Adopting 2 bunnies- need advice!

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WillowAndBlossom

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Hello! I'm new here! :) I will be adopting 2 baby bunnies (8 weeks old) next week! They are from different litters and have never met. Both of the current owners said it should not be a problem since they are still babies. They are both female and I do plan to get them fixed when they are old enough.

I am wondering if it is really ok to put them in the same cage right away (it is a 2 level hutch attached to a pen that takes up the whole room o_O)?

I want them to have a friend and not be frightened... but Im worried if they will like each other? I know when they get older they may fight- but what about babies?

Thank you!!!
 
They should be fine together if they aren't try putting them in a cage next to each other so they can see and get use to one another
 
I would strongly advise against getting 2 babies. This is not how to bond rabbits. Sure, rabbits get along when they are babies (almost always), but that can all change -- and can change drastically -- with the onset of hormones.

The problem with getting 2 babies is that you have no way to know if they will ultimately bond. If they don't, then what? Are you ok with keeping two bunnies housed separately, exercised separately, fed separately, for the next 10 years?

With babies you have two options. One is to house them together until they start to get hormonal and then separate them until they are old enough to be spayed. The potential problem with this is you have no way to know when those hormones may suddenly kick in. If it happens when no one is there to notice, they could get into a serious fight. The fight could cause injury (or worse) or it could be bad enough to prevent a future bond.

The other option is to keep them separate from the start until they are both spayed.

After they are both spayed and have had time to heal, that is when the bonding process can truly and finally begin. However, there are no guarantees. It is completely up to the individual rabbits as to whether or not they will get along. They may do fine. They may be very difficult to bond. Or they may refuse to bond.

This is the risk you take by getting 2 babies.

On a separate note, have you called vets to ascertain the cost of these spays? Some areas are outrageously expensive -- wanted to be sure you are ok with the cost as well.

If you really want a baby rabbit to start (which isn't recommended for a first-time rabbit owner) then it is better to start with just one. Then you can wait until she is spayed and healed. Then you can introduce her to other already-fixed rabbits to pre-screen for potential compatibility. Rabbit rescues do this routinely. It is a way to ensure you wind up with a compatible bond. If one rabbit refuses to bond with yours, you can exchange for another.

The easiest (and most recommended) way to get a pair of bonded rabbits is to get an already fixed and already bonded pair from a rabbit rescue. This saves you the high cost of spays. It allows you to see the personality of the rabbits (which isn't visible or mold-able with babies). It prevents you from dealing with the stress of spaying. It allows you to avoid the hormonal stage with its potential grumpiness, mushy poo, lunging, biting,etc. And it gives you a jump start on litter training (if it is even needed) since fixed, older rabbits train more easily.
 
What Blue eyes said.

Chances are the babies will get along just fine for now(they almost always do) and for the next 4-8 weeks til the hormones come in, when you will likely need to separate them til their spays. And there's always a chance they could end up bonding just fine after their spays, but it's a decision to go into knowing all the potential issues you can have. We see all those problems that were mentioned above, on this forum. People come on here asking for help sorting these issues out all the time, and sometimes there's just not a lot that can be done. Rabbits have their own personalities and not all get along with each other as adults. If you want to take the risk getting the babies it's up to you, but do it knowing that things may or may not work out the way you hope.

Already adult, litter trained, fixed, and bonded buns is the way to go. You have no idea how much stress you'd be saving yourself, and you'll get a better sense of their personalities than you do with babies, and if those personalities are ones that are going to be a good fit for you.
 
Thank you for your replies!!! I really do appreciate the knowledge and advice! I kind of already committed to taking them :oops:, so I guess what I need to do is give them the best possible chance to bond. What would you recommend? Should I keep them in 2 separate cages (I have a huge NIC playpen that can easily be made into 2 cages side by side) until they are spayed? Or should I keep them together and just get them spayed ASAP? I want to give them the best possible chance!!!
 
With this new information you now discovered, if it were me, I would be more inclined to back out of that commitment (with explanation if necessary). I understand not wanting to go back after giving someone the idea that you were going to buy the rabbits, but you could consider backing out of one of those commitments (if not both). Just tell them you really feel it would be best to stick with just one rabbit for now. The inconvenience to them of having to find another buyer pales in comparison to you taking on such a huge challenge as it may turn out to be. It is OK to change your mind! Don't let your previous conversations with the two different owners make you feel pressured into committing to something that you'll regret. Permit yourself to adjust your plans.

At least if you narrow it down to just one, you get the chance to learn about rabbits with the one rabbit first. Then you will be able to let that bunny choose his/her bondmate when the right time comes as explained in the above posts. This option isn't as great as starting out with an already bonded and fixed pair but it is still a far better option than getting 2 babies to start.
 
Thank you again for your reply!! I have been doing some reading and along with your post and many other posts Ive read about bonding issues, I know that only getting one is the best plan. After she is older and fixed, I will see if the humane leage will work with me to find her a friend she gets along with!! The last thing I want is 2 fighting bunnies that could hurt eachother :(. I do want her to have a friend eventually- but it seems much smarter to wait! I am definitely already in love with her and just want to give her the best life possible :) <3
 

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