A New Companion?

[Venin]

Well, as you may know, I have my little bunny Ambrosius. I estimate he's about four months at this point, (I'm not exactly sure). Now, he's been pretty good on his own, the people I got him from said he should be fine on his own, but I'm not completely sure. When I first got him, I put a stuffed animal in his cage, I thought he would maybe want to snuggle up with it because he may feel a little alone by himself (even though his cage is in his room). Well, he hasn't touched it, I took it out about a week ago cuz I didn't want him eating it.

He seems fine though, I don't go to school, and it'll be over in two weeks for me. I'll be spending lots of time with him over the summer, but, when I go back to school next year, he'll be in his cage by himself for eight hours at a time.

I'm not afraid of him being aggressive at all, he plays fine with the cats. In fact, he loves my mother's enormous cat (22 pounds and can reach the door nob). The cats are fine with him, they're pretty easy going, so I don't have any fears about them hurting the rabbit.

So, what do you think? Should I get Ambrosius a little partner in crime? Or will he do fine on his own? Also, what gender should I get. I don't want them mating, and I don't want fighting between them either. (I would take him with me if I do decide to get another one, just so I'm sure they'd do fine together)

Sorry for the text wall ^^'''

 

[kirbyultra]

Is he neutered? If he is not, and you do not plan on it, I think the chances of him getting along with a male bunny would be slim. You can't put him with a girl (unspayed) as they'll mate as soon as they reach maturity. If you plan on getting a second bunny I think you better neuter/spay your bunny and the 2nd bun for best chances. There are some folks who do have one or both buns unaltered but that's a match made by god -- not something you can count on happening to just any bun!

That said, rabbits are social creatures. Most would enjoy companionship and it can come in the form of a human, cat, dog or another rabbit. Sounds like yours gets on with the cats alright. You don't need to get him a second bunny just for that reason if he is in good spirits. There's so much to consider when getting another rabbit. Plus there's no guanrsntee they will get along and no guarantee that if they bond that they won't unbond one day. If you've considered your living situation and believe another bunny is the way to go then that's fantastic!

 

[Venin]

Thanks, that's helps a lot. When should I neuter him though? I'm not exactly sure of when to do it.

I'm not too sure with him, he's still fairly young, and I'm sure how he reacts around other rabbits not from his litter. Also, I don't want him to feel as if he's not getting any attention from me, because it'll be split between two rabbits. I mean, he's moma's baby.

I may just hold out for a while, when and if I do go back to school, or if I do some volunteer work this summer, I'll see how he is by himself.

 

[kirbyultra]

Venin wrote:

Thanks, that's helps a lot. When should I neuter him though? I'm not exactly sure of when to do it.

I'm not too sure with him, he's still fairly young, and I'm sure how he reacts around other rabbits not from his litter. Also, I don't want him to feel as if he's not getting any attention from me, because it'll be split between two rabbits. I mean, he's moma's baby.

I may just hold out for a while, when and if I do go back to school, or if I do some volunteer work this summer, I'll see how he is by himself.

How does he handle? Are you able to pick him up and check out if his testicles have descended? If his testicles have descended technically he is mature enough to be neutered. Has he ever been to a rabbit vet? You should find a vet who is experienced in treating rabbits to do the procedure. Rabbits are different from dogs and cats, so you will want to find an exotics vet who is rabbit savvy. Some vets are confident in doing it on a small, young rabbit while some are more comfortable waiting until they are a little more mature, around 6 months old.

BTW, if you decide to see how he behaves around another rabbit, you might want to arrange a visit with your local rabbit shelter. When you get a rabbit from a rescue, you will be able to bring your rabbit along to do "bunny dating", in fact the rescue may insist on it. It's important to let your rabbit choose his bond-mate. I have made the mistake of going to a pet store and blindly choosing a rabbit that I thought was so, so cute. He and my first bun never, ever got along and I had to keep them both as single neutered males The benefit of adopting from a shelter/rescue is that you kind of get a leg up on the situation by letting your bun choose the most suitable friend so the chances of them bonding are much higher! But, I would definitely neuter Ambrosius before you do the bunny dating

 

[Venin]

No, he's only about four months old, he handles very well though.

I've only been to two vets around here, Bainfield (The one in PetSmart) and Case, but I checked the listings on here, and there's one about five to ten minutes from where I live, the reviews say he's very nice and "rabbit savvy" as you say.

I'll also have to see if they're are any rabbit rescues around here, I'm not too sure about that. *Is googling it now*

 

[elrohwen]

Helen gave you some great advice. I also recommend everybody wait a year after their first bun before they get a second. A year will give you tons of time to bond with just him and really get into a routine to take care of him. He'll be fine while you're at school. My boy was fine by himself while we were at work for 10 hours a day. He likes having a friend, but he was also fine on his own. My girl was actually the one who really needed a buddy, but she was also fine on her own for 3 years.

 

[JadeIcing]

I can't say wait a year cause from July to Febuary I had 4. Solo bunnies can do just fine. Also because he got along with litter mate and with your cat does not mean he will be a good bonding candidate. Some bunnies are very content with being the center of attention.

 

[Venin]

Thanks everyone. I'll probably just let him stay solo for a while, I don't think it's absolutely necessary for him to have a companion at this point, he seems fine on his own for now. Again thanks.