House bunny buddy.?

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SammileeChickie

SammileeChickie

Songster
Mar 7, 2015
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Southern California
Hello
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I haven't been on this site forever but I had a question that NO WHERE ON THE INTERNET I can find the answer for

400

Here's my sweetheart cutie.! I've had her for two months and she is too adorable.! I've heard that it is a good idea to get two bunnies because they are social. We play with her a lot (everyday) she has free range in our room during the day. But I feel like it's not enough, she needs bunny to bunny communication. Every time I go to the pet store, the employees tell me not to get another bunny. Because the original bunny will forget about you with the new bunny
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is that true.? I don't want Pucca to stop being so cuddly with me. But I also don't want to keep her away from a chance of bonding with her own kind.

What do you bunny owners think.? She seems very happy binking everywhere. Should I get another rabbit or would she be fine just by herself and her human family.?
 
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hi, I have lots of rabbits. If you play with her alot at least 3 times a day 5 minutes each time she should be fine. and if you get another bunny she wont like you less shes already bonded with you and will probably love you more then another rabbit you introduce to her. so I think its ok if you dont but your bunny will be happier if you do.(seeing her own kind and not being alone when you leave and all)
basically, get another rabbit
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I would go for another bunny. To do that tho, you'd have to spay her ( must be atleast 6 months ) and fix the other bunny, to prevent babies and hormones. Bonded bunnies will not necessarily forget about you. Many owners of bonded pairs find that they may have one more slightly independent bunny, but they still have cuddle buns, and as long as you love on them and pet them, they should remain friendly. If you do get another bun, I would look for a rescue. They'll help with the bonding process, and you'll save expenses on fixing that bun. Hope this helps!
 
Bunnies are actually solitary creatures and generally only congregate with others to mate. More times than not, introducing a new rabbit will lead to fights and potential heartbreak (fights between females can be rough).

However, if you introduce another rabbit, a neutered male might be a good option. I would consider spaying your female as well. That reduces the risk of fights significantly, although not completely.

She is perfectly happy on her own, as long as she has plenty of hay, and maybe some toys to occupy her time. If you do decide to add a second rabbit, always be prepared for the possibility that you may need to separate them permanently.
 
Actually rabbits really are social animals and do best with a buddy. I'd suggest to search for a local rabbit shelter to find her a friend there.

Your bunny is super cute! She's not unhappy now, but a friend will add so much to her life!
 
While rabbits live in groups in the wild, their social structure is dominated by aggression and territorial displays. It is very complex which is why it is not easy to find two rabbit that can coexist peacefully together for an extended amount of time. We just cannot begin to understand their social structure. I do agree that rescues are your best bet in finding a buddy though.
 
Our domestic rabbits' wild ancestor, the European wild rabbit, is the only rabbit species that has been observed to live in groups. Every other type of rabbit is solitary. As Chickerdoodle said, the wild colonies don't exhibit what is thought to be typical cooperative community behavior; one theory holds that the rabbits are living together because they are forced to by a lack of other suitable sites in their human-altered and limited habitat. There are no "friends" in a wild rabbit colony, only rivals to be dominated or avoided, so it sounds strange when someone talks about getting a friend for their pet rabbit. In the wild, each burrow within the warren has one owner - the rabbit that dug it - and every other rabbit that enters it is savagely attacked. How do you rectify this with the stories of "bonded" rabbits that pined away after the death of their cage-mate? Can this really be the same species?

My theory is that we are altering the very nature of the domestic rabbit. Just as with dogs, the normal behavior of the adult is not as appealing as that of the youngster, so we are deliberately selecting for animals that continue to display "young" behaviors into adulthood. Baby bunnies are programmed to snuggle together; if they don't, they die of hypothermia. Nobody likes getting attacked by their own rabbit when they put their hands in its cage, however normal such territorial behavior may be in an adult. We want our rabbits to be friendly with us; as we breed for this, we may be making them friendlier to their own kind, as well (though that isn't always the case; I had a buck that adored my attention, but was really nasty and aggressive with the does he bred).

So when the debate "are rabbits social or solitary?" surfaces, my inclination is to say, "both." Some rabbits seem to prefer company, but anyone who has had enough rabbits can tell you about the rabbit that simply doesn't tolerate another rabbit, no way, no how. You can't be sure how any rabbit will react to another rabbit, or how any two rabbits will get along. Given a large enough space, most rabbits can learn to tolerate each other, but whether two rabbits will truly become friends is hard to say. So IMO, whether you get another rabbit is entirely up to you, but if you play with your bunny and give her a stimulating environment, you shouldn't feel that you are "depriving" her by not having another rabbit. Getting another rabbit could be a marriage made in Heaven, or not - and there is absolutely no way to be sure, ahead of time.
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Bunnylady said:
Our domestic rabbits' wild ancestor, the European wild rabbit, is the only rabbit species that has been observed to live in groups. Every other type of rabbit is solitary. As Chickerdoodle said, the wild colonies don't exhibit what is thought to be typical cooperative community behavior; one theory holds that the rabbits are living together because they are forced to by a lack of other suitable sites in their human-altered and limited habitat. There are no "friends" in a wild rabbit colony, only rivals to be dominated or avoided, so it sounds strange when someone talks about getting a friend for their pet rabbit. In the wild, each burrow within the warren has one owner - the rabbit that dug it - and every other rabbit that enters it is savagely attacked. How do you rectify this with the stories of "bonded" rabbits that pined away after the death of their cage-mate? Can this really be the same species?

My theory is that we are altering the very nature of the domestic rabbit. Just as with dogs, the normal behavior of the adult is not as appealing as that of the youngster, so we are deliberately selecting for animals that continue to display "young" behaviors into adulthood. Baby bunnies are programmed to snuggle together; if they don't, they die of hypothermia. Nobody likes getting attacked by their own rabbit when they put their hands in its cage, however normal such territorial behavior may be in an adult. We want our rabbits to be friendly with us; as we breed for this, we may be making them friendlier to their own kind, as well (though that isn't always the case; I had a buck that adored my attention, but was really nasty and aggressive with the does he bred). 

So when the debate  "are rabbits social or solitary?" surfaces, my inclination is to say, "both." Some rabbits seem to prefer company, but anyone who has had enough rabbits can tell you about the rabbit that simply doesn't tolerate another rabbit, no way, no how. You can't be sure how any rabbit will react to another rabbit, or how any two rabbits will get along. Given a large enough space, most rabbits can learn to tolerate each other, but whether two rabbits will truly become friends is hard to say. So IMO, whether you get another rabbit is entirely up to you, but if you play with your bunny and give her a stimulating environment, you shouldn't feel that you are "depriving" her by not having another rabbit. Getting another rabbit could be a marriage made in Heaven, or not - and there is absolutely no way to be sure, ahead of time. :idunno
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Yeah that makes a lot of sense :) I've always heard people say rabbits live together in the wild but I have never seen a pack of rabbits, just one rabbit scavenging for food or popping his head out his burrow. I'll just stick to my one rabbit. She seems very content smacking her toys around everywhere
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