Should rabbit be keept in pairs

[me2ubear1412]

Few week ago I bought a female mini lop rabbit.some of my friends are telling me that rabbit are very social animals and like to live in pairs.is this true should I get her a friend

I am scared that they won't get on and fight and I have heard that when rabbit fight they can cause damage.

 

[Bex84]

My rabbit is on own as she was only one in shop and she bonded with us and cats lol. We were not told to introduce another bunny as she may argue. They do recommend pairs but our rabbit sees the cats as other rabbits lol

 

[TeddysGirl]

Does she live inside or outside ?

If she's outside it's more important for her to have a friend for warmth and companionship.

Also apparently rabbits have specific grooming techniques. But if she's inside with you and gets a lot of attention, I don't think it would be essential that she has another rabbit.

I had a male rabbit by himself for just over 2 years then I moved into a house with a garden so he could live outside, so I got him snipped (cost me £40) and got a young female rabbit and they love each other !!!

 

[nessaw]

Male rabbits in pairs will fight. I used to have rabbits when I was a teenager and the female ones got on fine although they had their own hutches.

 

[loeylo]

I know this is an old thread but yes, rabbits should be in pairs. I had a single rabbit as a kid (female) and we got another female. They tolerated each other but would fight a lot and we ended up only putting them together when supervised, then one died (coincidentally) and the other was much happier.

I then got a single boy rabbit years later who was a house bunny, he didn't seem lonely as such but we had him neutered and got a female and they got on well but the girl bullied him sometimes.

The girl rabbit got a serious illness and they had to be seperated for the safety of the boy and he was miserable. She recovered and we put them back together, she was slightly disabled and he was still brilliant with her. Sadly she died (she was still young, only 4!) and he literally was like a lost soul! We ended up rescuing another male who we thought might get on, and in actual fact the best pair we have ever had was two males!

Females tend to be more dominant and aggressive, males are friendlier and more laid back. My two are like a little gay couple - they groom each other, snuggle together etc. it's cute!

 

[kristel_]

Rabbits are very social animals and really should have a friend. However it's hard to get two unneutered rabbits to live happily together, which means you should neuter your first rabbit then introduce a second young rabbit (get it neutered when it's old enough) or another already neutered rabbit.

 

[xJG30]

Yes! Rabbits need companionship. Best thing is to get them both done. Female's nee to be spayed to reduce the risk of uterine cancer. It's also advisable to get them vaccinated and insured (Vet bills are expensive & please bear in mind that rabbits can live as long as 10 years so are a long commitment).

Housing - RWAF guidelines are a minimum of 10ft x 6ft hutch with added run. Best rabbit pairs are girl & boy. If you get them from a rescue most of them will help with the bonding process.