lonely bun??? help!

[bunnycutie]

we have a single dutch rabbit, un-neutered male, named buttons, who lives outside(inside in the winter). although he gets a lot of human attention, we thought he might benefit from another bun’s company. it would have to be male, so there is no breeding.  if we purchase another bun, it will live in the hutch next to his. buttons personality is very compatible and could easily get along with another rabbit. we think they would be able to play together in the house, supervised, of course. and economically, neutering is not a choice(we don’t have the extra money). could two males get along? 

[KatnipCrzy]

If you are not able to neuter Buttons or any other rabbit that you get- you should not get a companion for Buttons.  I doubt he will find it relaxing to have another intact male in what he considers his territory and it will increase his spraying and marking- and most likely encourage another male to do so in response also.

If you bring Buttons in when it is hot or in the winter- it will only make his exercise time and clean up more of a hassle.  He might tolerate a young  bunny at first but once hormones kick in you most likely will not be able to have them together or within reach of each other.  If you live at your parents house- consider if they will be OK with TWO rabbits acting like this in the house- as they are likely to be banished outside forever or rehomed.

 

[Sarita]

I agree with Katnip and also if you you are struggling economically that you cannot get Buttons fixed then you should not get another rabbit because it’s twice the amount of money.

[bunnytowne]

Housed in cages next to each other they may spray each other too.   They will probably fight once mature and put together.  The marking will be non stop.

I wouldn’t get another bunny and not alter them.  It is 99.9% likely it won’t work.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

I have an Idea, Convince your parents to get your bunny neutered as a birthday present, or end of the school year present. Then if you decide to get him a friend, get him a girl spayed bunny. I convinced my mom to let me spay my bunny as a gift for doing well that school year. Then I convinced her to let me get another bunny because I was already so responsible with Fern.

Neutering is the key, but I am lucky to have never owned a bunny that sprays.

[jerseygirl]

Ditto. Unneutered males together will probably spell trouble. Even if you get an already fixed male – your unfixed one will likely display some behaviours you’ve not seen before. There are some economic options for getting a rabbit neutered that some members here have found. Maybe we could help find one for Buttons? If you could get this done – a getting future bun will go smoother and by adopting from a shelter, you wouldn’t be paying for a second spay or neuter.

On the breed poll, it’s hard to say what you’ll get. Breed does not always come into it but it is said that the larger breeds are more docile.

[Beka27]

Like the others said, from the sounds of it, another bunny is not going to be the answer. We don’t advocate keeping rabbits outdoors, this board is dedicated to house rabbits and by extension, finding solutions to get outdoor bunnies inside full-time. I would not recommend getting another rabbit until yours is neutered AND living indoors. As two unneutered males, they would be adversaries rather than companions. Even in the case of two altered buns, the bonding process can be long and tricky and the buns need to be in a safe, secure environment, away from the common stresses of outdoor living. Very few rabbits can successfully be “let out” to play together and then return to their own separate living quarters without having repeated fights.

This economy is tough for most people, so I understand the money limitations. This is another big reason to not get a second bunny. A single rabbit can be very happy with a human friend. That will require you to provide him companionship and supervised exercise time everyday.

[bunnycutie]

kk thanks

[jerseygirl]

The neuter is often cheaper than having a bunny spayed. I remember one member here only payed something like $60! I think it was through a local rescue or animal group – so it’s worth investigating.

[bunnycutie]

mybe…cuz they want over 200 for every place i take him to.

[jerseygirl]

What State/location are you in (if you don’t mind saying…)?  Perhaps some of the other members can suggest places to enquire further.

[bunnycutie]

ohio-cleveland

[bunnycutie]

never mind. we found a place

[jerseygirl]

Good for you! Beka27(forum leader) is from this area also, so may be able to help you out with vets, sourcing supplies etc in future.

[MooBunnay]

I’m glad to hear you found a place for the neutering! If you have any questions about post-neutering care let us know. For males, I think the most important thing is to keep your bunny from running around too much so he doesn’t over-exert himself in the first few days of recovery. Even if two males are neutered, it is still very hard to bond them, so I’d recommend waiting until your bunny has healed for at least a month to start a “dating” process. “Dating” basically means that you take your bunny to a shelter to meet some other bunnies to see how they get along. Also, in the meantime definitely read up about the “bonding” process so that you are prepared when you are ready for a second bunny. Also, keep in mind what the others mentioned about 2 bunnies being twice the expense.

[bunnycutie]

thanks!

[Beka27]

OH! You’re by me! I don’t realize that. Do you mind my asking who you found? You can email me privately… beka (at) binkybunny (dot) com

[BinkyBunny]

I’m so glad that neutering is now a possible option. Yeah! Well keep us updated, and let us know if you need any guidance or help through the pre-post surgery.

[MD]

At some time in the future, if you get your rabbit neutered and living indoors, and still feel that your bunny could benefit from a companion, I’d suggest going to a local SPCA branch or local animal shelter.  These rabbits are often already spayed or neutered, plus adopting a rabbit is much less expensive than purchasing one from a store or breeder.  I don’t think that finding a certain breed of rabbit will necessarily make it calmer.  However, spaying and neutering rabbits helps to decrease their aggressive behavior, so they will be calmer and less destructive.  In males especially, neutering can eliminate the urine “spraying” behavior.  Also, rabbits who are not spayed or neutered have a higher rate of developing certain health problems. 

It sounds like you found a good place to do the neutering and might be able to do it after all.  I wish you and Buttons good luck.
 

[Beka27]

I’ve called some local places, including the place I had my Meadow spayed, and they are all at about $200 or more for neutering. You said it had to be under $100 but I really don’t think you are going to find that in this area. Is there anyway your mom would pay half and allow you to save up to pay the other half?

[bunnycutie]

beka- i am so sorry i hadn’t checked this post sooner. i didn’t realize you replied here. we had talked about that. she didn’t even like that!  she said that “he doesn’t need it”. when we bought him, i told her that neutering was something that had to be done. oh gosh

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