Best time to get bunny a friend?

[MrsCarr]

Hi everyone,

So I’m fairly new to bunny ownership (or to be more precise it’s been 25 years since I had a pet bunny so am re-learning) and have got myself totally confused by when would be the “best” time to introduce a companion to my existing bun.

Buddy is only 11 weeks old so obviously hasn’t been neutered yet but we would like to get him a bit of company for through the day as both myself and my husband work full time.   So far our options are …..

Female bunny around the same age and hope we are fast enough with the neutering to avoid babies (as cute as they are I really don’t want to have a house full lol)

Slightly older female bunny that has already been neutered

Just wait til Buddy is a bit older and already neutered himself then look for a friend.

I know the longer we wait, the harder it might be to make a new addition into “his” house but we’re just not sure what the best option would be.  Any advice for a novice please?

[LBJ10]

I would wait until he’s old enough to be neutered. Get him neutered and healed, then pair him with an already spayed/neutered from the shelter. That way you can start the bonding process soon after you bring the new bunny home (give them time to adjust to their new home first, of course).

Is there any reason the new bunny needs to be a girl? I just wanted to add that my boys absolutely adore each other. If you take Buddy to pick out a friend (bunny dating), don’t overlook a bunny just because it’s a boy. You never know who will be his perfect match.

[RabbitPam]

I agree with LBJ10. Your best chance for a good bond is when you let the bunnies meet first and pick out their own potential bond mate.

I want to add that you shouldn’t worry too much about leaving the bunny alone during the day while you work. Bunnies are the perfect pet for working people. They are called Crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. So when you get ready for work, they are up and eating and love your company. Then they sleep through much of the afternoon while your gone. They come alert around 5ish, so when you get home they have really recently woken up and want to eat and play for a few hours. Then they sleep again in the late night. Because of this, if you both pay your bunny a lot of attention when you’re there, or even just stay in the same room, he will not really be lonely. He may love a companion later, but it’s not urgent. A month after he is neutered when his hormones have settled is fine.

[Beka27]

You are fine if you want to wait awhile! Spend this time with him and get to know him and his personality. This can make bonding later on easier!

He’s going to be in for quite the rollercoaster ride within the next few months. Sexual maturity, neutering, and the healing process will all cause spikes in his hormones. Once he’s safely through all of this, then would be the best time to start thinking about possibly getting a second bun!

[Author]

Messages