Hello, new owner who is over his head

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Oct 12, 2011
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Location
West Haven, Connecticut, USA
Hi, my name is Billy and I am a new rabbit owner who is a tad over his head. Sorry for such a long post, I like to write and hope you read it and tell me what you think.

O.k. here is the situation. I bought my own house and am living alone, so I decided that I would buy a rabbit to keep me company. I've cared for rabbits in the past while living with my parents many years ago, so I didn't think I couldn't handle it. Saw this gorgeous two story rabbit hutch made of wood with metal grating and I couldn't resist. It's heavy duty enough to keep outside but I wanted to put it in my dining room, so I can always see my bunny. I was also determined to litter box train the rabbit, to avoid big messes I had to deal with cleaning up after rabbits from my past.
Well, I saw the pet store had this dwarf loop eared rabbit and I fell in love. I got to hold it and then noticed there was another bunny living in the cage with him, a dwarf albino breed. And he was going nuts looking for the other one I was holding, he seemed concerned. When I put the loop eared rabbit back, I could see the other rabbit kissing him and that they were friends. So I decided to get them both. They were already bonded and I liked the idea of having two rabbits living together to keep each other company, especially since I work very odd afternoon and evening hours. The two story rabbit hutch was plenty big for them and has nice shelves for the rabbits to lie on and a hideaway section. The only problem is the pet store had no idea what their sex was but I didn't think anything of it. Ignorance was bliss, at least for a little while. I thought I probably have two males and I named the albino one Wilbur and the loop eared one Harvey.

They took to the hutch really well and seemed extremely happy. The litter box training also went off without a hitch. I read a lot on how to do it, found out where they were going in the cage and put the litter box there with some of their soiled stuffing (I'm not using chips, I am using this stuffing that sort of reminds me a bit of pillow stuffing... and yes I got it from the pet store) and it was a success. I let them out for at least two hours a day to hop around my dining room, which is penned off and completely free of wires and other dangers. And they would jump into the air so I knew they were happy. And they love each other, would lick each other and lay right next to each other, it was great. They really took to the toys I got them, all homemade stuff like paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay. I would take layers of tissue paper and pin it under a chair and they would go nuts trying to rip it up. They also loved playing with a big paper bag, jumping in it and dug a hole out the other end. And a small box with both ends open, they love running through it. And then they run around the dining room at top speed, jump in the air, jump on and off a chair, they are happy bunnies!

There was only a few things they were doing that I wasn't the happiest about. One was trying real hard to get under the rabbit hutch when I let them out to hop. But I took some wood and fastened it all around the bottom of the hutch, problem solved. The other problem is that they liked to jump into the litter box and dig so that all the stuffing went flying. They would not stop until almost all the stuffing was pushed out of the litter box and I struggled with constantly having to put the stuffing back in. I ended up having to get them a bigger litter box with higher sides, that helped. I also started taking tissue paper and clamping it in between the two sections of the litter box so that they would try like crazy to rip it up, instead of digging in the stuffing. But of course once they ripped up the tissue paper, the stuffing is next to go. I'm open to suggestions because this is a problem I am still dealing with. The stuffing is there to soak up the pee, I don't want them pushing it all out of the litter box.

Originally I got them their own water bottle and food dish, but they only wanted to share one of each, so I eventually took away one water bottle and one food dish. Around that time, the really bad bunny behavior began. Mostly it came from Wilbur, he was being the dominant male. He was pushing Harvey out of the way when he was drinking water, as if to say, my water bottle. Then he would dig in the food and put his paws in it as if trying to prevent Harvey from eating. In fact I have seen him pull the food dish away from Harvey, basically he became a big bully. One of the problems was the food I got them, these pellets had some special carrot flavored pellets mixed in and he would go nuts digging in the dish to get all these special pieces and eat them before Harvey gets a chance. In fact many of Harvey's meals were eating the pellets off the hutch floor after Wilbur dug through the dish and sent food pellets flying everywhere.

Then came the excessive humping. Swear to God it was absolute bunny hump fest! And it was always Wilbur trying to hump Harvey. He would run away and Wilbur would chase him till he could pin him down and hump away. Sometimes it would be the wrong way and he would hump Harvey's face, which didn't make me the happiest. At first the humping was funny, but it fast got out of control. It was all Wilbur had on his mind, constantly humping Harvey. They did it in the cage, but especially when I let them out to run, they would chase each other. On a few occasions, I saw Harvey humping Wilbur, which relived me a little because I was starting to feel like Harvey was just going to be Wilbur's rape victim all day and all night. But it was rare, it was mostly Wilbur humping Harvey. All the while, I don't know what sex they are. I tried flipping them over and seeing if I could see anything, and one day I did on Wilbur, I got to see his pecker that was like a quarter piece of a toothpick. But on Harvey, I could find nothing.

Well the humping continued for months and then things went from bad to worse. I started making noises any time Wilbur was getting ready to mount Harvey, I was going to try and discourage it even though it was basically futile. I believe a little has to do with me becoming slightly jealous of my own rabbits humping like crazy while I have been single for over ten years, but that's another issue. Harvey was running away and I started to feel I had to protect him from Wilbur's bullying. I started noticing mounds of fur and thought that it was Wilbur pulling the fur out of Harvey because I've seen him bite her on the back of the neck when mounting. Of course when I started chasing Wilbur away when he wanted to hump, he became very unhappy with me. He started thumping and shaking a little around me. It probably didn't help that he bite me twice when holding him and I pushed his head down with my own and held it for a little to try and show him that I was the dominant male. And a few times he tried jumping out of my arms only for me to catch him in mid air and pull him back to me, I would only put them down gently, not allow them to fly out of my arms. Well, basically he knows who is in charge and isn't happy about it. I even tried to stop him from pushing Harvey out of the way when it came to food, sometimes grabbed him away so Harvey could eat in peace. Harvey, meanwhile was a perfect angel, except for the constant digging in the litter box.

Then I started noticing that Harvey was doing things that a pregnant female would do. She ripped up a ton of newspaper and made a nest out of the hideaway area, complete with her own fur, ripped up tissue paper and hay. Yes, I finally saw her pulling her own fur out, it really concerned me at first till I did some research. Of course like an idiot I cleaned up the fur, only for her to pull more fur out, so I now I just leave the nest alone. Then she became super moody and started growling. One day I heard loud growling coming from the cage and it was because Wilbur was trying to hump Harvey and she was growling at him. I said enough is enough and have permanently separated them. The two story rabbit hutch has a trap door in between the two floors, so I closed it. I kept Harvey on the top floor which is where the hideaway section is that she turned into a nest box. And Wilbur has to stay on the bottom floor. I took back out their own water bottles and food dish, which at first I thought one of the bunnies was going to protest because when I had them both out, they only used one. But I am happy to say they are still eating and drinking.
They are very unhappy being divided and cannot see each other because they are on different floors. Keeping them separated has also become extremely stressful on me because I could not let them run free together. Wilbur would try to hump Harvey and she would growl and hop away. So now I let them out at separate times to hop around, but as soon as I let one out the other becomes extremely jealous. Especially Harvey who is on the second floor. When she sees I let out Wilbur, she digs at the cage bars wanting to come out. Then when I put him back and let her out, she goes up to the cage and bites at the bars, she wants to let Wilbur out to play! But of course when I do and they are together, he tries to hump her and she growls and runs away.

You may have noticed in this story I have started calling Harvey a she, well she is a female. I needed advice so I took them to the vet. I had put it off for over three months since I got them, I'm a first time homeowner and just don't have a lot of money. The vet told me that Wilbur was a male, which I already knew, and Harvey is a pregnant female. So I have a pregnant female rabbit on my hands, great. The vet suggested that I get them fixed but being a first time homeowner who is basically starting over money-wise, I don't have the $420 a piece to get them fixed. Heck I won't even be taking them back to the vet at $73 each just to look at them! These are all things I did not consider when buying these rabbits. I have just enough to feed them well, plenty of hay and pellets, even some treats, fruits and veggies... and keep their cage and litter boxes clean. When it comes time to cutting their nails, I will be doing it myself.

So, it's been over three weeks of keeping them divided and it isn't easy but I am managing. I want to have the babies and I pray to God that they survive because I don't like the thought of dealing with dead baby bunnies, especially if it was the mom who killed them. Now that I know Harvey is pregnant, I am trying to not upset her too much, but that isn't easy. I had to get a second litter box for Harvey on the second floor because she was ripping up all the newspaper and stuffing and really ruining the wood in that hutch. Meanwhile, Wilbur is so angry he can't see Harvey, he is eating the wood ramp between the floors and he doesn't realize he will be out of luck if he eats completely through it! I have given them both things to chew, but they rather eat the wooden hutch. They love timothy hay and keep it coming. I used to have a wire hay basket attached to the cage but had to get rid of it because Wilbur kept ripping it down. I'm trying to loosen him up but he is just not as happy as he was when together with Harvey. And Harvey I try now not to even reach in her cage because she growls at me and ferociously attacked me the other day with her claws and mouth wide open , I never saw her so p*ssed off! It was because I was trying to put the stuffing back into her litter box after she dug and pushed it out.

So here is where I am at. I want to have the babies and hope they survive. I don't want to have a huge bunny family, especially considering I don't have funds for vets and getting them fixed. I'm keeping them divided but ideally I want to get back to where I can have two bunnies that can get along and completely co-exist without any problems unsupervised. I want to keep Harvey and am debating doing away with Wilbur.

O.k. so I may not go through with it, Wilbur has got me to laugh, especially when he binkies and soars through the air. So I am sure he is safe, but I can't have a male and a female when I have no intention of getting them fixed, nor do I want to have litter after litter of baby rabbits. After this pregnancy passes and Harvey has her kits, I'm good as far as ever wanting them to breed again. I didn't buy them to breed them, I just didn't know better or fully understand the situation that I was getting myself into. I would be happy to keep a female kit and have her live with the mother, but you can't tell their sex right away. I do know that the vet told me I have to divide the babies sometime between 3 and 6 weeks, or I can have more pregnancies and this can get out of hand really fast. I don't want to fill my dining room with different cages for each rabbit!

I'm going to have to find people who want rabbits, I don't want to sell them or give them to the pet store. I'm definitely not going to just open my front door and say see you later, I'll have stew before ever doing that. Heck I wish I could have a small bunny family and they would all co-exist and not multiply, but I know that is not the case. I wish I had the money to get them fixed but I don't, the mortgage comes first and right now I don't even have money to splurge on myself.

Any advice would be appreciated it, I am way over my head here. And wish me luck that Harvey has healthy babies and they survive. What would you do if you were in my situation?

Here is a picture of them, I will take better ones. Harvey, the female, is the loop eared rabbit.

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Thanks for reading my post.

--- Billy
 
I appreciate you like to write, but the small font is the icing on the very long-winded cake, can I get a cliffnotes?
 
Wow, what a story. 450$ to get them fixed? EACH? That's insane! What do the other vets charge? Are there other vets in your area that know rabbits? I wish all the luck to the mom and babies. Try to save up enough to get ONE of them fixed. I vote Mr. Hornbun. Good luck.
 

Have you thought about just keeping both rabbits? Many people here on this.forum have un-bonded un- fixed rabbits that are kept seperatley, its more bunny love right? Also if you sold the babies for only like 20$ each then that's closer to being able to fix them right, and since there cages are seperate you can wait how ever long till toy can get them fixed and rebond them, and meanwhile they'll bond with you, hope I helped :)
 
Have you tried contacting humane societies to see if they do at least rabbit neuters? I know in my area there is a humane society that neuters for $50 and the local vet hospital does spays for $96... $450 seems a bit high, like someone's trying to fill their wallet. A rabbit neuter is not a whole lot different than a male cat neuter, other than anesthesia, but that is not a $400 difference.

I had male bunnies that I had neutered and unspayed females (since where I used to live they charged too much or wouldn't do it).. I'd let them all out in a large spare bedroom to play and keep a constant eye on them. Thankfully they were well behaved.

I don't know about separating them by sex at 3 weeks since they are still nursing then and not fully weaned. Most breeders separate them around 6-8 weeks. Hopefully everything works out fine. Maybe you could try advertising now to find people interested in baby bunnies BEFORE they're born? It's what I used to do when I rescued gerbils and had pregnant ones...

Also, the rescue section of the forum, you could post that you need help finding homes for the babies and see if anyone is in your area that could take in a bunny or knows of people interested?

Good luck!
 
Oh boy. Definitely in over your head.

What brand of food are you feeding? Anything that has "special" pellets or flavored pieces/dried fruits/seeds, it is not the type of feed you should be giving your bunny.

I'm REALLY wondering what vet your brought them to. A. The fact that they want over $400 seems pretty high to me and B. The fact that they told you to seperate them at 3-6 weeks. I've never heard a proper rabbit vet give such a number as the babies will die if seperated any earlier then 6 weeks, and 8 weeks is the recommended time.

Honestly, I would find the babies suitable homes and probably your two originals if you don't think the situation will work out. Again, no offense, but it sounds like a bad situation all around.

Bunnies are not for everyone, unfortunatly. Maybe a dog, cat, hamster, etc. would be better? Then again, you have to factor in vet bills and such. You have to think seriously. Can you afford a pet?

It all comes down to personal choices but I think the best thing here would maybe be to keep just the doe since she seems to be the one you are most attached to.
 
I edited some of the posts in this thread and want to remind everyone to adhere to our Forum Decorum in the future.

Welcome to RO!
It certainly does sound like you're in over your head, but I'm glad you've recognized it and come looking for help.

Be sure to read up on what to expect with your first litter in our library and rabbitry sections. I've never had a pregnant rabbit myself, but you should probably provide her with a nestbox (even a shoebox can work) to have her nest and kits in.

Alot of the behaviors you're seeing do sound like hormonal issues that may well be solved by a spay or neuter. $450 is quite a steep price quote. We have a list of rabbit savvy vets and you might call around and ask for price quotes from other vets in your area or try calling a rescue and see who they use or if they can get you a discount.
 
First, that is very high for a neuter. Females cost about double what it costs to do a male. Do some more checking around especially with any rabbit oriented organizations. We put the litter boxes inside of a cardboard box and cut a small entrance at one side--gives privacy and contains the litter quite well.
 
I just want to be of help, so here are some vets I've found in the CT area (hopefully close to you)... Maybe you can call them and price-check their spays/neuters.

This is just one of many vets, but they seemed to be closest to you with a good review from someone who has bunnies.

Veterinary Associates
222 Main Street, East Haven, CT 06512,
203-469-6531

Here is a rescue, "3 Bunnies", and they may be able to help if you call or email them. They could probably tell you where the best place to get a spay/neuter is done, and/or help you out with the babies. They may even have a foster-home who could help if the babies really are overwhelming or you just need advice or someone to help sex the babies.

East Hartford, CT 06138-0605, USA
Email [email protected]
Phone (413)427-7345

And they also have a listing for CT vets, there are a lot, so here is the link:

http://3bunnies.org/vets.htm#ct

I really hope that helps some. Might have to do some calling around, but it'd be worth it to make sure your bunnies don't have another accidental litter. Best of luck!
 
Wow! That is quite a tale. Just glad you found RO and are doing your research! Harvey and Wilbur are adorable!:)

Here's a thought: But if you ask a rehoming fee for each of the babies you could put that towards at least neuteringWilbur. We encourage people to spay females too, but if you can't afford it right now, at least you could get him done and then they could have run times together again. He'd just have to put up with HERbeing the horny onefor a change. ;)

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
Oh my! We have all found ourselves in a spot where we weren't sure what to do or how we exactly got there! You are in luck though, because folks here are some of the nicest most knowledgeable folks around. I am sorry that your foray into rabbit slavery has resulted in such chaos. I definitely sympathize, and hope that you take some of the suggestions for cheaper vets and rehoming fees to heart. Also, please use the threads in the rabbitry for safely caring for babies, it helps to lessen the stress when you don't feel so alone. Just a tip, keep standard font, and be brief to start. Members will request more details when needed. Welcome, and keep us in mind when you get overwhelmed :)
P.S. your bunnies are adorable!
 
Thanks everyone for writing! Wow I am surprised how many of you are saying that the vet is overcharging to fix them, I would not have known unless I came here! I thought that was the norm, the vet told me that it's difficult because rabbit's tuck their genitals into their abdomen and they have to open them up. And yes the vet told me I would have to separate the babies at 3 weeks, thank God I came here! I wasn't too happy with the vet in the first place, they kind of tricked me into taking my bunnies to them. They told me that because I was a first time client that I would get a free checkup. But when I got there, after the checkup, they told me that it is free for only one rabbit and the other was going to cost $73. And all she did was weigh them and check their sex, check if the female was pregnant. I'm definitely not taking them back there! I called one other vet near me before them and they didn't take rabbits. I will definitely call around and contact that vet in East Haven, thank you. And I will definitely call the humane society, I would be more than happy to pay $50-$100 each to have them fixed.

And thank you all for the great advice, I will not separate the babies when they come till at least 8 weeks. I will keep you all informed. I wish I knew when they were coming. I read that the babies come at night, but there could be an issue. I'm not on a normal schedule, so their schedule is a bit off. I work from the afternoon till midnight. When I get home after midnight, that is when I typically let them out of the cage to hop around (except for the weekends, I let them hop more because I have weekends off). And they are used to this, I can tell that when they see me come home from work they really want to get out and hop around. Then around 3 or 4 in the morning, I feed them and it encourages them to hop back into their cage and I say good night. I feed them again in the afternoon before I got to work. Do you think this schedule is going to affect when the babies come? I figure they are most likely going to come either when I'm at work or while I'm sleeping, which is usually between 5 a.m. and 12 noon. I know, weird schedule, but it is my life!

Lately I have been covering up the female's section of the cage with a blanket to keep things dark and keep her comfortable... should I be doing this and does it matter?

I really don't like the idea of keeping them separate, it is very stressful on me. I can see that they love each other and really want to be together. And me, I want them to be able to let them hop together without me worrying about them fighting or excessively humping. I can feel their stress of not being together and the jealousy when I let one out and not the other. I still take turns on who gets to come out and hop, they both get equal time, but it doesn't stop them from biting the cage and wanting to be out when the other is out... or in the case of the female, biting the cage to try and let the male out. I almost feel like I am being evil keeping these two love birds apart. Of course right now it is indefinite, I don't want the babies to get killed when they come and want the mama to take care of them. And I don't want to upset Harvey who is now growling at Wilbur. But having to give each rabbit separate time is a chore. It was much easier to just open the cage and let them hop and run around at will, watching them have fun while I concentrated on other things / other chores.

Another reason why I hate keeping them separated is the hutch I have for them really isn't meant to house one rabbit on the second floor and one on the lower floor comfortably and I feel I've really turned their world upside down. I had gotten them used to using the litter box on the first floor of the cage, they were really good about it. Even when I let them out to hop, they would hop back in the cage to go to the litter box. The second floor was their hang out area where they would lay together for hours. But now because I have the female on the second floor, I had to get her a litter box for that floor. Originally I tried just putting newspaper down and the stuffing on top, but she is absolutely adamant about ripping up the newspaper. She started ruining the upper floor of the hutch, I really had to scrub it down last time I cleaned, she pees much more than the male. I even had to wedge this alfalfa tunnel I bought them that they used to chew on, but now it is wedged against the litter box to keep the female from moving it and getting behind the litter box.

But because the second floor has a hideaway section built into one side, I'm a little worried she doesn't have enough room. In the hideaway section, I put newspaper down and the stuffing on top, she ripped it all up and made a nest. So, I'm using this hideaway box as the actual nest instead of a shoe box or anything like that. And she has decorated it, even with her own fur. I really want to clean it, but I don't want to upset her and I don't know when the babies are coming. I'm a little reluctant to make her start over building the nest when she could be ready to pop. But, because I put a lot of newspaper in the cage to try and soak up all the excess peeing (I even have it under the litter box), she ripped up so much off it that the nest is HUGE! I'm a little worried that the babies are going to get buried in it and die. Here are some pictures.

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The pellets I am giving them were the Kaytee brand that had these special flavored pieces in it, but mostly pellets. It was the only juvenile food the pet store had. But this past week I have switched them to Wild Harvest brand pellets, mainly because I can get it at Walmart instead of going to the pet store which is more expensive. But this food actually has more junk in it, flavored pieces, nuts and seeds. Harvey, the female eats everything. The male starts eating the flavored pieces first, but eventually eats the pellets. I was surprised that he left most of the seeds and nuts, eating everything else. I guess I am just going to get them regular pellets but I didn't know when would be a good time to switch them from juvenile food to adult. I keep them supplied with lots of timothy hay which they love. The female eats much more than the male, I somewhat think it is because he is depressed. They love these hard blocks of alfalfa, but now I got them the hard blocks of timothy, I was told to wean them off of alfalfa. I did get them other treats, these hard carrot flavored sticks, but I am weaning them off that as well. I started giving them fresh fruit and vegetables, but the male does not seem to want them. The female however, loves apples and carrots. Is it o.k. to give her an apple a day, or do you think it is too much? She is still eating hay and pellets.

I'm a little concerned with the male Wilbur, he has what feels like a scab on the top of his head. I can't pick it off and it looks like a sliver, but it isn't. I think he might have hurt himself headbutting the trap door to try to get on the second floor with the female. It's a bit of a mystery but he is either doing that or scratching his head because when I came home tonight, the fur on his head looked ruffled.

I understand pets and especially rabbits are not for everyone. I have no problem with my story being a cautionary tale of what not to do when buying a pet bunny. From having them in the past, I didn't think there was going to be anything I couldn't handle and I didn't even consider having to take them to the vet. It was a spur of the moment decision, I don't regret it, but I wish I thought a little more (although I probably would have gotten them anyways... it's not easy to change my mind on something when my heart is behind it). Personally, I still feel I can handle it and really don't want to get rid of them, I am no quitter. The situation I got myself into, I got myself into... no backing down now... always moving forward. I didn't get a dog because I don't have a fenced in back yard and I am not a big fan of cats. Thank God you are all telling me it should be considerably cheaper to get them fixed because I believed that vet unknowingly. I will now call around and find the right vet to get them fixed. The best case scenario would be to get them fixed and keep them together. I have a few people interested in the babies, but not many. I have a bad feeling I am going to fall in love and want to keep some of the babies, I'll have to worry about that later. Right now I just hope they survive and the mama takes care of them.


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Hi, welcome to RO. Your bunnies are adorable.

Sorry to hear your going through so much with the bunnies.

I'm curious exactly what do you have in that cage on Harvey's level? Is that plastic you have in their? If it is take that out. It looks like way to much stuff/garbage. The poor rabbit probably cant move in that area.

Also the food is very bad that you are feeding them, it shouldm't have any of those coloured bits in it. When I first got my bunny many years ago I was sold the same kind of stuff from a pet store. Of couse the bunnies will be a little upset at first but it's much heathier for them. When you do switch pellets do it gradually.

Looking forward to more stories and pictures of your two little munchkins.

Susan:)


 
I don't think you are going to be able to avoid the petstore more expensive pellets. Walmart just does not sell proper food. They should be eating only pellets and a small amount at that. They need hay and greens also. Especially a mommy to be! It seems like you really care about your fluffy baby's but I think you need to do more reading up on their care and needs. This forum is an excellent source. Please take time to read all the different areas available on this forum. I think you will find answers to any question you might have on the care of rabbits. I I agree with the general consensus... Your baby's are adorable :)
 
Erin I know that the green thing is the litter box, I've had rabbits for 13 years so i've had many types of litter boxes.

If that's a nest it's the messiest one I've ever seen. The poor babies will get lost in it.

Good Luck once the babies come.

Susan
 
Hi there! Welcome to RO!

Just thought I'd put in my 2 cnts. First of all, I think it's great that you even recognize you have a problem on your hands. Some people don't and they wind up hoarding their poor animals without even caring about their quality of life. So sad.

Many people I'm sure have found themselves in the same/similar circumstances as you, so you are not alone. What you do from here will determine what kind of pet owner you are.

Some people will say that if you cannot afford vet care for an animal, you have no business owning it. Many people see all animals as equal beings whether they are dogs, cats, rabbits, or even hamsters. And many people see dogs and cats as vet-worthy, but nothing else is. It is up for you to decide. I pesonally take my two dogs in for regular checkups, shots, and emergencies. My rabbit sees the vet only for emergencies, and is neutered. My rats will only see a vet if they are suffering and their suffering needs to end. Only you can decide what is right for you and your animals. However, if something does happen to one of your rabbits in the future (which is likely to happen one day) and you cannot afford their care, I urge you to consider either turning them over to a rescue for care or having them put to sleep. No animal deserves to suffer, and this is something you should emotionally prepare yourself for.

Now, about that neutering! You are aware that you definately need to get at least one of your rabbits fixed if you want to have them together, and I would agree that the male is the wisest choice. He will require about 6 weeks to heal and have his hormones relax, and to make sure he doesn't have any more viable sperm. I strongly recommend you spay your female eventually as well, because unspayed females are at a high risk of developing reproductive cancers. Because she's had a litter, she won't be at as high of a risk, but it is still a strong possibility. If you humane society/local rescues don't have a deal to offer, sit down on afternoon and call around for every vet in you area to get quotes. Here is a list of questions to interview your vet with, to make sure they are truely rabbit-savvy:

http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

I think that you will find it fairly easy to re-bond your bunnies because they have already met and gotten along. I urge you to do as much research on bonding as possible before letting your rabbits live together again. Here is one very helpful link:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html

Your male rabbit was obviously dominent. If your female had been just as dominent, it is likely that one of them would have sustained serious injuries from you housing them together. Please re-bond them at a slow pace to ensure this doesn't happen. Learn as much as you can about bunny body language and the body language of bonding sessions. Humping = "I'm boss and you belong to me". Humping backwards is dangerous and should be discouraged as the bunny on top may get it's genitals bitten off. It is important that you learn this so you know which behavior will lead to a fight and which behavior is going to bring them closer together.

As for keeping any of the baby bunnies, it is your choice and you should make it very carefully. Just because rabbits are family, does not mean they will get along, or that they won't breed. As you have already learned, rabbits change as soon as they hit sexual maturity (10 weeks or so) and suddenly your cute little bunnies are tearing each other apart. And if you think you can just get all of your males fixed and they'll be fine, think again. Two unspayed females can be even more aggressive with each other than two unneutered males. And it's possible that some rabbits can never bond and you'll be stuck with two set-ups forever. So, do I think you should keep the babies? No. I think you need to focus on getting Harvey and Wilber back together before you commit to another bun. I work in a pet store and see little baby bunnies come in all the time, and I ALWAYS see one that I want to take home. But, I resist, because I know that I couldn't fairly have more than my one bunny right now. So, when deciding what to do with the babies, please keep in mind that it will be more expensive, and you may need to house them seperately, which I gather from your posts is not something you want.

I hope all goes well, and keep us posted!
 
SOOOSKA wrote:
Erin I know that the green thing is the litter box, I've had rabbits for 13 years so i've had many types of litter boxes.

If that's a nest it's the messiest one I've ever seen.  The poor babies will get lost in it.

Good Luck once the babies come.

Susan


I didn't mean to offend you, Susan. I thought when you asked if that was plastic, you were talking about the litter box. I certainly wasn't trying to insult your intelligence.

If you had read the poster's full post, you would know that he was asking if the nest was too big or not, because he was concerned about the babies as well. I suppose it's a good thing you answered his question.
 
Woah! That's quite the nest she's built there! I'm not a breeder, but you may want to take some of the stuff out of there. The newspaper and paper towel roll, for instance. Just leave the soft bedding and all of her fur.

For pellets, good brands include: Kaytee Complete, Zupreem, Manna Pro, Purina, etc. You don't want to feed them anything with coloured bits. That leads to picky eaters and overweight bunnies. Eventually, you're going toneed toswitch them to a timothy-based pellet, but for now I don't think it will hurt to keep them on alfalfa. Especially the momma-to-be. She's going to need to be allowed to eat as much as she wants until the babies are weaned. Also, I think an apple a day may be too much, butan apple slice a day would be just fine. ;)

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
Oh boy, that nest looks like the municipal bunny landfill :p
I agree with everything Rue said, and Im sending you EXCELLENT vibes and my best wishes, hope everything turns out great.
 

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