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Male Unnuetered - Thinking Of A Companion For Him

mystic.bertie

Young Bun
hi folks, i aquired an unnuetered male rabbit Noah the other week, i think he is just under a year old, i got a big indoor cage and an outdoor hutch with him, we are keeping him inside so he has us for company and i have a laid back cat who is not bothered about the rabbit .

so i have been reading up on rabbits online as i have never kept one, anyway after reading how much they love a companion i want to get a rabbit for him, i would prefer another rabbit but from what i have read if i do get another rabbit it means getting one or both of them dressed, i cant really afford to do this as im not working and have a cat to keep and 2 kids lol. Is the next best thing to get a guinea pig as a companion for him? I can afford to buy the pet but i cant afford the vet expenses. Any advice appreciated.

i seen an advert on gumtree for rescue rabbits and there suggested donation is £60 which i cant afford.
 
To be really honest if you can't afford £60 you can't afford another bunny :( It would be lovely to get him a companion but what if either of them fell sick?

Guinea pigs and bunnies together is a real no-no, buns have such powerful back legs they can easily injure a piggy.
 
If you can't even afford the vet fees for your current rabbit, I would not get another pet. As long as the rabbit gets enough attention and company with you indoors, he will be ok. You will have to get the bunny neutered, otherwise he'll get frustrated. And save money for vaccinations, which are very important.

Guinea pigs are not a good companion for a rabbit, they eat other food, and they could get injured by the bunny, which is much stronger.
 
Definitely don't get a guinea pig.

If you can't afford expenses, then its not sensible to get another rabbit either, because things like vaccinations and any emergencies amount up quickly.

It will be beneficial to save up for his neuter (and obviously vaccinations) and then maybe just keep him as a house rabbit with lots of stimulation from you guys? If you're in the UK you may be able to get discounted neuters from your RSPCA because some do vouchers to reduce the cost, which may help.
 
you should not pair an un neutered male with another rabbit as it will end in a fight
and it is now known you should never keep rabbits and guinea pigs together..they do not share the same language and again an un neutered male rabbit will make the gps life a misery by mounting it and could end up breaking some bones.

If you cannot afford vets bills or a rescue donation then please do not take on any more animals ..
You must make sure you can cover any vet bills the rabbit you already have may run up..it can be very expensive but you have both a moral and legal duty to take your pets to a vet if they are ill or injured.

so think long and hard before adding to your costs
 
I would say no to another bunny, if your male is unneutered you will either end up with lots of fighting or humping or unwanted litters or all of the above!

If you can't afford vet fees for one, how will you afford fees for two? What would you do if one/both became ill? It is more important (In my opinion) to be able to provide for the rabbit you already have that to get it a companion.
 
oh sorry i thought guinea pigs and rabbits were good together, seen them is the same pens when in parks and zoos etc.

if i need to take a pet to the vet i would nt hesitate, i would find the money and i my mum always helps if im struggling.

the pet shops has rabbits for £20, its with my girls money i would buy it as its for them, anyway i could not afford possibly £40 each to get the 2 males dressed which seems inevitable.
 
i have just got the 1 bunny as i can only afford vet bills for him in my current financial situation, waiting until i can afford vet bills for both if they need it.

with a lot of love and attention, he is a very happy bunny, even without a friend.
i would stick to the one you have :)
 
I agree with just keeping him on his own for now. I'm sure you can give him enough attention to keep him happy. :)
Save up to get him neutered and then you can save up for a friend. :)
 
yeah i thought i would get advice first, you guys are right no point getting another if i cant afford to get them dressed.

the previous owner is no longer with us so i was happy to take the bun on for my kids.
 
yeah i thought i would get advice first, you guys are right no point getting another if i cant afford to get them dressed.

the previous owner is no longer with us so i was happy to take the bun on for my kids.

I am sure he will be happy enough if you give him lots of attention :)
 
yeah i thought i would get advice first, you guys are right no point getting another if i cant afford to get them dressed.

the previous owner is no longer with us so i was happy to take the bun on for my kids.

I just wanted to add as you are new to keeping rabbits that they are not children's pets. They can inflict long sore scratches which can result in permenant scarring. Rabbits dislike being picked and handled at the best of times and should never be left alone with children. Also rabbits can deteriorate rapidly when they get ill however they often try to disguise symptoms. Most rabbits will go quite quiet when feeling unwell. Make sure the rabbit is your responsibility and not the kid's.

One other item of note, rabbits are very active and need lots of room for running and jumping so don't keep him in his cage for longer than you can help. If you have a spare room you can bunnie proof or a hallway you can let him play in there.

Good luck :) I would keep posting for advice if you need, there are plenty of knowledgeable people on here.
 
I am sure he will be happy enough if you give him lots of attention :)

Also, as you have a cat, I wouldn't worry about your rabbit being lonely. As well as human companionship he will be getting lots of, he and the cat may become firm friends as cats and rabbits often get on very well. Obviously, supervise them at first to see how they react to each other.

And he's your pet rather than the children's as you'll soon learn when the kids get scratched or sick of cleaning him out. ;)
 
hi folks, i aquired an unnuetered male rabbit Noah the other week, i think he is just under a year old, i got a big indoor cage and an outdoor hutch with him, we are keeping him inside so he has us for company and i have a laid back cat who is not bothered about the rabbit .

so i have been reading up on rabbits online as i have never kept one, anyway after reading how much they love a companion i want to get a rabbit for him, i would prefer another rabbit but from what i have read if i do get another rabbit it means getting one or both of them dressed, i cant really afford to do this as im not working and have a cat to keep and 2 kids lol. Is the next best thing to get a guinea pig as a companion for him? I can afford to buy the pet but i cant afford the vet expenses. Any advice appreciated.

i seen an advert on gumtree for rescue rabbits and there suggested donation is £60 which i cant afford.

Depending where your from you can get neutering done quite cheaply, the trick is to ring around all the vets. The prices in middlesbrough ranged from £28 to £75 :shock:

Plus- what everyone else has said- great advice given. x
 
thanks for the great advice guys, my kids are 9 and 12 and quite good and handling and looking after the rabbit, i will not let him be neglected so if my kids dont do it i will but im going to be strict with my girls and remind them when its time to clean out his cage and feed him etc.

i suppose there is no harm ringing around for a price on getting him nuetered.

here is a picture of noah

Photo-0007.jpg
 
He is so cute!!!! Just a word of warning, watch the little monster, being unneutered he might nip to do his naughty ways with you, our bun nipped my much younger sister whilst getting over excited and drew blood. Wasnt his fault really and since neutering he's not hurt anyone.
 
Hi & welcome :wave:

I you are able to save up & have your bun neutered I think a) he would be happier (less likely to feel frustrated etc) and b) you would enjoy him more as he'd be less likely to territory mark plus often neutered buns are easier to handle :)

Remember buns don't really like to be picked up much as they are prey animals so please encourage the children to give Noah lots of fuss & cuddles with his feet on the ground :D:wave:
 
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