Especially at Easter, the time has come again: Grandma or Grandpa come to visit and bring a little gift for their grandchild – an Easter bunny. Now, at the latest, it is time to think about what is best for the little animal.
Rabbits and hares do not like to live alone
One thing is clear: hares do not like to live alone. While you can keep hares individually, it would not be species-appropriate; apart from that, the rabbits develop incorrect social behavior and acquire bad habits over the course of their lives that can be quite annoying. It would be best to buy two hares from the same litter right away; they know and get along with each other, although there will be problems at the latest when they reach sexual maturity. It should therefore ideally be a pair, with the buck ideally neutered, otherwise there will be unwanted offspring! Two females will sooner or later start to fight, even if they are from the same litter.
Getting rabbits used to each other
Anyone who only has one hare can buy another one at any time. Here, too, keeping them in pairs is advisable, and you have to give both a little time to get used to each other. At the beginning, place two cages a short distance apart so that the two can sniff each other and get used to the other's scent. Move the cages a little closer together every day until they are finally standing right next to each other. If the animals behave calmly and do not appear aggressive, it is time to introduce them to each other.
Ideally, you should do this in a room that neither hare has used for their exercise yet. On neutral ground, neither will make territorial claims; they can sniff everything and will sooner or later encounter their partner. This is the moment when caution is required; if the two immediately attack each other, they must be separated immediately. Otherwise, there will be nasty bite wounds and the injured one will immediately see the other hare as an enemy. However, if both get along, you can continue this for a few more days and then simply try putting them together in the cage. If it works, you have won; if they start fighting, they must be separated again immediately. Then you just have to try it a few more times.
Sometimes it works better, sometimes it doesn't
With a pair where the buck is neutered, getting them used to each other usually works without any problems. However, there are also hares that simply do not like each other; they tolerate the other when they are hopping around the apartment, but in the cage, they make too many territorial claims. In this case, you unfortunately have to keep them separated for their own protection. However, this is extremely rare with a pair.
Read also:Â Rodents as pets?
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
