Boy or Girl??

Question
My husband and I have a one year old lionhead rabbit. After having her spayed, we brought home a baby lionhead. They did not get along, so we put them in different cages. The workers at the petstore were "pretty sure" she was a girl. She was so little it was hard to be sure. Eventually the older rabbit got a tolerance for the baby and we started letting them out together. One day when I let them out the little one mounted the older one's face. I am not really sure why this happened and why it happened this way. Could the new rabbit be a boy or do animals sometimes have a natural instinct to do these things?

Answer
Dear Kellie,

When rabbits are introduced to each other, they will often mount as a sign of dominance.  Both males and females will engage in this behavior, and it's normal.

As long as the older bunny didn't object and start a fight (many bunnies won't submit to being submissive, so you have to watch carefully as the two decide who's "boss"), the mounting behavior isn't a problem.  But if the new bunny isn't yet neutered/spayed, now would be a good time.  A male can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, and a female can be spayed at the age of about 6 months, if the behaviors are problematic.

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

www.rabbit.org/vets

It's best to take both bunnies along for the ride to the vet, as this will help bond them.  You can read more about bonding rabbits at www.rabbit.org/

Hope this helps!

Dana