When I had my bridge bun Sampras I got Yumi for him as a knee jerk reaction to my schedule being erratic with work. Like tony, he was getting needier and I felt guilty so I got Yumi .
I have never looked back.
When I lost samp, I got Peep, because I couldn’t leave her to live as a solo bun, as she was so much happier as part of a pair.

I really believe rabbits are social and need company.
Knowing your rabbit has company with another rabbit,and a form of stimulation when your gone is a great comfort.
Its wonderful to watch bonded rabbits too!
I think the Spcas Allow for speed dates here if you wanted to try the adoption route
When I got Peep I deliberately tried not to get too emmotionally attached incase it didn’t work out ( failed miserably.. toyed with the idea of a quad before him and Yumi sorted themselves out.)
With adoption there’s always the choice to bring them back, and they are no worse off than when they started if Tony decides being alone is his favourite way to be, although most do actually prefer company(as long as it’s the right bun for him that is)

I have noticed my buns to be much happier with a friend, and their affection towards me did not go down. In fact, they seemed to get more outgoing and affectionate towards me. I also feel much better while at work or asleep knowing they have each other to snuggle with. 

While some rabbits just don’t like other rabbits, most of them do, and crave rabbit companionship. It’s just a matter of finding the right match. 

Do you have a shelter or rabbit rescue that will let you date Tony? I think this is really the ideal situation, and if it is possible to date before committing, I would go for it. If their first date goes well, it’s likely that bonding will succeed. 

Are you also OK with having two separate bunnies in case bonding doesn’t work? 

My Bertha was destructive out of loneliness after her first mate passed away, but has completely stopped chewing the carpet now that she is re-bonded. But the opposite can happen, as bunnies can learn new bad habits from each other, so it’s really a grab bag. 

Here’s my take:

Pros: 

2 bunnies to love (and watch snuggle and groom each other, squeeee)

bunny not lonely while you are away/sleeping

getting to pet two bunnies at the same time! 

shy bunnies often become more outgoing around outgoing bunnies. 

Cons: 

bonding takes work! (and doesn’t always work!) – so need a backup plan in case it doesn’t

twice as much litter box cleaning, veggies to buy

litter box habits can get worse for a while in a new bond, but should get better with time once they are bonded. 

pro or con: increase or decrease in destructiveness is possible, all depends on the bunnies. 

You could also look into shelters that offer to bond the buns for you after a series of speed dates. I know they exist

Since I’ve fostered buns from the shelter I used to volunteer at, I know that I for one would have a friend for Chewie if I could. Sadly, Chewie seems to hate all other rabbits who come near me

That’s great! My local rescue allowed me to foster Moose until he was bonded with Bertha, so something like that might be an option as well. At minimum, they will hopefully allow you to put an adoption hold on a bunny you are interested in, and then bring Tony in for a few dates with the bun of interest, just to see how things develop.

I’ve heard it’s really just a personality thing, so definitely try both males and females…. but Bertha has shown a definite preference for males… but maybe that’s just her personality?  It also seems like same sex male pairs are more common than females, but that’s just an impression I’ve got from the bonding forums. 

These are two seriously good pieces of news!
Can’t wait for the saga to continue (Star Wars, anyone?)

These are two seriously good pieces of news!
Can’t wait for the saga to continue (Star Wars, anyone?)