Shall I get my bunny a friend?

[Charlotteengland]

Hello everyone ... I’m still figuring out this forum but so far I absolutely love it and love reading all your threads and learning more about rabbits! What a lovely community!

I have DM LionHead rabbit, Bonnie, who is going to be 6 months old on the 4th of June ...

Question is, do you guys suggest I get her a companion? She isn’t spayed yet as have to wait until she’s hit 6 months of age, and due to the vets holding it off due to COVID-19, but I would just like some advice to help me work out what I should do.

She lives in her hutch in the garage (no cars are in here, it’s fully insulated etc it’s like an annex... so it’s completely pet safe, I’ve done lots of research!) she stays in here while everyone is at work, and overnight from about 11pm-6am, but spends 6-7 hours AT LEAST a day in the house free roaming, or in her outside run (or free roaming the garden whilst I’m out there too). She seems happy overall and gets LOTS of attention from myself and all my family, we love her so much! However I can’t help but think she needs a companion?

if I were to get another rabbit to go with her, would they need to be neutered before they go in her hutch with her ?

would I have to wait a certain amount of time after she / her rabbit companion has been neutered to put them together?

would it be best to get a female or male companion for her?

Sorry for all the questions I just want to be sure that I’ve got all the knowledge I need instead of jumping straight into getting another one

Thank you all so much for your time reading this, if anyone else has any personal experiences or tips/advice I’d love to hear!

thanks again!
Charlotte & Bonnie

 

[Blue eyes]

In the situation you describe, yes, it would be a good idea (but not absolutely necessary) to find a bondmate for her. The website below is a good one to begin reading up on the bonding process. I'm often fine with rabbits being single, but that is if they are indoors with the family. Yours has happy hours indoors, but the other times she is out of sight and hearing of people. This is what makes me think it would be good for her to have a companion.

In short, once she's fixed, she can be introduced to other fixed rabbits to pre-screen for potential compatibility. Once a potential is found, the process of bonding can begin. Being in England, it's possible you can find a place that does the bonding for you. That isn't available for us here in the US.

You'll want to wait until she is healed from her spay before introducing her to other already-fixed rabbits. A new rabbit cannot be placed inside her cage right away. They can't share a cage until fully bonded. The current cage should be made as neutral as possible before placing them back in. Bonding can take anywhere from several day to several weeks.

But I'll leave the details on bonding to the website below:
BONDING Bunnies : CottonTails Rabbit & Guinea Pig Rescue

 

[Mac189]

She sounds really happy and might love being a single bunny, but I've found my single lady loves the gentleman I got for her, and she was a happy single gal. He grooms her ears at least once a day and cuddles her at night, He's smitten and she loves the attention! They really do love having each other and I think she's helped him not be afraid of everything.

They will both need to be neutered, to avoid hormones and aggression, I'd wait a month or two after you spay her. A male will probably be the best and easiest to bond. I'd go to a rescue or animal shelter (all the rabbits there will already be neutered) and look for a rabbit that has a disposition you think will fit well for you and her. A shelter or rescue also has the benefit that if they don't get along, you can bring them back to a safe place where they can find a better fit.

When I chose Foxwell, I also looked for a rabbit roughly her size and age, went to meet him after work so I knew he and I would get along, then scheduled a bunny meeting so I could see how they interacted. I fell in love with Fox the moment I met him, but I had to meet a few others before I found a perfect match

 

[Charlotteengland]

In the situation you describe, yes, it would be a good idea (but not absolutely necessary) to find a bondmate for her. The website below is a good one to begin reading up on the bonding process. I'm often fine with rabbits being single, but that is if they are indoors with the family. Yours has happy hours indoors, but the other times she is out of sight and hearing of people. This is what makes me think it would be good for her to have a companion.

In short, once she's fixed, she can be introduced to other fixed rabbits to pre-screen for potential compatibility. Once a potential is found, the process of bonding can begin. Being in England, it's possible you can find a place that does the bonding for you. That isn't available for us here in the US.

You'll want to wait until she is healed from her spay before introducing her to other already-fixed rabbits. A new rabbit cannot be placed inside her cage right away. They can't share a cage until fully bonded. The current cage should be made as neutral as possible before placing them back in. Bonding can take anywhere from several day to several weeks.

But I'll leave the details on bonding to the website below:
BONDING Bunnies : CottonTails Rabbit & Guinea Pig Rescue

Thank you for your advice! That’s how I feel it makes me feel bad for her knowing at night she’s alone and when everyone’s out she’s just waiting for us to get back!

I think I will wait until I can find out about her spaying appointment, see how that goes, and then maybe think about the process about introducing her to a new companion. I’m still undecided at the moment, my main concern is that I live at home with my family (I’m 19) so I don’t know if they’ll be keen on the idea of me having to get another hutch for the new rabbit...and I know although it may be for a length of time until they can be housed together ... if unfortunately the bonding doesn’t go to plan...it will be very difficult with space to have 2 hutches set up, as well as it being difficult to allow both rabbits to have enough run-time individually in a day... I worry that I won’t be able to split my time to spend with them one - on - one that i am able to do currently with Bonnie.

Even though it’s a good plan that I have in mind I am worried that it might not work out and that she will end up unhappier eg. Less attention on her, less run-time, etc etc. What do you think?

 

[Charlotteengland]

O

She sounds really happy and might love being a single bunny, but I've found my single lady loves the gentleman I got for her, and she was a happy single gal. He grooms her ears at least once a day and cuddles her at night, He's smitten and she loves the attention! They really do love having each other and I think she's helped him not be afraid of everything.

They will both need to be neutered, to avoid hormones and aggression, I'd wait a month or two after you spay her. A male will probably be the best and easiest to bond. I'd go to a rescue or animal shelter (all the rabbits there will already be neutered) and look for a rabbit that has a disposition you think will fit well for you and her. A shelter or rescue also has the benefit that if they don't get along, you can bring them back to a safe place where they can find a better fit.

When I chose Foxwell, I also looked for a rabbit roughly her size and age, went to meet him after work so I knew he and I would get along, then scheduled a bunny meeting so I could see how they interacted. I fell in love with Fox the moment I met him, but I had to meet a few others before I found a perfect match

oh my goodness that melts my heart thank you so much for your reply and advice !

if I’m honest it didn’t even cross my mind about looking in animal shelters... Bonnie is only 6 months old so I don’t know how common it is to find young bunnies in the shelter, and I’m also concerned about them not being as well tempered if they’re not handled every day the same way Bonnie is - I know that sounds narrow minded I just guess I’ve always had the impression that they wouldn’t be as calm as handled bunnies and may turn on her? She’s very chilled and loves lazing around, having cuddles, being stroked and climbing all over us - I’m worried that another bunny may power over her

 

[Abi :)]

O




if I’m honest it didn’t even cross my mind about looking in animal shelters... Bonnie is only 6 months old so I don’t know how common it is to find young bunnies in the shelter, and I’m also concerned about them not being as well tempered if they’re not handled every day the same way Bonnie is

hey i'm also looking for a companion for my bun and you'd be surprised how many young buns there are in the shelters! Although they aren't 'baby' buns they are around 6 months plus, which is probably ideas for you, and they also have some slightly older ones that are already neutered and litter trained, I would suggest looking on the websites below, and have a look at something near you, hope this helps! <3

Rabbit Shelter- Adopt a Rabbit « Animal Rescue and Care

RSPCA- Search rescue pets in need of adoption today | RSPCA

Blue Cross- Adopt a rabbit

Pets at home also have an in store adoption option, ask a member of staff and they will show you to the rabbits that can be adopted, although obviously look after lockdown

There also are quite a few places in the UK that do rabbit bonding, although their rates are a bit high!

Rabbit Bonding- About | Derricks Den

Rabbit adoption centres in the UK often have the option to take the bun home for a few days and if the bonding process doesn't work you can give them back (i know it sounds mean) and try to find another compatible partner for her

 

[Mac189]

O



oh my goodness that melts my heart thank you so much for your reply and advice !

if I’m honest it didn’t even cross my mind about looking in animal shelters... Bonnie is only 6 months old so I don’t know how common it is to find young bunnies in the shelter, and I’m also concerned about them not being as well tempered if they’re not handled every day the same way Bonnie is - I know that sounds narrow minded I just guess I’ve always had the impression that they wouldn’t be as calm as handled bunnies and may turn on her? She’s very chilled and loves lazing around, having cuddles, being stroked and climbing all over us - I’m worried that another bunny may power over her

A shelter bunny will likely get more attention from volunteers than a breeder's and often a pet that someone wants to get rid of. Most of the rabbits I found at the shelter were 5 months to a year old, typically around the time when someone realizes how much work they are and hormones kick in. I totally understand the desire to go to a breeder, but rabbits don't bond young like dogs. If you want another rabbit with a similar temperament to your little lady, go meet a few and see if they become pals and behave the way you like, you will have an easier time accessing that at a shelter than a breeder or pet store. Also, the volunteers will have notes about personality and be able to tell you all about the bunny. I have a huge packet of paperwork from the shelter with the notes from volunteers about how cheerful and adventurous Foxwell is, which is fun to have!

If you wait one to three months before getting another, there should be a huge influx of abandoned rabbits at the shelter who were doted on and spoiled as babies, just like your bunny, but then given up as they reached adulthood. A lot of rabbits are abandoned around that time that were given as gifts for Easter, who are very sweet and well tamed.

Foxwell is one of the sweetest, gentlest rabbits I've ever met, and he was dumped to live on his own for nearly a year before a girl was able to trap him and take him to the shelter. I got Willa when she was a baby and it took nearly seven months before she was comfortable being picked up or petted. I sat on the floor and read with her every day to get her to like me. With time, she became fearless and a total brat, which I love. It's so dependent on their personality, which can be harder to read in babies!

 

[Mac189]

A shelter bunny will likely get more attention from volunteers than a breeder's and often a pet that someone wants to get rid of. Most of the rabbits I found at the shelter were 5 months to a year old, typically around the time when someone realizes how much work they are and hormones kick in. I totally understand the desire to go to a breeder, but rabbits don't bond young like dogs. If you want another rabbit with a similar temperament to your little lady, go meet a few and see if they become pals and behave the way you like, you will have an easier time accessing that at a shelter than a breeder or pet store. Also, the volunteers will have notes about personality and be able to tell you all about the bunny. I have a huge packet of paperwork from the shelter with the notes from volunteers about how cheerful and adventurous Foxwell is, which is fun to have!

If you wait one to three months before getting another, there should be a huge influx of abandoned rabbits at the shelter who were doted on and spoiled as babies, just like your bunny, but then given up as they reached adulthood. A lot of rabbits are abandoned around that time that were given as gifts for Easter, who are very sweet and well tamed.

Foxwell is one of the sweetest, gentlest rabbits I've ever met, and he was dumped to live on his own for nearly a year before a girl was able to trap him and take him to the shelter. I got Willa when she was a baby and it took nearly seven months before she was comfortable being picked up or petted. I sat on the floor and read with her every day to get her to like me. With time, she became fearless and a total brat, which I love. It's so dependent on their personality, which can be harder to read in babies!

Also, where you get your new bunny from is totally up to you and will probably be a great experience either way! I'm just sharing my positive experience with getting a shelter bun and all the perks that come with it (neutered, vaccinated, personality profiles, resources, and safe place to return the bunny if they don't get along). Good luck and tell your adorable little bunny hi!

 

[Blue eyes]

if I’m honest it didn’t even cross my mind about looking in animal shelters... Bonnie is only 6 months old so I don’t know how common it is to find young bunnies in the shelter, and I’m also concerned about them not being as well tempered if they’re not handled every day the same way Bonnie is - I know that sounds narrow minded I just guess I’ve always had the impression that they wouldn’t be as calm as handled bunnies and may turn on her? She’s very chilled and loves lazing around, having cuddles, being stroked and climbing all over us - I’m worried that another bunny may power over her

As others have mentioned, getting a bun from a rabbit rescue (not just generic shelter) is actually better if you 1.) are looking for a particular temperament, 2.) are looking for already fixed rabbits, 3.) want one close in age to yours, 4.) would like to pre-screen for potential compatibility, 5.) want the best chance of ensuring you end up with a compatible bondmate.

Those who get a baby to try to bond with their fixed rabbit are taking a big risk that the two won't be compatible. Sure, they'll likely get along at first, but only until hormones kick in with the baby. By then you'd have invested much time and emotion into the new rabbit, have to pay the cost for neuter, oversee healing process, and then begin the bonding process all over again. If they decide to not get along at that point, you'll be stuck with having to house them both separately after all.

The other disadvantage is that it is not true that handling a baby often makes it like to be handled when an adult. So when someone gets a baby rabbit, they'll never know what their personality will be like until they've reached maturity (those darn hormones again). It is a myth that frequent handling as a baby makes them like to be handled when older. That is solely up to the individual innate temperament of each rabbit.

The only way to see what a rabbit's temperament is like is by meeting the individual rabbit after it has been fixed (just like the ones available at rabbit rescues). So this brings us to #1: if you want a particular temperament, you can only find it by meeting already fixed rabbits. Rescues frequently have a number of rabbits under 1 year of age (#3). The rescue workers are also typically quite familiar with the personalities of each of their rabbits -- another plus.

It isn't cheap to fix a rabbit, so you also save money when getting an already-fixed rabbit. It is highly recommended for a rabbit to be fixed before attempting to bond him. So that covers #2.

Rabbits can be very choosey about which rabbit they will accept as a bondmate. Sometimes two rabbits simply refuse to get along. (I've experienced this more than once.) The way to help find the right bun is to allow your bunny to do the choosing. This is the purpose of allowing your bunny to meet potential bondmates. I know of nowhere else to accomplish this than through a rabbit rescue. It's a good way to start off a potential bonding on the right foot (#4).

If you do bring a rabbit home and start the bonding process (though in the UK, some rescues will do the bonding for you), if it ends up that the two don't get along after all, then the rescue typically allows you to exchange the new rabbit for another. This helps ensure you do (#5) actually end up with a compatible pair.

During the bonding process, it isn't necessary to have a 2nd hutch. An ex-pen can often suffice as a second living space.