Will My Rabbit Be Lonely?

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paper_crane2

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I'm getting my first rabbit, and I was wondering if it is okay to just have one rabbit. She is used to living with other rabbits, so will she be lonely?

Then if I just get her and then a year later get another rabbit, will she be very anti social or aggressive towards other rabbits (because she wasn't around other rabbits for a year)?
 
How used to other rabbits?
Most likely, she will be fine.
If you want her to have a friend, it's best to get one she lives with now than hope a totally new rabbit will be accepted.
Waiting a year, she will be used to being alone and will be very possessive, most likely. Some rabbits make friends easily, but most are iffy and picky, especially in a home or small area environment. If you let her roam the house, she will own that house and it can be hard to get a new rabbit accepted in her territory.

When I had pet rabbits, I bought them as babies and kept them together, no issues. Now I have to watch them closely, give them vast amounts of area and hiding areas. In the end, it might not work out what so ever. So a back up plan is needed.
 
Your rabbit will be just fine on its own. Unless you are ok with paying the $100-$300 spay and neuter in the future per rabbit, than I'd rather get two early than one later down the road. Sometimes they grow up and find out they really don't like having a friend and might try to destroy each other. It's a big risk to bond rabbits. It can be done, but I usually don't recommend it,especially if this is your first rabbit.

In my experience, one single rabbit bonds to its human owner much better than two. I also see sometimes when people make a last minute purchase of a second rabbit....one of the rabbits tends to be the not as favorite. That is why I refuse to sell pairs, and when it comes to pets, I only sell bucks.
 
Rabbits need altered if they are not going to live in a very large area like an entire room 24/7. They will fight otherwise. Sometimes they will fight anyway. I have 1 doe that doesn't play nice and even in 12x12' she beats on the other does and one of my 12x12' colonies keeps breaking down from too many bucks and not enough does to go around. They are very territorial animals even if they do sometimes like company.

Introducing a rabbit to a new rabbit guarantees some fighting and they may or may not stop. Even if you take her from a bunch of rabbits and immediately introduce her to another rabbit. She was used to the other rabbits, she is not used to this rabbit. It's a totally different situation from her point of view and they must work out who is boss.

If you can't spend the money to alter them or you can't house them apart should they turn out to be incompatible then you shouldn't get another rabbit. Just give more floor time and attention to your single rabbit.
 
I do not recommend pairs...most rabbits are territorial and while they CAN bond and be social and cute together, they may also decide to kill each other one fine day and they may never be able to be housed together again after that. There are basically no real benefits to getting a companion for her, and lots of drawbacks!!! We as humans tend to put ourselves into the question...if we were without our own species for the rest of our lives, we would be lonely, so we assume that they will get lonely. In reality, a rabbit who is alone looks at all it's surroundings like "ALL FOR ME!!!" and lead perfectly happy lives.

So long as you interact with your rabbit daily, there is no need for a companion bunny. :)
 
Kyle@theHeathertoft":ht82v5l7 said:
We as humans tend to put ourselves into the question...if we were without our own species for the rest of our lives, we would be lonely, so we assume that they will get lonely. In reality, a rabbit who is alone looks at all it's surroundings like "ALL FOR ME!!!"
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:
 

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