Does my doe need a mate?

I got a pair of does 9 months ago from the rspca. they were 4.5 years and had been paired for years but one died 2 months ago. The surviving doe has a double hutch and a large run. She has been ripping up the newspaper lining in her hutch which i'm worried is a sign of boredom. I don't particularly want another rabbit but I'll get one if its best for her to have a friend.

Another option I was thinking about is getting her a house cage so she can live inside with us, then maybe she wont feel lonely or bored. She'd have the run of the house when I'm home and regular grazing time in her outdoor run.

What im basically asking is - can i get away with bringing her inside to live with us or will I have to get another rabbit for company?

Hi and welcome to RU firstly :wave:

I'm sorry to hear that you lost one of your buns.

The question you're asking is debatable. Personally, I have a single outdoor bun (won't tolerate others) and she copes fine.

Several people on here have single housebuns, Cari does, susie bun does, and im sure there are more. It really depends on the rabbit I think!

Maybe try giving it a go, then seeing how she is? Some bunnies prefer human company, others dont :thumb:

I think pictures are needed of your girlie as well

I think, as she had lived with another bunny for some time, then she should be given the opportunity to have another friend. Maybe a local rescue would do the bonding for you if you decide to go ahead. She would have to be spayed if she isn't already.

Evie is a lovely rabbit who enjoys human contact. She even gets on well with my dog. I don't really want the extra responsibility of another rabbit - she's much easier to look after on her own. I don't have much money and I had to pay a lot of vet bills for my late doe Jazmine, so I'm very wary of getting any more rabbits. I think I'll move her into the house and if she's still bored then I'll get her a friend.

I was thinking of getting her a big dog crate rather than a custom rabbit cage as they are cheaper and larger. I could make her an enclosed sleeping area and a second floor then she'd have much more room than a standard rabbit cage. Any advice on indoor housing on a budget?

If you're worried about affording vet bills then I think, for now, the best thing would be to bring her indoors so she can have a lot of contact.

My rabbits have a dog pen, which is 6ft x 2ft. It was fairly cheap and makes a good base for them :wave: Check ebay for that kind of thing

I had indoor buns at first, and none of the cages were big enough for my liking, so I made my own. Basically, I bought a pen, which was made up of 8 individual cage sides attached to each other. Then I took it apart and used cable ties to put it together how I wanted it. Also, you can use the wire cube storage cubes. They all come in separate parts, so you can put something together with them. It's much more customisable than a fixed cage. You can make it in an L-shape or whatever.

I only paid about £30 for the pen I used. The storage cubes can be picked up pretty cheap too.