"but your rabbit HAS to have a companion rabbit"

[Frosted Rabbits]

I have a 'couple' rabbits that will happily share space with another rabbit-- One rabbit will only share space with aspecific related rabbit. I am also watching the two Rex boys for any signs that are are going to stop getting along! They are just hitting 12 weeks of age-- I have no problem caging a rabbit alone-- but I know that making sure they have a 'companion' is very risky business! MArsha and Wilma get along fine as long as there is wire between them-- but put them on a living room floor, all sorts of room and hiding places== and just watch the fur fly!!!

 

[MaggieJ]

In the colony, so far, my rabbits have had no problems getting along up to butchering age of 16-18 weeks. But... I have a strain of very laid-back mutts and they are all related, which I think helps.

 

[a7736100]

My rabbits and guinea pigs get along well with one of each in a cage.

 

[curlysue]

I find with Holland lop does i can often leave the daughters in the cage till they are fulll grown.i take them out too rebreed.

 

[Miss M]

I have two does who share a cage. Fluffy is (probably) a NZW, and Nibbles is some sort of black dwarf or other small bunny. They were raised together and given to us together, and I have kept them together partly because I don't have the space not to.

I was very worried at first that I was going to have to find the space to separate them somehow, especially after I bred Fluffy. But rather than turning on Fluffy or killing her kits, Nibbles became the overprotective aunt, even nipping me once when I was checking the kits. :lol: Fluffy couldn't have cared less what I was doing with the kits, but I had to keep my eye on Nibbles.

They do have their spats. Occasionally, they will chase each other around the cage or mount each other in a dominance display. Mostly, though, they get along very well. I usually find them snuggled up together.

I would not have chosen to have them together, because this sort of arrangement does not usually work out very well at all. I'm glad it seems to mostly work, because I really was not sure how I would separate them.

This does not normally work once they reach maturity.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

There are exceptions to every rule- when I was a teen I had a cat and a parakeet that were best friends. The parakeet was not confined to its cage, and often when I came home from school, China would be sitting on my bed with Carver peeking out from the fat fold on her tummy like a little penguin chick! I also had cockatiels at one time, and they would clean my American Eskimo's teeth!

I think sometimes people have exceptional situations with their animals and believe that since it worked for them, with a little effort everyone should be able to do it. So... I dare ya... go buy your kitty a parakeet of its very own!

 

[rittert3]

I didn't read quite everything but I do agree that 95% of the time they do better penned alone.With the only exceptions being does with litters, fresh weaned kits under 3 months, and those cases of bonded open does. I have a pair of littermate does that I bought for breeding that have never been apart but now one's bred and the other kepps riding the other around so they're coming apart next week when I finnish my new pens. I may let them share a cage when they're both open but I'm not risking a litter on the arangement.

 

[ZRabbits]

I read most of the responses, and have to agree that it's got to be a very certain circumstance for two bunnies to live in harmony. Unless like Maggie stated, live in a colony. And you still have to watch.

I'm one of those people when first getting bunnies as pets wanted two. The breeder was very forthright and told me that there could be fights when horomones hit and that rabbits can be very nasty to each other. My Rabbit Savvy Vet also informed me as well. Did I have a problem? Yes I did and thankfully only fur flew. Now all my bunnies live in separate crates and have separate run time.

I've since have gotten two lion heads that I want to breed. They are pedigreed. I will be just like that breeder and inform those who purchase exactly what I had to find out the hard way.

I've been posting on a "pet" forum and the "adage" there is "Bunny Dating" and bunnies need companionship too. All that I've read of their experiences is that it is very stressful for both bunnies and owners. And that most of the time, the bonding does not work and then left with two separate rabbits, and one always needs to be rehomed. Bonding does happen but it takes several months to do so.

Will you stop this kind of thinking? No you won't. But you can educate those who do purchase and then it's on them. I'm grateful for the breeders words (at the time I was shocked and didn't know much about bunnies) but it did give me a heads up on when problems could arise and I was able to stop anything really bad happening.

Just my thoughts from someone who started out as "rabbits need companions" and know better now.

K

 

[hoodat]

In the colony, so far, my rabbits have had no problems getting along up to butchering age of 16-18 weeks. But... I have a strain of very laid-back mutts and they are all related, which I think helps.

I've read (not sure if it is true) that the mothers milk imprints the young with a scent that allows rabbits to recognize siblings even if they are from another litter.

 

[MaggieJ]

Hoodat, that would certainly explain how wild European rabbits manage to get along in their warrens, as well as the calm atmosphere in my colony. I will have to try to research this a little more.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

In the colony, so far, my rabbits have had no problems getting along up to butchering age of 16-18 weeks. But... I have a strain of very laid-back mutts and they are all related, which I think helps.

I've read (not sure if it is true) that the mothers milk imprints the young with a scent that allows rabbits to recognize siblings even if they are from another litter.

yes-- this is called 'kinship recognition' and even holds true of young that are fostered onto an unrelated mother-- the foster siblings can recognize each other as adults-the adult recognizes the fostered kits as being 'hers' Not sure how this works for birds-- very poor olfactory senses - but the 'songs' may be the key there-- whales and other sea mammals have familial sounds-- Salmon use 'smell' to fond the right river branches-- though that may also be a case pH and other parts of the water source Chemical make-up.

 

[hoodat]

Rabbits aren't pack animals. They spend time in mutual grooming but a rabbit will learn to enjoy a good brushing by you as much as grooming from another rabbit. I often see family cats and rabbits grooming one another. It doesn't work that well with dogs; they're too "slurpy". One of the reasons you often see wild rabbits in groups is either a favorite feeding ground or mutual protection from predators. Many eyes looking are more likely to spot one sneaking up and thump out a warning.

 

[Shelbers91]

yea thats just like pet stores saying to cover your parrots cage at night. no one goes out and covers the wild birdies at night.. and it makes them scared and gives them night frights. i knew this before i owned them but i worked with parrots for a year prior. its been like 4 years now and i own 2 currently.

I would just let them know the pair thing is a pet trade and shelter myth, it just cons more money is all.

 

[Stormy]

Well at the risk of being hammered since my opinion is on the unpopular side in this thread, I agree with many points here but I will weigh in with my own experience of how wonderful it is when 2 rabbits are raised together colony style. They do really enjoy the companionship - hanging out together, grooming each other, raising babies together. I am really happy they get along so well.
I wouldn't be having this experience though if I hadn't read on this forum that the does will FIGHT LIKE CRAZY and DO NOT SEPARATE THEM or otherwise try to rescue them - a couple days of pulling fur and boxing and the does figured out who's dominant and they've been just sweet and happy ever since. It was worth nervously waiting in the sidelines for a couple days. There was no bloodshed, I would have stopped that.
NOTE that I introduced young does, not full grown adults who are used to their own space. I introduced a 5 month old and a 9 week old. The 5 month old had been with her sister, until her sis died, and got so depressed I went out and got another doe. It did the trick, perked her right back up.
I think it comes down to:
1) How socialized the rabbits are = were they kept with other rabbits or allowed to live in isolation?
2) how old
3) how big is your cage

My does got along even in a smaller cage but that might be an exception. Now they have a huge colony pen and even with 2 tiers of litters in there for a total of some 30 rabbits they are all getting a long just fantastic! Its like a bunny love den in there I love going in there to hang out with all the nudging fluffy rabbits!

My buck on the other hand is over a year old and I think he may be to much of a bully to house with another buck at this point. I may try with one of his offspring - since he's very acquainted with them - they squeeze through the day pen bars. He seems to know they are his, even chased off the cats a few times!

I think House Rabbit Society people are dealing with neutered animals which removes the hormonal & breeding factor- and companionship very much probably depends on the animal. Just as it does with cats - some prefer company, some do not. I don't think we can make a blanket statement about it. For instance I have 4 cats, any one of them would be very lonely by itself. But my previous cat was rather glad when he lost his companion and became the sole cat in the household - he wanted all my attention. I do not know but imagine rabbits might be similar, but I am not sure if they are as complex as all that. I am still figuring that part out. I have a couple of rabbits who seem to like a lot of affection!

 

[Piper]

Stormy - your colony may have another factor working. With dogs, you are the pack leader. With house rabbits, it can depend on who the rabbits truly believe who is dominant, the other rabbit or the human. Your colony seems to have the pecking order worked out and it seems as if you respect that.

 

[ottersatin]

ALL of my Rabbits have a "Companion" at one time or another
for at least five minutes and sometimes a bit longer:
When the Does are placed in with the Bucks for breeding.
I must admit that I do house youngsters together, [Weanlings]
until they become a bother to one another as they start to come into puberty.
how one chooses to house or separate their rabbits is a personal choice
and one must choose the choice which best suits their situation.
I am glad when whatever anyone chooses works out in their best interest.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[ZRabbits]

Well at the risk of being hammered since my opinion is on the unpopular side in this thread, I agree with many points here but I will weigh in with my own experience of how wonderful it is when 2 rabbits are raised together colony style. They do really enjoy the companionship - hanging out together, grooming each other, raising babies together. I am really happy they get along so well.
I wouldn't be having this experience though if I hadn't read on this forum that the does will FIGHT LIKE CRAZY and DO NOT SEPARATE THEM or otherwise try to rescue them - a couple days of pulling fur and boxing and the does figured out who's dominant and they've been just sweet and happy ever since. It was worth nervously waiting in the sidelines for a couple days. There was no bloodshed, I would have stopped that.
NOTE that I introduced young does, not full grown adults who are used to their own space. I introduced a 5 month old and a 9 week old. The 5 month old had been with her sister, until her sis died, and got so depressed I went out and got another doe. It did the trick, perked her right back up.
I think it comes down to:
1) How socialized the rabbits are = were they kept with other rabbits or allowed to live in isolation?
2) how old
3) how big is your cage

My does got along even in a smaller cage but that might be an exception. Now they have a huge colony pen and even with 2 tiers of litters in there for a total of some 30 rabbits they are all getting a long just fantastic! Its like a bunny love den in there I love going in there to hang out with all the nudging fluffy rabbits!

My buck on the other hand is over a year old and I think he may be to much of a bully to house with another buck at this point. I may try with one of his offspring - since he's very acquainted with them - they squeeze through the day pen bars. He seems to know they are his, even chased off the cats a few times!

I think House Rabbit Society people are dealing with neutered animals which removes the hormonal & breeding factor- and companionship very much probably depends on the animal. Just as it does with cats - some prefer company, some do not. I don't think we can make a blanket statement about it. For instance I have 4 cats, any one of them would be very lonely by itself. But my previous cat was rather glad when he lost his companion and became the sole cat in the household - he wanted all my attention. I do not know but imagine rabbits might be similar, but I am not sure if they are as complex as all that. I am still figuring that part out. I have a couple of rabbits who seem to like a lot of affection!

Not here to hammer. If it works for you, great. My boys were socialized and were given a big cage. Had them neutered and they still fought. I find that if they bond to me and my husband, they are very happy living separately and have the companionship of us. I got hammered on another site because I feel this way. It works for me.

And regarding House Rabbit Society bonding neutered/spayed rabbits. It also can change once they are home with the new owners. This Society seems to forget that part. I've read many people's woes about their bunnies being bonded at first and then it falls apart. I always told people, hope for the best, but prepare for the worse. When you change the environment of any rabbit, they stress and their attitudes change.

Rabbits are not pack animals. Totally individuals. But again, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But when it doesn't, it's painful. So I'd rather be safe than sorry. I truly adore all of my Tribe.

So glad to hear it's working for you.

Karen

 

[curlysue]

They are just repeating what they heard.if you show and you keep rabbits together you will quickly discover that rabbits will wait till right before a show too chew each others fur.making them unshowable.

 

[-HRanchito]

When I was a kid I had a big NZ black mutt doe as a pet. Then my parents gave me an 8 wk dutch kit for my birthday. I followed HRS advice on bonding. Did not work. The kit only lasted a few days.

The bummer is that that most people who try to *bond* their pets aren't really rabbit experts.

 

[Random Rabbit]

just my $.02 here... One size does Not fit All

What works for one person at a particular point in time ...might Not work for someone else ( or even the same person) at another point in time. jmho.