bunnies – Chicken Girl

I promised this post over a few months ago when our bunny Mabel passed away. And I also hinted about bonded bunnies back in September with my post about gendering rabbits. But what does the term ‘bonded rabbits’ even mean?

Bonded rabbits are 2 bunnies who are personally bound to each other. And they help each other negotiate their world manually and mentally. Below are more bonded bunnies facts.

Bonded Bunnies Facts

They live in groups

Rabbits are meant to live in groups, not alone. They groom each other, rest, and eat together. So if you get a bunny, don’t just get one solo rabbit. It’s best to get a pair.

However, there are plenty of animals that can make a good companion to rabbits. Cats are at the top of the list, as long as the bunny isn’t afraid of said cat.

The bonds are lifelong

Bunnies form bonds for life. Maybe that’s because, in nature, the wild European bunnies bond for life.

Forming bonds can take time

It can take weeks to years to form a bonded rabbit pair. But you know your bunnies are bonded when they can hang out with each other, groom each other, and sleep with each other with no aggression. Because that means they feel safe with each other.

Thus, be patient, because it takes time.

Do NOT separate them

This was after Mabel’s surgery. The fighting had already begun.

If you have a bonded pair and ever separate them, they’ll smell different to each other, could reject one another, and begin fighting. Bring them everywhere together. Period.

We experienced this when Mabel got fixed. We were totally unaware that we were supposed to BRING Ricky to Mabel’s appointment too, until the deed was already done.

After Mabel healed from being neutered, they started fighting; the fur was literally flying, and Ricky was no longer putting up with Mabel’s dominance. He started using the bathroom all over the living room, and they both looked so miserable.

So we confined them to the kitchen and living room as we tried helping them in their relationship. Then we phoned the vet, asking for advice, which is how we learned our mistake. We were advised to keep them separated, one in the hutch, the other loose, and yet have them in the same room. That was so they could start getting used to each other again.

They took turns being in the hutch and being loose. However Mabel’s unhappiness really weighed heavily on me, being restricted as he was and what he perceived as the loss of his friend.

Some pairs make better bonds

Photo by Bruna Gabrielle Félix on Pexels.com

The best pairing is a buck and a doe, as this is what occurs in nature. However, 2 does from the same litter can work, because usually they’re sisters. And finally, the least likely pairing to work is 2 bucks.

Although, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely impossible for 2 bucks to bond. They both need to be neutered, introduced slowly, and one of them needs to be submissive, otherwise there will inevitably be fighting. And a lot of it.

Mabel was fixed, but at the time, it was still too early to neuter Ricky. I think he still had at least a month to go before he could get fixed. And still neither of them wanted to back down on their power plays; neither was giving ground. So we found Ricky a home with other rabbits. I missed the Mabel who first came to live with us: his curiosity and joy at exploring the rest of the house and being the center of attention.

That’s our experience with bonded bunnies. And we messed up, because we didn’t know until too late. Hopefully, if you have rabbits of your own, you have better luck.

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Do you know how to tell the gender of a rabbit? You may or may not know how difficult it is to tell the gender of a rabbit when they’re young. A female rabbit is called a doe, while a male is referred to as a buck. And baby rabbits are called kittens, just like baby cats. Also, females hit maturity anywhere from 3 to 8 months. But it’s dependent on the rabbit’s breed. Further, smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds.

How to Tell the Gender of a Rabbit

Kittens, or baby rabbits, don’t have any external indicators, like birds, to let you know if they’re male or female. Just like cats. And females and males can physically look alike. So how can you tell gender? The only way, it is reported, is by inspecting the genitals. So, in order to tell the gender of a rabbit

First, place the rabbit with his/her tummy up, in order to examine the genitals easily. However be gentle, because rabbits are prey animals. And they’re naturally scared.

Bunny on its back — Watercolor of bunny on its back, courtesy of Paul Smith

Get some help. But don’t pick the rabbit up. Instead, put it on a cushion or a low table to prevent any accidents if it tries to get away. Also, if the rabbit doesn’t cooperate by being face-up, then you can achieve similar results if it sits on its tail. Try not to let them kick. And don’t hold them by their ears.

*If you’re gendering a kitten, then wear rubber or latex gloves so you don’t pass on any diseases. Or your smell, which could cause the kitten’s mother to reject it. And when you’re finished inspecting the rabbit, let it go. They easily get stressed if held against their will.

When you’re ready, to know how to tell the gender of a rabbit, find the anus opening and genitals. In both females and males, the anus will be near the tail. If you have a female, as you follow the tail, near the abdomen, you’ll notice an oval hole. That’s the vulva, which indicates your rabbit is a female.

But in males, the opening is a little further from the anus. And there’s a clear separation. Also, the space is more spherical.

Some people recommend applying pressure on the surrounding edges of the hole to extrude the male rabbit’s member. However it could hurt him if you don’t know what you’re doing.

You can also check if you can see the testicles. A male rabbit’s should be easy to spot since they’re hairless and of a purple hue.

Some people claim that by examining the genitalia of rabbits, that females and males have very recognizable features on their bodies. Females are supposed to have V-shaped, or a mountaintop, appearance which can be sticking out some, while males have 2 oblong testicles above their genitalia.

However I don’t agree. It’s not always so cut and dry. Take, for instance, our first dwarf lop eared rabbit, Mabel. The breeder told us he was a female. And we grew to love our female lop. We spent months thinking he was a ‘she.’ But after we got Ricky, our 2nd dwarf lop, Mabel chased and harassed him all the time. So we decided to get them both fixed. Although, since Mabel was older, and he was causing problems, he would go first. Then it would be Ricky’s turn. And that was when we learned the truth about Mabel.

Hannah dropped Mabel off at the exotic animal vet. But not long after, she received a phone call, and was asked if they had the right bunny. And if so, did we still want them to proceed with Mabel’s alteration. She was momentarily confused. So they proceeded to explain that once the sedation was administered, Mabel’s testicles descended. Which meant that Mabel was never a ‘she.’ He was always a he.

We learned that this is actually common if a rabbit is scared. That they can actually hide their testicles. Or gender, if you will. So that if you look at the genitalia, when the rabbit is scared, then the male rabbit will be hard to distinguish from a female. Now we could have at any time checked Mabel ourselves, once he was relaxed and familiar with us, to see whether he was a female. But we trusted the word of the breeder. She was the one who did this for a living. Thus we figured she would know. And when it came to Ricky, she was spot on. I guess Mabel didn’t want anyone to ever know he was a boy.

Two dwarf lop eared bunnies on a tiled floor — Ricky and Mabel.

Obviously we were quite shocked by this discovery. And then we wondered if Ricky was in fact a female. We sort of hoped so. But after Mabel was home and healed, Ricky and Mabel started fighting. And fighting, with neither looking too happy about their situation. Which is a post for another day.

I hope this answered any questions you might have about how to tell the gender of a rabbit. But if you still aren’t sure about your rabbit, then you can always make an appointment with an exotic animal veterinarian. Especially if you get another rabbit.

And thanks for stopping by! Feel free to comment or ask questions.