Considering a second bun

[lily2521]

I currently have a spayed female Holland Lop.  We adopted her about a year ago, and she’s about 2 years old.

We’re considering adopting a second bun and I have some questions before I go all in and commit to this.

*Since I have a spayed female, what’s the best pairing, another female or a male?

*Because she’s been the sole pet in our home for the last year, can that make bringing a second bun home more difficult?

*Once bonded, can they live harmoniously in the same cage?  I currently have a XL dog pen so there’s plenty of space, I just don’t want to add another cage to my home as I don’t have the space (I can temporarily though during the bonding process)

*Through my local shelter, they will let me bring my current bun to an adoption event to see if there’s a bunny there she might be fond of.  Would this be a good idea, better than just getting a bun somewhere myself and bringing it home? 

Thanks!!

[tobyluv]

It’s usually stated that the easiest bonding is between a male and a female – neutered and spayed, of course, so it might be better for you to adopt a male to be your bunny’s companion. I have bonded 5 different pairs of rabbits over the years, always a male and female combination, and my bondings went easy. That’s not always the case, of course. I used an x-pen for the bonding, and my husband and I both got in with the bunnies. We could stop any fighting, or excessive humping.

Your bunny could be resentful of another rabbit coming into her home, but she might have been that way even if she hadn’t been the sole pet for a year. She also could be very happy to have a companion.

Once bonded, they can live in the same cage, since it’s a large one, and I assume they would also get out of cage time.

Many people think that speed dating, or taking your bunny to the shelter/rescue is the best way to ensure getting the right companion. I have never done that, and all my bondings have worked well, as rabbits meeting for the first time in my house. I think that you may not get a true reading of a rabbit’s feelings when you take yours into a rescue. Most rabbits get spooked by just going into a carrier and going on a trip, then they will be in an unfamiliar place, with lots of different sounds, sights and smells, so it seems to me that they may not be their normal selves in that situation. But don’t let my thoughts dissuade you from trying the shelter dating.

If you have never bonded rabbits before, here are 2 good articles:

https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

http://rabbit.org/faq-bonding-multiple-rabbits/

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