spayed female on a 'date' with a unneutered male

[GoneToTheBuns]

Hi guys,

I was on RO last year and had to cut down how much time I was online so I've been missing awhile and had to sign up on a new name. (Was formerly Cabrissi I think.)

At any rate, Cinna and Romeo are still doing great for anyone who remembers us and I've got a new little girl called Nilla. Nilla was spayed some weeks back and is healed up nicely. I've put in an application to a local rescue but unfortunately someone brought in a bun with myxo so they're not able to adopt anything out atm until they know no others are coming down with it. In the meantime I spotted a bunny in the paper who looks like a darling - a little mini rex boy, 2 years, friendly, indoor only, toilet trained, relatively close by etc.

The only issue is that he's still in-tact. Obviously I'd neuter him if I got him but I've always heard/read that both buns should be desexed and have had time for hormones to settle out before you attempt a date to gauge if they're a likely lovematch.

Any thoughts on how easy, difficult or impossible it would be to try and gauge a date between a non neutered male and a spayed female?

I got lucky with Cinna and Romeo, worlds easiest/shortest/most efforless bonding becauseI just let them pick each other. I'm happy to wait if it's not likely I'd be able to gauge how they'd get along because of his nonneutered status but if I'm misunderstanding what I've read then I'd feel foolsih passing a perfectly nice canidate by. Especially as rex are not all that common in Victoria rescue. My main concern is that if I can't tell, take a risk and maybe get him, neuter him and they end up super difficult to bond, maybe only ever learn to tollerate each other or never do.

 

[DebsBuns]

You pretty much said it all. I have a male bonded to a spayed female and he can't be neutered. It took a while for the bonding to take but it finally did. They have little tifs but love each other.

 

[GoneToTheBuns]

He would be neutered if I got him, it's just for the initial 'date' to see if they'd be a good match - I can't exactly neuter him before he's mine.

With my other pair, Cinna was spayed when we went to the shelter, the choice was totally left to her and of course everyone at the shelters is neutered.

 

[Happi Bun]

That's a hard question to answer. Some males left intact have no problem bonding to a spayed female. Others are very hormonal and that interferes. Doesn't mean the bonding wont work necessarily, just that the hormones need to be dealt with first in that case.

 

[GoneToTheBuns]

Yeah I understand that it can be difficult if you have a nonneutered male that you're trying to bond to a spayed female but that's not what I'd be looking to do - it's just for the initial 'date' to see if they're compatable. I don't want to buy him, neuter him and then discover they are completely incompatable yk? I'm not sure how his hormones might affect the initial - during the date - assessment if that makes sense?

 

[tamsin]

If you get him it's going to be 6-8 weeks before you can get him neutered and start bonding. The quarantine period for myxi is 2-3 weeks. I would think your best option would be to wait a couple of weeks and try the rescue again as you'll actually end up with them bonded quicker and reduce the risk of ended up with two rabbits that won't match.

 

[GoneToTheBuns]

The only reason I'd thought to do otherwise is because of the breed. Fortunately for the buns (but unfortunately for me) Rex/Mini Rex are not common in Victoria.

About 90% of shelter/rescues would be mini lops or nethie/dwarfX's.

Between shelters and private rehomings in 2010, 3 Rex were abuse cases too nervy for a household with kids even if mine don't handle them, 1 female, 2 adopted before I could get there and this one which is a private rehome. If I can't get a Rex/Mini Rex this time, I'll get one next time but given that'd be when my current pairs pass that'd hopefully not be another 10-12+ years!

 

[DebsBuns]

Given my experiences I don't think your going to be able to tell with a date. At first he'll be very manly. It took about a week with Mufasa and Lily to keep them together. She won't be happy with the way he'll probably act at first.

 

[Helenor]

I bought a unneutered rabbit for my spayed female. She didn't have too many issues with him except the endless humping, which she ran away from. She never bit him or anything. When he was neutered things calmed down and he stopped humping her all the time.

They had a "date" at the rabbitry I got him at. They were just binkying around the x pen.