Little friend or friends for Nutmeg needed.

I have just lost one of my beautiful pair of rabbits to bladder disease. Clover was around 6. She was a rescued rabbit and never ill in the 3 years i had her. Its early days and my little lop that is left on his own is a dental bunny.

He has dentals every 5 weeks, but is in good health, happy and is two in September. I dont want to keep him on his own as he absolutely loved Clover and was much happier with a friend for company.

I dont know what to do for the best as i want to get him a friend but i am undecided on a little new female friend or trying to bond him with two young buns his age.

Nutmeg has a GA every 5 weeks, although he is healthy i am completely aware of the risks this carries.i know once he gets older he wont cope so well with the GA which might limit his life expectancy.

I want to match Nutmeg with a rabbit close to his age this time.

Clover, who died was paired with a rabbit of the same age but sadly he died and i was left with a 5 year old rabbit. I found Nutmeg and although he was young they bonded well and lived happily. I would like to pair him with a rabbit or even two rabbits his own age. I thought maybe two rabbits his own age as if anything happened to Nutmeg i wouldnt have a lone older rabbit again.

Lots of questions but what do you all think?

My set up is: I have a large 8ft by 3ft hutch with 2 levels (top level is only 3ft long - like a turret with a window) and they have a huge run taking up most of the top of my garden with logs, dog kennel, fruit trees, digging patch and tunnels. Its around 20ft long by 7ft at its widest. I also have another 5ft hutch as a temp home i bought while introducing Nutmeg and clover.

Would it be best to pair him with one rabbit? Do you think they are happier in a twosome? Or would he be just as happy with 2 new rabbit friends? If so what sex? Two females? I havent decided anything yet, but he needs a friend and i would appreciate your experiences and advice. Thanks.

I'm not expert as i have only just bonded a male/female pair for the first time but i think a few will tell you on here that bonding a pair is much easier than a trio. I would say find an older female rescue bun and see how they get along first and then maybe think about a third, younger bun afterwards, but i would check that first i have no idea really :lol:

Your setup sounds amazing, i'd love to see pics

Sorry for your loss aswell

friend for nutmeg

Thanks for your advice. Still early days yet, but i guess i have to think about little Nutmeg and im just considering all my options just now. I might well post a pic of the run online once it stops raining here!

Thanks for replying, i will probably get a female rescued rabbit but was curious to see what folk thought about bonding Nutmeg with two other rabbits. Thankyou.
Here is the hutch we built just before xmas for Nutmeg and clover.

Sorry to hear about Clover
That's a great hutch - they have a lot of space in there

I don't know where in Scotland you are but Kareen at Fife Rabbit Rescue is great and might be able to help you with bonding - if she had the right girl to go with Nutmeg

I'm not sure about threesomes - if you do i've read that it's best to have 1 boy and 2 girls, but sometimes three's a crowd and one gets left out a bit

Sorry you lost Clover

No experience of bonding, but I think a two-some is usually considered easiest. Hope you find a nice bun for Nutmeg soon.

I found a new friend for Nutmeg yesterday.

Its been less than a week since Clover died, but little Nutmeg was breaking my heart. He was fine when i brought him into the house at night but during the day he is just sitting in his turret lying flat out with his head on his paws. Like a wee dog. He was eating fine but not coming downstairs much and i couldnt look at his wee face any longer.

I went to 3 sspca places in Scotland at the weekend. Good news was that Glasgow Cat and dog home had maybe 20 rabbits, ALL OF THEM were reserved. The rest had only males. I did think about Fife rabbit rescue and was going to email and see if they had a suitable female this week.

I ended up in Edinburgh on a day out yesterday and dragged my other half into pets at home for cat food.

There she was sitting in the adoption tank. A little brown rabbit -love brown rabbits. Female. I walked by and she flumped onto her side and started eating a carrot. She was in with her sister who had been "adopted" and she was left. She has a very long face like a hare but i just fell in love. I now have her in my dining room and she loves her hay! She doesnt mind being held and seems very friendly. She is 6 months old.

The shop assistant started to ask me lots of questions- which is good- but i told her my set up vaccinated, speyed male etc, large hutch, run and she basically just let me sign for her. She did do a health check! ears, front incisors and i asked her to check she was a female. She did and i agreed she was. Saying all that, they still give them away way tooooooooo easy to anyone. Took all of 5 minutes to adopt her.

The main thing is i have a friend for Nutmeg. He has been in the house for some company tonight as its still freezing and pouring here. He knows there is another bun here as he has been sniffing all over. They havent met yet.

Now the hard work begins! Bonding! I am hoping i will have an easy ride this time! But i know it can take a long time! Next step vets! speying and vacc. Then let the fun begin!

I'm glad to hear about your new bun. Good luck with the bonding. Can't wait for pics

New friend for Little Nutmeg. Pics!

Here she is. She isnt the fluffiest bun, not the cutest, but she is lovely to me. My OH thinks i have bought a Kangeroo! She has huge back legs,ears and feet as well as the biggest bobby tail i have seen! She looks a bit like a hare with her narrow face. I have a feeling she may turn out to be huge!

She is very friendly and has taken to the cats straight away.
Nutmeg is aware she is there as i brought him in for some company last night and he peed and plopped all over the little couch i have in my dining room! 1ST time ever! Guess he is just marking his territory! Lots of newspapers down tonight! I forgot how hard it is having rabbits in the house! I am constantly saying "shut the door" hiding wires, secretly repairing the new wallpaper in my kitchen Cleaning up millions of poops! But it is so lovely having such a bouncy little bunny running around.

She is lovely! She has a similar body shape to my Strawberry expect he is crossed with a lionhead so a bit smaller and fluffier. He also has a very narrow pointy face and really big hips so looks like a little hare!

What a pretty bunny She is gorgeous!
Good luck with the bonding

She is beautiful, very elegant looking.

Nutmegs new friend.

She does look like a little hare. I will post better pics of her big long legs soon. I have called her Hazel. I think she looks like a Hazel! Watership down!
Her run is in the background of the pic at the top of the garden. You can see a little bit of it. Bit worried now about the height of the fence round it with those long legs!

She is stunning

What lucky rabbits you have as it's a brilliant hutch and your new rabbit is gorgeous she's not unlike a Belgium Hare.
Good Luck with the bonding