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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Should I add a second bunny?

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    • khory
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        We are picking up a Holland Lop this weekend. The cage I have purchased for it is the following:

        Living World Deluxe Habitat XL

        I am considering also picking up a second Lop from the same litter so they have some bunny companionship. They already are familiar with each other so I figure it would be a good time. The big question is will the cage I linked be large enough for two? 


      • joea64
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          Posted By khory on 9/15/2017 1:14 PM

          We are picking up a Holland Lop this weekend. The cage I have purchased for it is the following:

          Living World Deluxe Habitat XL

          I am considering also picking up a second Lop from the same litter so they have some bunny companionship. They already are familiar with each other so I figure it would be a good time. The big question is will the cage I linked be large enough for two? 

          Welcome! First off, if you’re considering getting a pair of bunnies, I recommend that you read the Bonding section of this forum. How old are they? Have they been spayed or neutered? If not, this must – I say again, must – be done before you even attempt bonding, because un-altered rabbits won’t be able to live peacefully together; their mating and territorial instincts are too strong to permit that. Spaying or neutering, depending on the bunny’s gender, will have to be done after the bun reaches sexual maturity. This is generally around 3-4 months of age, though many veterinarians recommend, for safety’s sake (because spaying in particular is an invasive operation that, even with a rabbit-savvy vet performing it, carries a certain amount of risk) that it be done at 6 months or later.

          As to habitats; I believe I’ve seen that in pet stores, or something similar. As a rule, most commercial (pet-store-bought) cages are too small for one rabbit to live comfortably in, let alone two. While the cage you’ve bought does appear to be large enough for one small rabbit, like your Holland Lop, to sleep and stretch out in, I very strongly recommend that you get an exercise pen so that the bun has plenty more room to run and play in. In fact, if you have the space, I recommend “bunny-proofing” a large space in one room, or even an entire room if you can manage it, and allow your rabbit free range in it. I know this may not be possible, though – it certainly isn’t for me; I live in a small efficiency apartment so I’ve had to go the X-pen route. Remember that rabbits that are kept in a cage or habitat throughout most of the day need several hours “free time” every day where they can come out into their X-pen.

          If you go ahead with getting a pair of buns and successfully bond them, you’ll have to get bigger living quarters for them. You might think about a habitat based on office-storage grid cubes. Those do require a bit of handiness to put together, but they’re quite cheap and can be constructed to literally any pattern and size you desire. There are instructions in the Habitats and Toys subforum, I think.


        • sarahthegemini
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            That isn’t even really big enough for one rabbit to be honest. Plus everything Joe said!


          • Deleted User
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              I have that same cage. I thought it was big enough when I was a new owner. It’s really not, even one bun wouldn’t be comfortable in it.


            • tobyluv
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                Besides the issue with the cage being an inadequate size, you can’t house rabbits together once they reach 11 or 12 weeks of age. It doesn’t matter that they are siblings from the same litter, and it doesn’t matter what gender they are, once they near or reach puberty, they have to be kept separately. They can’t be housed together or let out for play and exercise together. You are risking fighting and severe injuries, and the inability to bond the rabbits if they hold grudges after fighting. You are also risking unwanted litters. Sometimes rabbits are mis-sexed. Even vets have gotten the gender wrong at times. Then people are faced with surprise litters. After they have been spayed or neutered, and a month or so has passed for the hormones to level out, then you can begin the permanent bonding process.

                If you get two rabbits, you will need 2 cages/pens right from the beginning. Even if they are only 8 weeks of age, it would probably be best to go ahead and separate them, instead of letting them be together for a couple of weeks, then separating them.

                Check out the BUNNY INFO link at the top of the page, for bonding information.

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            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Should I add a second bunny?