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Having two rabbits: do they get less affectionate towards their owners?

barush_x

New Kit
Hi,
I've never had two rabbits at the same time, so I was wondering if that might have some effect on how much cuddly the rabbits then are, since one could perhaps assume, their needs for bonding and being close are automatically met by the other rabbit in contrast to having only one rabbit which would be then seeking the closeness from the owner, because there are no other rabbits close. Any experiences with this? :)
 
If the rabbit has to spend much time on his/her own then it isn't fair on them, but if owners are home most of the time then maybe it is acceptable. From my observations of other people's rabbits, it seems if you have 2 rabbits one is more friendly than the other. You could possibly get 2 rabbits which are both super-friendly then you have a double the amount of affection.
 
As house rabbits when Daphne was alone, she was very clingy to me/my ex.
However we both worked and she would spend a minimum of 8 hours alone each day. Because of this we got her a friend.

Once bonded they much preferred each others company. However, once made as outdoor rabbits they became more affectionate with humans.

I think it all depends on their general happiness. Mine are much happier outside and without my ex around. As a result they've become much more social with me and my family

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This was actually probably the biggest concern of mine when debating whether to bond my two rabbits (we already had one and ended up with another unexpectedly as a rescue). My original rabbit was always very affectionate (she’d come up for cuddles every night and would give bunny kisses) and I was afraid I’d lose this if she’d have a partner. However, long story short, the best thing for both of them was to bond for many reasons and now they are both indoor free roam house rabbits and very happy. Possibly controversial, but I think it really depends on the rabbit’s personality as to whether it needs a partner or not, but this is of course providing if they are a single rabbit, someone is home the majority of the time as rabbits do require social interaction. My original bunny isn’t really less affectionate that she was when she didn’t have partner and still gives bunny kisses often and will come and sit with me sometimes for cuddles etc (probably not AS much as she used to) but I’ve found she likes to have the security of lying down next to something (whether that’s me or her bunny partner) so it alternates. I do think that having a partner for her has helped her feel more safe as she is a very anxious bunny, but she still definitely sees me as a source of security also. I think that if the bond you have with a rabbit is strong enough, then it shouldn’t be greatly affected by getting another rabbit, even if it changes in a few ways - but this doesn’t mean they love you any less. If anything, the fact they often choose you over their bunny partner, your bond is possibly stronger than it was originally.
 
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