Monday, May 24, 2010

Can 2 male bunnies be in the same cage?


Answers:
I'll give the short answer and then an explanation.
Short:
1. Separate both in different cages.
2. Find a good rabbit vet and get both neutered.
3. After a month after surgery of the last one (if both are not done at the same time), attempt to re-bond them.
You have two males that are sexually mature. They are vying for dominance (this occurs with any two or more rabbits, regardless of gender). However, two intact males can very much lead to fights if kept in the same cage. The submissive one may get fed up with it, or may also want to be the dominant one and neither back down. Further intact males spray (and would probably spray you as you smell like a female). It is hard if not impossible to litter train an intact rabbit. They will live a much better quality life (less frustrated, deeper relationship with you and others) as a neutered rabbit.
If you don't already have a good rabbit vet (not all vets are good with rabbits), go to:
www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
and find a House Rabbit Society-recommended vet in your area.
They will want to give them a general exam before scheduling the neuter procedure. Make sure they prescribe pain meds (metacam) and post-op antibiotics (like Baytril). If they won't go to another vet who will. Rabbits need pain meds to manage pain, otherwise they stop eating and that can kill them (gi stasis).
They should still be kept in separate cages. Preferably in the same room but not close enough to bite through bars. They should have separate exercise times or if they are out at the same time, separate exercise areas. Pet exercise gates at least 30 inches high work very well for this. If they fight through a single gate, you will need to separate them with double gates, leaving a few inches of space in between the gates.
If they can do them both the same day that will work out the best. A month after surgery, their hormones will have reached their new lower levels. At this time you can start attempting to re-bond them. At the HRS site (www.rabbit.org), search or articles with the term "bonding", "Bunny date", "dating".
You cannot just place separated rabbits back together. It does not work like that even if they were prior friends. Depending on their natures, they may rebond quickly, or take weeks to months, or they may not ever re-bond. Read up on bonding.
But you will have to separate them right now to prevent fights and injuries. You can't skip this step and think they will still be friends.
Keep an eye on them for a while to make sure they don't fight, but sure.
as long as a female is not in the cage as well. if theres a female in the cage they may fight over her and as we all know, in the animal kingdom most fights are to the death.
I'll give the short answer and then an explanation.
Short:
1. Separate both in different cages.
2. Find a good rabbit vet and get both neutered.
3. After a month after surgery of the last one (if both are not done at the same time), attempt to re-bond them.
You have two males that are sexually mature. They are vying for dominance (this occurs with any two or more rabbits, regardless of gender). However, two intact males can very much lead to fights if kept in the same cage. The submissive one may get fed up with it, or may also want to be the dominant one and neither back down. Further intact males spray (and would probably spray you as you smell like a female). It is hard if not impossible to litter train an intact rabbit. They will live a much better quality life (less frustrated, deeper relationship with you and others) as a neutered rabbit.
If you don't already have a good rabbit vet (not all vets are good with rabbits), go to:
www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
and find a House Rabbit Society-recommended vet in your area.
They will want to give them a general exam before scheduling the neuter procedure. Make sure they prescribe pain meds (metacam) and post-op antibiotics (like Baytril). If they won't go to another vet who will. Rabbits need pain meds to manage pain, otherwise they stop eating and that can kill them (gi stasis).
They should still be kept in separate cages. Preferably in the same room but not close enough to bite through bars. They should have separate exercise times or if they are out at the same time, separate exercise areas. Pet exercise gates at least 30 inches high work very well for this. If they fight through a single gate, you will need to separate them with double gates, leaving a few inches of space in between the gates.
If they can do them both the same day that will work out the best. A month after surgery, their hormones will have reached their new lower levels. At this time you can start attempting to re-bond them. At the HRS site (www.rabbit.org), search or articles with the term "bonding", "Bunny date", "dating".
You cannot just place separated rabbits back together. It does not work like that even if they were prior friends. Depending on their natures, they may rebond quickly, or take weeks to months, or they may not ever re-bond. Read up on bonding.
But you will have to separate them right now to prevent fights and injuries. You can't skip this step and think they will still be friends.
It depends if you bunnies that already get along. The bunnies might fught for the space that you give them. Males tend to sometimes do that.
Good Luck:)
Maybe, it depends on how old they are. If their still babies it might work. If there over 3 months I wouldn't try it, because they'll fight and neuter each other by themselves. I would just keep them in separate cages if their to old, you shouldn't really neuter them because they don't take the medicine they put them out with to well and can die from it. Plus it isn't like if you don't neuter them their gonna get out over populate the world with rabbits because most of the time domestic rabbits can't breed with wild ones. Hope that helps!!

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