Should I Get Another Rabbit?

[JackWabbit13]

Well, I went and left myself alone with my thoughts and my rabbit again

Jumping Jack is a Holland Lop and will be 9 in February at some point. She has been living without other bunnies for about 5 and a half years or so. She is used to it (as far as I can tell), and has the company of my chinchilla (who I have been thinking about as well with this situation. Maybe I should get another chinchilla too), my dogs when they pass through my room, and myself. She has been with other bunnies before, so I was thinking about introducing her to another senior rabbit. Given her age, how long she’s been without other rabbits, and the fact that she has company of other animals, would another bunny be the best idea?

Let me know what you think, as well with any other advice. Thanks!

[DanaNM]

Was she bonded before?

When my bun Bertha was widowed I rebonded her with Bun Jovi, and then when Bertha passed when he was 9 away I rebonded him with Myra , and she takes great care of him (he’s now 13!). So as long as she is healthy she could be bonded.

You mentioned in your other thread she seemed a little bored. Having a companion may help with that. Seniors spend a lot of time snoozing, so having another bun to cuddle with might be nice for her.

I think the most important question though is do YOU want another bun? And are you prepared to go through the bonding process, or potentially have two single buns if the bond doesn’t work out? I personally think it would be lovely to adopt an older bun as they are so often overlooked in shelters, but it’s important that you want another bunny as well. 🙂  Whether young or old, one bun will pass away before the other, so once you have a bonded pair you will often end up re-bonding a bun that gets widowed/widower-ed.  Or (if you are like me) you are so sad when one bunny dies you end up getting 3 more LOL

. . . 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.  

[JackWabbit13]

I love that name, Bun Jovi! That’s awesome!

I would love another rabbit, but I’m not sure I could have 2 single buns. Would it be mean to do a trial run of sorts with a bunny in need of rehoming? (I would likely be getting it from an old owner, we don’t have any nearby shelters that keep bunnies “in stock”) Or have some sort of backup home, just in case?

She has been bonded before. kind of. I’m relatively new to proper rabbit care (but better late than never) and we got her when I was little and she was a few months old. We got 2 other lops, a male and female, possibly from the same litter. We used to keep them in a big enclosure (that was NOT properly set up) that they could get out of. They didn’t, because they liked me when I was little, but I was gone for a week and the 2 decided to leave. Jumping Jack stuck around

Long story short, we used to take horrible care of our rabbits, but with good intentions, and she used to live with others

[DanaNM]

Ah I see! She will likely enjoy having a friend then. Even rabbits who have never been bonded usually are happier with company. I would look for a neutered male, that usually tends to be the easiest pairing.

Many rescues will allow you to do “foster to adopt” for bonding, so you could ask around and see if that’s an option. Or as you said, you would have to surrender the rabbit back or re-home it yourself.

. . . 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.  

[JackWabbit13]

We have one shelter about an hour away that sometimes has rabbits. I can put in an adoption application and see if they have anybody who would be a good fit in our household

[DanaNM]

That’s great! Some rescues are really good at helping find good matches. 🙂

. . . 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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