Will a new rabbit make is hard to bond with my current one?

[Emilyjo]

I have a oneish year old female lionhead, she has an appointment to be spayed on May 3rd. My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting her a friend afterwards, I’m not really sure how well she would do though, she is pretty aggressive which I’m hoping the spay will help, she gets along great with my pug but she definitely doesn’t like when other people or dogs get near her cage. 

would getting a younger baby rabbit be better than a older one? Either way I’d spay the new bunny too. I know my boyfriend would really like to get a baby in hopes we might be able to bond to it better. If we did get a baby opposed to an adult would it be better to start the introduction phase before she is spayed and then try to put them together after I can spay the baby? Or wait to introduce the two till after it’s spayed, would it matter if they are both in the same room as I keep her in my room in a big NIC cage and don’t really have anywhere else to move either of them. 

Are there any pros or cons to getting her a female friend vs a male?

another concern I have is her and I are having A LOT of trouble bonding, she growls and charges at me a lot and doesn’t let me pet her much. Would getting her a friend make us harder for her and I to bond? 

Any tips on how to get her to bond to me faster is also appreciated! I’ve had her for 6 months and have tried reading to her, and just sitting on the floor, ignoring her. 

[Sarita]

I think an already altered rabbit is the best choice – if you have a rescue near you that already has altered rabbits, that is what I would recommend.

You have to be prepared though to be very stressed out with bonding and if the bond doesn’t stick you will have to be prepared to keep the rabbits separate forever, if that’s not an option then it’s probably not a good idea for a second rabbit right now.

[MoveDiagonally]

I agree with Sarita.

Your best chance at a successful bond is to wait 4-6 weeks after she’s spayed and take her on a bunny “dates”. This is where you go to a rescue and do introductions with other spayed/neutered bunnies until you find one that seems compatible. But as Sarita said, there are no 100% guarantees when it comes to bonding. If you aren’t prepared to house two single rabbits for the span of their lives I don’t think it’s a good idea to get a second bunny.

[Beka27]

Ditto to what the others said! Also, you can’t expect a friend to “fix” behavioral issues. I would proceed with your plan to get her spayed, and then wait. See how her behavior evolves over the next 3-6 months before making a decision about adding a second. She is still very young and has (hopefully!) ten plus years ahead of her! You don’t have to feel rushed into bonding.

When/if you decide to get a second, I would skip the baby and go right for an adult that is already fixed. Baby personalities are not formed, and honestly, it doesn’t matter what you do with a baby… Their personality will form regardless, good or bad.

With an adult rabbit, you know what you’re getting, plus you can start bonding sooner!

[Author]

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