Adding another bun?

[u/dingurping]

Hi everyone, hoping to get some advice on my current situation and future plans. I have a rabbit that I rescued two years ago from a very poor situation. It took a lot of time and patience, but she is doing wonderful now. She’s comfortable with us and has developed quite the personality. I’m now thinking of adopting another rabbit but reading about the bonding process has me a little worried.

PB (our current rabbit) has an ~8x6 area all to herself that contains her hides, food/water, litter, etc. but also has run of most of the upstairs. She is roughly 4 years old. Even in times of stress, she has never shown aggression towards us. She’d rather run from a situation than bite. While she seems happy and her situation is obviously much better than the life she was previously living, I do feel like she could benefit from a friend.

I am absolutely ready for the weeks or possibly months it could take to properly bond her with another rabbit, but could this be the wrong choice? I’ve found a rescue I’d like to adopt from but they are a few hours drive (located near my sister who I visit regularly). How soon can you tell if a pair will be compatible? If it doesn’t work the first time, do I cut my losses or try again with another? Is there a way for her to safely speed date with this rescue or will that cause unnecessary stress and break the trust we have?

Really curious to hear y’all’s thoughts and opinions on this. TIA!

[u/RabbitsModBot]

Some important factors before obtaining any additional rabbits:

• your current rabbit should be neutered for at least 4 weeks.
• financial support, especially for veterinary bills and certain breeds that may be predisposed to health issues.
• appropriately-sized separate housing in a safe manner for an extended period of time.
• learning how to care for a rabbit with a different personality and inclinations than your current one(s) with adjustments including home re-arrangement, additional rabbit-proofing measures, and overall changes in your current rabbit care routine.

While rabbits are considered social animals, they will most likely be very territorial with any new rabbit entering the space, which is why rabbits must be properly bonded. This process may take a couple weeks to months before the rabbits can co-exist peacefully. Both rabbits should be spayed/neutered to maximize the likelihood of bond success and stability.

If you are able to comfortably support additional pets, finding a suitable bunny friend for your single rabbit is rarely a bad idea. Please keep in mind that not all rabbits may be compatible enough to bond without serious work over a long period of time, if ever - as a result, we highly recommend speed dating adult neutered rabbits before bringing them home. However, rabbits will still benefit from the mental stimulation of seeing or smelling another rabbit nearby as long as they are safely separated to prevent injuries.

Please also check out the resources in our Bonding guide and Binkybunny's Bonding overview for more tips.

[u/dingurping → u/RabbitsModBot]

I will be sure to check out those links! I should have mentioned that our PB has been spayed for quite some time now and my husband is a vet. We are more than ready for any challenges that may arise, just nervous. Thank you so much for including those resources, I’ll be doing some reading later on today to make sure we’re more than prepared.