HoppeBunnies
New Member
I hope I am putting this in the right place.
I have two rabbits, litter mates who have both just hit the 4 month old mark. When we got them, we were told by the breeder (they are mixed, from a backyard breeder, we weren't looking for a breeder, just happened to come across them as we were looking), that they were both males. At the time they were only 8 weeks old, and she'd been breeding for 14yrs, so took her word for it. Although I've grown up with rabbits, I can never figure it out for myself. After waiting a few days for them to adjust to their new home, we took them to the vet, to become established and get a first check, just to make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Two vets and a vet tech later, we were all convinced they were certainly both girls. (There goes the boy names we picked out).
Flash forward to one week ago from today, and my buns are now circling each other. From what I'd researched online, could be a simple showing of 'I love you', but that it was mostly a male thing. So we flip them over and check their 'parts' to double check, and we're still convinced they're girls. The following day as they are hoping around the house during their free time, one began humping the other! I assumed it was nothing but them coming to maturity and trying to establish dominance with each other, since I know females can do that as well.
Flash forward to today, and as we are sitting down to eat dinner, there comes a flurry of ruckus from the cage. When we dashed over, both buns ran to separate corners. Turns out they had been in a fight, one bun got quite a nasty gash in her ear. As we cleaned the wound and rubbed a little Neosporin on it, I asked my hub to hold her flipped so I could check, once more, that they are both girls. Sure enough, there are the formings of two testicles. In a panic, we grabbed up the other one, and once again, two testicles. (Back to the original names, I guess)
We are happy they both seem to at least be the same sex, and they will be going back to the vet tomorrow, especially for that ear. But we're kind of at a loss as to what to expect for the two of them as far as staying together. Our vet will not neuter them until they are 6 months of age, so we have 2-3 months to go, depending on how the surgery goes with healing time. They are littermates, have never spent any time apart, their cage is big enough for them (although we will be upgrading to a bigger size anyway because....well, because they're the baby buns, they get spoiled! I'm sure y'all understand..=p), and they will be getting neutered.
I guess my question is, from all y'alls experience, what do you think the chances of them being kept together are? Should we keep them separated until the surgery? I'm terrified that will be far too long and they will grow apart and won't be able to bond again. I'm at a loss because our vet told us that they would be fine up until the neuter, even when I asked "but they will begin to get sexual charged before that, won't they be hormone raged bunbuns?", to which she assured me they should be fine. This is the first I've ever seen them fight. Just before bed last night they were laying ontop of each other, grooming each other. The bite my one bun sustained tonight is too severe for us to risk letting them back together. The only thing I can think is to keep them in separate cages, but backed up against each other so they can still nose, and let them have free time together, when we will be on the floor with them to immediately intervene should they get frisky.
Help? Thanks y'all
I have two rabbits, litter mates who have both just hit the 4 month old mark. When we got them, we were told by the breeder (they are mixed, from a backyard breeder, we weren't looking for a breeder, just happened to come across them as we were looking), that they were both males. At the time they were only 8 weeks old, and she'd been breeding for 14yrs, so took her word for it. Although I've grown up with rabbits, I can never figure it out for myself. After waiting a few days for them to adjust to their new home, we took them to the vet, to become established and get a first check, just to make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Two vets and a vet tech later, we were all convinced they were certainly both girls. (There goes the boy names we picked out).
Flash forward to one week ago from today, and my buns are now circling each other. From what I'd researched online, could be a simple showing of 'I love you', but that it was mostly a male thing. So we flip them over and check their 'parts' to double check, and we're still convinced they're girls. The following day as they are hoping around the house during their free time, one began humping the other! I assumed it was nothing but them coming to maturity and trying to establish dominance with each other, since I know females can do that as well.
Flash forward to today, and as we are sitting down to eat dinner, there comes a flurry of ruckus from the cage. When we dashed over, both buns ran to separate corners. Turns out they had been in a fight, one bun got quite a nasty gash in her ear. As we cleaned the wound and rubbed a little Neosporin on it, I asked my hub to hold her flipped so I could check, once more, that they are both girls. Sure enough, there are the formings of two testicles. In a panic, we grabbed up the other one, and once again, two testicles. (Back to the original names, I guess)
We are happy they both seem to at least be the same sex, and they will be going back to the vet tomorrow, especially for that ear. But we're kind of at a loss as to what to expect for the two of them as far as staying together. Our vet will not neuter them until they are 6 months of age, so we have 2-3 months to go, depending on how the surgery goes with healing time. They are littermates, have never spent any time apart, their cage is big enough for them (although we will be upgrading to a bigger size anyway because....well, because they're the baby buns, they get spoiled! I'm sure y'all understand..=p), and they will be getting neutered.
I guess my question is, from all y'alls experience, what do you think the chances of them being kept together are? Should we keep them separated until the surgery? I'm terrified that will be far too long and they will grow apart and won't be able to bond again. I'm at a loss because our vet told us that they would be fine up until the neuter, even when I asked "but they will begin to get sexual charged before that, won't they be hormone raged bunbuns?", to which she assured me they should be fine. This is the first I've ever seen them fight. Just before bed last night they were laying ontop of each other, grooming each other. The bite my one bun sustained tonight is too severe for us to risk letting them back together. The only thing I can think is to keep them in separate cages, but backed up against each other so they can still nose, and let them have free time together, when we will be on the floor with them to immediately intervene should they get frisky.
Help? Thanks y'all