Should I Get Midas a Friend?

[LittleBunnyPaws]

I got Midas a little over a month ago, and our bonding is going great.

Midas is not old enough to be neutered, so I am obviously going to wait until after, but should I get Midas a girlfriend? He doesn’t seem lonely, and he is perfectly content, but I have read in several places that rabbits do better off with friends. 

[Sarita]

I have a single rabbit and I think he is just fine alone.

It really is all up to you if you want to take on a second rabbit and do the bonding. Bonding can be very stressful for owners and rabbits and there is never any guarantee.

Really I think most rabbit owners really do get a second rabbit (or third or fourth) for their own reasons like adding another rabbit and while they can enjoy another rabbit’s company, many rabbit owners only have one rabbit and their rabbit is perfectly fine – really :~)

[Kitkat]

What a handsome little chap you have! Most of the information published about rabbits will say absolutely, but to me, this refers mainly to bunnies kept outside of the family home. However, I think the information is still correct. If you are home a lot and able to provide him with lots of interaction then he probably won’t miss having a friend too much but if you spend most of bunny’s “awake time” away then I would say definitely get him one. Also bare in mind that he is most active in the late evening and at night, when you are generally asleep.

I’ve got two bunnies, who were brought and kept separately for around a month until fully bonded. Although both were happy with just my interaction, I saw a huge change in their behaviour once paired: less boredom; less destructive behaviour; less need for constant attention from me (they still very much love me and having snuggles, they like to spend time together without me too). Now that I’ve seen my bunnies bonded, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Think of it like this: If you lived only with people who did not speak English and you could not speak their language, you would get along fine, you would have human interaction and you would learn to communicate in different ways. But would you find it enough to be completely content?

If considering finding a partner for Midas, I would try find a rescue centre that provides a bonding service. That way, he can go on lots of little bunny dates to find the ideal suitor and it takes away a lot of the stress from you (which would subconsciously be passed to him!). These people are generally professionals and can have the pair bonded within a matter of days in their premises. By buying or adopting (preferably adopt!) a particular rabbit, bringing her or him home and then attempting the bond on your own can be very difficult as the bunnies have to be homed separately for how ever long it takes, until they decide they are ready to move in together, if at all. I did the latter, and although I got very lucky with my two, I wouldn’t do it that way again. It was far toooooo stressful and the logistics of it were a nightmare, not to mention the poop wars!!!

Whatever you do, the best of luck to you and keep us posted!

[Mocha]

I agree with Sarita. If he seems fine with you and happy and all, then you don’t need to get another rabbit. A lot of my friends added another bunny because they wanted another one.

[Author]

Messages