Rabbits are social animals. They enjoy the company of other rabbits. If you have one rabbit, you may wish to consider getting a second one for the company, and so on. But can you do this? Are there any issues with owning multiple rabbits that need to be considered? This article considers some of the possible issues with owning two rabbits together.
Should you own two rabbits or more?
Rabbits are social animals, as mentioned above. They are happiest with another rabbit, and if they do not have this they will show signs of stress or depression. For example, one recent survey (see
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/RabbitWelfareSurvey03252012.pdf ) found that:
“In the UK the number of households with two or more rabbits has increased by a staggering 91 percent over the last 15 years. The survey results reveal that the majority of rabbit homes (57%) now have two or more rabbits in one household (up from 35% in 2000) and 7% of respondents had three or more bunnies.”
Can they live on their own?
This is not to say that you should keep two rabbits together to make them happy – they will be fine on their own too. However, if you do want to get a second rabbit and can give it the attention and supervision that it needs then it is allowed in the UK.
Looking after two rabbits
When you are looking after two rabbits there are certain things that you will need to consider.
First of all space – you will need a larger rabbit hutch if you want to have two rabbits, preferably one with some inside and outside space. You may find this article on the Best outdoor rabbit hutch UK helpful.
Next you need to consider the best pair of rabbits and how to introduce them. Male and female are the best pair of rabbits to have. However, make sure that they are neutered or you may find that you end up with way more than two!
When introducing your two rabbits, do so slowly – stage by stage so that they can get used to each other. A good place to start is to buy two rabbit runs and place them in them next to each other and then slowly bring them closer together.
You will also need to make sure that food and water is topped up more frequently when you have two rabbits. Double the food accordingly.
Having two rabbits can be extremely rewarding – we hope that you enjoy it.
