Not sure if bun-playdate is safe

[CutieMoosh]

Sorry for posting a lot this week, but hey!

This year, I wanted to take my bunny to Bunfest, but couldn’t find out if they were throwing it this year (if you know, please tell me!). My bunny never really liked to hang out with other bunnies, but I wanted him to socialize with them more since he’s around humans every day.

One of my friends has bunnies, so I thought a playdate would be a better choice instead. However, this same friend also has guinea pigs, and I believe hamsters as well. Doubt that they’re all in the same room and area though.

I’m not sure if I should have the playdate anymore. I don’t want to reveal my bunny to other bunnies who might have guinea pig cooties (yuck, grosss!!!). Would it be safe to bring rabbits who’ve been near other animals into my house?

If anyone knows if it’s okay, please let me know! Thank you so much for always responding <<<3!

[BunnyLass568]

I’m no expert so take what I say with some salt but I wouldn’t do any kind of playdates if your rabbit doesn’t like other buns, even if they do I wouldn’t recommend it. You never know if or when a fight’s going to break out and if the bunnies bond then you’ll be taking them from their bond mate which, from what I heard, can make them very anxious and depressed and can make them act out. Personally I’d just avoid it all together.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pets-Passed away: Hailey (9 years old, half rat terrier and miniature pincher, Feb-5-2019),Monster (13 years old, mixed breed, Lhasa Apso and some form of terrier, Sep-14-2020), Demon (14 year old Lhasa Apso, Aug-3-2022) Blossom (6 year old bunny breed(s) unknown, April-7-2024) Thumper (6 year old bunny breed(s) unknown, April-12-2024)💔💔💔💔

[Azerane]

A couple of things, rabbits can’t do play dates. They form bonds where one rabbit is usually dominant to the other. The bonding process can be long and difficult and once bonded rabbits shouldn’t be separated. The most likely thing to happen in an attempted playdate is fighting between your two rabbits.

In regards to the guinea pigs, they won’t make a rabbit sick but rabbits can carry the bordatella bacteria which commonly causes respiratory illness in guinea pigs, so it’s not wise to put them together for health reasons, plus also safety reasons given that they communicate differently and have different social structures.

[CutieMoosh]

Hi, and thank you both! I was just wondering, since bunnies can’t have playdates, would the Bunfest be unsafe as well since they’re getting introduced to other bunnies? Thank you again!

[DanaNM]

So,  “hoppy hours” are a little bit different, but they also come with some risks. Meeting other buns at their house is not a great idea because if they are anywhere near the other bun’s home territory it can cause fighting, as the others have mentioned.

At hoppy hours and Bun fest, they have a huge area set up and lots of trained volunteers that are really good at preventing fighting. There are also so many rabbits that the buns don’t really behave the same way as if they are in a smaller group. But fighting does still occur occasionally, so rabbits that are known to fight get removed. The hoppy hour my rescue used to put on had “bunny bouncers” and extra pens set up for any buns that weren’t doing well in the big group.  There is also some disease risk, especially now with RHDV2. Idk where Bunfest was supposed to be, but it’s possible it’s been cancelled or paused due to RHDV2.

I’ve taken a couple of my buns to hoppy hour, and one of them had a nice time (she just laid around, explored, and ate grass), and the other bun hated it (he just sat in the corner and pouted).

Since you mentioned your bun doesn’t really like other bunnies, I wouldn’t worry about taking him to socialize. If you are really worried he’s lonely, the best thing to do would be to bond him with another rabbit, or you can try giving him a stuffy to cuddle with.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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