Should I pair up my spoiled single bunny?

[dmh426]

Hi. I need help. I am seriously getting a second bunny. My one and one half year old mini rex, Sophie, has been with me since she was 3 weeks old.  She was separated from her siblings because she was the runt and the vet was afraid she wouldn’t live.  My best friend had the mommy, daddy and babies so I took Miss Sophie. To make a long story short, she now thinks that I am her mom. It has been just the two of us, with a few sporatic visits with the siblings. I don’t think she knows that she is a bunny. She doesn’t socialize when around other rabbits. She just lays on my foot as if to say "mom, pick me up!". 

Now that I am considering another bunny, I was just wondering other people’s experiences. She and I have an AMAZING bond and I don’t want anything to change that. I am worried she would get jealous of a new bunny. Any suggestions????

[BinkyBunny]

WELCOME DMH426!!!  

Though there are bunnies who prefer to be solo, it is uncommon, and I have not found that finding a buddy for my bunnies has made them less affectionate.  It actually helped a shy bunny come out of her shell.

As far as jealousy goes, a negative reaction towards the new bunny can happen, but most times if bonding is done patiently and cautiously, I find that they just offer each other affection TOO. (though not right away)  So you have two bunnies to love.   But then again, each bunny is different and there is really no one answer that covers every bunny.   Now that would be nice!  But maybe a little boring.

Have you thought yet about if you do this, where you would find a buddy?

IF you haven’t fully considered all the options. I have a few suggestions (you may already know them)

 Not that you would do this but, I strongly suggest you do not pick out a bunny and bring the bunny home, because if she decided she hated the new bunny or vice versa no matter what kind of bonding you tried, you’d have a problem.    Instead bring your bunny to a rabbit rescue and let HER pick the bunny.    I don’t know where you live, but if you can find a shelter or rabbit rescue that is experienced in bonding then they can help you read the signs of success.

Many times people think that getting a baby bunny will solve the problem.  When a baby bunny reaches sexual maturity, that is when the personality can really emerge.  So, for example, a dominant bossy bunny may not display this part of his/her personality until 4 months, and then this type of personality can challenge a buddy that is also dominant, even if they got along before.

So that’s another reason I suggest going to a rabbit rescue, as personalities will have already been developed, and after the first couple of rabbit dates, they should be able to assess what bunny personality your bunny would be best suited with.   And since they care for the rabbits, they would have a better handle on which ones to try in the speed dating sessions.

[qzobevmama]

ohhh, sophie sure has the good life, eh?!

i agree w/binky bunny completely.  my bonded pairs are bonded to each other but they are also definitely bonded to me.  any time that i walk past the pen they are up on hind legs w/heads pushing forward, "give me lovies *now*!!"

i have one special needs bun, my nykko.  i have had him since he was a fetus as his mom was originally my foster (now here to stay).  nykko turned out to be an especially loving bun, he craves lovies and is the most needing of my attention.  he is also bonded w/my bunny yazmin, they grew up together.  when nykko went thru his health crisis and ended up w/numerous issues including having to have his tail amputated, i had to put him on cage rest.  poor yazmin had to live alone for a while.  nykko became extremely bonded to me, needed holding constantly.  when he and yazmin got back together, they renewed their bond but nykko has stayed super bonded to me.  one of the most fabulous things i’ve found about bunz is that they are so loving.  not like birds (which i also have), if you get a second bird then the 2 birds bond to each other.  and even if you had a close bond with the first bird, that will weaken because the 2 birds prefer each other.  but bunz are like us animal lovers, they just love love love all kinds of souls!

you may know, i am super active in bunny rescue.  we have done a kazillion bun matches and it’s always different.  except for one thing:  in every single case, the humans get some say in which bun they get the first time, but after that the bun will choose who s/he likes!  we have really good luck in matching up pairs and we rarely have a bun who doesn’t find somebunny to love.  but it’s always going to be up to the bunz involved.

we will only attempt matchmaking if the original bun is spayed/neutered.  all our bunz are spayed/neutered if they are old enuf, but if the original bun isn’t "fixed" we won’t try to bond as the personalities can change so much not only after the surgery, but because of the bun simply maturing.  baby bunz get along with everyone, but even siblings that have grown up together can start beefing when they hit adolescence (around 3 months of age).  so even if someone adopts 2 of the same litter and get them spayed/neutered later when they are old enuf, we don’t guarantee that they will be able to live together forever.

usually once a 2 bunz have chosen each other, they will be bonded for life and live happily ever after.  when one bun dies, the other one will mourn but most of the time we can find another mate in due time.

sometimes we come across a bun who doesn’t like other bunz and wants to be an only child.  but rarely.  pairs usually do much better; shy bunz will gain more confidence with a friend, aggressive bunz will mellow since they aren’t lonely and depressed anymore, etc.  when one has to go to the vet, bring the other one along for company and the vet visit is much less stressful.  same for car travel.

so if you can possibly let sophie choose a bun friend, i think you will find that not only does she continue to drown you with her love, you will come to know the bliss of being loved by 2 bunz!  and of course you will experience the joy that comes with your loving both of those bunz also.

p.s.  just fyi, we have had a few bunz who didn’t like other bunz but were crazy for cats!  we just recently had a bun (weighed 15 lbs, such a big boy!) get adopted along with his feline girl.  in his case he did like other bunz but really adored this particular cat.  in general, bunz & kitties get along great.  most bunz, however, prefer to have their own bun friend, and cats on the side.  in the wild they live in big huge groups, and bunz are so very social & interactive that we usually highly recommend that bunz live in pairs or groups.

[dmh426]

My very good friend who has Sophie’s mom, dad and some siblings is a member of House Rabbit Society and has fosters constantly. I bring Sophie over to play with the bunnies and she has no interest in any of them. I am waiting for her to find herself a mate, but she hasn’t shown special interest in anyone yet.

If I were to get a second bunny, it would be a resuce or a foster of the HRS. I am just nervous about upsetting the applecart, so to speak.
Thanks for the advice!
Danielle and Sophie, looking for out perfect third!

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By dmh426 on 11/12/2006 6:37 PM
My very good friend who has Sophie’s mom, dad and some siblings is a member of House Rabbit Society and has fosters constantly. I bring Sophie over to play with the bunnies and she has no interest in any of them.

Did you know that "ignoring" can actually be a positive social sign in bunny language?   Many times this is how bunnies communicate that they mean no harm, and that they could be open to friendship.   A bunny who runs over and sniffs immediately may actually cause a negative reaction, so bunnies many times communicate by "ignoring", and grooming themselves.  

The best way to tell though is to have one on one in a pen, and see how they react.  Many times bunnies will first ignore each other, usually they progress to mirroring each others actions.

Some bunnies will get right to business of checking each other out, but that doesn’t mean they are interested in having a buddy.  Watch out for signs of aggression.  Tail up, ears back.

[poopy]

Posted By dmh426 on 11/10/2006 6:13 PM

Hi. I need help. I am seriously getting a second bunny. My one and one half year old mini rex, Sophie, has been with me since she was 3 weeks old.  She was separated from her siblings because she was the runt and the vet was afraid she wouldn’t live.  My best friend had the mommy, daddy and babies so I took Miss Sophie. To make a long story short, she now thinks that I am her mom. It has been just the two of us, with a few sporatic visits with the siblings. I don’t think she knows that she is a bunny. She doesn’t socialize when around other rabbits. She just lays on my foot as if to say "mom, pick me up!". 

Now that I am considering another bunny, I was just wondering other people’s experiences. She and I have an AMAZING bond and I don’t want anything to change that. I am worried she would get jealous of a new bunny. Any suggestions????

that’s so cute! i wish medusa thought i was her mom….that would diminish the problem of not being able to pick her up, etc..

[Theresa Moan]

Posted By poopy on 12/27/2006 10:10 AM

that’s so cute! i wish medusa thought i was her mom….that would diminish the problem of not being able to pick her up, etc..

Aw, Poopy, you sound so defeated!  Just give Medusa a bit more time; hardly anyone’s bunnies instantly bond with their new parents.  You have only had her a month, right??

[poopy]

yes and i want to hug her so bad!!!!

[dmh426]

Medusa will warm up to you. What’s her background? was she abused or abandoned? think of how htat would feel. it takes some time to warm up to a new person. Sophie and I are rare, I am sure. Medusa will let you pet her when she is on the floor, right? just lay next to her and pet her, it’s a start!

[BinkyBunny]

Awww! I know, I wish my bunnies loved to be picked up, but they hate it.  Most bunnies do.  Out of the hundreds and hundreds of bunnies I’ve come across in the rescue, I would say only about 2% actually enjoy being snuggled.  There are a couple of bunnies on here, like Sophie, and Cuddle’s bunny that seem to like it.  But it is rare.  So if you find your bunny hates it, and actually just ends up being scared of you.  Then snuggle on the floor with her.   Get her to trust you and you may find she’ll become more affectionate, but maybe it will always be on the floor.

Yes, you will need to pick her up for nail trims etc, but for now, if you want to bond, just focus on hanging out with her on the floor.    It can take time, weeks or even months.  But have some treats in your hands (cut the up, or make them really tiny so you can offer more)

[dmh426]

So, just an update. A few friends in the HRS have fosters who have recently had litters and haev growing baby bunnies that need adoption. SO- Sophie and I have a date next Saturday to possibly let her pick out a boyfriend. I have read all up on bonding bunnies and think I am ready to add to our little family. So, I am going to set up some x-pens and see what happens. Sophie has been with other bunnies before and doesn’t show aggressive behavior, so I am not worried for anyone’s safety (plus I will be standing right there) I ma more concerned that she seems to ignore everyone and play alone. Sigh…. the drama of being an “only child”. So, since ignoring can be a good sign, I am going to give it a shot and keep my fingers crossed that Sophie falls in love! I can’t see myself bringing another bunny into our home permanently unless she is on board with it too.

[osprey]

Good luck with Sophie’s date!

How little are the babies?  If they are really little (less than three months I think) she will likely ignore the baby as he won’t be mature enough to trigger her mating behavior.  It is worth giving it a try though.

[dmh426]

One of the litters is only 7 weeks old, but the other two are 10 weeks and 11 weeks (this is one fosterer we’re talking about having fostered 3 rabbits who turned out to be breeding and poof! now she has 20 something babies!). I am bound and determined that she should be able to help pick out the third to our little family, but if I fall in love with one, well we’ll just have to make it work! I don’t know how she would react to another bun in the house since I’ve had her since she was a few weeks old and was seperated from her little because she was the runt. She didn’t really learn how to be a bunny with other bunnies, you know? This bonding thing could be a long, hard road for our house…. She’s always been good with the fosters I’ve had, but I kept them far enough apart that they didn’t see each other and put them together only to play in an x-pen in a neutral area or the back yard.

[MooBunnay]

Wow!  This Saturday must be bunny valentine’s day! I have three dates for fosters as well. Just as a FYI about bonding young buns, I have heard from some people that bonding a young one is tough because they don’t show their "true" personality until they get older. However, my little boy Kramer was a baby when he was found abandoned on a golf course, and he and juli instantly fell in love!! They are still as adorable as ever, however he is in his teenage years and harasses her quite a bit to play "chase the bunny" alllll the time.

A great story that is PERFECT for you is on this link http://www.fuzzy-rabbit.com/bonding.htm it is a super cute story about two rabbits meeting when the first was only six weeks….you can follow along with the whole bonding process there. enjoy!! (supersuper cute pic of the baby meeting his new companion at this link)

[BinkyBunny]

Good Luck MooBunny and  dmh426!!   And don’t be discouraged dmh if she doesn’t fall in love with the first few.    My first bunny didnt’ fall in love until after his 6th date.    And even then it was a little bit of ignoring.   If Sophie was truly against having another bunny around, she’d most likely chase them away.  I guess you’ll find out the truth of what’s behind her ignoring soon enough.    Either way, the way you are going about this is the best way in my opinion.   

Have fun, and keep us updated.  I can’t wait to hear the details.

[dmh426]

I have to tell you, we didn’t find “our third” but it was so fun. I took tons of pics with the new digital camera and like my mother tells me not that all my younger cousins are married or engaged “YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE!!!” I’ll find my Mr. Right and so with the Sophers.

[Author]

Messages