How do I convince my parents to let me get another bun??

[bellemarie]

 I have one rabbit named Peter, and he’s great  - super calm, cute, friendly, and curious. But I’m at school or out babysitting, etc, for part of the day. I feel bad letting him be lonely! I really want to get him a friend (a girl) after he’s neutured in a couple months. I would get a spayed girl, too. I really want another bunny for him to interact with and to be part of the family (I really love buns now!) My parents don’t want me to get another one, but it’s like – it will be the same amount of work and just a little bit more supplies – they’ll be living in the same enclosure! How do I convince my parents to let me get Pete a friend?

[LizzieKnittyBun]

Well, one big thing to consider is that it often takes a while for bunnies to bond. It’s rarely instantaneous.

Some people have to go through a bonding process that takes months, and the bunnies *must* be kept separate during that time, except during short, frequent, supervised bonding sessions. Even calm bunnies can become crazed and violent in the presence of a new rabbit. You wouldn’t be able to keep them in the same enclosure right away, or possibly even for quite some time; you would need two separate enclosures until you were absolutely certain they were bonded, otherwise you run the risk of them attacking each other. Despite their size, rabbits can do serious damage to themselves and other bunnies if they’re upset enough. Sometimes rabbit owners even get injured during bonding sessions if the rabbits attack each other and can’t easily be separated.

I understand wanting to get him a friend, I really do. But do you have the time and space needed to go through a potentially long bonding process?

[bellemarie]

I have another cage that would be fine. From now until summer I have plenty of time actually. All I have is school and babysitting a couple times a wk. How long do you think it would take until they could live together? Unfortunately, I don’t think my parents will like this whole bonding process…haha

[Elrohwen]

Unfortunately, when you live at home it’s really your parents’ decision on whether you can get another one.

Bonding can be quick or it can take many months involving a lot of time and effort. If they never bonded, would your parents be ok with two separate habitats? Also, having two is at least twice as expensive as having one, not just slightly more, so if they’re paying expenses then they have a solid argument.

I understand that you really want another one and I hope it works out, but at the end of the day it’s up to your parents after you lay out your case for why you want one.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

If you go to the Links section above, there are some great articles about bonding that will help you and your parents decide whether or not you want to give it a try. Unfortunately, as every bunny is different, there’s simply no way to predict how long the bonding process may take. As a worst case scenario, you’ll want to take into account the possibility that they may never bond and you’ll have two bunnies in different habitats. Some people have that and are fine with it, but you would have two single bunnies instead of two friends, and you seem to want another bunny so that they can be friends.

Also unfortunately, Elrohwen is right about the costs. You’ll be buying twice as much hay, litter, and food, and you’ll have double the vet bills. Is that the main reason why your parents are against it?

Let us know what happens!

[LoveChaCha]

If you are busy during the day, chances are that your bunny is asleep! I have had a single gal for 2 years, and when I go to work during the afternoon, she is sleeping.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

LoveChaCha makes a really good point! Rabbits are crepuscular, which means that they are most awake during the twilight hours around dawn and dusk. She’s probably using that time to nap and snooze!

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