Fox, Boredom Cues, and the solo life

[Mordaith]

The Vet tells me Fox is happy and healthy. They are good Bunny vets, on the list, and she has a bun herself.

 

Just as time goes on, and I read more and more about Rabbits not being able to do well alone, I worry that I am missing something.

 

Fox flops, cuddles (a lot), and binkies (not as much when he was younger). He is friendly and seems active. He runs up to people and begs for treats and attention, and gets it in abundance.

We no longer keep him locked up at night, and he has full run of the living room and the main hallway. In the mornings when someone comes downstairs, he will run around our feet – seemingly excited – normally until his food dish is refilled for the day or he is given a treat. We spend a lot of time in the livingroom. When I am there, I’ll often sit on the floor so he can cuddle up next to me.

In all he gets about 4 to 5 hours of real one on one human-bunny attention. And then lots of incidental time if we are just hanging out in the livingroom doing other things.

 

He isn’t over grooming and he plays with his toys often.

Are their cues I should be looking for to see if he is bored or lonely? He is a real attention hog, so I can’t tell how much of his personality is “I am the most important – you will bow to my will” and how much is “I am so lonely human…. please…. find me a friend.”

 

Health wise, he is 100% the vet constantly gives him glowing reviews.

[Azerane]

Bored bunnies are often destructive bunnies. So if he’s not digging at carpets, chewing your walls, skirting boards or furniture I think you’re doing ok. Single rabbits can do great, and I think it’s even more so when they’re a huge part of the goings on in a house like Fox is. A single rabbit kept outside with a shed and run while well kept, will get lonely. But being able to be around you a lot will be a huge help to his mental wellbeing.

He sounds like a happy healthy rabbit to me

Having said that, having gone from having a single rabbit to now having a pair, I can see how them being in a pair is so beneficial. They are simply around each other 99% of the time, like little shadows of one another. It’s beautiful That being said, I don’t think my previous rabbit, Bandit was unhappy as a single bun as he lived much the same as Fox does.

[Mordaith]

Thank you so much for the reply. That little guy means the world to me and I’d be willing to get another bun if he needed companionship. I keep scanning the SPCA to see if there are any up  for adoption.

I think in my heart I know he is a happy little dude. But I just need reassured once and a while. Thank you again.

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