Rabbit spayed

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I have two bunnies, a buck and a doe. They accidentally meted a while ago, and the doe got pregnant. unfortunately, as it was her first little, all the kits died.
Everytime the buck is out of his hutch, he runs to the does hutch and vice versa.
id really like to put them in the same hutch, however i don't want anymore kits 9i have nowhere to keep them). I also can't afford to get both rabbit castrated. Is it possible to just get the buck speyed for now, and get the doe done in the next few months?
it seems cruel to keep them apart so any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks
catherine


ANSWER: Dear Catherine,

AWW.  You are so very sweet to be concerned about the bunny lovers' feelings!  :)  They are lucky to have you as a "mom".

Yes, it would be fine to have the male neutered now, and then get the girl spayed later.  Just be sure that when he comes home from the hospital that they can see/smell each other and be physically close without actually coming into contact.  His "internal plumbing" may still carry viable sperm for 2-4 weeks after his neuter, so to avoid another unwanted pregnancy, it's wise to wait a few more weeks post-neuter so they can have a lifetime of love afterwards.

Note that the doe may still want to mate after her husband is neutered, and that if she's extremely frustrated they could fight.  DO NOT let them fight or "work it out."  Stop any fights immediately and please write to me for tips on bonding.

You can find a good rabbit vet for the spay and neuter here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope that helps!

Dana

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QUESTION: Thanks for the advice Dana.
Just off your advice of keeping them close without contact, does this mean its ok to have wire mesh between them? i.e if both of their runs are next to each other?
I wouldn't just put the bunnies in the same hutch without some sort of bonding exercise so any advice you have on bonding would be great.
I have a bunny 'play pen' that has loads of bunny toys etc in, maybe this could be a good meeting ground for them?
(Please note that i'm not mad, I just love rabbits and basically think of them as my 'children'!) :)

Many thanks again,
Catherine
ANSWER: Dear Catherine,

Believe it or not, rabbits have been known to successfully mate even with a wire grid between them.  So if the runs are next to each other, you might want to be sure there's a bit of space between them, or a less bunny-seed permeable barrier.  :)

You can find great tips on bonding here:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-a=00062824-sp00000000&sp-q=bonding&user=enter

As long as the toy-filled pen is really big (meaning about 10' x 10' or more), it should be fine.  The more space two "daters" have to escape if they want to, the better.

And don't ever think I'd think you were mad for loving your bunnies.  I wish *everyone* loved their bunnies as much as you (we) do!

Take care,
Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Dana,

Thanks again for your advice above.
Is it true that bunnies can get pregnant through a wire grid?? My doe (smudge) has gained a lot of weight and has loads of excess fur under her chin. this has become apparant in the last week.
I have tried to check under her belly to see if i can feel anything, however, she doesn't seem to like me doing that. Is there any other way to check if shes pregnant?
She definately has not been in the same place as a buck, but has been close - ie on the other side of a wire grid on several occasions.
she hasn't started nesting yet, but i heard that they can sometimes build the nest right before they give birth.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

thanks again
Catherine

Answer
Dear Catherine,

Where there's a will, there's a way.  It's possible she's not pregnant, but I have heard of cases in which rabbits successfully mated with a wire grid between them.  So it's not really possible to tell yet.

It's very hard to tell if a rabbit is pregnant before she's about to give birth. An experienced vet can palpate her uterus to find out:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and if she' far along, you can watch for quick little kicking movements in her belly if she lies stretched out.  If she is pregnant, I hope this will help:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html

but now is *for sure* the time to get the male neutered so that in a few weeks they can be together without danger of pregnancy.

She might not build a nest until right before giving birth, or even shortly after, if this is her first.  So to be safe, provide a spacious nest box lined with soft, intact towels (no strings or holes! Deadly to little feet and necks!), and soft, fresh hay/straw.  She'll do the rest.

I hope this is a false alarm, but I hope you're now well equipped with information if it's not.  Good luck!

Dana