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Are friends essential for house buns?

Rosie-Lil

Alpha Buck
I hope this is the right section, sorry if not.

I've been thinking a lot lately on whether or not I'm being cruel by keeping Rosie-Lil alone. I have noticed that quite a few here have lone house buns but I don't know their bunnies personality so it could be for many reasons, which is why I'm asking here. I have an extremely close bond with her and spend 80% of my time in my room, where we cuddle, 'groom' and she has head rubs. I am concerned though that she is alone when I'm not there and despite having toys she must get quite bored. She has lots of love to give and I was thinking of getting a husbun for her to shower with grooms ect. Any advice would be appreciated, if she is fine alone I would prefer to keep it as is if I'm honest.

As a side question, does having a bond with another rabbit change the existing rabbits behaviour towards their owner? I know it's selfish but I'd really miss our bond if she goes off me. :oops:

Thanks x
 
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Quite a few people say that :lol: but honestly, the bond between a rabbit/owner and rabbit/rabbit, I think, is totally different. Poppy is our single rabbit, she is in the bedroom so has attention and fuss whenever she asks for it. But I would do anything to give her a friend :( I can give her all the love and attention in the world, but all she wants is rabbit companionship :cry:

Watching Donny & Lola and Leo & Kerbie interact and do everything together is the most heart warming thing ever. My bf thought that Leo would be okay on his own because he had fuss and us, but seeing him with Kerbie is the best feeling ever because instead of trying and failing to talk to us, he has a friend of his own species to communicate with :love: only instead of one fuss demanding rabbit.. we have 2! :lol:
 
Pickles is a single house rabbit now. His brother Ginger died when they were 7. I brought Pickles in the house straight away and since then he developed quite a fear of going back in his shed. He'd stamp and run and hide when he knew it was time to go out (in those days I used to put him in the shed when I went to work, just a 4 hours a day, so he wouldn't attack my bedroom). It had been my original intention to get him a girly bun friend. However I didn't because:

* He was 7 years old, and I wasn't expecting him to live much longer himself. In hindsight I think it was depression, but he just seemed on the way out.

*I was worried that I'd adopt a girl who wasn't littertrained to his standard. I couldn't make him go out in his shed again as it was making him miserable, and I couldn't have a house rabbit who wasn't littertrained or was overly destructive.

* I couldn't find one! I did look for a long time but I couldn't find a suitable friend at all. It seems there just aren't bunnies of that age up for adoption down here! I did consider getting somebun upcountry, what what if the bond hadn't worked out? I didn't want 2 separate rabbits.

*I don't think I could have loved it. Ginger was my absolute heart and it broke me when he left. I could have put up with another rabbit for Pickles' sake, but then what if he'd died and left me with it? I couldn't have rehomed it, so I'd have been stuck with a bun I didn't really love. Then I'd have had to get it a friend too, and so on and so on for eternity!


I feel guilty everyday for not getting him a friend. I know he's lonely, but the same issues are standing in the way! I'm here in my room with him at least 18 hours a day. I talk to him all the time, get on the floor so he can kiss my nose, stroke him, and try and make his environment interesting with toys and environmental enrichment. I know it's never quite 'enough' though.


In your case, how old is your bun? I should imagine if she's still a bright young thing she'll take well to having a boy bun friend. I'm sure she wouldn't go off you! Is your girl spayed already? Maybe the best idea would be to find a local rescue that will allow you to bring her to 'date' other single rabbits, so she can choose a good match for herself?
 
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Obviously there are reasons that some rabbits need to be on their own, but I think the ideal is for a rabbit to have a friend regardless of whether they live inside or out.

I have heard of some rabbits becoming less close with their owner once they are bonded with another rabbit but although it's sad that the bond isn't as close, it's really lovely that they're so happy with their bunny friend they don't feel like they need their human so much any more.
 
Hi,

I'm one of those ones with a single house bun.

I've got to be honest and say that I don't really feel guilty about it. I hope people will respect my decision, I sometimes feel people don't.

I'm disabled and don't get out much, even when I worked full time it was from home and he free ranges in the room I work/live in so he had almost constant companionship from me, I do think it would be mean otherwise. I live with my family so if I do go out they're there too so there's no shortage of fuss for him.

But there are other considerations. His health is not good. His poop monitoring and feeding is frankly a difficult task- 5 blinking servings of fresh food/pellets a day!- and I wouldn't be happy separating out what were his droppings from another bunny's, in fact, catching problems early in his case has on at least two occasions prevented a big problem. He's also uninsurable, and I couldn't afford another bunny now on top of him, not to the standard of care Ludo gets. I was in the process of insuring when he got ill.

The vet has also for now at least recommended not to castrate him, she thinks a GA is risky, so that means another bunny is out of the question, unless I want either a stressed out female that is humped all the time or 1,000 bunnies by Xmas (cute, but maybe not!) :lol:

Anyway, like Louie, I think he's a very very happy rabbit. I don't think you can really judge unless you know the bunny.
 
*I was worried that I'd adopt a girl who wasn't littertrained to his standard. I couldn't make him go out in his shed again as it was making him miserable, and I couldn't have a house rabbit who wasn't littertrained or was destructive.

This is my main fear. Rosie-Lil is very good, other than a nibble on the wall a while back she doesn't chew or dig and is very clean, even though she is not yet spayed. I'm scared that I'll get a destructive bun who would take to chewing my wardrobe or the skirting boards, I couldn't bare to take on a rabbit and then give it back!

I'm sorry for the loss of Ginger, I'm sure Pickles is just happy to have you around.

Rosie-Lil is very much a 'persons rabbit' she only has to see me and she starts purring. She is approx 18months and is being Spayed this month. I've finally found a competent vet who isn't charging the earth! I don't have any very local rescues I don't think, I would need to travel which is fine with me however I'm terrified of bonding. I don't think I could do it. :(
 
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Obviously there are reasons that some rabbits need to be on their own, but I think the ideal is for a rabbit to have a friend regardless of whether they live inside or out.

I have heard of some rabbits becoming less close with their owner once they are bonded with another rabbit but although it's sad that the bond isn't as close, it's really lovely that they're so happy with their bunny friend they don't feel like they need their human so much any more.

This. We have a bonded pair and a single girl. Not gonna lie, it's not the same as it was before with the bonded pair, they're very much in love and very independant. But hey ho, their happiness comes before mine. I do still get the odd lick :lol: Our single girl gets lots of attention but we don't speak rabbit, we can't cuddle up or run around like a rabbit. When our money situation is more stable she'll be getting a friend, and then we may bond all four together. Sad as it is to watch them 'grow up', there's nothing more satisfying than watching a couple of bunnies flop out beside each other and have a competition over who will groom who first :lol:
 
My bunny is outdoor so can't answer about indoors bunnies. But we had Bumble for a while before we got her Bee (binky free). Our relationship did change I can't lie - I know that Bumble still loved me but she didn't need me as much because Bee gave her everything she needed pretty much. I mean I still got love from her like she would still lick me and I still stroked her just not as much as before. It was a bit sad to not have her want me so much but it was ok because I could see how happy she was with Bee and it was so lovely seeing them so happy together. Since Bee died our bond has got closer again because she's let me - she licks me loads and she wants strokes loads and she wants me.
 
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My first bunny Poppy was single for 3 years, she seemed happy enough and had a close bond to us I would say (particularly my ex). I didn't realise the ideal was for her to have a friend and I didn't adopt Peter until she was 3.5. As I said, she seemed very happy alone but when I got Peter I realised how special a bond is between buns. Her behaviour didn't change and she didn't seem particularly 'happier' but she was more content I would say, she got bunny cuddles, she was never alone (which meant we didn't feel guilty about staying out all day) and she had another animal whose behaviour she could read and understand. I personally would never have a single bun again unless I was ending the ' cycle of bunnies' so to speak and didn't want anymore and even then it would only be if I had one elderly bun left, if they weren't that old I would adopt another the same age.
 
I think it depends on the bun. I don't have any house rabbits myself but am in a similar situation to you with one of my outdoors, Dee. she's a single bun, in a hutch+run combo with lots of toys, hay etc but she is on her own. We can't get her a friend, purely because we cannot afford another rabbit, and I think it'd be too risky to bond her with my others. She comes in for an hour or so every day when the temperature inside and out isn't much different, and she gets plenty of noserubs etc, but it's not enough :( I can't really have her indoors though, she'd have to go in her indoor cage which is one of those ferplast ones and I can't have a puppy pen so her only freedom would be in the kitchen. I do this in the winter (don't have a choice) but I don't think it is in her best interests to do it in the summer. it doesn't stop you feeling any less bad though, does it! I want to get her a friend SO much:(
 
My first bunny Poppy was single for 3 years, she seemed happy enough and had a close bond to us I would say (particularly my ex). I didn't realise the ideal was for her to have a friend and I didn't adopt Peter until she was 3.5. As I said, she seemed very happy alone but when I got Peter I realised how special a bond is between buns. Her behaviour didn't change and she didn't seem particularly 'happier' but she was more content I would say, she got bunny cuddles, she was never alone (which meant we didn't feel guilty about staying out all day) and she had another animal whose behaviour she could read and understand. I personally would never have a single bun again unless I was ending the ' cycle of bunnies' so to speak and didn't want anymore and even then it would only be if I had one elderly bun left, if they weren't that old I would adopt another the same age.

This is similar to us really. We adopted our first bunny, Alfie, when he was 3 last year and he had always been kept on his own as a house bunny. He is superbly litter trained and wasn't destructive at all and it never really occurred to me another bun wouldn't be the same. :oops: I got him a bunny wife after reading they did best with company, although my friend, who is a vet nurse and who gave Alfie to us wasn't at all keen and did say he wouldn't be as friendly. He is just as, if not more friendly now, but as a bonus we have a second bunny who is equally friendly. (she wasn't when she first arrived)

Alfie seemed very happy before and I am sure he was happy, but I think he is more happy with his wife and afterall, I want him to lead the best life he can. Because his wife is quite destructive and ultimately he has started to be the same, we have moved them outside, something I never wanted to do, but again, they are so much happier out there and it's truly wonderful seeing them so happy. :love:
 
Thanks to all for your input, it's definitely something worth thinking about once she is spayed. Unfortunately I'd struggle to fit a shed and run in my garden, so I don't think it would be fair to keep her and a husbun outside. I guess I'd have to search for a rabbit who is known not to be destructive!
 
hi i would get her a friend once she has been spayed, allow her to choose her partner as it will make a stronger bond.

les, bev and the buns
 
i feel unless their are reasons not to I think its important to have rabbit companions you cant be there 24/7 and even if you are human companionship isnt as beneficial as companionship with their own kind.

If you could see your bun happy with another bun you wouldnt go back its truly lovely :love:
 
I had two house bunnies. They were both sisters (I think), and they absolutely loved each other. They were both quite unwell though, with the same condition, so when one died, I knew the other wasn't long for this world, so she was left alone rather than risking bonding her with another.

Although she had huge amounts of attention throughout the day, and was hardly left at all, it really wasn't the same for her being a lone house bunny, and I'd never have done it other than for health reasons. If I'd never seen her with another bunny, I'd have thought she was absolutely fine. It's not that I felt cruel with her being on her own, with all the attention she had, but it just wasn't ideal.

Bond-wise, I wouldn't say we were better bonded when we were just owner and bunny, rather than owner and two bunnies. Whether it works differently the other way around (when the bunny was always single), I have no idea.
 
As I've said, I'll definitely look into it once she has been spayed and recovered. The only thing that would stop it is if I couldn't find a rabbit who is known to be 'house trained', I'm sure rescues could help me out on that though. Hopefully she'll have a friend this year. I'll always be the one who gives the best head rubs I guess :lol:
 
Yeah, the destructiveness is the worst thing with house bunnies, I think! Little terrors! :lol:
 
Yeah, the destructiveness is the worst thing with house bunnies, I think! Little terrors! :lol:

Rosie-Lil isn't at all, which is obviously a good thing. I couldn't bring a bunny into the house who was unfortunately, I don't have the money to keep re-plastering the walls. :?
I don't have cables in my room now though, so that's one less hazard I guess! :lol:
 
Rosie-Lil isn't at all, which is obviously a good thing. I couldn't bring a bunny into the house who was unfortunately, I don't have the money to keep re-plastering the walls. :?
I don't have cables in my room now though, so that's one less hazard I guess! :lol:

thats the good thing about rescues they know their buns and can find one suited to you both :D
 
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