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Should I get a second rabbit?

murasame

New Kit
I've had my rabbit (Sweep) for 5 months now and everything has been fine. But, I've recently started a new job and I'm worried that he is getting very lonely on his own all day. I have been considering getting another rabbit to keep him company but I'm worried that it may be to late to introduce another rabbit.
So...
1. Should I get another rabbit?
2. If I did would it be best to a get a male or a female.
 
YES, YES, YES - do get another rabbit. You will need to get him neutered first and then you can introduce an neutered female to him. Bonding at this age is a little more difficult, but far from impossible!

Vera
 
I agree get him a girlfriend after hes been done, its always easier to introduce a girl to the boy as they are less territorial. An older rescue doe would be better than a very young one as he will carry on wanting to mate for quite a time and this would not be fair on a very young rabbit. val
 
It's never too late to find a friend for your bunny. As the others have said, bringing home a girl to a boy is by far the easiest introduction, and if you can find a rescue doe who's already been spayed then it's even easier. If you can take him along to a rescue after he's been neutered and let him pick out the little girl of his dreams then even better.

It's not really any harder to keep two bunnies than one, in fact in some ways it's easier, and as soon as you've got them paired up and happy you'll get to see some really sweet bunny behaviour.

Most good rescues will be more than happy to let you bring your boy along (once he's completely sterile a few weeks after the op) and will give you plenty of free advice on how to go about things. Not that we're all going for the hard sell or anything. :D
 
Only recently have i realised that to have two bunnies would be better as company for each other but the problem i have is that my bunny is now 3 yrs old and has not been neutered :?

I asked my first vet a while back wheather i should get my bunny 'done' but he told me not to as too many die under the anestic! :cry:

That put me off, then when i moved house i had to get a new vet who told me the same thing!! :cry:

The fact is i want it done as i feel that he should have a bunny friend, but i do not trust the vet's, also i'm worried i may have left it too late and i'm worried they don't really know much about bunnies.

So if any one knows of a good vets please let me know....i'm in the gravesend, kent area.
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linnyloo said:
I asked my first vet a while back wheather i should get my bunny 'done' but he told me not to as too many die under the anestic! :cry:

That put me off, then when i moved house i had to get a new vet who told me the same thing!! :cry:

:shock:

We've had 7 done, and all have been fine. Our vet rates bunny survival pretty high - the ones you talked to must be doing something wrong...
 
I have also had 6 bunnies neutered - 4 males and 2 females. All were perfectly fine. Next is Magic and I will be nervous as always, but I am sure he will be just fine too. Vera
 
You have to use a vet you are confident with with small animals.

It is a routine procedure, and fairly problem-free if you use a good rabbit vet.

Sure there is a slightly higher risk than with cats & dogs, BUT these days there is more knowledge & there is a very safe anaesthetic called Isoflurane which does not stay in the rabbits system like other types of anaesthesia used to (perhaps you could ask what they use).

Its worth it in the long-run when you see two even happier bunnies living side by side!

There is more info on the RWA website that advises what to look for & what questions to ask whilst sounding out your own vet or finding another one instead! :wink:
 
linnyloo said:
I asked my first vet a while back wheather i should get my bunny 'done' but he told me not to as too many die under the anestic! :cry:

That put me off, then when i moved house i had to get a new vet who told me the same thing!! :cry:

Dvc00257small.jpg

IMO your vet/ vets are talking a pile of pants.
I have had 10 rabbits castrated and they are perfectly healthy and well balanced.

If you don't mind coming surrey way, let me know by PM and I'll give you my vets details.

KR
Andrea
 
linnyloo said:
I asked my first vet a while back wheather i should get my bunny 'done' but he told me not to as too many die under the anestic! :cry:

Then you were with the wrong vet. Seriously. Our vet always gives us the warning about the dangers of anaesthetic, as every vet should, and then concludes his warning by telling us that it's been many years since they lost a bunny in a simple neuter. If your vet doesn't have a VERY high survival rate then they're not the vet for you. Our vets handles a lot of these ops and they're very good at them and I trust them completely.

A three year old bunny should still be able to cope with the op. For a neutering I think it's worth paying extra money and going to a larger surgery. Phone around some vets and ask them what their success rates are for bunnies.

As Andi says, we've had all of ours done and the biggest problems we've had is that the little bleeders pull out their own stitches.
 
i will have to ring round and try and find one fairly close as Skip hates the car!

I'm just so scared i would pick the wrong vet and if anything happened i would never forgive myself, esp as he seems fine on his own but i would like to get him a friend as i know deep down that it would be good for him. :|
 
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