Would getting a 3rd bunny make a complicated situation more complicated?

[Hop_a_Lop]

This is a complicated situation (for me and my bunnies at least) and I honestly have no idea what to do or who to ask 

I have a 2 yr old holland lop buck (neutered at 4 months), Louis, and 10 month old holland lop buck (neutered at 6 months), Nestle.

Louis has always wanted a friend and I know he still needs one. He constantly seeks something to groom or snuggle with, whether it’s one of my 3 cats, my dog, or one of the service dogs I am training at the time  At one point, I bought him a fake rabbit stuffed animal and he groomed it so much I had to throw it away from the worry of him eating the artificial hair. He’s really aching for a friend 

–You’re thinking, what about Nestle, right? Well I wasn’t planning on it, but I bought Nestle from a breeder that was going to sell him to meat store because she was getting rid of her herd ASAP. So I took him and saved his life. I was planning on bonding them, and started the process properly. Their cages were constantly next to each other, I’d switch their litter boxes and other things so they got used to their scent, etc.

–About a month later, we were at the point where we could have them on their territory. They were in different pens and everything was fine. As I looked away to grab the water bottle just incase, Nestle had jumped the fence and started full on attacking Louis. It was the most frightning thing I have experienced and I felt (and still feel) like the worst rabbit owner allowing for that to happen  Louis ended up having to go to the vet and had 3 clean bites straight through one of his ears 

—The weird thing is, after this happened, now 2 months later, they never show aggression towards each other. In fact, Louis sits in front of Nestles cage when he’s out and they give kisses to each other through the cage quite often. They NEVER try and bite each other or growl, or any aggression.

**So! My question is: Louis is still aching for a friend and I want to get him a baby doe. Do you think he would attack her because of his bad experience? or would he be okay?

ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK IS GLADY ACCEPTED!! PLEASE HELP!

Thank you all,

Louis & Nestle & their owner :

[Sarita]

I think first I would go ahead and try your current pair together in a neutral space and see how they react with each other in neutral space before you get another rabbit.

I have to say though that I have 3 unbonded rabbits who share a room together and enjoy each others company in this way and are perfectly content so your two may be content as friends in this way as well.

If you still feel the need to get Louis a friend I would recommend you take him to a rabbit rescue and allow him to choose rather than getting a baby rabbit.

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