As social animals, rabbits are meant to live with other bunnies.
So if you were to pair rabbits together…
Would it be a good idea to match bunnies of the same sex?
Well, let me answer that question and more.
Continue reading to discover:
- If 2 female or male rabbits can live together.
- Why you should spay or neuter your rabbit pairs.
- 7 things to keep in mind when you pair bunnies with the same sex.
- And much, much, more…
Can two female rabbits live together?
2 female rabbits can live together. However, that can be a challenge to handle at first. That’s because they need to bond after their first meeting.
Female rabbits (does) tend to be territorial, especially unspayed ones.
And when they meet their counterpart…
It can result in a lot of fighting.
Not only can their brawls lead to injuries…
Your does can also get stressed from each clash.
However, when your female rabbits are from the same litter…
As sisters, they’ll initially get along well.
But that doesn’t mean they can skip the bonding process…
That’s because that bond can change once they reach sexual maturity.
But if you still want to push through with this pairing…
Don’t be discouraged, as there are still ways for the rabbits to bond.
You can watch this video to know how to form a positive connection between bunnies:
Then, also consider the things I listed below.
Things to keep in mind
#1: Both female rabbits must be spayed
Your does must undergo the process of ovariohysterectomy.
Which is more commonly known as the procedure of spaying.
According to VCA Hospitals:
It’s where your bunnies’ ovaries and uterine horns are entirely removed.
That causes infertility in your rabbits.
Apart from that, they’ll also reap many other benefits.
Some that help you bond your 2 female rabbits together are:
#1: Decreased undesirable behaviors
I’m talking about the following conducts:
- Mounting.
- Aggression.
- Jumping over each other.
- Territorial behaviors (ex., Urine spraying).
Those are hormone-induced practices in female rabbits.
Specifically, they’re caused by estrogen.
Which are released by your female rabbit’s reproductive organs.
But since spaying gets rid of those…
There won’t be any discharge of estrogen anymore.
So, the undesirable behaviors won’t bother your rabbit’s ongoing bond.
Thus helping them live together in harmony.
#2: It can make your rabbits calmer
Since they no longer have their main internal reproductive organs…
Your bunnies would have no sexual drive anymore.
With that, if their urges aren’t met…
They won’t get sexually frustrated.
Which would reduce their stress levels…
And the tendency to show an attitude due to dissatisfaction.
#2: Intact rabbits show mounting behaviors
Unspayed rabbits practice sexual actions.
And it’s not a big deal for them to partner up with the same sex.
So you might see your female rabbits mounting each other.
That’s normal, as they’re after the feeling the action gives them.
Moreover, rabbits don’t just participate in sex for pleasure…
They also do it for reasons such as:
- Mentorship.
- Showing affection.
- Settling social ranks.
- Normal social interaction.
Note: Male rabbits also participate in this behavior with their fellow male bunnies.
Learn more: Can Rabbits Be Gay? 11 Surprising Facts
#3: Risk of pseudopregnancy
This is the danger of the previous factor to keep in mind.
Because based on a study:
Getting mounted stimulates false pregnancy in a female rabbit.
Regardless if a male bunny or another doe does it to her.
Moreover, this is also referred to as pseudo-pregnancy…
And vets say it’s a condition that causes pregnancy symptoms in a bunny. Such as:
- Nest building.
- Producing milk.
- Maternal aggression.
However, the rabbit isn’t pregnant at all.
“Then, how does this happen?”
Mounting triggered the release of progesterone in her body.
Which is the hormone assigned for pregnancy.
With that, your bunny’s system thinks she’s pregnant.
So, her body prepares itself accordingly.
But in the case of pseudo-pregnancy…
The symptoms I mentioned will be gone in about 16 to 18 days.
#4: They’ll have aggressive tendencies during mating season
According to research:
Wild female rabbits get more aggressive when mating season begins.
That’s likely to happen with your domesticated does as well.
And since they’re more hostile when it’s their time to mate…
Which in the US is between late March into August and early September…
This might trigger more fights between your female rabbits at home.
As you learned, that can lead to stress and injuries on both bunnies.
Plus, if it goes too far…
Whatever bond that was formed between them could get broken.
Can two male rabbits live together?
2 male rabbits can live together. But this is the least successful pairing in rabbits. So you’ll have to work twice as hard for them to get along.
That’s because 2 male rabbits (bucks) are more likely to fight.
According to RWAF, the hormone testosterone push them to be aggressive.
The release of that urges them to defend their territory.
As well as guard their belongings.
In some cases, when 2 unneutered male rabbits fight…
They won’t stop until 1 or both of them are injured.
Or when they’re too wounded to fight further.
However, don’t let that fact put you off…
Because 2 male rabbits can still form a bond and live together.
I mentioned that you just need to introduce them to each other properly.
Moreover, consider the factors I listed in the next section.
Things to keep in mind
#1: Both male rabbits must be neutered
Neutering procedure is also called castration or orchidectomy.
According to VCA Hospitals, it’s the surgical removal of your rabbit’s testicles.
And if you’re planning to have 2 male rabbits live together…
They must undergo this procedure.
Because one of its benefits is eliminating testosterone.
Which is the hormone related to their reproductive organs (testes).
Without it coursing through their body…
Your male bunnies will exhibit less undesirable behaviors like:
- Mounting.
- Aggression.
- Urine spraying.
Moreover, they’ll be calmer…
That’s because they’re not prone to sexual frustration anymore.
With that, 2 neutered male rabbits will be trouble-free to handle for you.
As they’re less likely to fight and hurt each other.
#2: They must be around the same age and size
When introducing 2 rabbits together…
PDSA highly suggests finding the right ones that match each other.
Because companionship is crucial for rabbits.
As it makes them feel less lonely and reduces their stress.
Now, since their sex is out of the window here as a factor…
Consider the next crucial things: the pair’s age and size.
First, their bond will be more natural if they’re around the same age.
In fact, it works best if they’re from the same litter.
As that can make bonding simple for the rabbits.
Another one to keep in mind is the bunnies’ sizes.
They must have the same body build and measurements.
Otherwise, when the other male rabbit is larger…
That can cause intimidation to their fellow bunny.
Which leads to a more challenging bond formation.
You might also want to know: Ask A Vet: Can Rabbits Die From Loneliness? (Updated Guide)
#3: They’ll annoy each other through mounting
If both male rabbits are left unneutered…
They’ll continue showing mounting behaviors.
As I mentioned before, rabbits do this regardless of their partner’s sex.
That’s because they seek the pleasure they get from mounting.
Plus, they also use it for many other non-sexual reasons.
Now, mounting can annoy the rabbit being humped on.
Then, that triggers a fight between your bunnies.
Which can lead to the scarring of whatever bond they’ve formed.
Is it better to have 2 male or 2 female rabbits?
It’s not better to have 2 male or 2 female rabbits together. And here are 2 reasons why:
#1: Mixed-sex is the best pairing
Naturally, the best pairing is a male and female bunny.
That’s the most observed partnership in wild rabbits.
But there’s a next step for domesticated bunnies:
You must spay and neuter both fur babies to get the best results.
Because if you put an unneutered male and female rabbit together…
You’ll deal with aggressive behaviors between the bunnies.
#2: A same-sex pair of rabbits need the same processes
When putting bunnies of the same sex together…
Some fur parents think they escaped having to do the following procedures:
- Having to spay or neuter the bunnies.
- Properly introducing the rabbits to each other.
But as you learned…
You must consider those regardless of the bunny combination you’re going for.
That said, I affirm that you’re going through the same tasks with any pair.
So that doesn’t exactly make same-sex pairing better than a mixed one.