Help with bonding please!

[littlemrdracus]

Hi all, just looking for some advice.
Our mister Dracus is a 1 year old male lionlop who primarily lives in the house – also has a sizable area outside for grazing. He is intact as it stands and not too hormonal; very friendly and not too many territory marking behaviors.
He was the last of his litter so has no bunny friends as it stands and, although he is generally a happy little chap, I worry that he may be a bit lonely when we can’t be around him. For the above reasons I’d just like a bit of advice in terms of bonding if we were to get another- I know that ideally we’d get a doe and introduce them on neutral grounds, however apart from that I’m pretty clueless and have a few concerns.
Firstly, would we be better off getting a baby or one closer to his age? Does breed matter in terms of their bonding?
I know I’d need to neuter both. My concern is primarily around the safety of the op, with their little hearts being so fragile! Does anyone have any words of widows to ease my mind, or have any tips on terms of vets etc?
This one is more of a selfish concern. Currently he is unlike any rabbit I have ever encountered – so affectionate, will spend hours ‘grooming’ his humans, lying on my lap clicking away, very laid back, binkies… you get the picture.
Is getting a mate likely to change his personality, or will he always trust us now that the bond is established?
Lastly, how likely is this sort of male/female bonding to be successful? Anything to be particularly mindful of?
Thank you in advance!

ps. Added some pics of little guy for your viewing pleasure!!

 

(Edited by Wick – deleted formatting text)

[Bu20055]

What a cutie pie!

 

The rescue near me recently had, I believe, 5 buns in for their spay and neuter surgeries, and they all did wonderfully! The rabbit rescues near me take in tons of rabbits every year, and spay and neuter all of them, with a VERY high success rate. Not sure about the other rescues, but the one my gremlins are from has never lost a bun to a spay/neuter op. I suggest getting your bun neutered, then a month or two after the op, taking him on speed dates with fixed buns at a rescue (if you can).

Breed, size and colour do not matter to buns. Bonding won’t change his behaviour towards you, it will just give him a buddy to snuggle with when you aren’t there with him.

[DanaNM]

Agree with all above! Neutering is very safe if you find a rabbit savvy vet, and is definitely needed for bonding.

Ideally for finding a good match, you would get him neutered first and let hormones settle down. Then if possible you might take him for “speed dating” at a local rescue. Male-female pairings are most common but male-male pairs are also pretty common! Personality matters the most.

Having a friend will not make him less friendly to you. 🙂 He will just always have a extra friend with him, even when you can’t be (all those hours sleeping or at work). And you will get to see all the adorable antics between them. 🙂

. . . 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.  

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