would love to know their stories and how they ended up in the milk crate I found them in poor buns

Thanks for the bonding advice! I really do hope they take to each other again as I don’t really have a set up for two rabbits, I’m a University student and rent a room that currently has been taken over by these two. I didn’t realize that getting them fixed could cause such an issue between them initially. I’m sure once the bonding starts I’ll be back for lots of advice!

[Sirius&Luna]

It’s amazing that the female didn’t get pregnant if they were that age.

After spays and neuters, rabbits tend to have a hormone surge as their bodies get used to the new situation.

You should keep them separated for at least a month during this time as they’re extra volatile. Hopefully once the hormones have died down, you’ll have an easy bond, but if you let them fight during this time you might create grudges that make it harder to rebond them.

Keep swapping them between areas while they calm down, and in a month’s time we can help you with the start of bonding

[Deleted User]

I agree with S&L that it’s a miracle the female wasn’t already pregnant. It’s a good thing you saved them and they now have a loving home it’s such a shame someone would just dump them in a milk crate. Good luck with everything!

[BugsnHoney]

Yeah the vet and I were both very surprised that Honey wasn’t pregnant as far as she could tell. I didn’t opt for the x rays as I was going through with a spay either way. But the vet who spayed her said she wasn’t either so all was well! She really didn’t give Buggsie the chance either way and I separated them as soon as I saw the signs. We got lucky!

Thanks for the advice I’ll be sure to keep them further apart for at least a month. She started nipping at him between the bars because he was desperate to groom her. Poor guy. He gets so sad being away from her. I’m going to try some advice I’ve read on here and give him a little stuffed animal with her scent that he can take his hormones out on and do the same with her after she heals up a little more. Hopefully Honey takes Buggsie back or I fear I may have to re-home one of them I wouldn’t be able to decide!

[BugsnHoney]

I found some new information if any of you guys might be interested as to why my female wasn’t pregnant. The vet believes that my Dutch male could quite possibly be a wild rabbit mix due to his coloring and body type. He had something wrong with his ear that other vets have dismissed so I found another rabbit savvy vet for a second opinion. Anyhow, apparently a mix of wild and domestic rabbit would be sterile due to the missing chromosome in a domestic. Much like a mule from a donkey and horse. ? who would have known!

[Sirius&Luna]

Oh how interesting! That would make a lot of sense as to why she wasn’t pregnant!

Glad you found a good rabbit vet too

[Deleted User]

That’s really interesting. I swear bunny parents learn the strangest things, and we surprisingly become fascinated by them too ?
How are they doing?

[sarahthegemini]

That really is interesting

[BugsnHoney]

They are doing well A&B thanks for asking! My boy Buggsie is having a Pasturella issue in his deep ear but the vet said he should be fine with a course of Baytril. Luckily my girl and he have been separated so she doesn’t seem to be having any issues. For now back to syringe feeding my boy some meds. Though I am wondering if I should halt the pre bonding switches because of his infection possibly spreading to Honey?

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