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- This topic has 3sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 7 months ago by
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Hi Endlessrabbit! It’s great that you let your bunny have enough room to explore and burn off energy rather than let her sit in a small cage. It is true that bunnies should have another rabbit for company, however there are circumstances where this could be bad for the bunny or isn’t completely necessary. It is really up to each bunny owner depending on the circumstances. With my rabbit Toki, for example; he is a rescue and has tried to attack every other rabbit who he has been exposed to. So he lives as a lone rabbit. This is not too bad since I don’t work and am home a lot of the time, so he almost always has company.
How much interaction does your rabbit get and what things do you do with her? During the time you have, it would be good to bond with her through petting and play, things that can stimulate her and help her not to get bored or lonely. Is she running up to you when you come home, as though she has been lonely without you? Does she ever ‘flop’ or ‘binky’ (signs of happiness)? Of course rabbits are mostly awake at night and in the morning, so spending time with her during her active hours would be most effective but can be difficult on a typical work schedule.
If your circumstances allow, you may wish to get a second rabbit. If you do go down that route, of course bonding can take some time and be a lot of work. The “Bunny Info” link at the top of this page has an article for “Bonding” which has a lot of useful information. You’ll see ‘bunny speed dating’ mentioned there, which involves going to a rabbit shelter and letting your bunny choose another rabbit who she gets along with. This can make for easy bonding, and helps to avoid situations where you adopt a random rabbit which may take many months to be bonded, or may introduce other difficulties such as aggression.
If you have any other questions, ask away, and keep us updated
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Hmm, do you know what it is that’s scaring her? Or is she running away from your attention specifically? My Toki ran away from me for the first couple of months but eventually got used to being pet, kissed, etc. So I would think after 2 years she would know you weren’t really anyone to be afraid of, but depending on the level of physical interaction she receives from you, she still might be wary. Not all buns are playful; mine gets frustrated and would much rather just be pet. However he does still have lots of toys and he will throw them, chew them etc when he feels playful. Does your bun have toys, tunnels etc to keep occupied?
Perhaps if you have some time on the weekend/holidays, or any spare time you have, you could devote some extra time to your bun. Not only should that help her feel comfortable with you but will also help any possible loneliness she might have. So things like petting, hand feeding, introducing a toy, and talking to her; with the hope that she will stop running away. Anyway, it sounds like you’re being the best owner you can be, and as long as she is safe and healthy with a good diet (unlimited hay, limited pellets etc), room to exercise, and someone who cares for her, then that’s most important. With anything else I would say just keep doing the best you can
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