Can one bun be happy??

Im slowly getting to the conclusion that due to Alfie's ongoing snuffles he won't be able to get neaturered (can never spell that word!) and as much as i am desperate to get another bun i don't want to risk him going through the op.

He has every evening with me, 1-1/2 hours in the morning and alot more at the weekend, however i spend all day at work which is why i wanted to get him a companion. He has alot of freedom has big combo-hutch and run and is very tame/loving follows me around and blinky's alot so he is, at the moment, happy.

So can one bun bun be happy?? could i risk bonding him with a sprayed snuffly femail? he doesn't spray like my other friend's bunny does and has a laid back nature. My friend brought her femail over one's and he was being very sweet towards her.

I know have have asked alot of these q's in the past relating to Alfie's snuffles but i just want him to be happy - sorry if any one is getting fed up with me :wink:


Thanks to you all for continuing to help me with all of my queries no matter how repetitive they are starting to sound.

Bonnie xxx

Hiya :wave:

Sophie lives in the living room on her own! She is very happy as long as we have time to spend with her! How long in the evening do you spend with your bun? I am very lucky that I only work part time, so work isnt really an issue for me and leaving sophie by herself isnt really a problem!

I think as long as you give you bun a lot of time when you are home and plenty of space to run around, he should be fine! Especially if he seems happy! If he was acting lonely and you couldnt spend much time with him then I might be saying different! :wink:

Good luck!

Hi Loopylop,

Well he lives outside but spends the evening from 6-10 inside and outside with me. And in the morning with me in the lounge while i get ready for 1-2 hours.

Weekends much longer.

He has the whole garden to run around, the lounge when he is in, a double jumbo hutch with run attached!

berludy snuffles Grrr!!!!!!!!!

Aww, sounds like he has a life of luxery to me! :lol:

Im not too clued up on pairing etc, but would a neutered female with snuffles not work? :? :? I do remember reading to have them both neutered is best.. but Im really not the best person to be advising on pairing! :roll:

He sounds loved and that he gets lots of attention.. it sounds fine to me if he is happy! Sophie is fine as long as she knows she is getting the attention at some point! She is a rather demanding little madam though!!!! :lol:

I think they are happy alone as well as together. Toby sleeps half the time so he is with other bunnies in his dreams tee hee (doing what is another thing :roll: :lol: ). So from my experience I will say that rabbits can be happy alone. But it all depends on the rabbit. Some timid buns may want another bunny to snuggle too. :wink:

Skip lives alone and seems happy. He spends all his time with me when i am in and lives indoors. He has a friend his snake:::and seems happy with him!! :lol:

I find that he acts just like a little dog as he is with me all the time indoors and comes when he's called (if he feels like it!!)

hi

may sound strange as I have 28 animals and a bonded group of 5, and had a pair before Benny's brother died, but having watched my animals I can't see that they are any happier bonded than they are alone - and in fact the bonded bunnies have their chases and tiffs as well as grooming sessions.

I bonded a couple of guinea pigs last week, but have split them as the older female was sexually harassing the baby female - they both seem just as happy alone. Even Benny, now outside alone, seems perfectly content with life - I think he misses the peace and quiet of indoors as he doesn't do the bunny flop outside - but maybe that's because it's windy and he's not used to all the sounds outside? He still binkies and eats for England

Tia is all alone, but eats loads, binkies loads, and therefore (as that's how I judge their happiness) is happy enough with life without a partner - and she shuns human contact so she's not imagining that I'm her 'partner' either.

It's very easy to imagine an animal is 'lonely' when really they are worried about noises or strange environment - and bonding brings a lot of different kinds of stress, unless it goes like a dream (I guess it does sometimes - not with Benny though!)

Sounds to me like Alfie has the perfect life

squidgy lives on his own. We both work from home a lot of the time and he lives where we work! He's a very happy bunster, and often chooses to sit under his hutch,s o we can only assume he likes his own compnany too.

All my buns are single buns (not through choice, just how it happened!). They all seem happy, binky around the garden + munch merrily! Obviously they all see eachother through the bars, but they seem OK. If you spend lots of time with him he should be fine, it may work getting a spayed female but it may be more hassle!!!

Nicola

Morning all,

Thanks for your replies & reassurance, i really appreciate it!! its good to know as i was worried about my poor little man being lonely but he gets so much love and fuss that when i think about it he has no real reason to feel lonely.

i will see what happens re his snuffles etc but i dont feel as rushed to getting him 'done' and getting him a mate as i did before reading your responses.

Thanks again (love this site!)

Bonnie xxx

Bonnie - there is no doubt that you'll do the right thing by Alfie-bun, and I'm sure he is very very happy with his life with you.

My last bunnster, Humbug, had a very similar life to Alfie - in while I got ready for work and also in all evening, and I found that when I had a day off work he didn't WANT to play in - he was used to sleeping during the week!!!

While Alfie is on his own and providing that he's not being aggressive, or spraying etc everywhere (this is just my humble opinion) I don't think there's any rush to get him castrated. Humbug was never done, and we had a wonderful time together.

So don't worry - I am certain he will have a long and happy life with you, in spite of his snuffles. He's certainly a very lucky bun, and I'm sure he doesn't mean to worry you so much :wink:

Hi..
My Simba was an only Bun for about 18months and was very very happy.. treating me as if i was his bunny playmate I do think he is very happy now too as he always groomed my teddys but now he gets groomed back sometimes and has someone to snuggle up to
Cheryl has a snuffly male, Johnny She managed to get him well enough to be neutered.. maybe if u pm her she could give u some advice.. he isnt cured but i think his snufflyness improved enough for a while. its a shame one of them isnt a female as he is also looking for snuffly love :wink:

Re: hi

elve said:

I can't see that they are any happier bonded than they are alone - and in fact the bonded bunnies have their chases and tiffs as well as grooming sessions.

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I have to say this is not my experience at all. The behaviour and body language changes I have seen without fail when putting a single bun into a male/female pairing have been incomparable. In 20 years I have never seen a pair of my bonded bunnies fight. I personally feel like a neutered male/female pairing is the optimum combo; in a group situation I have seen unhappy bunnies - those at the bottom of the hierachy who are pushed out of the group or occasionally bullied, for example. I think that those sorts of bunnies would benefit from being in a one-on-one pairing rather than a group.

However given the situation with Alfie, it sounds like he lives a life of absolute luxury and is very happy indeed! I'm sure if his snuffles went through a good patch, it may be possible to get him neutered and get the friend you long for, but it certainly sounds like he is very happy at the moment. Just one comment - bringing him indoors for a few hours throughout the winter probably isn't good for him. Much as it may be less pleasant for you, I think you should be donning the thermals and going out and interacting with him outside - or into a shed/garage if you have one.

Even for healthy buns, the sudden changes in temperature from being in a heated house to outdoors in the winter is unpleasant, they don't have an extra coat to pop on when you take them back outside after they have adjusted to being indoors. I should imagine that this is worse for a snuffly bun and the heating/difference in humidity will not do him any favours.

I think you're absolutely right about not rushing to get him neutered though, he sounds perfectly loved and happy as he is. Big kisses to Alfie xx

I strongly believe it all depends on the bunny itself. As humans there are people that love being alone and others that crave attention. I know for a fact that my bun is a people rabbit, not a rabbit’s rabbit. I think it’s a good Idea to start with one (unless you rescue an already bonded pair) see what the character of the bunny is like then introduce a second bun “if need be”.

sure bunnies can live by themselves!

millie was very happy being the only one because she got spoilt more.
she now loves bramble lots though- all them grooming sessions and free washes off him :lol: