Will my bunny be lonely?

Hello!
New here , needed some advice to help me choose whether to get my rabbit. I'm worried that I won't be giving it enough as I feel I'm making compromises, and the last thing I'd want to do is give it a worse life than if I hadn't got it Anyway, I'm worried that it'll be lonely; I wake up at about 7AM and leave about 7:20, not much time let alone devote some to the rabbit. I fear that I won't be there for it when/if it needs me! I will be able to leave the cage door open, and the cage is quite spacious, for it to run around my bedroom. I get in around 4:15 in the afternoon, and I can play with it for at least 4 hrs+ (and, if I can't play with her, it will certainly be allowed to roam the house as I will be keeping an eye on her). So, what do you guys think? Would this be okay to stop my bunny from being lonely?
Thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome to RU!

Have you thought about getting another bunny and bonding them? I personally feel that bunnies are always best kept in pairs unless there is a problem to do with the bunny that prevents it (ie medical issues or refusal to bond with another rabbit). Some people do have single rabbits that are left alone all day every day but I feel that it is not ideal for the rabbit as they are such social creatures. I have a single rabbit indoors as he can't be bonded due to medical problems, but I am home almost all day every day so I am able to check on him regularly and also spend time with him regularly.

I certainly don't think it would be cruel to have a bunny in your situation as she would still have lots of space and things like that and I don't know what background your bunny came from, but there are definitely worse places that it could go, especially if she is from a pet shop as pet shop bunnies are often brought for children spontaneously and they get shut in a hutch all day everyday.

Thanks for the reply! It is difficult for me to get another rabbit and to bond them however, it's not impossible and I can possibly try to buy another rabbit. However, thanks for the reassurance that she would be fine alone, content with the attention I would give her (also, I will get her from a private breeder; pet shops make me sick).

Hi there! I think 8.5 hours a day is too long for a rabbit to be on her own, she will be very lonely and bored. Rabbits in the wild live in groups and it is not natural to keep a rabbit on its own. If you have the space etc then it would be more acceptable to have a pair, but they would need to be neutered first and a boy and girl pair is usually the best. Have you thought about having a smaller pet, quite a few of the members on the forum have a hamster and they seem really lovely and don't need so much cleaning out, which you should do every day with a bunny.

Hello tonibun, I will take you information into consideration as there is a lot of conflicting sources (such as pet owners who abide by this or those who allow pets on their own) and I can easily reduce the 8.5 hours to 7 and increase the time I could spend with her prior to leaving the house. Also, I am only looking for a rabbit rather than other animals and, if it's another rabbit it'll need, I'll get one . However, I'd like to initially see how she does (I'll look for signs of boredom, etc) and thank you for the advice! (I already plan on neutering her, as I do/have done with other pets ).

Alex23 said:

Hello tonibun, I will take you information into consideration as there is a lot of conflicting sources (such as pet owners who abide by this or those who allow pets on their own) and I can easily reduce the 8.5 hours to 7 and increase the time I could spend with her prior to leaving the house. Also, I am only looking for a rabbit rather than other animals and, if it's another rabbit it'll need, I'll get one . However, I'd like to initially see how she does (I'll look for signs of boredom, etc) and thank you for the advice! (I already plan on neutering her, as I do/have done with other pets ).

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Hi Alex and welcome to the Forum :wave:

You talk about buying rabbits .. private breeders are the ones who supply to pet shops too you know

Would you consider a couple of Rescue buns - already neutered and spayed and vaccinated and health checked? They would be far cheaper than buying (though that may not be an issue for you!) and are a ready made couple to keep each other company. And rabbits really do thrive best with a member of their own species.

You wouldn't have any of this complicated bonding business to do, or worry about them being lonely.

Just a thought ...

In all honesty I'd always recommend bunnies have company of their own kind. My bonded rabbits do everything together & spend most of the day snuggling, its really lovely to see.I spend loads of time with them but its great to know if I have busy days out of the house they won't get lonely. Rescues are good in that you might get the opportunity to find a bunny or 2 matched to your requirements, already vaccinated, spayed/ neutered. Frequently they will know how friendly their rabbits are, who is more destructive etc

whoops- slow typer here didnt really copy you mightymax :lol:

Haha yeah, thanks for the answer. Honestly, that's such a great solution! I will certainly look into it as that would be easy.

joey&boo said:

whoops- slow typer here didnt really copy you mightymax :lol:

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Great minds, J&B :thumb:

Alex23 said:

Haha yeah, thanks for the answer. Honestly, that's such a great solution! I will certainly look into it as that would be easy.

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Brilliant! There's an amazing choice, with over 67,000 bunnies in rescue every year

MightyMax said:

Hi Alex and welcome to the Forum :wave:

You talk about buying rabbits .. private breeders are the ones who supply to pet shops too you know

Would you consider a couple of Rescue buns - already neutered and spayed and vaccinated and health checked? They would be far cheaper than buying (though that may not be an issue for you!) and are a ready made couple to keep each other company. And rabbits really do thrive best with a member of their own species.

You wouldn't have any of this complicated bonding business to do, or worry about them being lonely.

Just a thought ...

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I completely agree with this, it is so rewarding rescuing a pair of buns as you know that you have taken them out of a bad situation and given them a lovely forever home. It is especially rewarding if they were previously neglected (which lots of bunnies unintentionally are by people that don't understand proper rabbit care) and/or abused as you will be giving them a life that is so much better than what they had before.

Also, as MightyMax said they will come already neutered, vaccinated and bonding. The cost to neuter and vaccinate a female and make rabbit would cost anywhere between £140-£200 depending on what your vet charges, whereas you will have to pay £40-£50 per rabbit and not have to worry about anything else! (As they will already be neutered you won't have to carry out possible post-op care which could mean you would have to syringe feed every two hours- including through the night- if one of the bunnies were to stop eating due to the surgery, which can be common when spaying a doe)