Getting my bun a friend?

[oh_katiee]

hi! my 4 month old male lop named nutmeg seems like hes lonely! he doesnt really play that much and is ALWAYS seeking affection and attention from myself and my other animals. still being in highschool, im only home on the weekends and after school. my mom and little brother go in and say hi to him while im at school once a day, but i feel really bad because when i go to leave he puts his paws on the pen bars and gives me a “no dont leave mommy!” look. it kills me! anyways, i was considering getting another rabbit so he isnt lonely. i heard rabbits are happier in pairs. he isnt neutered yet but he will be in a month or two so i wont get another rabbit until then. but i was wondering what you guys think? do you think i should get another rabbit, or do you think he would be fine as he is? he is SO affectionate with me and i got really lucky with him and i dont want to ruin our close bond by getting another rabbit. did anyone have a affectionate rabbit and then adopt another? did anything change? thats my main concern about getting him a friend. he loves everyone and everything, but i dont want to take the risk of just buying another rabbit and taking it home and try to bond them. i live in pittsburgh and the western pennsylvania humane society has these “bunny blind dates” where you bring your solo rabbit and trained professionals assess your rabbits personality and pick 3 or 4 of the shelter rabbits they think may work well with your rabbit and let your bun pick which one he/she likes! it’s cute and great because not only does it let your bun pick his/her new companion, it ensures that your rabbit will be safe and happy and it saves a shelter rabbit in the process! however, if you think that it would make my bun less affectionate towards me or have any negative behavior changes, i dont want to get another rabbit. please help! thanks!

this is the look i get every time i go to leave…no wonder im always home.

here’s the details from their website…

Take Your Rabbit on a Bunny Blind Date!

Do you have a solo bunny? Consider allowing him or her to have a rabbit companion? Rabbits are highly social pack animals. Most are happier and healthier with a friend with whom they can share their timothy hay, litterbox and an afternoon snooze. For the best match – and to minimize fighting, which can be vicious and ongoing – let your rabbit choose his or her own mate. Schedule your rabbit for a “bunny blind date!” During a date, your rabbit is introduced to three or four shelter rabbits while staff and volunteers supervise. These sessions are highly structured to maximize the chances of love at first sight – which is unmistakable if you know what to look for! For details on scheduling a bunny blind date, email me at mary@cvetan.com.

[clowder]

I think thats great that your shelter does that! Its defintely the best way to do it, and sounds like they are supportive and bunny knowledgeable. You definitely need to wait till after he is neutered though, a couple weeks at least after, if not a month.

 

oh and also, in my experience, it does not change your relationship wth your bun. And there is nothing more wonderful than seeing your bunny binkying and cuddling with another bunny!

[Elrohwen]

Personally I would hold off until you’ve had him for at least a year. What makes you think he’s lonely? Both of my rabbits do the sad puppy dog eyes and climbing up on the cage when I leave and they have each other. lol They just know that when they do that I might come back and give a couple more pets or even a treat.

I really think that most rabbits don’t feel lonely and don’t feel the need for a friend. My boy is lazy and rarely plays, but he was perfectly happy as a single bun. I’m really glad I had him for over a year before getting a second as we were able to form much more of a bond. He did have a big regression in his bond with me when he was first bonded with my other bunny. He was always sort of aloof but he went back to wanting nothing to do with me for the first 6 months he was bonded.

My girl was a single bun and is one of the only bunnies I’ve seen who was really lonely and unhappy. She was hyperactive and destructive, plus she carried around her stuffed toy and groomed and snuggled with it constantly. She’s just a bunny who needs a ton of interaction (from people or other rabbits) or she is anxious. I think she’s definitely calmed down by having a friend.

Your rabbit just sounds like a normal affectionate little guy! Nothing you mention makes me think he’s lonely, so if you want to get another rabbit do it for *you*, not him. When I got a second it was because I wanted one and was ready to do the bonding work, not because Otto really needed a friend. Sure, he likes having a buddy now, but he would’ve been just fine on his own too. It sounds like your bunny has a wonderful life now and if you do get a second in the future you’ll never regret taking a year or two to really bond with him as a single bunny first.

[mlg4491]

We got a friend for our bunny for exactly the same reason, because he was always seeking affection so we thought he might benefit from having a bunny to spend time with when we aren’t home. I remember those sad eye days. My bunny sounds very similar to yours. He didn’t play much, and was looking for a lot of interaction from me. However, I agree with Elrohwen. If you get a second bunny, it should be because you want one too. Mine was a very lucky “love at first sight” meeting, and the two were very happy together. For the first few months, he was so enamored with his new lady love that he wasn’t as attention seeking with us, but they settled down, and I then found myself with two bunnies looking for my affection. On the whole, it worked well for me and I wouldn’t have done anything differently. My advice to you would be to get him fixed, and wait a month or two after he’s fixed to see how he acts without all those hormones. Part of his attention-seeking may be hormonal. Is he running circles around you or the other animals? It’s not like he’s going to suddenly not like you after he’s fixed, but he my calm down a little.

[bunnyfriend]

I chose to adopt a second bunny for similar reasons, I go to school all day and I felt bad leaving her alone. I wouldn’t adopt another just based on the fact that your rabbit is really affectionate. One of my rabbits is SUPER affectionate, he showers a lot of affection on Wilbur (the other bunny) but also showers a lot on me as well, that’s just his personality.

The first rabbit I adopted of my pair right now is Wilbur, she’s brave and gives me attention but not really any affection. She’s also deaf as well. I wanted a another rabbit and I really thought she would do well with a bunny, someone who would always be there and “spoke her language.” Well I am so glad I did because they are just so happy together, they do almost everything together, and it makes me smile every time I see them snuggling and grooming each other, they balance each other out. They both pay just as much attention to me as they did before (I had Totoro for two months before I introduced them).

Bunny dating is such a great way to find another rabbit. The House Rabbit Society recommends keeping rabbits in pairs, a rabbit can be happy with just a human companion, but I’d say that if you really do think he’d benefit from it and you would like another rabbit then go for it!

[peppypoo]

I would also hold off for a little bit, but also get Nutmeg neutered in the meanwhile. The bunny dates are great…I would definitely encourage checking that out if/when you’re ready for your second bunny. It seems like you’re doing a good job being responsible for your bunny now…do you have plans for him after high school?

I was worried about my bunny girl becoming less affectionate too when we bonded her, but it didn’t change her personality toward me at all..don’t worry about it!

[oh_katiee]

thanks for all the responses! nutmeg does in fact run in circles around my feet almost every time i step into his pen. if i do decide to get another rabbit i will definitely wait a month or two after he gets neutered, which will be in a month and a half. he could get neutered in a few weeks but i want to wait until i’m on spring break so i can keep an eye on him during the day! also if i get another rabbit i’m going to go to the shelter for their bunny romps (where they let all the shelter rabbits run around in a large room so people looking to adopt can get to know the buns they have available) to see what the buns are like and then sign him up for the ‘bunny blind date’. if everyone’s buns were just as affectionate after they got another rabbit as before then i’ll seriously start considering bonding him with another rabbit. i hate to see him so lonely sometimes and also i hate to go to the shelters and see rabbits who have been there for almost a year! no one really adopts rabbits and it would be so nice to be able to spring one of those poor buns from the shelter cages and give him/her a loving home.

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