Help!

My little sister has just got two new rabbits, both boys, un neutered and living together. She said the lady from pets at home said they wouldn't fight and would be fine together. She won't believe me when i tell her she needs to separate them and get them neutered before introducing them slowly.
Any tips?

I'm not sure...perhaps show her photos of what happens when you don't do that. There's a rabbit in the rehoming section of the forum called "Avalon" he's been rehomed, but his previous owners kept him in with another male who chewed his ears off. Maybe also send her links to websites which have info about neutering and hormones on...if she reads it from proffessionals maybe it will make her see that you aren't just making things up! Good luck, I hope the message gets through to her

Thanks for answering, the only problem is she's nine so im reluctant to show her photos that are too graphic. I showed her Avalon and she wants to separate them now but my dad and stepmum arent really taking this seriously. I've told them over and over, i dont know how to get through to it. They wouldnt read anything i suggested because they dont care enough. Neither of them particularly like animals, they only got the rabbits to replace Thumper (my sister is quite spoilt)

Hmm, well the best thing to do maybe is to guide your sister yourself if your parents will not pay attention, but she is willing to learn. It's great that there is someone for her to learn about animal care from. I'm not sure if it's possible to keep them together until they sexually mature and then get them neutered at the same time, that could make things easier...I'm guessing someone more experienced than me will come along ^_^.

It's a difficult situation And if they do start fighting, I'd assume they would end up rehoming one or both of them? Have you asked what they plan to do if they do end up fighting?

Also, if she is spoilt...will her nagging about wanting to do the right things for the rabbits not work?

I would be willing to guide her myself but obviously her parents buy everything for the rabbits and they keep them on straw with no hay available and buy muesli type food. I've told them thousands of times that they need hay and pellet type food but they still don't change anything. My dads argument is if muesli type food is so bad, why do pet shops sell it?

I'd assume they'd probably get rid of one if they started fighting, i haven't asked them as they just dont believe they will as 'the pets at home lady said so'.

I guess the nagging would work, but she doesnt care enough to nag too much for the right things. One of the rabbits has a half healed bite mark on his ear and she suggested taking it back to the shop so they could swap it.

Why not tell your sister to get the vets to advise her parents... I assume they are taking them for vaccinations!

I would first make sure that they are both males and not male and female as Pets@Home staff have made this mistake many times before of selling people 2 females or 2 males and a few weeks after ...baby bunnies. We use to support and help out at a rescue and the amout of times that people would ring with an unwanted litter after being sold the wrong sex rabbits at Pets@home but it was always too late when they found out.

Males kept together will sometimes fight and when they do it can be fatal. When males fight they go for each others testicles and I have seen male rabbits with parts of their 'bits' missing after a fight with another male. I know you can't really tell a 9 year old that.

Ideal would have been a male and female that after spaying and neutering could have been bonded and I'm suprised that the pets@home staff didn't suggest that.

Perhaps you could print out some information off websites about keeping males togther or rabbits in general and give it to her parents to read, already they are not on the correct diet. They should be on unlimited hay and a good pellet dry food. This so upsets me when parents buy rabbits for their children and don't bother to look in to looking after a rabbit beforehand.
What about their vaccinations, and run in the garden. Poor bunnies!

I'll have a go at sexing them tomorrow but if their testicles arent showing yet i dont know how reliable its going to be, im a novice!
I'll also try and find some information and print it out tomorrow, i just hope they pay attention.
If anything happens to either one before they are separated i'm going to feel so guilty!
Thank you all so much for your advice, i just hope it helps.

You shouldn't feel guilty, you are trying to help.

There are guides you can google into sexing rabbits before their testicles drop maybe have a look at one of those [im sure someone with more knowledge will post a good one]

I just hope her parents listen and do something before its too late. Do they stay in the hutch? do they have a run or anything like that?

lucyface wrote:I'll have a go at sexing them tomorrow but if their testicles arent showing yet i dont know how reliable its going to be, im a novice!
I'll also try and find some information and print it out tomorrow, i just hope they pay attention.
If anything happens to either one before they are separated i'm going to feel so guilty!
Thank you all so much for your advice, i just hope it helps.

You can only try your best, RWA has some good rabbit information that you could print off.

Had I just got rabbit's I would have loved someone to educate me and that's what you are doing trying to do educate them for the better and they should appreciate that,let's just hope they listen.
Whatever don't feel guilty we know how much you care about those rabbits and how worried you are about them.

I've seen the guides before as i looked when i bred my rabbits. My mum helped me and we got them all right but it's pretty tricky!

They are mostly just kept in the hutch which is 5ft and the rabbits are very small, my guess is a mini lop and a netherland dwarf?
They do have a run which they go in sometimes but in my opinion its not big enough for one rabbit nevermind about two!
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/rose-rabbit-run-by-pets-at-home-31897
It's pretty similar to that one without the panel on top, maybe a touch smaller too. When in the run they have no access to shelter either, no toys or anything to hide in or areas of shade.

Here you go Lucyface hope this will help.

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexing.shtml

If ur little sister would be interested in an online bunny friend, my daughter is 9 too, u could make her an account on here? 9 year olds can be quite competitive, 'im a good bunny mummy because..' kind of thing. There is also the kids section of hopping mad to spark her interest? Im in the same situation with my 12 yr old half sister, unfortunatley we lost our dad in october - my sister and her mum have 2 girls and they havent been jabbed or anything. Their dog has just had puppys so the rabbits have become old news and they have only had them since easter. They cleaned out once a wk if they are lucky. Im waiting to have to pick up the peices when something goes wrong, and have said if they start to fight i will take one

Thank you! She has just made an account her username is charlie&thumper, just waiting for admin to confirm it now
I'm also checking out the kids section, didn't know there was one!
What a sad story, i hope those two buns are okay and don't start fighting!

Also i tried to sex them this morning with my sisters help, one is definitely a boy, the other i wasn't really sure. Males and Females look too similar!

Felix&Willow wrote:If ur little sister would be interested in an online bunny friend, my daughter is 9 too, u could make her an account on here? 9 year olds can be quite competitive, 'im a good bunny mummy because..' kind of thing. There is also the kids section of hopping mad to spark her interest?

Beki - this is a fabulous idea!

Its fab having you here

I really hope you can help them hun, must be very hard for you to see.

Daisy has a collection of toys he never plays with - would it help if I posted them to you and you could give them to your sister?

Thank you everyone!
Katieb that;s a really generous offer, are you sure you can spare them? That would be fantastic!

Good luck with them darling, we are all here for you.

Hugs

Jo xx

Certainly can - he never plays with them.

Pm me your address and ill pop them in the post at some point this week x

You're doing a great job, and I'm sure that when your sister sees that this is common belief, not just from you, she may take your advice too!

Just an update, i cleaned them out today and they are now on hay and have pellet food!
They've still not been separated, anyone know if they 100% have to be before being neutered (assuming they're neutered asap)?
Still a few other things to sort out, bigger run etc, but at least things are starting to get better !
Thank you for all your help!!!!

That is really good news about their conditions. You are doing such a good job.

As for their gender, I would suggest taking them to vet to get them registered and sexed. That way you will know if you are dealing with two boys or a mixed pair. If they are a mixed pair, there is the worry that they might mate before you notice and then you have an unexpected litter to deal with. You also need to get them vaccinated against Myxi and VHD so they are safe.

I would also suggest that you get them insured so that you know that any unexpected vet bills will be covered. It doesn't cover for vaccinations or spaying but will be a godsend if either develop and long-term illness after they are insured.

[b]Hi my daughter had 2 males that lived together fine until about this time last year when they were around 9 mths old they suddenly started fighting she had them neutured and re introduced them a month after and they are now living together again with no problems.