Do Rabbits Mate For Life? (And Why!)

Do rabbits mate for life?

Rabbits do mate for life but are not monogamous unless the situation demands them to be. If rabbits are in a larger group, they will rank themselves based on dominance to determine mating partners.

For rabbits that are paired together at a home or in a cage, it’s possible for them to mate with each other until the day of their death.

Rabbits will be more than happy to have one partner as long as they’re healthy. In groups, they do prefer to rank themselves and this can lead to in-fighting while trying to find mates.

The reasons for this include:

  • Desire to Find a Stronger Mate
  • Options
  • Fighting for Resources

It’s important to note, there are only a few things rabbits can fight over when it comes to ranking themselves in a small group. This means they are either going to fight over resting areas, food, or mates.

When it is time for them to fight over a mate, they will do so with other males in the group. Sometimes, it is naturally assumed the larger and younger rabbit will be dominant. This varies from group to group leading to specific mates for each rabbit.

For those asking “Do rabbits mate for life?” it’s best to pinpoint the situation they are in. This guide will look at focusing on this question while also pointing towards the reasons for rabbits mating for life.

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Reasons for Rabbits Mating For Life

1. Asserting Dominance

Let’s assume you have a group of rabbits that are all in the same area.

It is natural for them to start going after each other. Sometimes, this is going to have to do with where they are sitting while other times it is going to come down to finding a mate.

Rabbits will start doing this after crossing the age of six months. Healthy rabbits start looking for healthy mates, which means they are going to start dominating over the others when there’s a chance to do so.

Experts Say...
Rabbits can use mating as not only a way to spread their genes but to also assert dominance in a group of rabbits.

What if there are only a few rabbits in one place?

Even then you are going to see the male rabbit try to assert itself and remain dominant. This can be done in several ways and it isn’t going to be restricted to a specific age.

This is why when you start asking “Do rabbits mate for life?” it will often come down to what the rabbit prefers. If the rabbit is healthy, it should be looking to mate.

Do rabbits mate for life

2. Spreading Genes

This is the most common reason and it’s the same as most other animals on the planet.

Rabbits want to spread their genes as it is a part of their biological drive. Due to this, you are going to see rabbits want to mate with different partners to spread their genes as much as possible.

The goal is to create healthy rabbits and this can happen not only between different rabbits but also rabbits in the same family.

The average rabbit is going to hit their sexual maturity at the age of 6 months.

When asking “Do rabbits mate for life?” you are going to realize most rabbits will try to mate as much as possible throughout the year.

It is a natural urge that is going to be there and they will act on it.

Do rabbits mate for life

3. Staying Active

This is not a common reason, but it is one that is going to matter with younger rabbits.

You are going to see younger rabbits as they reach sexual maturity begin to seek out mates. They are going to do this in different ways and one of them is going to include leapfrogging over a female mate.

Why do rabbits leapfrog over other rabbits?

It has to do with attracting them as that is one way to show they are healthy and a capable mate. If they prove their worth to the other rabbit, they will have a new mating partner.

Final Thoughts

“Do rabbits mate for life?”

Rabbits are indeed capable of mating for life and will often do so as long as they are healthy. Too many rabbits will lose interest after a while, but the rest are going to maintain a healthy sexual life regardless of one or multiple mates.

If you have two rabbits paired off, they will continue to mate for as long as they can.

When it comes to rabbits in a larger group, they are going to fight it out and that can sometimes turn nasty. This is why it is always fascinating to see how one rabbit dominates another for food or mates.

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