# Do they do better in pairs?



## BunnyBabyboo (Feb 9, 2013)

Do rabbits do better in pairs? Is it a good idea to get Binoo a friend? Will it cure his boredom, that I think it is? He has lots of toys of all kinds homemade store bought.


----------



## Chrisdoc (Feb 9, 2013)

Rabbits are social animals and they live in large groups in the wild. It would be good to get Binoo a lady friend as they keep each other company and help to groom as well. I would suggest that he is neutered first and the female is spayed . You could try local rescues and take him on some bunny dates to look at prospective companions and see if they could suit. I have three bunnies who all love spending time together and play together as well.


----------



## agnesthelion (Feb 9, 2013)

I agree with Chris. I think there may be a rabbit here or there that just won't bond with another rabbit but for the most part I think they enjoy having a fellow rabbit to hang out with  I bonded my female back in October to a male I adopted and I definitely think she (and him) are happy and watching them interact is fascinating!

However, even with all that being said, bonding is a tedious process and not every rabbit will like every rabbit they meet. Which is why the suggestion by Chris to take yours on bunny dates is very important so she can help pick out who she likes. But even after that, bunny dates at home are still needed and it can be quite a process to get them to live in the same cage together. It took 30 days to bond my two. So it's definitely something to research beforehand.

Lastly, even if you decide not to get a friend, I do think only rabbits can live very happy lives as well. As long as they get plenty of attention from their human slaves of course


----------



## OakRidgeRabbits (Feb 10, 2013)

Before bringing home a second rabbit, the first question is whether you are interested in a second pet, or whether you're just asking about what's best for your bunny.

Rabbits can enjoy a bonded relationship with another rabbit, but it's not necessarily "better." They do do just as well with a dedicated human companion. Bonds are not always successful, so you have to be prepared for (and interested in caring for) two pet rabbits. If you're happy with one pet rabbit and would prefer to focus your attention on him, Binoo will be okay with just you as his friend.  However, if you'd like to have a second rabbit, working toward bonding the pair is a good option.


----------



## Troller (Feb 10, 2013)

OakRidgeRabbits said:


> Before bringing home a second rabbit, the first question is whether you are interested in a second pet, or whether you're just asking about what's best for your bunny.



This I believe is very important. Now I can't claim any expertise since I've only had my 2nd rabbit a few days but Conan appears more engaged with us and just in general then he has in a while. I wouldn't say happier, it's too soon and I don't want to apply human emotions to it, especially since hormones (he's only been neutered 3 weeks) may be involved but something is different that's for sure and he's not upset, that I can be positive on.

Before I went and got a 2nd rabbit I really had to decide can i take care of two just in case, and more then just emotionally and physically but financially as well. It's great if the rabbit want's another rabbit around, but the human caretakers are really the deciding factor since a rabbit can be happy as long as attention is being spent on them. 

I didn't do the bunny date route (I have reasons or rather insurmountable complications) but I would suggest that route as the easier and safer one to accomplishing a proper bunny bond. My two rabbits are behind the 8 ball due to me not speed dating but I happen to be very obsessive and I research a lot so i feel like I got a strong chance to bond, but I certainly wouldn't recommend just getting a second rabbit.


----------



## BunnyBabyboo (Feb 11, 2013)

Hes a bit of a grumpy butt. He is neutered. When I got him he was in the cage with another rabbit. I felt bad separating them but at the time I didnt have the space for 2 bunnies


----------



## agnesthelion (Feb 11, 2013)

BunnyBabyboo said:


> Hes a bit of a grumpy butt. He is neutered. When I got him he was in the cage with another rabbit. I felt bad separating them but at the time I didnt have the space for 2 bunnies



Well, if he was truly bonded with that other rabbit they really shouldn't have been separated  
Rabbits take the loss of a mate hard. That could explain his grumpiness. It's even suggested that if a rabbits mate dies, the living rabbit needs to spend time with the deceased mate so they can truly accept and grieve the loss.
I'm saying this only because that could truly explain his boredom or grumpiness, he is still mourning the separation of his mate.


----------



## kloppie8 (Feb 11, 2013)

Can rabbits bond with other pets, dog or cat? Flynn has no bunny mate because we don't have space for another and we wanted him to bond with us, but you often times can find him sleeping with a cat or dog. He stays in his xpen when I am not in the same room but the cats get in there and share his water, but Flynn licks the cats and dogs. He lays on top of our big dog, is that a bond?


----------



## lagomorph (Feb 11, 2013)

kloppie8 said:


> Flynn licks the cats and dogs. He lays on top of our big dog, is that a bond?



Yes, of course that is a bond. They are buddies.


----------



## agnesthelion (Feb 11, 2013)

kloppie8 said:


> Can rabbits bond with other pets, dog or cat? Flynn has no bunny mate because we don't have space for another and we wanted him to bond with us, but you often times can find him sleeping with a cat or dog. He stays in his xpen when I am not in the same room but the cats get in there and share his water, but Flynn licks the cats and dogs. He lays on top of our big dog, is that a bond?



It depends what you mean by bond. Is it the same "bond" that a pair of rabbits share? Highly unlikely. Rabbits are intelligent creatures and they know the difference between and dog, cat and rabbit  So while they may be buddies and enjoy each others company and get along splendidly, it's probably not a bond like how we speak of a bonded pair of rabbits. Rabbits have unique eating, sleeping and grooming habits and when they can share those with another of their kind than that is the "bond" we speak of.
But, again, that doesn't mean they don't enjoy the company of another furry friend of course


----------



## Nancy McClelland (Feb 11, 2013)

All of ours are rescues so they've been kept as singles with their hutches very close together. We tried bonding our first bunny with our second and gave it up quickly because we couldn't afford the vet bills and I got tired of being bit when I separated them. The female was an attack rabbit!


----------



## lagomorph (Feb 11, 2013)

I wasn't implying they don't know the difference between a cat and a rabbit. Just saying that I think a rabbit can have a gratifying relationship with a cat. If they sleep together and groom each other, that's pretty darn close and affectionate, and much better than having no friend at all. I think a rabbit who has this sort of relationship with a cat or dog is much luckier than a rabbit who has no furry friend, and much less in need of another rabbit. It would make me personally stop worrying about getting another bunny companion.


----------



## OakRidgeRabbits (Feb 11, 2013)

kloppie8 said:


> Can rabbits bond with other pets, dog or cat? Flynn has no bunny mate because we don't have space for another and we wanted him to bond with us, but you often times can find him sleeping with a cat or dog. He stays in his xpen when I am not in the same room but the cats get in there and share his water, but Flynn licks the cats and dogs. He lays on top of our big dog, is that a bond?



Certainly! 

My grandmother has a Holland Lop who is about 7-8 years old now. When she got him, he was introduced to her first cat and they go along very well! They would follow each other around, play with each other, groom each other, etc.

Unfortunately, the cat passed away when the rabbit was a few years old. She has since added another, who was a kitten when he was introduced to the rabbit. The kitten had to be supervised a bit more in his early years because he wanted to rough play (tackle and nibble), but they are now very bonded. They relax side-by-side, groom each other, even eat together.

The rabbit and cats have never been left unsupervised, only because they are still naturally predator/prey. There is no indication that anything would go wrong, but "better safe than sorry," as they stay.

Despite that precaution, I would consider those pets to be bonded. The rabbit, definitely, is very attached to his feline friends. He is often the one to initiate play.


----------



## BunnyBabyboo (Feb 12, 2013)

Well I dont have cats cause my dad dislikes them and our dogs are not small animal friendly. they are 2 old shi tzus and they have a bad track record of killing small animals. thats why Binoo is kept upstairs and the dogs are kept downstairs. I'm not willing to take the risk of having my dogs harm Binoo. I am thinking on getting another bunny for Binoo not cause I want another bunny, just I heard they do better in the long run with another rabbit.


----------



## meeka85 (Feb 12, 2013)

My cat LOVES my rabbits. She tries to get in their cage all the time because she wants to snuggle them. She also loves to groom them, as is seen in this video 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeILTTMy0Is"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeILTTMy0Is[/ame]


----------



## lagomorph (Feb 12, 2013)

meeka85 said:


> My cat LOVES my rabbits. She tries to get in their cage all the time because she wants to snuggle them. She also loves to groom them, as is seen in this video



Looks like true love!


----------

