Feel bad for getting only 1...

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. I wanted to see of anyone has any advice for me.
(hoping this is in the right place, apologies if not...)

I got my rabbit about 1 week ago (Murphy). He's only 10 weeks old and still getting used to my partner and I.

But I keep reading up on people saying how 'cruel' it is to just have 1 and how they get lonely etc. Now I am feeling horrible for getting only 1...
I'm not entirely sure we have the space for 2 in our house (he's indoors and the main reason for getting him on his own), let alone the room just for the bonding process for 2. I'm pretty sure people have owned 1 rabbit and it has lived a long happy life, but it's in the back of my head whether it was the right choice to get him alone.

He comes out everyday, has the whole bottom floor of the house to roam about, we're always talking to him sitting on the floor around him etc (while we bond with him ourselves), will that be enough for him, being an only rabbit...? He went to the vets today and I felt even guiltier when I mentioned about me feeling bad and he said some people advise getting 2...

He will be okay and happy on his own... right?

Most here agree that when you have rabbits you should have at least a pair. Rabbits are extremely social and human interaction is often not enough, they need to be able to communicate with their own kind and only another rabbit understands the body language and vocalisations of another rabbit. They also offer lots of comfort for one another in grooming and keeping each other warm.

Most people advise a neutered male and spayed female as its the easiest bond. If you were to add another rabbit you wouldn't necessarily need more room if they would be allowed to free range in the house.

What you could do is wait until your boy is old enough and have him neutered (at around 4 months usually) then look in rescues for a young female to bond him with, rescues are usually happy to help you with bonding them.

I may possibly have to do that then.
Don't you have to have them in 2 separate cages for the process? That's where I'm worried about space.
I've found a 2 tier indoor cage which we could get for 2, but obviously you can't just chuck them both in and hope for the best.

MurphyGold said:

I may possibly have to do that then.
Don't you have to have them in 2 separate cages for the process? That's where I'm worried about space.
I've found a 2 tier indoor cage which we could get for 2, but obviously you can't just chuck them both in and hope for the best.

Click to expand...

No bonding is more complicated than that.

Sadly those indoor cages (if its the type i'm imagining, these kinds? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-IND...099510?hash=item1c406efbb6:g:Jf8AAOxyc2pTcKFq even the double ones, aren't enough room for a rabbit or a pair of rabbits to live, rabbits need a large permenant space, I would recommend perhaps using a series of puppy pens or looking into the C&C cube cages. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...1d14be01f888ccac314c0098061e24a5o0&ajaxhist=0

Depending on what rescue you look into they may help you bond your rabbits, they may even take them for you whilst they bond and return them to you fully bonded, if you want to do it yourself then that's a different matter, but you would still have to house them close by as rabbit bonds usually happen over a series of supervised ''dates''

C and C cages look great tbf. What would the recommended size be? Without a loft insert. I can start planning for it then.

MurphyGold said:

C and C cages look great tbf. What would the recommended size be? Without a loft insert. I can start planning for it then.

Click to expand...

I go by the RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund) and they recommend a 10ft x 6ft permentant space at all times. If that's too big you could aim for a few feet smaller and then the cage could act as a base if there is also going to be some free range?

Okay, yes, they'll always be out when possible. Whenever we're indoors Murphy is let out to roam, he's just in there over night and while we're at work.

Don't know if it helps, but I currently have my new bunny in a cage and puppy panel set up!



It's just that at night, they are normally quite active along with the hours when you are at work.. Unfortunatly the hours do mount up that he'll be confined to a small space

Not sure if maybe puppy panels could be a possibly to let him have some more access? (Of course this is only a suggestion but he looks a very happy chappy! Xx

We have our rabbits in this - http://www.rabbithutch.org.uk/small...igs-hutch-accessible-via-multiple-cage-doors/

(they live separate at the moment but both will eventually share this)

We attached a puppy panel pen to it so the cage can stay open at all times.

we dont bother penning our house rabbits at all - so thats always an option!

However I personally would also say that if you are home a lot then house rabbits are the exception where sometimes just one is happy on their own - they become very very people centred.

But not everyone agrees I know - and it does very much depend on the rabbit.