Rabbits are affectionate and the best home pets. But can you differentiate male rabbits and female rabbits? Not being aware of the rabbit’s gender can result in a sudden litter of baby rabbits.
Female rabbits have teats while males do not. If you are unable to identify the gender of your rabbit, it is better to take it to the veterinarian. After checking your rabbit, the vet will specify its gender.
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Knowing The Gender Of Your Rabbit
In general, male rabbits are called bucks, and they have testicles. But, the male rabbits can hide their testicles in their stomach. It is a common thing that occurs when the pet is young. When you can not see the pair of testes, you should not assume that the rabbit is female. If a rabbit has teats, you can be sure that it is female because male rabbits can not grow teats.
As for female rabbits, they also have a common name, which is a doe. The females have teats (nipples). But it will be difficult for you to find the teats if the female rabbit does not go through pregnancy at least once. During the early life of the rabbits, or when they are young, identifying their gender is quite hard.
You can use a few methods to identify the gender of your rabbit. First of all, take the rabbit into your lap, rest it on its back, and spread its legs apart. The rabbit will go into a daze-like state in this position. It is better not to lay them in this posture for a long time. When you are holding the rabbit, it tends to feel discomfort and pain, so be cautious.
If possible, it is better to get help from another person. Ask the person to hold and keep the rabbit’s head still. This method avoids dangerous events such as the rabbit falling and injuring itself. Also, the rabbit would not be able to bite you. After positioning the rabbit, lift its hair and try to find testes or teats. If you can not see either the testicles or nipples, then the rabbit is still young. When the rabbit is ten weeks old or more, it will be easy for you to identify its gender.
It is natural for people to feel uncomfortable doing this process. If you do not want to do this by yourself, you can take the rabbit to the veterinarian. When there is no vet near your house, you can also bring the rabbit to a pet store or shelter center. These people have the experience on how to determine the gender of the rabbit.
Are There Obvious Physical Differences Between Male And Female Rabbits?
When the male and female rabbits are young, you can not find any evident physical differences. But the only difference during their early stages of the rabbits is their genitals. The female and male rabbits will develop some differences as they grow older.
The male rabbit comes with a blockier head than the female rabbit. Besides this, the male rabbits are smaller than the females, even if they are from the same breed. If you have a small-sized rabbit that looks healthy and eats from time to time, there are high chances it is a male.
Can I Keep The Make Rabbit And Female Rabbit Together?
Many male and female rabbits tend to get along and create a bond with each other. Rabbits from the same gender also have the chance to become bonded pairs. You do not have to worry if two male rabbits or two female rabbits are making a bond. It is better not to separate two bonded rabbits for more than a day.
When two rabbits are aggressive towards each other and are fighting, you should keep them apart as soon as possible. After keeping them in different cells, talk to the veterinarian to get guidance. There are a few methods you can use to help the rabbits get along. But, in some extreme situations, this might be impossible, and you have to separate them from each other. If you need to separate the two rabbits, rehousing one rabbit is the best thing.
If you keep the male rabbit and the female rabbit together in one pen, you need to be ready to take care of the female rabbit’s pregnancy. Neutering the male rabbit is the best strategy if you want to prevent the above situation. It is also better to spay the female rabbit. Due to its breeding hormones, the female will attempt to mount the male rabbit.
If you feel anxious about keeping a pair of rabbits in the same home, do not be. Rabbits are social animals from their nature and love to make a close bond with their rabbit friends. Rabbits enjoy playing with each other and will groom, snuggle, and rest together.
Unusual Rabbit Pregnancy
If your pet is pregnant and you assume that you have two female rabbits, check again because the other rabbit is a male! If you do not want to deal with any more litters, it is better to neuter the male rabbit before the female gives birth. The male rabbit can make the female pregnant on the same day the babies are born. It is harmful to the female rabbit’s health.
When the rabbit is pregnant, talk to the veterinarian and ask for tips for changing the rabbit’s diet. You need to be aware of the labor symptoms that the female will show, such as digging. It is better to let the female do anything she wants. Only interfere when you see that the rabbit is facing severe difficulties.
You do not have to care for the baby rabbits for a long time. When kits (baby rabbits) are four to six weeks old, they will leave the mother rabbit to remain self-reliant. While taking care of the baby rabbits, it is better to separate them from the male rabbit. If the female babies are mature, the adult male rabbit will attempt to breed them.
When the baby rabbits are born, if you would like to discover their gender, call the local veterinarian. Ask the vet how to find the sex of the baby rabbits. It is NOT GOOD to keep the babies away from their nest for a long time, as their smell might change. If their scent changes, the mother can not recognize them and will avoid taking care of them. In extreme cases, it might show aggression on the babies.
If the rabbit shows pregnancy signs and not in contact with male rabbits, this might be a false pregnancy. Go to the veterinarian to get some information on how to take care of the female rabbit. Giving the rabbit some extra care and attention will be a big help.