Should we get another rabbit?

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This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by bunny34422.

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- 11/04/2020 at 4:11 PM
  bunny34422
  Participant
  33 posts
  My family and I are hoping to adopt another rabbit to bond with Timothy once we get him neutered (he’s 11 weeks right now). My siblings and I are doing distance learning at the moment so usually there is someone with him for like 10+ hours each day, but my parents want to get him a friend so he won’t be as lonely when we go back to school.
  
  I’m currently in contact with someone who’s looking to rehome their neutered 3 year old lop male. They want to rehome him with someone who already has a rabbit, and they can hold him until they move in January. Would it be a good idea to take in their lop, split Timothy’s room in half, and keep the two separated until I can get Timothy neutered in Jan/Feb? Or do you think it might be too stressful to keep them in the same room since one is unaltered? I asked the rabbit rescue near me, and they advised me not to take in another bun until my boy is neutered.
  
  Any thoughts? I don’t want to cause any aggression by bringing home another rabbit when he is still intact. We’re very interested in the lop, and will 100% keep them in separated and wait a few weeks after Timothy’s neuter to bond the two, but we are also willing to wait before looking for another rabbit if that’s what’s best for them.
- 11/04/2020 at 6:01 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17026 posts
  Hmm… it depends on how they will react to each other. They might surprise you and the older rabbit is the one that freaks out over the presence of another rabbit.
  
  You said they would be willing to hold onto the rabbit until January, so that would mean less time in the proposed setup before you attempt to bond them. This might not be a bad idea. However, there is another option – “Foster-to-adopt” the rabbit temporarily to see how everyone reacts. It may turn out that they are just fine with sharing opposite sides of the same room. And if not… well, you would be “fostering” and the current owners would have time to take him back and/or find him another suitable home (if necessary).
- 11/04/2020 at 6:35 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Agree with LBJ10. Their behavior towards each other might also change drastically once your bun is neutered. Litter box habits tend to fly out the window during bonding and pre-bonding, and I imagine this might be even more true when one bun is not neutered yet. So less time having to clean everything would be a good thing in my mind!
  
  That said, if you manage to get your bun neutered ASAP, before he really starts acting hormonal, then you might not have those strong reactions and things might go pretty smoothly. It’s hard to predict though! I am reminded of a past member who brought home an unneutered- baby to bond with her spayed bun (with the intention of neutering the baby). The current spayed bun FLIPPED out and hated the baby, even though they never even interacted. His presence in the house just made her very upset. Even after he was neutered the female bun didn’t like him and the owner wasn’t able to bond them, so she ended up rehoming the newer bun.
  
  Not to say that would happen in your case, but it’s good to imagine different scenarios when making these types of decisions! I’ve also seen positive examples where the young bunny and older bun take to each other very well. So you just never know. A trial run, as LBJ10 suggests, is a good idea.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 11/04/2020 at 7:32 PM
  bunny34422
  Participant
  33 posts
  Thank you both for your suggestions! I’ll have to bring it up with the lop’s owner once they texts me back. They did mention that there are other families who already showed interest in her rabbit, but they were willing to consider my family mainly because they wanted the lop to go to someone who already has a rabbit. So if we are able to have a trial run, and it doesn’t work out, then they may be able to find another home for him before they move away.
  
  My cousins came over yesterday and brought their baby rabbit & x pen. They set it up in Timothy’s room for a few hours and I supervised the entire time. Timothy did sniff the cage at first, but he was pretty much indifferent about it and spent most of the time snoozing, which seemed to be a good sign. The other rabbit was more interested in him. But I know baby rabbits can get along and don’t form true bonds, so it might go differently if I bring home the older lop.
  
  I don’t know much about the personality of the lop (except that he’s supposedly cuddly and loves pets) or if there’s a specific reason why the owner really wants him in a home with another bunny. The rabbit rescue near me posts fliers on their Facebook for owners who are privately looking to rehome their rabbits, and that’s where I got the owner’s info. This situation definitely gives me a lot to think about because I’m nervous that they will not get along and I’ll have to rehome the lop again. Thank you both for your responses!
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