Guess what everybody.................

THE TIME HAS COME -- I AM GETTING A BUNNY!!!!! (Well, two actually.)

So here's the story: I've been in contact with a very trustworthy breeder for a while now, and she just had a litter -- all of the little bunnies were sold, except for two male Lionheads. I know that Lionheads weren't my top choice of breed to get, but the breeder came to me and said these two brothers are inseparable, and when I go down there Tuesday, I am hoping to have a good bonding experience with both of them! The choices for these bunnies were to either be adopted by me or go to a bunny mill, and the breeder didn't want option 2 to happen. So she came to me personally and asked if I would take them, and I happily agreed to take them.

I just have three questions:
1) Since they're both males, when is the best time to get them neutered? Once we neuter them, can they live in the same pen together? They get along nicely now, but they're only 9 weeks old as of Tuesday, and I'm not sure how they'll act once they get fixed.
2) What should I do when I first bring the bunnies home? In other words, are there signs I should look for in terms of behavior and daily routines? Do you guys have any tips for a first-time bun owner?
3) Since I am getting the buns Tuesday, when should I schedule their first check-up with the vet?

I AM SO EXCITED TO GET THEM, I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THIS!!! :jumpforjoy::dancingorig:inkelepht:arty: inkbouce:inkbouce:inkbouce:

1. As soon as their balls drop. If you intend to keep them together and not have to separate them, getting them neutered sooner is MUCH better. A good confident vet will happily preform the procedure when the animals are ready (testicles have descended) which can easily occur between 2-3 months of age. If you wait until their 6 months and they have hit puberty all ready, you will most likely have had to separate them long before this point, and there is a much lower chance they will bond at all.
2. Leave them alone for a few days and just change water/food and clean up. Give them some time to settle in.
3. If that's what you wish to do, give it a few days (see point 2.) However I would find a vet willing to do their neuters sooner then 6 months and use them as your check up vet since they would be seeing them for the procedure.

UPDATE: the breeder contacted me earlier today, and unfortunately her daughter will be keeping one of the bunnies. Good news is that I'll still be getting the other one! In a way, I am relieved that I don't have to tackle on the responsibilities and stress (and money!) of taking care of two buns, especially being a first-time bun owner.

One further question: being only 9 weeks old, how often should I let it out to exercise (assuming my room has been rabbit-proofed)?

For the first couple of days, I would leave your bunny in his cage. It helps them to feel they're in a secure location, they get some peace and quiet and time to adjust to the new setting. If you notice your bunny is still terribly shy after a couple of days you can always give them a couple longer or let them out earlier if they seem very comfortable.

When you do let him out, start out with a relatively small area, and gradually increase the size each time you let him out to run around (x-pens help for this, it's useful to aid in litter training). Let him out for several hours on a daily basis.

If the room is bunny-proofed you can let him out all the time. Some people advise to set up a play pen or something at first until the rabbit goes to their litter box to do their business. Personally, none of my rabbits ever accepted to be restricted to one area (I caught the last one literally climbing up the pen after like two days) and being free all the time never was a problem. Just be careful with electrical cords and when you walk, as they have a tendency to follow you closely and sometimes, you don't see them coming (I drag my feet on the floor to avoid stepping on them, especially when I do something they deem interesting, such as cleaning or opening a cupboard)
If you take a single bunny, I suggest you look for a spayed she-bunny in a shelter about a month after you have your bunny neutered (at around 5 to 6 months old - I had my last one done around 4 months and a half because he was unbearable, spraying urine everywhere and being quite aggressive : the neutering was a real blessing). Generally a neutered male rabbit will gladly accept a female rabbit on his territory and bond with her quite easily. I always thought that keeping a single rabbit was pretty sad, especially if you're not at home all the time to entertain him. And looking at bunnies interacting between themselves is one of the nicest part of having rabbits (well, maybe that's just me XD).