Can Two Unneutered Male Rabbits Live Together?

Introducing or bonding two rabbits is a lengthy process that needs a lot of patience.

Patience isn’t one of my strong suits, but I enjoyed taking the time to bond my male and female rabbits.

This made me wonder about other rabbit bonding possibilities and especially that of two unneutered male rabbits.

What I know of unneutered bucks makes me think this isn’t a likely bond. But let’s find out if two unneutered male rabbits can live together peacefully.

Can Two Unneutered Male Rabbits Live Together?

It’s not recommended for two unneutered male rabbits to bond. If they are sexually mature or at the “teenager” years when they are reaching sexual maturity, it is best to keep the bucks separate from each other.

Because of how rabbits have been bred for domestic use, once sexually mature, they are permanently “on.”

Increased sexual frustration due to the presence of another buck results in high stress for the rabbit, which then weakens their immune system, leading to infection and death.

Other reasons to keep unneutered rabbits apart include territorial marking (or spraying everything with urine) and aggressive behavior that easily becomes bullying and fighting.

Fighting leads to serious injuries, infections, vet visits, or death.

Also read: How Many Rabbits Can Live Together in One Cage?

What Is Rabbit Bonding?

Just briefly, because I covered this in detail in another article, rabbit bonding is when you introduce two rabbits.

This bonding introduction is so the rabbits can get to know each other and get used to each other.

Once the rabbits are familiar with each other by smell, sight, and can eat happily together in two separate cages, you can move on to the next step.

Set up neutral territory so the rabbits can fully interact with each other.

Once they aren’t aggressive toward each other and have accepted each other fully, they can live together.

The most common pairing is a male and female bunny. But that isn’t to say that same-sex bonding pairs don’t work.

6 Reasons Why Unneutered Male Rabbits Can’t Be Happy Together

In essence, you can successfully pair two spayed female rabbits or two neutered male rabbits to live together.

However, there are various reasons why it isn’t a good idea to bond two unneutered bucks (aka male rabbits).

1. Sexual Maturity and Hormones

Male kits (baby rabbits) reach sexual maturity between three and six months.

From the three-month mark, you may start noticing behavior that’s hormonally driven.

2. Being Territorial and Spraying Urine Everywhere

One sign of hormonally driven behavior is when a rabbit becomes territorial. To protect their “territory,” they spray urine everywhere.

So you will be sprayed if you enter the buck’s territory, another bunny will be sprayed, and all of your furniture and belongings may be sprayed.

Rabbit urine has a high ammonia content, so everything will be smelly. And constantly cleaning urine isn’t fun.

Plus, if two unneutered bucks spray each other with urine, the bunny’s fur will get dirty and smelly.

The bucks are at high risk for getting urine scald, which is painful. Your rabbit could also get flystrike since the wet fur attracts flies to lay their eggs.

The maggots then eat your rabbit’s flesh when hatched. If not treated early on, flystrike is fatal.

3. Mounting

Rabbits mount each other for two main reasons. One is to procreate and the other is to show dominance.

So two unneutered bucks will try to constantly hump each other because their sexual drive is permanently on “on” because there is no relief.

Or they’ll try to mount each other to exert dominance. If one rabbit isn’t submissive, then the two bunnies will fight each other.

4. Aggression

With their hormones being charged, unneutered rabbits also display various aggressive behaviors.

This can include aggressive nipping, biting, scratching, or kicking.

5. Fighting and Injuries

Since the unneutered bucks are territorial and aggressive, they would fight a lot too. And while you may think of rabbits as cute, cuddly animals, they can be vicious.

Rabbits have sharp claws that can cause serious injuries. If these wounds aren’t treated in time, the infection can set in, and this can be deadly.

These mammals also have powerful hind legs. One swift kick can break another rabbit’s spine (and their spines aren’t very strong).

A kick can also cause other severe injuries, and a trip to the vet will be needed.

6. Stress

Rabbits are very susceptible to stress.

Should your bunny deal with stressful situations, like being intact and having a high sexual drive, its immune system will weaken.

With weak immunity, it’s easy for a rabbit to get an infection, and this can be fatal.

What If You’ve Bought Two Unneutered Male Rabbits?

If you happen to get two unneutered bucks there are two scenarios.

Scenario 1: Unneutered Kits (Haven’t Sexually Matured)

The first scenario is where the bucks haven’t yet sexually matured so they are under three months of age.

In this case, you can bond these two rabbits and keep them in a hutch or rabbit cage. It’s easiest to pair them if they are from the same litter since family is important to bunnies.

Once the bucks reach sexual maturity, aggressive behavior can cause “uncoupling.” This is when rabbits that have been paired now start to bully or fight with each other.

So before your unneutered kits are sexually mature, separate them.

Or ensure the enclosure is large enough (at a minimum of 45 square feet) with lots of hiding spots. This helps the rabbits stay out of each other’s hair if needed.

Take the bucks to be neutered, and then start the bonding process (again).

It should go smoother since these two bucks already know each other. But still, practice patience.

Scenario 2: Unneutered Mature Bucks

The second scenario is where the rabbits are kept intact and sexually mature.

While you can keep them together in separate cages, chances are there two rabbits won’t sit around the same fence.

It is likely that they’ll spray everything and anything around them – including each other – with urine.

Plus, they’ll want to claw and scratch at each other through the cage sides if the mesh isn’t fine enough.

But just the urine everywhere makes this scenario a big no-no for me.

So what can you do if you have two unneutered male rabbits and you want to bond them?

  • Keep them in separate cages away from each other until they are neutered.
  • Wash your hand thoroughly after handling one rabbit before handling the other. This ensures the other rabbit can’t smell the first rabbit on you.

This means they won’t urine spray you or become aggressive toward you because they won’t feel threatened.

  • Neuter them as soon as possible. The average cost to neuter a male rabbit is about $280.
  • Once neutered, keep your rabbits in separate cages for four to six weeks. It takes about two to four weeks for their hormone-driven behavior to ease up.

Your bucks will be easier to manage, and the neutering won’t alter their personalities. It just makes them less aggressive and territorial.

Plus, they won’t constantly be sexually “on,” so they won’t be so stressed. It also eliminates the risk of your rabbit developing testicular cancers.

  • Once you see the neutered bucks are calm and don’t display territory-marking and other aggressive behavior, it is time to start bonding them.

How to Successfully Bond Neutered Male Rabbits: A Short Guide

A male-male rabbit bonding pair isn’t the easiest to bond.

But with lots of patience, love, and attention, most things are possible.

So when your two bucks have been neutered, you can start the bonding process.

  • Keep the male rabbits in separate cages.
  • Swap their bowls, litter boxes, bedding, and toys so the bunnies can get to know each other’s scent
  • When they seem comfortable with the swapping of their belongings, place their cages next to each other so they “share” a wall.
  • This ensures the bunnies can get to know each other via sight too.
  • Feed them treats and their favorite food together.
  • Once they lie next to each other on the opposite side of the shared cage wall, prepare a neutral space so the bunnies can meet face to face.
  • Supervise the neutered bucks when they meet face to face and have a spray bottle with water and gloves ready to break up any fights.
  • Let the bunnies fully interact with each other for 10-15 minutes a day.
  • When they seem happy in each other’s presence, move them in together.

Male Rabbit Bonding FAQs

Why do two male rabbits hump each other?

Humping or mounting behavior in rabbits isn’t always sexual.

Sometimes a rabbit will hump another rabbit, regardless of whether they are also male or female, to show dominance.

If one rabbit doesn’t concede to being submissive, then aggressive behavior like nipping and fighting may result.

How long after neutering can I put my rabbits together?

When your rabbits have been neutered or spayed, it is recommended to wait 4-6 weeks.

This time allows them to heal and hormones to settle. Only after this time should you allow the rabbits to have full contact interaction.

Will male rabbits fight each other to death?

It is more common for male rabbits to fight till death than for female rabbits.

Male rabbits are more territorial, while female rabbits will more readily share the cage or hutch with other female rabbits and kits.

Final Thoughts on Unneutered Bucks Living Together

I wouldn’t try to bond two unneutered male rabbits.

The risks are just too high that they will fight and I’ll have to constantly treat serious injuries or take them to the vet every other day.

And there’s the urine spraying which is a big turn-off.

To ensure the best results if you want to bond two male rabbits, neuter both of them.

Wait until their hormones have settled and then patiently start the bonding process.

Good luck!

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