Are rabbits solitary animals?

[Karla]

I really need your help. I am debating with another person about bunnies. She claims bunnies should live alone as they are solitary animals. This means that they eat together, but do not sleep together.

I say that they are colony animals and need the company of each other. Quite clearly when you see them together.

Please help me prove her wrong – can you find some scientic evidence or just plain good arguments?

[Furface]

tell her to look up warren.

[Karla]

Ehm, bad translation on my part – Colony =warren. What I tried to say Maybe I should try to google it.

[skunklionshow]

Actually rabbits are very social creatures and have a tendency to bond for life.  If rabbits were meant to be solitary, my two never got that memo

PS Your english is awesome!

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

I’m not sure if this helps but..
In the wild, rabbits actually help each other survive. If there’s a predator nearby, a rabbit will stomp his feet to let other rabbits know. Sorta like how whales sing to each other to communicate.

Somebody feel free to correct me if I”m wrong.

[BinkyBunny]

The type of rabbit that domestic rabbts orignated from are VERY MUCH social rabbits. They are not solitary. Your friend might be thinking of hares or cottontails which are mostly solitary except during mating and raising young. But all domestic rabbits are descendents of the European rabbit. (Oryctolagus cuniculus). And they are a very social group. They will live in large colonies with smaller subgroups formed with in that colony.  So they really have alot of “socializing” to do.  They have the whole heirarchy dynamic down. Like dogs that use body language to signal who is dominant, and what role each animal plays in the group, the same goes for domestic rabbits. They feel safer with the their human and/or rabbit/animal colony. 

 There are few bunnies that don’t want the company of another rabbit, but that doesn’t mean they are solitary.  They are social even if that  means humans and other animals will fill in as colony members. .

[RabbitPam]

They do seem to bond with the living being in their home, be it rabbit or you.

I had read that a bunny actually needs to snuggle, practically daily. That they thrive with some amount of contact, so you want to pet them and give them a chance to snuggle with you regularly. (Not lift or carry, just be available on their level to cuddle next to them.)

[Monkeybun]

Posted By RabbitPam on 08/22/2009 03:43 PM
They do seem to bond with the living being in their home, be it rabbit or you.

I had read that a bunny actually needs to snuggle, practically daily. That they thrive with some amount of contact, so you want to pet them and give them a chance to snuggle with you regularly. (Not lift or carry, just be available on their level to cuddle next to them.)

 

Someone forgot to mention the snuggling part to my Monkey-bun evidently lol. Little goober does NOT like being petted or snuggled. Weirdo. But she DOES love being around me and my hubby, she binkies liek crazy whenever we come near her, provided we don’t try to sneak pets lol

[BinkyBunny]

Awe – Monkey-Bun didn’t get the memo. Out of curiosity, has she always been like that or does she have a past that explains her skittish? Some bunnies are like that though. Can she be bribed with treats?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Well your questions already been answered-but another point-almost all ‘prey’ animals are social animals!! i.e. horses, cows, zebra’s etc.

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