is it cruel to have just one?

[jayne fine]

I got a rabbit at school as an emotional support animal at a time when I was super depressed and essentially had withdrawn to my room except for when I was going to classes.  I have since withdrawn from that school and am planning to transfer.  The current plan is to continue bringing my bun Millie with me to school as a registered emotional support animal, I’ll be in touch with whatever school I end up transferring to and it will definitely come up during interviews/talking to school counselors.

Now, Millie and I will be living at home for the rest of the year and I’m starting to see what it’s like to have a rabbit with a busier schedule (I’m seeing someone now and looking for a full time job, spent all summer working and she was left in the care of my parents) and I’m really feeling bad for her.  She’s definitely a person-oriented bunny and will jump up excitedly when she sees people she knows, but otherwise she just lays around, doesn’t like any toys I’ve tried (bird toys of various kinds, paper toilet tubes stuffed with treats, wicker toys of various kinds).

 I’m starting to seriously consider getting her a friend.  When I first got a rabbit I was under the impression they didn’t really mind being on their own and I’d never had one before and figured I could meet her needs, now I’m doubting if that was the right decision and regretting not adopting her with the sister she’d been raised with.

I’m just looking for people to weigh in- those with single rabbits and those with multiples both.

 

ETA: she lives in a dog run that’s has varied in size from 1.5-2 by 4 to about twice that.  I’m hoping to rabbit proof my bedroom for her to run in soon, have to guard fish tank wires better than they’re guarded now.  She doesn’t chew normally but I’m worried how she’ll be when she has free range.

[BB & Tiny]

I had BB for a year before I brought Josephine home. Admittedly I noticed at times he also lay there staring off into space looking bored.

I hadn’t intended adopting another bunny until I saw her and she needed a home. Not all bunnies will bond, so I was prepared to have two separate pens if necessary life long.

Thankfully they have bonded, although sometimes they both lay together now staring off into space, lol. I still think overall they are much happier together. I am glad I decided to adopt another, for him, her and myself..

[Jadeo09]

Hi
Rabbits are social animals and need interaction .
Rabbits do well on their own if the owner has time for them allot.
Your rabbit needs and would greatly benefit from a friend now that you can’t devote as much time to him.
He will miss you and possibly be feeling lonely.
You seem like you really love and care for him/ her and its very thoughtful of you to consider getting him a friend.
Jade

[lorree]

I have a solo bunny, she’s now 4 and I’ve been advised that with the way she is and how territorial she is, it would be very hard to bond her if at all possible. She has guinea pig and cat friends that she bonded with when she was younger and she allows them into some, but not all of her space and will try to dominate them if they keep hanging around in her area.

If your bunny is young still, it would be great for u to look into getting her a friend now b4 she gets older

I regret not bringing my bunny home with one of her sisters too when I got her. I do spend a lot of time with her and so do the other animals but I always thought it would have been better for her to have a permanent best friend with her all the time

Apparently rabbits still love their humans just as much, if not more, when they also have a bunny friend

[jayne fine]

How old is too old to consider bonding? I think she’s like 2 or 3 now; I’ve had her about a full year and when I got her they said she was one and a half to two years old, I think. She is very vocal about her space (lots of thumping, grunting) even after being spayed so my guess is she is more on the territorial side.

My plan would be to bring her with me to the local shelter and look for someone she gets along with there.

Really I wouldn’t feel as bad if she had other kinds of animals to hang out with but all I have is a lab mix dog that plays a little too rough for me to trust her with the rabbit.

[Jadeo09]

I would talk to the animal shelter because people have bonded Buns at 6 years ect.
That may be a good plan to take her to the shelter.
Jade

[lorree]

Yes, it’s definitely worth a shot.
Maybe just try not to get too attached to a new bunny b4 you know they can bond.
And desexed rabbits can be easier to bond. Usually a desexed male and a desexed female bond better than 2 same sex rabbits, when bonded later in life

[Jadeo09]

If your in america
Here is the spray I have heard helps with calming rabbit to help with binding
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Rocks-Pet-Remedy-Spray/dp/B00G6HQ4SI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1443139254&sr=8-13&keywords=pet+remedy

[Jadeo09]

Bonding!

[jayne fine]

I’m still very torn on getting MIllie a companion. I’ve decided I’m going to see what I can do about letting her and my dog be friends. They’re both pretty interested in each other- Millie’s biggest personality trait is she has 0 fear of anything (loud noises, strange people/things, etc), including the dog. The dog is interested in playing with her but we’ll see if she wants to be too rough.

I’m still not sure where I’m going to be next year, I have to apply to schools. Millie is technically a therapy animal for me, I had exceptions at my old school for her, so I’m operating under the assumption that she’ll be accepted in no-pet dorms but I haven’t spoken to any schools about it. At this point, that’s the only things stopping me from getting a second rabbit.

I have to start applying to schools soon anyways, though, so I’ll start reaching out about therapy animals when I do to see what their policies are.

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