Finding a friend for olaf

[ErynnSaraphie]

Hello again everyone! I’m back from my 3 or 4 years of inactivity on a different account. Anyway! Let’s get to the point.

I really want to get my rabbit Olaf a friend. He loves the company of other rabbits and I think he would really benefit from having anoth rabbit with him.

He is 7 years old and I haven’t been able to find many rabbits around his age.

Should I keep looking for one his age or should I look at younger rabbits?

Most of the rabbits I’m seeing are under a year old and unaltered. I think that even if I find a rabbit his age it wouldn’t be fixed either. I’ve been thinking of getting another male. What do you think?

I just want to make sure Olaf is happy

[HipHopBunny]

Does the place where you’re looking from allow fostering? This way you could pick a bun that you think has a compatable personality with him, and foster them to see if they’re a good pair.

Gender  and age don’t really play a role in a bond, so whichever bunny you might come across that you think will make the best bondmate works. 🙂

Hope you find the perfect match!

 

[ErynnSaraphie]

Since I’m not able to look at rabbit rescues and shelters I’m just looking on Kijiji(it’s like Craigslist). Every now and then I see pet rabbits on there but they are often young.

If I decide on choosing one I will ask if the rabbit is aggressive and I will ask for a meetup/playdate to see if they are compatible

[kanin]

Are you looking at shelters and rabbit rescues/fosters? Typically these places only adopt out spayed/neutered animals and often have older ones that have difficulty finding homes due to their age.

[ErynnSaraphie]

Most rabbit rescues and shelters that have rabbits are pretty far and due to the restrictions where I live in not sure that I’m actually allowed to go to one

[pinkiemarie]

There’s actually a rabbit rescue in my area and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a spayed or neutered rabbit there. I got one of mine there and had to have him neutered on my own and it wasn’t a requirement of the adoption. It would be better if they were fixed but I don’t think that’s a universal with rabbits apparently.

[kanin]

That’s so crazy to me, I’ve never seen one that doesn’t neuter before adopting out because they don’t want the new owners to use them for breeding. Any that adopt out unaltered buns need a stern talking to.

[Wick & Fable]

I’m unsure what resources/accessibility you have in your area, but if it’s a Craigslist like resource, perhaps try searching for rabbits that are being “rehomed” or “needs a new home”. Breeders and others will advertise younger rabbits of course. If you want a rabbit that’s older, it may come from someone giving up their rabbit for one reason or another.

In terms of age, the main consideration is understanding that very distant ages (ex. 7yo vs. 1yo) inevitably means one will pass before the other. Obviously this is the case even with rabbits of similar ages, but you want to keep in mind that rabbits do grieve, so would you want to get another companion for the surviving rabbit after its bondmate had passed.

It is most widely recommended and safe that two rabbits must be fixed in order to properly bond. Unaltered rabbits are too unpredictable and hormonally driven to co-exist safely and with stability in the same space.

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.

[ErynnSaraphie]

The whole one will live out the other thing is what I am most worried about. I have been looking for older rabbits for months and I haven’t had much luck.

Most of the rabbit breeders in my area are rabbits that are more livestock than pets and they are often large breeds. I’ve been looking for a small or dwarf rabbit so it could be more olafs size

[Wick & Fable]

You do not need to worry too much about size — I myself have two rabbits, one of whom is x3 the size of the other and they are fine together. If anything, it’s helpful that the smaller is the more testy one, as his nips do not bother the larger one. That being said, it would be a different story if it’s the other way around.

If you feel you will continue to take the utmost care and attention to your rabbits, regardless if they have a bonded mate or not, and you feel Olaf would benefit from a friend, then I would encourage you to try and find a match. Again, at the time when Olaf unfortunately passes, the younger rabbit may or may not react significantly. and if it is significant and you are willing to put in the extra care, grieving rabbits survive and recover, just like grieving humans.

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.

[pinkiemarie]

I second this! It’s much more important to find a personality match than a size match. I have a Polish who is 2.5 lbs of crazy and 2 7 on rabbits. His size does not stop him. Unfortunately he’s crazy, that’s what causes problems lol. He’s been happily bonded with a 7 lb neutered male for several years and has never been hurt by him. My other large rabbit has hurt him, so again, it’s all personality and if they get along.

 

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