• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

How many on here keep a single rabbit?

eric was a single bun - not a well bunny at first but we got there so he was neutered when well enough. i adopted esme from a rescue and they were fine for a while together (bonding took a while) but following a dental for both buns (esme's first one), their bond broke down. big style.

i tried to rebond on completely neutral territory - ie we moved house - and it lasted a couple of weeks before a major scrap which required vet treatment for eric.

i now have 2 single, extremely happy house buns. however, i am at home with them most of the time so they get a lot of human interraction.

in an idea world, i would have 2 buns that snuggle together but they are not suited. i cannot afford to take on a 3rd bun to pair with esme due to her being very poorly following a dental which wiped out all of my savings to keep her alive last summer. best laid plans eh?

so, please don't feel bad if you can only afford excellent care for one bun. i'm sure that there are some 'stay single' ones in rescue who, provided they have plenty of human time, would flourish.

would you be able to accommodate a house bunny?
 
bensonlola said:
Benson and Lola would like to sing a song on this issue....

3001026-1.jpg


Take it away guys!

"We go together like wapbabaloobab a ramma damma ding a ling,
We go together like shobedobedobedobe bap shoo bab shoo bap,
That's the way it should be-eeeeee oh yeahhhhhh yeah!!"

Lovely peeps! Must get you the words of that one.

(There you go - straight from the bunnys mouth(s) :p
Click to expand...

That is just soooooo cute!!! :love::love::love::love:
 
I started off with one bun, which is Terry. When I heard you needed 2 I recently got a second bun. The accommodation is lacking at the moment but plans for a much bigger home for when they can live together is in the pipeline. It's fun to see Terry sniff her through her pen when he comes out - his emotions haven't calmed from his neuter yet so he makes buzzing noises still. :lol:
 
pepperpot said:
Sadly no....I have a tiny cottage and a tiny garden :(
Click to expand...

snap! mine are both free range - one in the living room with access to upstairs (which he never does) and the other is in the kitchen/dining area with access to half of the garden whilst i'm supervising.

i think that doing away with the cage saved so much space. each have a litter tray but they've found their own favourite places to chill and sleep:)
 
Personally I would never keep a rabbit on it's own unless there was a specific reason (I know several members on here could not bond their rabbits for various reasons), in which case I would keep the bun inside and hope that human company could go some of the way to making up for not having a friend.
 
I think that all rabbits should have the chance to bond with another rabbit but if it just doesn't work out (and sometimes it doesn't), I think they should be house rabbits.

Inky was a house rabbit when we first got him because we had to get him nuetered and then wait for his hormones to settle. He was quite happy on his own with just me and my family (he watched the TV, lay in wait outside the bathroom, hid under my brother's bed, bounced around the hall).

However, when I brought Floss in to bond with him, I can't describe the look of just pure joy he had when he saw another rabbit:love:. He just looked like he was saying 'wow, you are like me! I've got a friend!' They were love at first sight and even though Floss left us soon after, there was never any doubt that he needed to be with another bunny. He adored Smokey from the first too.

I think that the important thing is to do right by your rabbit, whatever that might be.
 
I've had a single rabbit, as a house rabbit, when her partner in crime died. Due to health reasons (I knew she'd only be around for a little while and the stress of bonding might have been the end of her, plus she might have passed infection on), I made the decision to keep her on her own. She was less happy than with another rabbit, but she got lots of interaction from me.

So, I wouldn't rule out another lone house bunny, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
 
pepperpot said:
I know that I simply could not stretch to keeping 2 rabbits in the manner in which they deserve to be kept. I could not afford 2 lots of vaccinations each year or possible illnesses and I haven't the room for a hutch larger than 5ft. I consider that to be a responsible attitude but also that shouldn't mean that I cannot have a singleton :?

I love rabbits and feel that surely it's better to have one happy healthy bunny than to have bunnies in rescues for months on end waiting for someone who will take two.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I don't agree. The animals are 100% reliant on me/us/you to meet their needs, so if I can't meet those needs - whether through limited finance, space, time etc, then I don't believe that I should have that animal. I would love to have a pony, but I can't afford one and I have nowhere to put one - that doesn't mean that I should put it in my dining room because it's the best I can do and it frees up a rescue space, it means I shouldn't have a pony, IMO, because I am not capable of meeting its needs.

Of course there will always be an occasional bunny that cannot or will not bond for some reason, but as a general rule I would suggest that single buns are houserabbits rather than outdoor rabbits. With the best will in the world, any outdoor bun is going to be alone for maybe 20+ hours each day, which is an awful lot for a social creature. At least indoors they can interact with the household whenever someone is home and not just when they are being given specific time. Might it be possible for your bun to become a housebun?

I see what you're saying about rescue space but again, I personally think it is fairer for that rabbit to spend an extra 6 months in rescue and then have a companion for the next 6+ years, than to be rehomed now but be sentenced to a single life, especially if outside. It's not just about the here and now, but about the 'bigger picture' of its whole life.
 
Last edited:
I got Oscar as a single before I realised that you could keep 2 rabbits together. Now I am looking to get him a wife-y bun once he has been neutered, because although he gets lots of fuss and company from us, he doesn't always appreciate human contact, and I do worry that sometimes he is lonely...
 
louise and Gus said:
I also think if you can't afford two rabbits, most likely you can't really afford one?
Click to expand...

This was something that occured to me, to be honest, but then I guess if the bunny is insured then you lose a lot of the risk of a huge surprise bill (not sure if bunny is insured, that was just the only way it would make sense to me).
 
louise and Gus said:
I also think if you can't afford two rabbits, most likely you can't really afford one?
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I do find that remark a little offensive and silly.

I am prepared for one set of vet fees and not two. Although I feel so annoyed at the remark that I feel like saying ...'ok, I'll have two rabbits but not have them vaccinated and leave going to the vet till needs must' But that's not me........I take on what I know I can care for well and comfortably cope with financially.

I've had rabbits for the last 15 years. I simply know my limitations and one rabbit it will be for me.
 
I have a single bunny, but he is a house rabbit and he gets lots of time with me and luckly dozes most of the day when I'm at work (he looks at me at weekends as if to say, why are you ruining my peace and quiet!).

I do feel guilty, but we don't plan on his always being a single bunny and when the time is right will be looking for a rescue to help with dating and bonding.
The next steps for the time being are gradual free range (currently cage and attached run in my living room) and getting him more used to my OH.
 
i think this is a topic that people will either agree or completely disagree on and so there will be clash's of opinion.
i agree that you should know your limitations, that if you cant afford more than one and you are going to have a bun regardless then stick with one. with that said, i think single buns should be kept in side. they need stimulation and will get incredibly lonely outside alone.
in an ideal world everyone would have buns in at least pairs but with the economy the way its going, i think if at least one bun from a rescue can be homed its better than 2 buns staying there for months on end.

x
 
I have a single bunny and I am looking to get him a female companion by September. At the moment my accomodation is just suitable for him, and my OH and I are in most of the time, him more so Pierre always gets attention. I want a companion for him in next couple of months as I'll now be working full time and my OH will be looking for work and I wouldn't want Pierre to be alone. Also we will have a stable family home, but at the moment im in student accomodation and two bunnies in one room with two adults is not big enough (in my opinion).

I think finance wise there is a difference between owning one and two rabbits, if something happened to Pierre now, I can afford it, whereas for a second bun I can't. I wouldn't want to take the risk of not being able to look after the second one properly, so I am waiting until the time is right.
Pierre is not lonely, hes got plently of things to do, he's not detrimented in any way. I don't think a second bun would affect how much food you buy or hay etc, its more the vets bills.
I think its down to opinion, but I refuse to get another when I cannot afford or give it what it needs. In a couple of months I will be able to do this so its not a long term issue :)
 
Last edited:
One rabbit:
Vaccinations £75 a year
Two rabbits:
Vaccinations £150 a year

There's a lot of difference just there.

Grim was on his own for three years. He was neutered but was always so rough with other rabbits. I thought he might be unbondable as when humping he would rip the fur off the other rabbit. Then he got teeth problems and had to have his incisors removed. We almost lost him due to abscesses in his jaws, but against the odds he recovered. I made the decision that now I could adopt him a friend as he physically couldn't hurt them. I still had to get a bossy bunny that would tell him when enough was enough.

I think Grim was very happy on his own, however I know he is happier now. But when he was on his own he didn't know any different and single bunnies can be very happy. My first rabbit was on his own and did more binkies than my two combined. But still he would have been even happier with a friend. Hope that makes sense. :)
 
Jenova said:
One rabbit:
Vaccinations £75 a year
Two rabbits:
Vaccinations £150 a year

There's a lot of difference just there.

Grim was on his own for three years. He was neutered but was always so rough with other rabbits. I thought he might be unbondable as when humping he would rip the fur off the other rabbit. Then he got teeth problems and had to have his incisors removed. We almost lost him due to abscesses in his jaws, but against the odds he recovered. I made the decision that now I could adopt him a friend as he physically couldn't hurt them. I still had to get a bossy bunny that would tell him when enough was enough.

I think Grim was very happy on his own, however I know he is happier now. But when he was on his own he didn't know any different and single bunnies can be very happy. My first rabbit was on his own and did more binkies than my two combined. But still he would have been even happier with a friend. Hope that makes sense. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you ! I totally understand where you're coming from and appreciate that you understand my point.

When I started this thread I was simply wondering how many single bunnies there were on here......I didn't want to start a bun fight :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Cocoandpickles
general advice for new baby
Replies
8
Views
262
Cocoandpickles
Cocoandpickles
rosaleen
Cecothrophs pellets and greens questions rabbits
2 3
Replies
42
Views
1K
rosaleen
rosaleen
DemiS
Ways to keep hay low to the ground without being peed on?
Replies
2
Views
190
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
Back
Top