Secretly hankering after another bunny

[beatrixpoppy]

I am totally hankering after another bunny, but before I go and get another (well convince my husband first) i just wanted some advice or even someone to say actually thats not really a great idea.

So i currently have a male and female (housed separately) male has just been neutered so my plan was to wait for hi to recover for a month or two and then see how they get on together following the introduction guides i have read up on.

I would love another small bunny though so here's a few of my questions/concerns:

* Would it be better to just have a male - female bonded pair (which would obviously mean if i wanted another bunny it would have to be another 2)

* If a three would work do they all have to be bonded together at the same time or could i bond Poppy and Oli then introduce a new friend?

* If three would be ok would it work out better if i had 2 females or 2 males in the group?

* What kind of space would i need for the bunnies? I have a huge hutch at the moment which only half of it gets used its about 4.5ft x 2ft x 2ft and has two levels with a ramp (which i have taken out just now but can be put back in to allow extra room)

thanks

 

[Imbrium]

iirc, adding a bunn to two that are already bonded can be riskier than bonding three at once, as it could upset the bond that two already have.

bonding three in general is a risk, as there's potential for the bond to fall apart down the road, but it is possible.

is your girl spayed, btw? she'll need to be spayed in addition to the male being neutered if you wish to bond them.

how much time do they get outside the hutch each day? it's recommended that bunnies have 60+ square feet of run space permanently or 4-5h (minimum) outside the cage/hutch each day.

 

[agnesthelion]

Trios are difficult. Some literature even supports the theory that they rarely work out. I do think it's possible but nothing I would ever attempt. And I totally agree with Jennifer that trying to add a third to a bonded pair is very difficult.

 

[beatrixpoppy]

thanks for your feedback, they have a large run which they both get a turn in so on a daily basis they spend about 5-6 hours a day in that with their toys, litter trays and water of course.obviously once they are bonded I would have them spend pretty much all day together as there would be no need to swap.

 

[agnesthelion]

If it were me personally.....I would wait until the two were bonded before getting another rabbit or pair. Even the scent of another rabbit can change personalities, effect marking etc. And bonding can be alot of work and could take a couple days or a couple months so I'd put all my energy into that before bringing home more rabbits. Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[ldoerr]

I assume that your female is spayed. (She will need to be in order to bond her to your male). I would also caution against making it a trio. IF you do decide to make it a trio I would get another female.

 

[Blue eyes]

Adding a 3rd bunny to an already bonded pair is usually not advised because of the possibility of breaking the existing bond (as others have said).

Trying to bond 3 at once is supposed to have a better chance. However I have also heard that they rarely stay bonded and it is not unusual for the bond to break even after months of being happily together.

Nevertheless, I actually tried bonding a trio -- 2 males (brothers) with my female. None were housed together prior to their meeting. (Oh - all spayed/neutered) The brothers seemed an easy match and got along well from the gitgo. They also started getting along with my girl. All three lived together for a month while the alpha status continually changed. The entire fourth week was wonderful with all getting along and snuggling/eating together. Then, day 1 of 5th week, both brothers decided to fight like crazy. They would have fought to the death had I not separated them. That was end of trio. I never would have expected the brothers to fight like that.

I would also suggest waiting for both of yours to be fixed, then seeing if they have an interest in each other. It is possible they may not bond, in which case you may find yourself looking for an "acceptable" mate for each of them. For this reason, you probably wouldn't want to get more buns until you first see if your current two will bond or not.

 

[Troller]

I wouldn't say I'm in the same boat, but I definitely share the desire to have another bunny. I can't share much other then from the thorough research I did, trios are tricky and could possibly lead to breaking the original pair. Others are mentioning that. I would wait for the first bond to be strong, and to see if that sates your need.

Curious, what do you feel is lacking in the current relationship with your rabbits? Usually people want an addition to their solitary rabbit because they feel their rabbit might be lonely, but adding a 3rd, is it to their best benefit?

I'm sorry, not judging, I ask myself these questions to make sure that my reasons aren't eventually harmful to the lil ones I love simply to sate a selfish (for myself possibly) need.

 

[beatrixpoppy]

I think judging on what i have read over the past few days about trios and such it would be best keeping just the two rabbits and then in the future when i am ready for another pair i can do that when i have the time, space, money etc.

Thanks to everyone for all your comments,