Bonding pair

[CatWL]

Hi, our 8 month old doe has just been spayed (what an anxious week... recovery was not great and she also had to have a hernia operation). She’s doing much better now. She is our first bunny so I am using the web and vet advice quite a lot as I navigate my way through bunny care.
We are getting an 8/10 week old buck soon and I will do slow bonding, however their pens will be in different rooms for a while and just do scent swapping, then I am planning to move him in his pen next to my doe’s pen. My question is, does he need to be neutured before they can fully bond and have some interaction? I know that her hormones will need to have regulated anyway. Does this take around 6 weeks post op? Any tips welcome. Thank you x

 

[bunny34422]

I would get him neutered too if you can. From what I've seen, bonding isn't always an easy process but it's generally harder to bond intact rabbits. It's likely you'll find hormonal behavior like spraying or lots of humping that may annoy the girl. I was in a bonding group awhile back and someone tried bonding their buck with a spayed doe, and there was a lot of aggression and she bit him down there. So it can be risky with raging hormones

 

[Blue eyes]

If you'd like a bondmate for your girl, the risky way to find one is to get a young, intact male. You'd be much better off having her meet some already fixed males to screen for potential compatibility.

With a young, intact rabbit, there is zero benefit to swapping items, areas, or trying any type of "pre-bonding." It just won't make a bit of difference. When a rabbit returns from the vet, they will smell like a stranger rabbit to the one that stayed home. Then after the 8 week period of allowing the male's hormones to fully dissipate, only then can any bonding attempts begin. If they don't have compatible personalities, then you're stuck with separate buns.

Better is to pre-screen for potential compatibility with other neutered males. Any rescues will allow this and it seems that many in the UK will also do the bonding for you. The advantage of this route with an already fixed male is that if one male refuses to bond with your girl, then a different male can be attempted. Just let the rescue know when you first contact them that you have a spayed female that you'd like to bond.

One of my gal's, she rejected 2 different males before finally agreeing to get along with a 3rd.