Messing with a good thing?

[Carly]

Hi everyone. 

I adopted my boy, Tot, just over a month ago, and things are wonderful. He’s my first bunny; and the two of us already have a close bond, as I work from home and can devote endless hours to him. 

I’ve been toying with the idea of bringing home a second bun, just for the added fun & cuteness. However, I’m concerned that having a bunny companion would diminish the bond that Tot & I share. He’s very cuddly, and loves to lay beside me while I work, follows me around, and even grooms me regularly (hair, too). 

Has anyone found that bringing in a second rabbit changes the relationship with the first bun & their human? Would I just be messing with a good thing?

[Mikey]

Theres a lot more to consider before getting a second bun. Is Tot neutered? If not, when will he be neutered? How old is Tot? Has Tot ever met another bunny before? Has another animal ever been in “his territory” before? Where will the other bun’s cage be located while you start the bonding process? Do you have neutral rooms ready for when you start bonding the two? What is/are your game plan(s) for bonding the two together over time? What if bonding cant be done?

If you decide a second bun is good for both of you, take Tot with you so he can pick out which one he likes the best. Dont try anything until Tot is neutered so hormones dont get in the way

[Love4Bunny]

I would like to add that my bunny is still the same, licky, affectionate & attention-seeking lagomorph that he ever was. Bonding was kinda stressful but it didn’t change our relationship. I found the focus changed from handling one familiar personality, to handling two very different personalities and interpreting and troubleshooting conflict. It was more like, “Oh, Lord, please let them get along, and don’t let them fight!”, as opposed to “Hmmm, what will we do today?”. You also have to be prepared to adjust expectations of what you’d like, to how it might actually end up. The new rabbit that Tot may like may be easy-going or it may be destructive, obstinate, very shy, or have poor litter habits/ health issues (some of what I considered). That being said, as long as you do thorough research beforehand, and are patient, you will have a better chance at success. I’ve heard of bonding taking as long as a year, to 3 years and not looking likely, to instantaneous. It took a lot of time on my part and I think I got a few more grey hairs, but I’m glad I chose to get a second rabbit.

[drwil]

Why don’t you give a rabbit sanctuary a call? They will let your bunny stay there for a while and “date” other rabbits so he can choose who to be with. Usually people who run these places are pretty good at spotting which rabbits are paying each other lots of attention.

Your rabbit will not de-bond with you in the meantime. He will recognize you by smell. Most animals have good long-term memory.

[kmurphy]

I’m in the process of bonding 2 rabbits. Our original rabbit Kraken, although he was stressed during the bonding process (he still is a little stressed). He still very much loves us and behaves the same around us. We were also worried about this as we think Kraken is pretty much the perfect bunny ever and we didn’t want him to change.
The only changes I have seen is that he seems a bit less scared at times and he seems to binky a little more. At least so far this is what we are seeing.
Good luck!!

[Carly]

Thanks for your feedback!

[Author]

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