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Looking for a new companion for my bunny, lots of questions!

IzzyTwig

Alpha Buck
My darling bunny Nuggette passed away last Friday leaving her partner Otis all on his own:cry:. He seems to be quite depressed without her and I'm wondering if it's worth getting another bun to keep him company. He's about 5 years old and a neutered standard rex, he's a very hefty bunny, not fat, just big.
Should I get a bun similar in age or a baby just thinking of bonding? Also would he tolerate a neutered buck or is a doe the best match for him, I'm just aware of how territorial does are?
I've always fancied a French lop, how much bigger are they than standard rexes and would one be able to live in 6 foot two storey hutch or is that too small? I know a lot of people keep them in sheds to combat the size issue but unfortunately I'm not in the position to get a shed at the moment. Would I be better off getting a similar sized bunny or does it not really matter?


Sorry for all the questions. I've done searches but get conflicting information.:oops:
Thanks for any responses :)
 
Personally I wouldn't keep a french lop in a hutch. You can have any size bun its down to personality not size/breed/age. A good rescue will help you find/bond a suitable companion and generally a neutered male/female match is best.
 
:wave: So sorry to hear you lost your beloved Nuggette :(

Does are only really territorial if they are unneutered, a good rescue will neuter their females as well as their males so this should not be a problem. A neutered male/female pair is usually the best pairing with the most stable bond. Boys can bond fine, but they are often more unstable and more likely to break down.

I also agree with molly35, I don't think a 6ft double hutch is big enough for a french lop, personally I would go for a bunny the same size or smaller than your current one. The new bun doesn't have to be the same age or size to get a good bond, personality match is much more important - and again a good rescue will know their bunnies and will be able to help you find one that is likely to be a good match. They may also be able to help you with the bonding, as it can be a bit tricky to start off with if you're not used to it. Have you tried searching the rabbit database on www.rabbitrehome.org.uk. It's not a comprehensive list of every available bunny but it might give you some ideas and there is also a list of rescues so you might be able to find one near you who can help.

Good luck xx
 
Thanks for the replies, unfortunately the only bunnies near me are already bonded, the rest are all over 40 miles away, since I don't have a car (Just a motorbike - hardly appropriate bunny transport :lol:) that makes things a bit difficult. Plus I'm not sure if rescues would home check at such a distance. I'll keep on looking though.

Thanks for the replies. French lops are obviously bigger than I thought, so they're out of the question.
 
I am very sorry that you have lost Nuggette. Sleep tight little one xx

I was homechecked by a rescue hundreds of miles away, they did it by photos and a vet reference. They then got bunny to me via a staged bunnyrun. :D

I adopted from BARC, they are very good and Angie (bunnymadhouse) is lovely. However, if you were to adopt a bun further away and the bond didn't work, you would need to have the space to keep them separate. I agree that a female is best and that size doesn't matter - I know someone who had a continental giant paired with a teeny harlequin! :love:

As you are finding it difficult to get another bun, would you consider keeping Otis as a single bun indoors? They can be litter trained and with human company, get on well without bunny company. I've had single house buns and they are a joy to have, so much so that I don't think I would have outside buns again!
 
Thanks for the replies, unfortunately the only bunnies near me are already bonded, the rest are all over 40 miles away,

It might still be worth contacting the nearest rescues directly as it can be hard for rescues to find time to list every bunny they have & keep all the entries up to date, so just because there aren't any singles on the Rehome site doesn't mean that they don't have any.....
 
It might still be worth contacting the nearest rescues directly as it can be hard for rescues to find time to list every bunny they have & keep all the entries up to date, so just because there aren't any singles on the Rehome site doesn't mean that they don't have any.....

This :thumb: Most of the available Honeybunnies aren't on RR - purely because it's time consuming to take pics & up date and the day to day bunny care has to take priority :wave: Honeybunnies re-home UK wide so it's worth emailing Jill with your requirements :wave:
 
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