Continuing this month’s them on Rabbit Groups, we wanted today to focus on the importance of avoiding breeding.
We have seen and heard of many rabbit owners who think they are keeping a happily bonded group. The rabbits are kept in the same area, and regularly their owners find nests of unplanned litters. We also find that in these situations the rabbits often have “battle scars”. Fighting within the group is a part of everday life in these setups, whilst the group compete with each other for breeding privileges. The reality of this kind of group is a highly stressful, tiring and unhappy setting similar to that depicted in many scenes of Watership Down. This kind of natural group isn’t in keeping with the best way to keep domestic pet rabbits. Rabbits in such groups will not have a great life expectancy and are unlikely to be considered tame enough to fall in to our pet lifestyle and expectations.
Our successes with bonding rabbits are all thanks to ensuring that the rabbits in the groups are neutered first. This makes bonding a lot easier, and once those nasty aggressive hormones are out of the way your group will remain domesticated, loving and happy. More so, they’re setup with a better chance of having a lengthy life ahead of them, meaning you can properly enjoy your pets for a long while to come.
On a more general level, we encourage rabbit owners to ensure all rabbits are neutered, and discourage breeding at all times. Rabbit rescue centres across the country are all full to bursting with rabbits needing new homes, meaning there is just no justification for additional breeding.