a friend for my rabbit??

lizzylinda

Hi,

I adopted a 4year old rabbit about 6 months ago and i've been thinking of getting him a friend. I was advised that I should get a female as males can be quite territorial.

I'm wondering is it a bit late in his life to introduce another rabbit, particularly since he hasn't been in the company of another rabbit since his early days.

He is a very affectionate and friendly bunny and only gets aggressive when i"m sweeping up (he runs at the sweeping brush, attacks and growls at it) to be honest i'm not sure if he's playing or agitated, I'm worried that he see's the sweeping brush as a threat and so could react like this to another rabbit.

Intending on getting him neutered soon and if I do get another rabbit it won't be until willie is neutered.

He is an indoor rabbit and stays in his hutch at night and is left out during the day, kept in the kitchen while I'm out and has free reign of downstairs once i'm home. I'm worried that he might be bored and lonely on his own as he likes the company of people and follows me from room to room.

I'd appreciate any advice.
ps any advice on toilet training rabbits, he constantly pee's and poo's on me, sometimes I think he holds it til i pick him up...
Thanks : )

SophieSakura

As long as the vet says he's young enough to be neutered still, I'm sure he'll love a girlfriend

Being neutered will help with the toilet training too.

Knine

If it were my rabbit, I wouldnt get him neutered at 4 years of age. I know others will disagree but Rabbits have a lifespan of 8 years average but some live much shorter lives, it would be tough undergoing the op at his age. Also even neutered males can be extremely aggressive with other rabbits. It will be hard at his age to introduce another rabbit into his life.

Unless you are prepared for the possibility of having two rabbits that you have to keep separate. In spite of their cuddly appearance fighting rabbits can inflict severe damage on each other. If space is not limited maybe consider getting a second hutch and then you can put the hutches close by to each other so that they can get used to each other but they still have their own space if they don't get on when you introduce them to each other.

Sigma Force

It's not advisable to get a rabbit neutered after 3 years purely because they are that bit older but to be honest if he's only 4 and neutering is a safer and quicker op than spaying it might be worth it, rabbits are highly social and it's just a matter of finding a rabbit that suits him personality wise, he might not get on with the first rabbit you bring along it's trial and error so mabey try a rescue center where they have various rabbits of different ages, mabey even already spayed/neutered.

You could mabey adopt a spayed female rabbit that way she's already spayed and he can't get her preg and see how that goes, esp. if you second think the idea of neutering him at that age. Mabey chat to an experience small animal vet about his neutering first. It's not ideal but he's not old old so it might still be worth doing.

I don't agree that it would be hard to introduce a rabbit at his age, introductions can be hard at any age it's a matter of personality clashes and hormones neutering/spaying deals with the hormones then it's just a matter of finding a rabbit he gets on with.
Once you see a pair of rabbits cuddled up together you realise how much they need a little buddy, now ok some rabbits hate everyone people and/or other rabbits but that's not that common.

Introducing them side by side is a good idea, swap their bedding around etc. get them used to each other but if getting a female I highly recommend she is spayed and well healed before you introduce them she'll need a while for her hormones to calm down.

Knine

I may have took it up wrong but the OP said the rabbit was 4 when he got him and has him 6 mths so he could be nearer 5 which is imo too old to be getting him neutered as I have seen it done with disasterous results in several rabbits over 3. Two died of shock and a third died because the vet thought he had a female:mad:. Choice of vet with experience with rabbits is essential.

Of course introductions can be done at any age but its likely to go better with baby or young rabbits. We had some that lived together very happily and others were totally antisocial so OP won't know which his is until he borrows another rabbit. Maybe take one and foster it to see how things go.

The spayed female option might be a good idea because as an entire male he is likely to be happy to see a female. We did have one entire male who was a complete pet and never attacked anything but when we introduced him to a female in heat, he was more interested in the family cat:D

SophieSakura

Knine wrote: »

I may have took it up wrong but the OP said the rabbit was 4 when he got him and has him 6 mths so he could be nearer 5 which is imo too old to be getting him neutered as I have seen it done with disasterous results in several rabbits over 3. Two died of shock and a third died because the vet thought he had a female:mad:. Choice of vet with experience with rabbits is essential.

Those rabbits might just have died because of the vet though . . .

I'd say go to a vet that's really experienced with rabbits, and get them to examine the rabbit, and say it's over 4 years old, and ask if he healthy enough to be neutered.

Or you could get a spayed female too. But I imagine he'd be trying to mount her all the time and annoying her, if she's laid back then she'll put up with that, but there's a chance she could get aggressive because of it. When females don't want to mate, and the males are annoying them, they get upset . . . but maybe he'd just leave her alone because she wouldn't be in heat or anything.