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2 Bunnies or 1

Bunnie

Warren Scout
For my 16th birthday my mum said she would get me a bunny and pay for the vacinations, but i dont know wheather to get one or two? i only ever planned on getting one but some books i read say they like company, i have wanted a bunny all my life and i plan for the bunny to be in my arms more than in the hutch, if i get two than it will cost alot more money and i have to pay for all expenses, and if one suddenly dies i have to get another because the other one will be lonely and then if the other one dies i have two bunnies i never planned on getting, so i dont know what to do!?
 
2 bunnies is much better than one, they are very social. My 2 are always cuddled up together or running round the hutch together, and I don't worry as much about them at night or when I'm not around because they aren't lonely. It is a bit more expensive but I think its much better for them to be in pairs :)
 
Could you have one bunny and have it live indoors? An outside bunny invariably does need a friend, expect in special circumstances involving the bunny not being able to be bonded. However, I would never suggest to anyone to get two babies together.
 
Bear in mind that a lot of bunnies don't like cuddles, so may not want to be in your arms for very long!
 
2. Without a doubt. Since my pair have been bonded they are so much happier. It's not much more money at all, for me it's just buying extra hay and two sets of vaccinations. I have 2 singles and while they are happy, they aren't as happy as my pair.

If you're buying then they will need spaying/neutering to prevent babies (a certain pet shop tends to make many mistakes in sexing) and also fights when hormones are raging. Don't let that put you off having 2 though, a single bun would need the same and not only does it make them easier to litter train and stop being territorial/hormonal, it prevents testicular cancer and uterine cancer which is very high in unspayed females when they reach the age of 5.

Rescues will mainly be outdoor bunnies, spayed and vaccinated. And they have plenty of babies!

Also if you're buying from a shop they won't be able to go outside yet, it will be way too cold for them.

Rabbits aren't a cuddly animal like a dog. They can be, but they are prey animals and prefer to be on the ground. Perhaps not a cuddle bunny, but being on the floor with them will help them get braver and trust you.
 
Bear in mind that a lot of bunnies don't like cuddles, so may not want to be in your arms for very long!

Absolutely. If you want a rabbit for cuddles then I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed. Bunnies who enjoy cuddles are very rare because it's instinctual for them not to enjoy being picked up, in the wild that means danger.
 
Absolutely. If you want a rabbit for cuddles then I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed. Bunnies who enjoy cuddles are very rare because it's instinctual for them not to enjoy being picked up, in the wild that means danger.

Was just going to say this!

Always better to have a pair or group :D - or at least try to :) its not always possible, with bonding problesm, and sometimes bunnies just want to be loners, but you're better off trying to get two :D
 
Two would be preferable, they enjoy the company of another rabbit and especially if you get them from a rescue you might find a pair that might already bonded/vaccinated/neutered so it will be much easier for you not having to bond/vaccinate/neuter them yourself.

ALso not all rabbits enjoy being cuddled or picked up etc so be prepared for that :)
 
2. Without a doubt. Since my pair have been bonded they are so much happier. It's not much more money at all, for me it's just buying extra hay and two sets of vaccinations. I have 2 singles and while they are happy, they aren't as happy as my pair.

If you're buying then they will need spaying/neutering to prevent babies (a certain pet shop tends to make many mistakes in sexing) and also fights when hormones are raging. Don't let that put you off having 2 though, a single bun would need the same and not only does it make them easier to litter train and stop being territorial/hormonal, it prevents testicular cancer and uterine cancer which is very high in unspayed females when they reach the age of 5.

Rescues will mainly be outdoor bunnies, spayed and vaccinated. And they have plenty of babies!

Also if you're buying from a shop they won't be able to go outside yet, it will be way too cold for them.

Rabbits aren't a cuddly animal like a dog. They can be, but they are prey animals and prefer to be on the ground. Perhaps not a cuddle bunny, but being on the floor with them will help them get braver and trust you.

Good post Aly and Poppy!
 
I have 1 bunny who is perfectley happy on her own, but she is a house bunny and gets alot of attention from us. She was a single bunny when we got her and has always been on her own. Having a single bunny myself i would still probably recommend 2. Even tho my bunny is perfectly happy on her own i think its nicer for them to have a friend. We can only do so much to make our bunny(s) happy but if they have a friend the bond would be so much more stronger and they would be happier, but not all buns like other buns and prefer to be on their own

I have thought of getting a friend for Misty, but as she's always been on her own theres so theres alot of pro's and con's i.e fighting etc i need to take into consideration but you could always get your bunny(s) from a shelter and they would already be bonded. If we decide to get Misty a friend i would ask the shelter could i bring her and introduce her to some friends there, let her pick her own friend and if she dosent take to it then when we come home theres not another rabbit in the house to upset her.

It up to yourself at the end of the day :)
 
There are some bunnies who prefer to be on their own but they are few and far between. I look at single bunnies as the same as being human in solitary confinement for life, nobody to talk to or play with. A neutered pair from a rescue is cheaper, you dont have any stress of neutering and bonding and the rabbits personality is already known. Very few rabbits like being picked up though will enjoy being stroked on the ground.
 
Are you planning for your bunny/bunnies to live indoors or outside? If outside, then I would definitely recommend two, because they are social creatures and even if you do plan to cuddle your bunny a lot, you won't be able to do that for 24 hours a day. Even with the absolute best commitment you could probably only spend a few hours a day with your bunny and that would leave him/her outside alone for over 20 hours a day - an awful lot for a social creature.

If your bunny lives in the house, while I still think it is better for them to be in pairs so that they always have a friend of their own species, at least indoors, your bunny would have opportunity to interact and have people around him/her while you are going about your normal family business and not just at the times you specifically choose to be with bunny.

Also please bear in mind that if your bunny lives outdoors, you can't bring him indoors to play during the winter, as remember your bunny doesn't have an extra coat and gloves to put on or take off, so he needs to stay out where the temperature is more similar. bringing bunny indoors where the heating is on and then taking him back outside again to live is a bit like you only having one pair of pyjamas and then being sent back outside without a coat on once you've been indoors having cuddles. It can make them very ill, so that's something to consider too. So in winter, he would need to stay outside all the time and you would need to go out and spend time with him outside - or if he has a friend, then it won't matter so much if you don't spend much time with him in winter as he will have his own friend to play with and cuddle.

Finally, I do agree with the others, remember that bunnies are nature's lunch - they therefore have instincts which tell them that any creature which picks them up is probably about to eat them, it can be very frightening for a rabbit to be picked up and cuddled, they much prefer to interact with you on the floor. So that is also something to bear in mind. Well done for doing your research before going and getting your new pet, hopefully all the info here will help you to decide what would be best for you and also best for bunny. Xx
 
I got two babies, a girl and a boy. The boy is really cuddly but the girl hates any sort of strokes, cuddles etc.

You need to think about the cost of two bunnies, especially if they get poorly. One may be more 'convenient' but they do prefer company.
 
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