How to Choose a Rabbit Companion for Your Rabbit

Most rabbits enjoy the company of another rabbit, especially when their favorite human is away most of the day. However, they are also very territorial, so you need to choose their playmates carefully.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hay
• Rabbit Bottle Waterers
• Rabbit Cages
• Rabbit Pellets

1. Take your rabbit with you while looking for his or her companion.

2. Make sure you have one adult present to restrain your rabbit and one adult to restrain the other rabbit, in case they begin to fight.

3. Hold your rabbit and ask another adult to hold the potential rabbit companion.

4. Stand near one another and let the rabbits sniff each other.

5. Be ready to move away quickly while gently but firmly restraining the rabbit you are holding if they start to attack one another.

6. Place the rabbits on the ground in neutral territory in an enclosed area and let them sniff one another; remain close to them in the enclosed area.

7. Remove them immediately if either rabbit starts fighting with or attacking the other rabbit. Rabbits are vicious fighters and bloodletting is common among them. (See "Introduce Rabbits to Each Other," under Related eHows, for tips on how to bond two rabbits.)

8. Try to introduce them again. If they continue to fight as soon as they get near one another, try introducing your rabbit to a different rabbit. Most rabbits will fight a bit with a rabbit they don't know because each rabbit wants to be top bunny. But if they fight viciously, they probably won't ever bond. It's better to bond two rabbits that show some initial mutual interest in one another.

Tips & Warnings

• Some rabbits, though very few, simply don't like other rabbits and prefer their human companions to rabbits. If your rabbit is like this, try to spend extra time with him or her so that the rabbit's sociable nature and desire for companionship are satisfied.
• Do not ever leave two unbonded rabbits alone. One rabbit may kill the other rabbit in just seconds. In the split second it takes to blink your eyes, your rabbit may be seriously or even fatally injured.
• Bonding rabbits requires patience and sometimes can take months of daily bonding sessions.

on 11/22/2005 How would you like it if your rabbit suddenly brought home another human to share your food, space, and attention?

It often takes rabbits time to bond, especially if they are both adults who have lived alone all of their known lives. It took me 7 months to bond my 2 rabbits. I had resigned myself to having 2 separate rabbits, but one day, one rabbit licked the other one's head, and they have been inseparable ever since.

on 11/22/2005 To break up a rabbit fight, gently squirt them with water.

on 11/22/2005 I have always found that neutering helps rabbits become a little more friendly. At this time, I have 3 rabbits - 2 boys, 1 girl. The 3 of them get along well. It took Josh a bit of time, but after his neutering, he was just one of the bunch.