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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
I have a 6 month old mini lop, she is getting spayed on the 23rd of march.
I’ve been thinking for a while about getting her a friend so she has the company of another rabbit, i have been told by many people i should have gotten two in the beginning but alas it is too late now lol
she has been very temperamental lately more so than ever she has started stomping at me if i get in her way or if i don’t let her jump onto the couch etc which i must admit is very cute but also slightly scary >.< which is a bit embarrassing, being frightened of something so small, considering how little she is compared to a person haha
she will also nudge me and bow her head down to me for a pat and if i don’t she nips sometimes nips me
but anyway i assume that is just because she is hormonal?
back to the point is it better to get her a bunny companion after she has been spayed? or before?
am i correct in thinking that it would not be such a smart idea in getting one while she is this temperamental/hormonal?
and is it better to get a girl or a boy rabbit as a friend for her?
Definitely wait until she spayed, and give her at least a month after before introducing her to other bunnies. Usually a male/female bond works easiest, but tons of people have had success with female/female bonds. Just depends on the bunnies themselves.
Don’t be scared of her jumping on the couch with you, or if you are in her way.. gotta show her you are the boss (yeah, right! lol). Tell her NO in a loud voice, or used a high pitched ow sound when she nips, so she learns not to nip.
Two females can work out, but they are usually more difficult to bond. So my recommendation is after she is spayed and healed for at least a month, take her to a local rabbit rescue and allow her to “date” some neutered, adult males to see who she gets along with. If you adopted an altered adult bun, you could begin bonding immediately and they could be living together permanently within a month.
thankyou both fo ryour advice, im thinking maybe i should get a male. unfortunaty there are no rabbit rescues near where i live, would it be unadvisable to maybe take her to a breeder and let her meet some younger rabbits and let her choose? or woud it be better to find an older male rabbit that is already neutered?
also is there a chance she could find a bunny she gets along with but once i bring them both home and he comes into her territory that everything may fall to pieces and she may never take to him?
The key with bonding is to do it in neutral territory, M&M get along much better in the sessions when they can’t see or sniff their pens. Once they are bonded, I’ll be tearing down their pens and rearranging them completely so that neither one will think its ‘theirs’ and kick the other out. It will be all new, so the bond won’t break
An adult fixed rabbit would be the better choice by far.
also is there a chance she could find a bunny she gets along with but once i bring them both home and he comes into her territory that everything may fall to pieces and she may never take to him?
It’s quite possible. The first meeting is really an introduction. You would still need to bond them in your home – though sometimes rabbits form an instant bond. There is that chance one rabbit won’t take to the other so in getting a second rabbit you do have to be prepared to house them separately on a permanent basis if that was the case. Even if you had got 2 young rabbits initially, they often split once they reach puberty and you may have had to bond them after spay or neuter anyway. Bonding can be a bit of work but I like to think most will be successful.
By looking bring home a fixed adult rabbit – you won’t have to go through the adolescent stage with them and have more of a true idea of their personality. Also the cost and stress of getting them fixed.
I was told if i was to get another rabbit that i should give Lulu to a friend for a few weeks and thoroughly clean anywhere that she has chinned or gotten her scent, as well as her house that sleeps in etc so that her scent is no longer anywhere and bring both back together is that a good way of going about it?