Nature Center Rabbits

Question
Hello Lee,
I work at a Non-Profit Nature Center where we don't have a very large budget. I recently put money down on a couple of young unneutered male mini rex rabbit brothers that seem to get along well. Now I have been reading that you need to have both fixed for alot of same sex rabbit pairs, is this correct?
Also since I haven't acctually picked these rabbits up there are other genders in the store what would you recommend being the cheapest vet bill that would get along well.
(I have the extreme rabbit hutch housing which is large enough for two, food and bedding all paid for through a company that donates these things to us, so our only real expense for the rabbits is the initial cost and possible vet bill)
Thanks for your time :-)
-Carly

Answer
Hi Carly,

it is never good to have one fixed and one intact rabbit together.  One is just so hormonally driven than the other, the fixed one can't take the behavior, and the other one can't help acting like they do because their hormones override their personalities.  Fighting often is the result.  Both boys need to be neutered.

Even with neutering you will occasionally see a fight.  But if they normally get along, it will not happen very often.  If it doesn't work out that they can be in the same cage together, separate them for awhile, and keep them in different places, but see a month or so later if they can handle some time together in a neutral space in the house (supervised by you).  I recommend going to the House Rabbit Society web site and searching their articles for 'bonding'.

Vet bills for spays and neuters are about the same, a little higher for spays.  It is a little more dangerous for spays because it's a more invasive surgery than neuters.  The key is going to a GOOD RABBIT VET.  Start here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to see if you have a House Rabbit Society-recommended vet in your area.  If not call around to local animal shelters and rescue groups and ask who they would go to with a rabbit that needed surgery.

You are underestimating costs for rabbits.  You will need pre-op checkups on each rabbit (or both together) so that is a vet visit.  You will need the surgeries. You should have post-op antibiotics (like baytril) and pain meds (like metacam) for several days.  You may need to take them in again after for a checkup.  If you can, have them use dissolving stitches on the internal work, and surgical glue on the incision.  

You will need the cost of the hutches.  You will need multiple litterpans, litter for the litterpans - I recommend wood stove fuel pellets, water bottles or water crocks, food crocks, hay racks, a hidey box in the hutches (if the hutches don't have one), toys for playing (hard plastic baby keys for teething, etc) and good, fresh, green grass hays like timothy hay or orchard grass hay.  

You need medical and grooming supplies for trimming nails and petromalt.  Proper hollow nail clippers, styptic powder or gel, a flashlight to backlight dark-colored nails.  At the same time you trin their nails you should weigh them on a good scale so that you can make sure they are not gaining too much weight and getting fat (a real growing problem with pet rabbits).

You will need to get a good hard-sided carrier (or two) for your rabbits.  You should get one with both a side door and a top door, so that it is easier to get them in and out of the carrier with less risk of injury and stress.

You will also need to budget for an annual wellness exam with your vet once a year, and you should also budget for one emergency vet visit a year as well.

Roughly the costs have been worked out to be about $900-1000 a year per rabbit.  It will be lower for you because of some of the items you can get through work.

Lee