Should I get a buddy for my single girl bunny?

[aribunny]

Hello fellow bunny lovers,

I would greatly appreciate your advice and opinions. Please excuse me if I ask a silly question or have posted in the wrong spot – I think this is the best place for my question, but I’m happy to reorganize if necessary.

My female Holland Lop was born at the end of August, 2021, so she’s just slightly over 6 months old now and is scheduled to be spayed at the end of the month. So far, she is very sweet, seems curious, can occasionally get into some trouble, and (I think) likes playing with/teasing our grumpy but lovable Corgi.

I initially planned for only 1 bunny, but now that I have her… I’m starting to have some doubts… about getting a second bunny! 😯

Here is our family background: we are a family of 4 humans (mom [that’s me!], dad, 3yr old, 2 yr old), 1 adult Corgi, several chickens, and up to 10+ foster dogs at any given time (we live on some acreage and have a casual hobby farm). Dad works an office job from home with standard hours, and mom takes care of the kiddos full-time.

Bunny started out in one of those little wooden house hutches inside, and quickly transitioned to a bigger space enclosed with those clear plastic square fence pieces from Amazon. That’s her area, where she has her litter box, toys, food, water, etc, but she can easily jump in and out and she technically has the run of the house (except for the bedrooms). The hutch (which is still open and available to her at all times) and partitioned areas are in my under construction craft room). Because of the toddlers running around during the day, however, she tends to keep to herself until evening, when I bring her into the living room for some play/grooming/bonding time.

I think I initially thought that since we are all home, all the time, she wouldn’t ever have a reason to get lonely, but as she gets older, she has started getting into trouble (pulling up carpet, nibbling wood furniture, banging on closed doors she wants to open) and I feel bad for her, on her own most of the day. Is she lonely? I have also ‘justified’ it to myself by saying that since bunnies are crepuscular, she’s fine, since we hang out in the evening, but I’m not entirely convinced.

So my question is: is my poor bunny desperately lonely all day long? Does she need a bunny buddy? Can she be happy without one? And, assuming the answer is that I should in fact get another bunny, what is the general recommendation? Male? Female? Older? Younger? I know spayed or neutered. Any other suggestions?

Thank you so much for the help and apologies for the very long post.

TL;DR: I thought my girl bunny could stay happy single since the rest of the family is home all day, but now I’m wondering if she really needs a bunny companion as well.

 

[LBJ10]

There are plenty of perfectly happy solo buns out there. That being said, a lot of bunnies do like having a friend. Since you are limited on the time you can actually spend with her, I don’t see why getting her a friend would be a bad idea.

If you do decide to get her a friend, it might be better to look for a young adult. She may not appreciate a baby and you wouldn’t be able to work on bonding right away if you have to wait for him/her to be old enough to spay/neuter. If you have a shelter that has rabbits, it might be helpful to take her there for some speed dating. That way you can get a feel for how she feels about another rabbit. Boy or girl doesn’t really matter. What matters is complimenting personalities.

[DanaNM]

I agree that since there are large chunks of the day where you are busy with other things, she would probably be happy to have a companion. Rabbits are very social creatures, and will spend their time cuddling and grooming each other. Having a bonded pair is really delightful, because just constantly look so adorable together.

That said, it won’t necessarily make her less destructive! More likely she would have a partner in crime that she could get into mischief with together… 🙂

Her spay should help a bit though, 6 months to a year is a crazy age for buns. They have tons of destructive energy, so providing lots of toys and safe alternatives for her to destroy is important. Phone books for shredding, cardboard cat scratchers, and grass mats are all good options. Carpet can be protected with heavy ceramic tiles in hot spots (also important because ingesting too much carpet can cause blockages).

I also agree looking for a neutered/spayed bun from a rescue. They can help you select a good match. Male-female pairings tend to be the most successful, but female-female pairs can work too. From personal experience though, my girls always hated other girls. Bonding takes some work, even in easy bonds, so I would make sure you have the time to dedicate to it (and the ability to provide two bunny set-ups for during the bonding process). If you’re unfamiliar with the process, you can read some basic info here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/

. . . 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.  

[Author]

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