Heads up unpopular opinion alert. Buuut hear me out before you think I am a horrible person.
The short answer is that this is a question. Do you want a friendly pet rabbit? If yes, then you don’t want to get them another rabbit “buddy” because then they won’t need you.
If you work a job and feel bad about leaving them for 8-10 hours a day (or even 12) remember this. Separation makes the heart fonder and they will enjoy being back with you when you get home.
You don’t spend all day with your spouse, right? You do fine when you get back together. So don’t make this any different.
This is based on observation at shows and live events as well as my two decades of experience raising rabbits.
My approach to anything is that it is my job to share my experience and opinions. It’s up to you to listen. If you CHOOSE NOT TO, then you get to handle the results of your choices. And I can walk away with a clear conscience.
Hit the play button to watch.
Rabbits Are Not Herd Animals
(Keep in mind I am US based)
When you look at the rabbits in the wild you never see a group of rabbits together. The only reason you will see more than one at a time is if it is a momma with babies. Wild rabbits are loners.
Even in the colony set up each rabbit has its own space to separate itself from the group. You don’t see them snuggling up together to sleep like you do a pack of dogs.
Even Siblings Will Fight For Territory
My rabbit litters have to be separated by 10 weeks and no later or they start getting fussy with each other. I have had on multiple different occasions where siblings in a litter will fight and break skin. Leading to abscesses and temperament issues down the road.
Stay In Groups Causes Wild Behavior
This is something I notice when I buy rabbits from other breeders who don’t separate them early (most often due to lack of open cages) and that is it tends to pull out wild behavior.
With a rabbit as big as french lops get you can’t have them acting crazy on you. On top of that french lops are mainly for showing or pets. They don’t grow fast enough to produce meat on the homestead so if you take away their good behavior they arn’t good for much.
A great example was a few years back I had a a buck that had to stay with his mom until he was 11 almost 12 weeks old and you could just see the behavior turn more wild with every passing day.
Reasons For Keeping A Single Rabbit
Now if you want more than one rabbit I totally get it. You can keep them in their own space and get one out at a time. Don’t feel bad about that.
When you give the rabbit another animal buddy they are going to withdraw from you. When they don’t have another animal giving them the attention they have no reason to want it from you.
The whole point is to have a friendly pet.
And if you have a rabbit as a pet I am pretty sure you want it to at least tolerate a little affection from you right? Nobody wants a pet that doesn’t want anything to do with them. So why do something that is going to not let that happen?
No, I am not saying there are no exceptions to the rule. There are some rabbits that have gotten along. But on the whole that is not the norm. And not everyone is good at reading rabbits and their body language. So unless YOU SAW a situation yourself take what you hear with a grain of salt.
