Does my loving housebunny need a friend?

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OkamiOphelia

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Hi all, first post so I hope I do okay.

I know the general rule is that all rabbits need a friend or more, but my alaska lop mix Mina seems different. I'm literally her world. She's a house bunny (flat actually) and she's always wrapped around my feet or cuddled up to my face, and if I need to go out to get milk, she sits by the door waiting for me. At night, when I take out my hamster Bella for a run, she gets needy because she hates sharing me with anyone, even my husband!

I'm not against getting another when we move into a new house soon with more space, the more the merrier as I'd like to adopt unwanted furries, but I don't want to upset her if she thinks it's competition not companionship? We're best buds :(

Anyone else had this? What should I do?

(That's her below :) )

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Right now, your bunny only has you to bond with. But they know the difference between a human friend and a rabbit partner. I adopted Zelda by herself and she was affectionate with me. I didn't adopt my other bunny Stewart until over a year later. Both bunnies are neutered. When I introduced them it was love at first sight. Now they are inseparable. But, that didn't change Zelda's relationship with me. She is still just as affectionate to me as she was before. And often when I'm grooming or petting her, little Stewart comes up and pushes my hand so I'll groom him instead! So you shouldn't have to worry much about losing your bunny's affection if you bring in a bonding partner for her.

I found that my bunnies really "blossomed" when they bonded with each other. Now they are more active, binkying and playing chase games. It's cute watching them interact with each other, grooming, asking to be groomed, snuggling. I learn a lot about their body language just watching them together. If anything I'd say they're more outgoing and affectionate towards me since they bonded.

You don't have to rush out and find a partner for your bunny right away. But when you do, rabbits are like people and they don't automatically get along. It's a good idea to adopt your second bun from a rescue which will allow you to bring your bunny for a "meet and greet" to find out if they'll get along. Also, it's better for both bunnies to be neutered so that hormones don't get in the way of bonding, and they make better pets as well.
 
We have three rabbits altogether. Butterscotch and Ellie are siblings that absolutely love each other. Pippi is our little... Princess who lives the high life. I tried to See if the two would get along with Pippi, and though she's half their size, she pulled Ellie's fur out, and had it out with Butterscotch. Somewhere in here, i read that when rabbits are taken from their moms too early, they dont learn to socialize with other rabbits. Pippi doesn't recognize the other two as the same thing she is. When we got her, she was in a pen with another rabbit and they got along (i guess because there wasn't anywhere else to go), but i kid you not, she gave us this look that said, "Thank you so much for freeing me from that cage with that other.. Thing." She gets super territorial if you smell like the other two, and ive gotten some nasty bites from her, but since they've been relocated to their rabbit condo in the basement and an outdoor run in the daytime, she seems much happier. Out of sight, out of mind..

So some rabbits CAN just be solitary critters. Pippi loves the fact that she can go anywhere in the upstairs, without seeing another rabbit.
 

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