Can I get 2 babies and raise them together?

[Jen]

I'm back again! Everyone seems to have multiple rabbits. I was just wondering if it is better to have more than 1. IfI got 2 babies (9 w/o) and raised them together would they be okay? Is female-female the way to go (they'll be spayed)? Or should I not worry about the baby having a playmate? Thanks

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

A playmate isn't necessary for your rabbit if you have time to spend with the rabbit. I prefer single rabbits because they are so much friendlier towards people and want your companionship.

Even if they are raised from 9 weeks old together and are from the same litter or not they still may fight. A rabbit that seems less dominant when it's a baby may challenge the others dominance when they get older and you may end up with severe fighting or even death of a rabbit if fighting gets that bad.

The bonding occurs most successfully in a male/female pair but they need to be separated before 12 weeks oldwhen the doe can get pregnant as they cannot be fixed at such a young age. The next successful bonding pair occurs in a female/female but fighting can still occur. And the least success rate of bonding is a male/male pair. Even if they are fixed, sometimes problems arise as they are territorial. I would suggest getting one, raise it until it's a year old so it has gone through the "teen stage" (when most of the fighting will occur) and then if you still want another, go to an animal shelter and get your rabbit pick out its friend (preferably over a year) so you can avoid having to worry about the teen stage being a problem and fighting occurring. If they are bonded successfully at an older age, there is less of a chance of fighting occurring in the future.

 

[Jen]

Excellent. Thank you very much for your advice. One bunny it is!

 

[m.e.]

It's true, a playmate is not necessary for your bunny if you spend time with them, but until you've seen bunnies groom each other, snuggle with each other, and play with each other, you'll find yourself hard pressed to provide that level of companionship with your rabbit.

Personally (IMHO), I would prefer that my rabbit be happy and content with another being of the same species, that they can communicate with and provide that level of companionship, than to keep that from them just so they are more attentive to me.

~M

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

If you have plently of time to spend with your rabbit, they will be quite content to be just with you and not want to be around another rabbit. My boys, no way do they want to be with another rabbit, they try to attack every rabbit they go near and want my undivided attention. I thought the same as you m.e. but I found out differently when mine started fighting, sure they're both males but neither want to be friends with females either. Ask BunnyMommy, she always says she only has one because Sherman wont let her get another, lol. Carolyn's little Tucker was quite jealous from what I heard when Missy and Calbert were there, even if he is bonding with Fauna now, he still prefers Carolyn's company. There are plenty of rabbits that don't want the companionship of other rabbits and when they start to bond to you, they see you as another rabbit and the best friend they could have. It's not mean to keep only one rabbit as long as it gets lots of attention.

A person can learn the language of lagomorphs quite well and when you get to know your rabbit, it's quite easy to tell what they want and can be perfectly content.

My rabbits, both housed separately, beg for my companionship. They are my companions and look at me as if I am their friend and nothing more or less.

 

[Lissa]

I agree NOT to get a bunny companion.When I got Iszy, she was (and still is) more focused on a relationshipwith Lenci than with me. Lenci, however, trusts us humansmore than she does Iszy. That's probably because she's morefamiliar with us.

 

[m.e.]

Of course, one rabbit or two, they all need attention and interaction with us, "their people".

I have a strongly bonded pair, yet they still crave attention from me.I come in the room, they swarm my feet. I sit down, they want to benext to me. They beg for pets and snuggling. They still love me as muchas they did before they were bonded, because I have not left thecompanionship entirely up to them.

There are many rabbits who do not seem to like other rabbits. Thinkabout it: they were seperated from their kind at a very young age, andraised by beings of a different species. They've forgotten theirlanguage. They've forgotten they are truly rabbits, not justrabbit-sized people. Seeing a rabbit realize what he really is, come toan "awakening", so to speak, as a true rabbit, and finally finding thatcompanionship: it's really quite amazing.

I'm just saying, and I know people have different opinions on this, butthe way two rabbits interact is truly unique. It's been so enjoyable towatch my rabbit's relationship blossom. And now I get the same love indouble the dose.

~M