Rabbits are social and enjoy human company immensely, but they also enjoy the company of other rabbits. When thinking of housing rabbits together it is important to consider the sex of the rabbits.
- Two male rabbits will often fight.
- Two females may get along until one of them comes into season, in which case she may then exert her dominance over the other rabbit.
- A male and female rabbit can be housed together as long as one or both of them are neutered/spayed to prevent unwanted litters
Two things that rabbit owners should consider is neutering (male) or spaying (female) one or more of their rabbits to prevent unwanted litters, and they should learn how to sex rabbits.
Sexing Rabbits
Sexing rabbits is not difficult once they get to a certain age (anything less than 3 weeks is difficult). For males, once the testicles have descended, sexing them is fairly easy. In the male, the testes sit in scrotal sacs on either side of the penis.
Owners can examine their rabbits groin by scruffing the rabbit with one hand (grabbing the fur behind the neck) and gently cradling the rabbit’s rump in the other hand. The scrotal sacs are not the bulbous pouch of skin, but the two sacs on each side of the penis.
The difficulty with sexing males is that they have large, open inguinal rings, which allows them to retract their testicles into the abdomen. Males will often do this when they are stressed and holding a rabbit on its back for too long can be stressful. Owners may be able to palpate the area to expose the testicles or may even be able to see the penis.
In female rabbits, the inguinal area is flat and smooth and the vulva is the pink area with the slit in it. A veterinarian can confirm the sex if owners aren’t sure. In the meantime, pet rabbits should be separated until the sex is determined and/or until one or more of the rabbits is neutered/spayed.
Spaying or Neutering Rabbits
Rabbits reach breeding age at approximately 6 months but potentially earlier. Spaying or neutering rabbits is usually done at 4-6 months of age to prevent problems. These include:
- Fighting – general fighting and fighting associated with puberty
- Risk of uterine cancer (in females) – this is the most common form of cancer in rabbits, by up to 80%
- Risk of territorial urinating and aggression
- Unwanted litters – gestation lasts for only 30 days and rabbits can produce litters of 4-10 kittens (baby rabbits)
Some owners choose to have only one rabbit spayed or neutered perhaps due to financial circumstances or other reasons, and this option should be discussed with a veterinarian to determine if this is suitable considering the owner's circumstances (i.e., how many rabbits, etc.).
For more information about rabbit health care, read Rabbits as Pets, Rabbit Toys and Enrichment and Fatal Rabbit Diseases.
Roberta Goli - Roberta has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Zoology), has worked with animals for over 10 years and enjoys writing short stories and flash ...
