Should I get a second?

Hey you are preaching to the choir here. Bonding is not easy and not fun most of the time. It takes a lot of work and patience. It's rare that two bunnies just fall in love at first sight. I remember Steve driving us up the wall with his relentless mounting. But I look at it this way, we don't like every person we meet and sometimes it takes us time to decide. Same with rabbits. And because they can't organize their own coffee dates its up to us to help them out. I think it's worth all the frustration.

I have contacted 3 rescues and one I can't meet the rabbits at all until adoption but the other two won't even email me back about if they allow rabbits to meet before adoption, they just said Apply when I am ready. Not helpful at all.

Elliriyanna said:

The first bonding you go through the the worst I promise, it will get better.

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How do you know if you have never been through it? Rabbit bonds are so unlike other animals. I have never been through it either. Hearing about other people's experiences through here if I ever had a desire to find a bond for a single rabbit I would make sure to take others advice that know better than I.

Pet parents and pet owners have such differing opinion between how they see and react to distress in their babies/pets. Many people don't see things as 'if no blood is shed then no harm done'. The mental feelings most pet parents feel their pets have is so much greater and is important and if not more important than physical health. Some even think that just good physical health is more of an old school way to look at things (especially in animal welfare).

woahlookitsme said:

How do you know if you have never been through it? Rabbit bonds are so unlike other animals. I have never been through it either. Hearing about other people's experiences through here if I ever had a desire to find a bond for a single rabbit I would make sure to take others advice that know better than I.

Pet parents and pet owners have such differing opinion between how they see and react to distress in their babies/pets. Many people don't see things as 'if no blood is shed then no harm done'. The mental feelings most pet parents feel their pets have is so much greater and is important and if not more important than physical health. Some even think that just good physical health is more of an old school way to look at things (especially in animal welfare).

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Ask ANY rodent owner with experience and this is the attitude you HAVE to have when bonding rodents or it will emotionally destroy you. And thats only the attitude during the initial dominance battles when the rodents are screaming and squeaking because they are vocal. If its an ongoing problem you need to take a step back and reassess what you can do or if its the right choice to bond these two animals. I have openly said I have no experience with rabbit bonding but they still have a dominant animal and there will most likely be disputes to establish where they stand.

You took what I was saying the wrong way I was just offering a reassuring word ... Not saying I know better than anyone.

PS ... I know rabbits aren't rodents

Elliriyana - May I ask why you continue to ask questions but continually refuse to take the advice of the people who are offering it to you? If you are so confident you know the right answer, that all your research and rat ownership has provided you, why do you continue to ask? Many of our forum members are taking the time here to try and help you and on numerous occasions you have done nothing but disregard their advice because their wrong and you're right. Many of the people who have been trying to help you are experts and have owned or bred rabbits for upwards of 10+ years. Owning and caring for rabbits is nothing like other animals.
I would like to ask everyone to take the time to have another read through the forum decorum.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=10320
If we are not all able to play nice topics will be locked and official warnings will be issued.

I DONT know the right answer , I don't know that I should get a second rabbit. I have ignored noones advice. Yes I have questioned it or offered other solutions but is that not part of learning. But if you feel that that is the case I will see myself out and not come back.

I have enough going on that I do not need forum drama.

Yes my rats come up ... I learned ALOT from them and I miss them every day. I know the animals are different. I feel part of the problem may be people don't like rats so they don't even want them to come up.

I just wanted to mention that rabbit bonding isn't always terrible. First time or otherwise. I have bonded exactly one pair, and it happened immediately, and my rabbit became happier and healthier with his companion (his pasteurella symptoms went from moderate to very mild). I know I am fortunate, but I also know my experience is not unique.

I know there is a risk of communicable disease, but even a cage-to-cage introduction will give you an idea whether they are compatible. My guy was introduced to about 5 rabbits before we settled on one, and it was evident each time how they felt about each other. With Penny (his companion) he was curious and at ease. With the male (the only male he met), he was extremely tense. Just seeing that will give you a head start on bonding, and help ensure the bonding process with be easy / easyish, as opposed to totally incompatible and impossible. Private owners rehoming their rabbits will likely allow this, and any rabbit rescue worth their salt will insist upon it.

As for odour, I don't find my buns smell at all. They don't have any bedding (just a yoga mat topped with a rolling chair mat). Their litter is pine pellets which absorbs odour, and I empty it once or twice a week (they also have a litter box outside their cage with no material in it so that cats don't use it). If your bf is super sensitive then yeah, two will be twice as bad as one. You'll have a better idea once your boy has been neutered for about a month.

Elliriyanna said:

I DONT know the right answer , I don't know that I should get a second rabbit. I have ignored noones advice. Yes I have questioned it or offered other solutions but is that not part of learning. But if you feel that that is the case I will see myself out and not come back.

I have enough going on that I do not need forum drama.

Yes my rats come up ... I learned ALOT from them and I miss them every day. I know the animals are different. I feel part of the problem may be people don't like rats so they don't even want them to come up.

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You certainly come off as you do. Rat care and bonding is NOT the same as rabbit care and bonding, If rabbits fight it puts the whole bonding process at risk cause they hold on to hurt feelings and grudges, they have a much longer memory than rats do.


I have raised rats, mice, Gerbils, Cats, dogs, ferrets, Birds I even have done Wild animal rehab. Rabbit care isn't the same, their diet, behavior, social needs (which yes they can be perfectly happy alone as long as you give them attention) are not the same.

Also you're looking at all of this from perspective of rodent care, hence why you keep bringing up and comparing Rabbit care to rat care. In spite being told repeatedly their care is not the same.

But in Answer to the main topic question:

And since you're new to rabbit care thinking of getting a second may not be the best choice or if you do want two why not get a already bonded pair. Cause bonding two rabbits does not always work out which means if they refuse to bond you will be stuck with two rabbits who can not be together which means 10+ years of juggling two rabbits who dislike each other so they wouldn't even be able to be in the same room and would need two different "territories".


Note: I apologize to other members and Staff for the harshness of my post.

Devi said:

And since you're new to rabbit care thinking of getting a second may not be the best choice or if you do want two why not get a already bonded pair. Cause bonding two rabbits does not always work out which means if they refuse to bond you will be stuck with two rabbits who can not be together which means 10+ years of juggling two rabbits who dislike each other so they wouldn't even be able to be in the same room and would need two different "territories".


Note: I apologize to other members and Staff for the harshness of my post.

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This is kind of what I was trying to say when I first commented. I think the most important thing to consider is what will happen if the second rabbit you may potentially get does not bond to your first. The biggest thing to consider would be are you able to keep two rabbits completely separate if they do not get along.

Another thing is I think you touched on going to the vet briefly and that it wasn't a problem getting there. Make sure you have a relationship with a vet because I had a friend who had two rabbits together that were going through a sort of bonding or relationship phase and one of them ended up being sliced open on her abdomen because they got into a fight. After that they were both always separated from one another and I believe she couldn't even have them in the same vicinity Or they would act up (one was good at escaping from his cage)

As a side note Devi I don't think it was too harsh. You said what others were feeling. It's hard to perceive things online because tone can be interpreted In so many ways. I always try to read back my posts and edit them after posting to make sure I'm typing what I really mean.

It would be great if you could get them both at a young age and both the same gender but you will need to neuter them. Bonding is a slow process but I've had buns that I have let smell Each other and they were eager to meet and the next day they did and they were like best buddies :/ like they have known each other for years

I've bonded two pairs so far and even the easier one took a few weeks. Each bonding was very stressful on all of us and was a lot of hard work. However, after seeing the rabbits together in a successful bond, I don't think I personally can ever keep a rabbit alone again. My rabbit Toki was alone for many, many years, and I always gave him tons of attention, but the moment he bonded to Hopscotch he just seemed so much happier. It is up to you whether it is worth all the work and stress though, and I know people that were not able to go through with it. One of the pairs I bonded was actually my friend's two rabbits because she couldn't handle it.