Since you were hoping to adopt rabbits that were already bonded, getting rabbits from a breeder will likely be challenging and very stressful. Even if they are related, you would still need to house them separately until they are spayed and neutered, and then go through the bonding process with them, with no guarantees it would work out. So it would be a lot more work, in addition to a lot more money.

There is also a misconception that small rabbits need less space to exercise. All rabbits need a large room to exercise in, and often larger bunnies are a bit “lazier”, so actually do fine in the same size room as a smaller bun. As long as you don’t get a giant breed, most rabbits would likely do just fine in the room you have available. If the room is really small (maybe you could share the dimensions?), then it could be too small for any rabbit, let alone a bonded pair.

Rabbits bond to new humans just fine, even as adults. With an adult rabbit you know a lot more about their personality, litter trainability, destructive tendencies, etc. Getting babies really has a lot more uncertainty.

It can take time sometimes to find an appropriate animal in rescues, but it’s worth waiting for, even if you submit an application of interest (not all rescues will do this) and let them know you’re looking for a small bonded pair that way you’ll be one of the first people they contact. Some animals will appear on a rescue website and get adopted the same day, so you really need to be on the ball with checking.

As mentioned above, adopting a bonded pair is going to be much easier than buying two young rabbits, even siblings. As mentioned you will need room to house them separately and need to have time to be able to give them separate free roaming time. Waiting for neutering, then going trough the bonding process is a long journey, sometimes it goes very smoothly if you get lucky, but it can also be very difficult and frustrating. Also keep in mind the cost of getting them spayed and neutered, plus the additional cost of duplicate supplies while they’re housed separately.

I adopted my bonded pair from a rescue when they were almost 2 years old. Like any rabbit there was an adjustment process and we had to get them to trust us, but it didn’t take long. Now they happily run up to us for pats and attention and I have a strong bond with them. 🙂

Having a rescue be able to bond the rabbits for you is certainly a good option, there may be a little shake up in the relationship when you first bring them home to a new environment but at least it’s an option.

Yes regardless of gender two baby rabbits will need to be separated by 10 weeks of age, once puberty hits fights are very common even between rabbits of the same gender, and the more they fight the harder it can be to bond later on. Rabbit bonds are based on an established order of dominance, so fighting can be minimal or severe depending on how dominant each individual rabbit is.

Ah that makes a lot of sense about going down the stairs with them! I wonder if using a soft-sided carrier might make it a bit easier, as those are somewhat lighter? Not great for long term travel because they can chew on them but for short trips it could be fine. I also have this little hard-sided carrier that looks like a picnic basket that surprisingly fits my pair that’s 4 and 5 lbs and is a lot easier to carry than the standard cat carrier shape. They are pretty snug in there but it’s actually a bit safer than them having too much room to slide around.

And I agree with Azerane, even same-sex pairs have to be separated because they only have a “baby bond” which tends to break at puberty. Not to mention it’s really hard to sex baby rabbits, so we have so many people on the forum end up with a m-f when they were sold two sisters!

In any case, it sounds like you have some good leads with the rescue, I think being patient and getting pre-approved to adopt will help a lot!

We had the same doubts after our beloved Breintje passed away. It’s very good that you’re asking for information and exploring your options. Here’s my two cents about it:

I love forming deep bonds with animals too, and I’d always wanted to work with a problem rabbit, so I asked local shelters if there were any rabbits who would benefit from one-on-one attention all day. (I’m always home because of my illness and I have a lot of time to rehabilitate a rabbit.) Sadly I got very rude and abrasive answers from the shelters, so we went to a hobby breeder.

We got a dwarf brother and sister from the same litter, and we quickly learned why getting 2 bunnies from a breeder isn’t a good idea. We had to separate them within a week because the dwarf male started to bother his sister. He was neutered at just 13 weeks old, but we had to keep them separated until his sister could be sterilised too, at 7 months old.

All the time we had two young energetic bunnies who were eager to get out of their hutch to play. But we could only let out one at a time to prevent pregnancy and fighting. We spent 6 months in constant hutch rattling, and it’s nerve-wracking.

Then we had to get them bonded. I’ll be very plain: bonding is hell. It’s something that’s best left to experts.

Another point against getting two baby rabbits: baby rabbits get along, but you’ll never know if they’ll get along as adults. If you’re unlucky they are apoor match. Owen and Molly were considered bonded, but they had big fights last weekend, so they’re separated again. A vet suspected that Molly has a medical issue that makes bonding her difficult, so we’re taking her to a special clinic to get her tested.

All in all, it’s hell 😥 If I had to make the choice again, I’d pick either of these:

• Get a bonded pair from a shelter
• Get a single rabbit from a reputable breeder, spay/neuter them and use the shelter’s dating service to get them a mate.

I’m not against reputable hobby breeders, because there are breeders out there who really do love their animals and breed for good health. There are plenty of reasons to get a bunny from a good breeder: because you love a certain breed or because you want to bond with your bunny early on. I’ve seen good breeders, bad shelters, and bad breeders and good shelters.

The choice is up to you, but these are my experiences. Hope it helps! ^_^

One of my buns, Boo, is a shelter rabbit.  Walter was from a breeder.

Both are more hands off, but Walter does occasionally ask for pets.

It’s been about a year and a half, but the other day, Boo nudged (hey, we used to have a bunny named Nudge) my hand.  Just for a moment and probably looking for another of the Sherwood digestive tabs, her fave, but I’ll take it as a win.

It’s pretty special when a rescue comes thru their fear.

As for your caring issue, maybe a pet stroller?