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Best option for new companion

Should I get Simba a new companion?

  • Older, neutered male

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Older, neutered female

    Votes: 7 87.5%
  • Young male (to be neutered)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Young female (to be neutered)

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • He doesn't sound like he'd accept a friend

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8

Zazu

New Kit
Hi everyone, I've kept rabbits for decades now and they have all lived separately but next to each other, so I've never felt any were too lonely.
Now I have a lot fewer buns and only have one inside and one outside. The outside bun unfortunately has E.cuniculi and can't mix with other rabbits in case he infects them :( he seems very happy though and gets lots of garden time.

My house bun Simba however I fear may be lonely, he is a neutered boy, about 2 years old and has a big cage plus permanent playpen & toys. But he doesn't seem to *do* much during the day. I work and the house is quiet. Sometimes I have to stay away overnight because of work and although someone comes and checks on him and I have an auto-feeder and radio on a timer, it must be quite lonely for him.

Anyway, on to my question. What is the best option (in your experiences) for a companion. I could get a neutered adult rescue bun and try bonding them, would a male or female be better??
The other option is to get a young rabbit, and neuter them when he/she is old enough. Could I start bonding them before they are neutered, supervised?

He is usually placid with me, but despite being neutered a year ago, he can occasionally start 'buzzing' around my arms/legs, and if I put my hand in his space too quickly, he can grunt/lunge (although never bites). This makes me think he is quite territorial and unlikely to accept a companion too readily.

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks
 
Hello. If you want a companion for Simba, I would definitely recommend going to a rescue and adopting a single female from there. The rescue will have already neutered and vaccinated the bun, and might well have some idea about the personality of the girl. There's also the potential that if the bond doesn't work out, they can take them back and you can try another girl. Some rescues also offer bonding services, if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.

Rabbits can be territorial, but introducing them on neutral grounds is the best way to start a bond. Then neutralising the original territory so it no longer smells of Simba, and the layout is unfamiliar and new to him would reduce the risk of territorialism.

Good luck, whatever you choose to do.
 
I agree with tlc, a neutered doe would be your best option, getting one from a rescue means they are already spayed and vaccinated, and you are giving them an second chance. It's better to introduce them in a neutral area, where Simba won't feel she's invading his space, and putting them in separate pens to start with, so they can see and smell each other but can't fight. Having said that, one of my does lost her husbun, and I tried taking my own advice, she was really aggressive to the new boy, but when I let them run about together in an enclosure in the garden they were fine, and have stayed close, even now he is in her accommodation. You will have to play it by ear really, see how they go when you introduce them. Some rescues will let you take your boy for 'speed dating' to see if he is attracted to any of the does. We do this, and sometimes it's a definite yes or no. Contact a rescue near you, your vet will have an address or phone number, and go and have a look. We often get pregnant does in, who then have babies we need to rehome, plus the doe herself, so you may have a good selection to choose from, older or young buns. Good luck! You'll have plenty of experienced people on here to ask about bonding problems, if any.
 
Buns are so much happier when they have a friend. We got our bun a friend from a rescue last year, they helped pick one that was a suitable match, then helped with the bonding
Good luck with finding a friend for him

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Personally I wouldn't be too worried about getting a friend for your EC bunny either. So many rabbits have been exposed to EC (around 52% I think) but many of them show no clinical symptoms at all. If you join the Help For Head Tilt Hoppers group of fb then you can probably get some more advice/info but many members on there have happily bonded EC bunnies :)
 
Personally I wouldn't be too worried about getting a friend for your EC bunny either. So many rabbits have been exposed to EC (around 52% I think) but many of them show no clinical symptoms at all. If you join the Help For Head Tilt Hoppers group of fb then you can probably get some more advice/info but many members on there have happily bonded EC bunnies :)

Agree with this too
 
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