i just recently (2 weeks ago) got my second bun. i adopted him, he’s already neutered and older than Meadow. Meadow has always been a very lovey-dovey bun. she thrives on human attention. she’s a follower, she’s a nose-bumper, she will sit for pets (even on my lap!) for as long as i’m willing to give them. she really is the furry light of my life. i have noticed no change in her behavior towards US since Max has been here. granted… they’re not bonded yet… but i find she comes to “check-in” on me more now. also, i have been giving both of them more undivided attention thruout the bonding process. she loves it.

Max is such a sweet guy. he is still a little bit weary of us b/c from day 3, i was sticking him on the washing machine in a basket. i know he was thinking, “okay, what the hell is going on?!” but he’s been coming around. i hold him once a day (just b/c i love to and i’m a rebel) and the rest of the time i do the “sit quietly on the floor” thing. today he walked over to me and nose-bumped my legs a few times. let me tell you: i was in bunny slave heaven. i am so excited to have him b/c he is just the perfect little guy.

i tell you this to make a point. if they NEVER bond, i will still be the luckiest person ever to have them both in my life. i would keep them separately forever and cherish them every single day. you need to be willing to make that commitment first, just in case. you must be able to devote time everyday to the bonding process. i hear 15-20 minutes, but i’ve been doing an hour a day. they are getting used to being in each other’s presence… and i just love watching them. you must be able to provide vet care, housing, runtime, and food/hay for both. Max easily eats twice the hay and greens that Meadow does… so this is an added expense you need to account for. when a bunny slave spends 50 bucks a month on veggies for one bun, well… do the math. it adds up. but it is absolutely worth it.

i think you need to evaluate your life, finances, and time constraints. i think Tonks would love a friend (eventually), but it’s not necessary as long as she gets enough interaction from you guys.

I also recently adopted a new friend; Humphrey was acting very strange and lonely-like for a while so I thought I’d get him a bunny buddy. Anyway, the bodning is going slower than I’d like, but I’m enjoying my time with both rabbits and Humphrey still acts like Humphrey. In fact, he’s been a little cuddlier, actually, almost like he’s saying “You still love me even though you like him, too, right?” I mean, all rabbits change in personality a little when they get bonded, but I don’t think Tonks is going to stop loving you just because she loves another bunny.

Anyway, if your other worry is that she may reject her mate (and for that matter, what sort of a mate to get her), I’d bring her on some dates and see if there are any particular bunnies she gravitates towards and gets along with. Two girls can work very well, too, so don’t discount female companions. Even male/male pairs *can* work out, they’re just harder.

Good luck!

I always say the more the merrier….this is why my family/friends keep me in check or else I’ll be the crazy cat lady, with a whole zoo!! LOL I do think bunnies need companionship and it makes being away a little less guilty. But you should be prepared and ready should they NEVER bond. You may have two seperate bunnies…Any shelter near you that could do bunny dates?

OK, I’ll weigh in on the other side. Not that you shouldn’t get another bun, but that she’d be fine if you didn’t.
My first question is – Why is she having potty issues, nipping and humping the cats? IF fixed, then it may be for dominance. So I’m wondering if she is becoming more assertive about her place in the household and wouldn’t welcome even more competition for you from another bun.
If she were alone all day and you went out a lot at night so she was really, really lonely, it would be a good idea. But she’s obviously happy with you (snuggles and kisses) and she isn’t alone – she has cats for company. You don’t know how they interact when you’re gone, but they are with her. Unless another bun would balance the odds, you might wait until she’s a bit more secure in her environment. Try to work out the potty problem first. Definitely bring her into an x-pen with you in the living room to watch TV. Keep an eye on her when she does go, in case there’s a health problem she’s coping with. (Does she hide to pee and then strain? Poopies different?) It may just be waiting a month or two or more to get her settled, but if you are unsure about committing to the bonding/space/feeding issues of getting another bunny, wait until YOU are ready. Being more secure with Tonks may make you more secure with a new guy.
My bunny, Spockie, lived with me under the same work/sleep conditions as you do. That’s why I thought he was the perfect pet. He was so happy to see me mornng and evening, and he frankly ignored me most of the day when I was home unexpectedly because he was used to his own little routines while I was at work. He LOVED human visitors – and I worried that he was lonely – but overall he seemed to be quite happy for years.

Confused yet?

I have to agree with Rabbitpam on this one…I think you need to work on the issues she has currently and she doesn’t necessarily have to have a friend.

I know you realize the stress of bonding too.

And I also think you answered your own question that right now you aren’t sure that you want to take on the responsibility of another rabbit or pet so I don’t think you should (right now).

i know it seems like the advice is all over the place… lol! if you want to get a companion for her, i personally think it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. the more time she is in the house as the only bun, the more it will be “her house”. of course all bunnies are different, but i think of Markusdark who had Maryann as the only bun for 5 years. he had a long, difficult bonding process, but it was successful in the end. things might have been easier had she been bonded earlier, or they might not have been. bonding is really just a big giant question mark as to how you will do, how the buns will do, how long it will take.

i agree, work on her potty issues first. it sounds like she’s getting the hint already. not everybun is 100% with littertraining. some will always leave poos around regardless of what you do. if the pee is in the box and most of the poo, i consider them littertrained.

if you take her somewhere to meet another bun, make sure their rabbits are already spayed/neutered. if they do not alter, hormones will be in the way. bunny dates are not always as telling as you hope. sometimes they are great at the rescue, at home it’s a different story. i’d suggest you do some reading up on bunny bonding, i can post some links if you want.

if you want another bun for yourself, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. another bunny will be saved, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

i think getting a bunny friend is always a good idea, if she is alone alot then a new bunny would be nice for her, just because you have another bun doesnt mean you cant continue to work on tonks issues, as long as you have the time to put in for bonding everything should be fine, that would also be one more rescue bun with a loving home! In an ideal world it would probably be nice to get tonks behaviour perfect and then get another bun but in reality things dont happen that way, a friend sure would be nice and it may help her behaviour a little!

i think getting a bunny friend is always a good idea, if she is alone alot then a new bunny would be nice for her, just because you have another bun doesnt mean you cant continue to work on tonks issues, as long as you have the time to put in for bonding everything should be fine, that would also be one more rescue bun with a loving home! In an ideal world it would probably be nice to get tonks behaviour perfect and then get another bun but in reality things dont happen that way, a friend sure would be nice and it may help her behaviour a little!

We are in the honeymoon phase of an 8-month *difficult* bonding process but even when Snuffles hated Oliver she liked having him around. Almost like she enjoyed having a *pet* rabbit in a cage for her company. If we split them up for any length of time she would come over to see him as soon as we put them back together again. And now she’s even more affectionate than she was before – she’s always been somewhat aloof and let us come to her for lovin’. She is definitely much happier now that she has him as a full-fledged friend. We only had her for about 6 months before we brought Oliver home and she had already developed the strong territorial behaviour.

I think it would be good for Tonks to have a companion, but it sounds like she isn’t lonely. I would assess your situation and decide how another bunny would fit into your family. I have heard of nearly instant bonding, but I have experienced 8 months of intense dislike. It was, however, all worth seeing them snuggle together blissfully in love.

I have no advice to offer but enjoy reading all the post. cotton was fine by himself and now he wants to go see the girls is ok with it but not in his territory. is ok I am able to take our time work this out. made a schedule so everyone can be happy. I can’t say it will go smoothly or it won’t you just never know.