Does bun need a friend?

[Laura West]

We got our Gabby (see profile pic) a month ago. She has adjusted well and completely free roams the downstairs of our house. We are away at work from 6:30am till 3:00pm. I don't think she minds, but how would I know?

Anyhow, the person we got Gabby from reached out and offered a free male English Lop (4 months old). She was so happy with the home we provided Gabby that she hoped the little guy would find the same.

My main concern is the bonding. Once bonded, can buns share an xpen? Will they inevitably bond? I don't want to upset Gabby. I also need to pay for him to get neutered. I guess what I'm wanting to know is if two is better than one when it comes to domestic buns? Help!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Cookiemonster]

rabbits are very social and you being at work that amount of time i would recommend getting her a friend. just make sure to watch them when they are together

 

[Laura West]

rabbits are very social and you being at work that amount of time i would recommend getting her a friend. just make sure to watch them when they are together

Thanks for the response! Do you have to be with them when they're together all the time? Or just until they're bonded?

 

[Cookiemonster]

just until they are bonded

 

[April LD]

Also, try to bond them in neutral territory if you can. Gabby has had run of the home and could be aggressive because of this. Read up on bonding if you don't have experience; I didn't have experience with my Binks and Mrs. Bon-Bons, but they spent about 2 hours in a small enclosure (at a pet store) getting to know each other with a neutral person watching - she said it would be best if my daughter and I left for a while and came back so we walled the pet store a million times or so. Then they came home in a med sized carrier - Binks gave her love and kisses right away - I think he would bond with anything - it took her 5 days to reciprocate the bathing/love. They had their own xpens side by side and they laid next to each other in their respective cage. Each day we had them together for as long as they wanted to be neat each other. If they fought we separated them to their xpen - so near but not alone - and waited 30 mins and then "introduced" them again - took them in the carrier in the car for a 20 min car ride, come home and let them free to roam. We did this for 5 days and then we saw her give Binks a bath/love and the adoption lady said as soon as she (Mrs.. Bon-Bons) reciprocates that bathing/love they were bonded.

 

[Blue eyes]

I would not be so quick to upset the apple cart. Not all rabbits bond and what this person is proposing (offering the male rabbit) brings with it inherent risks -- risks that they won't bond at all. What would happen then?

There's nothing wrong with finding a bondmate for your girl if that is what you want, but this isn't the best way to go about it. Ideally, if you want her to bond, she should meet some other, already-fixed rabbits, (like from a rescue) to pre-screen for potential compatibility. They typically work with such bondings and will even allow an exchange if the attempted rabbit doesn't workout. (I've had this happen on more than one occasion!!)

Getting an intact rabbit isn't ideal because you have no way to know whether or not they will ultimately bond. Whether or not they get along before neutering has no bearing on what will happen after neutering. But if you take this rabbit and go through the expense of neutering and then they don't bond, you are rather stuck -- stuck housing them separately, providing separate exercise areas, twice the work.

That said, once two rabbits are bonded, then yes, they share everything -- pens, litter boxes, food bowls. In fact, they are then not to be separated at any time. If one needs to go to the vet, then they both go. Otherwise the bond can be broken.

Free roam, indoor rabbits can often be fine as single buns too. It depends on the rabbit, but most rabbits can do just fine. The hours that you are gone are typically when rabbits are just lounging around and napping anyway. Mine typically come to life around dinnertime and in the evening.

Don't feel pushed into getting a 2nd rabbit if everything seems to be going fine the way things are. If you really want a 2nd rabbit, then I'd suggest going the route of finding an already fixed rabbit. Remember, some bonds can go very easily but others are more difficult, some are downright nerve-wracking and some just won't work. It can take much time and commitment to research about bonding and then going through the process.

 

[JBun]

What blue eyes said is all good advice. But that said, I have gone the other way and got an older unneutered buck from a friend that needed a home, to bond with my single bun. My single bun had lost her companion the year before, and seeing this boy bun I just felt he would be the right match for her. I brought him home, got him neutered and waited a month before bonding them. It was pretty much love at first sight so was an easy bond luckily. So though going with an already altered adult rabbit and having them have a 'date' to determine if they will be a good match is the preferable method, there are instances where going the other route can work out too. But you should be aware of the possibilities of it being a difficult bond, or not working out at all before deciding on this course of action, as those are real possibilities.

Also be aware that adding in a new bun can sometimes upset things for your first bun. It may be an easy bond and no issues that way, but things like territory marking and destructive behavior(chewing, digging, etc) can sometimes be sparked off when adding in a new bun to the home, either from your current bun or from the new bun you bring in.... or both. So adding in a new bun, or really any other pet, should be something that is carefully considered. It doesn't always happen, and things can go really smoothly with adding a new rabbit, but it certainly is a possibility that issues can arise.