Can Rabbits be Kept Together?

Rabbits enjoy the company of other bunnies because by nature, they are very social animals. In the wild, they live in numbers and even when kept as domestic pets, they like to be around others of their kind. Keeping two or more rabbits together means they will not get lonely when you are out at work or not around to play and interact with them.

Other benefits of keeping rabbits together as indoor or outdoor pets, includes the fact they are less likely to be as destructive than if they are on their own. A bored rabbit can do a lot of damage inside a home which includes chewing on your furniture and electric wires! Even if you source the two bunnies from different places when you introduce them to each other, they will usually get along quite quickly as long as you go about it the right way, and will soon would live quite happily together, enjoying each other's company.

Rabbits Form Strong Bonds With Each Other

Once rabbits get to know each other, they form very strong bonds with one another and remain best pals for life. However, if you already own two rabbits and are thinking about introducing a third into the home, you may find the two original bunnies might object. You would need to keep an eye on them all for a while just in case they start fighting and injure each other.

Same Sex or a Male and Female?

You can keep same sex rabbits together whether it's males or females. However, choosing to have both a female and a male living together makes it that much easier for them to form strong bonds with each other. However, both the male and the female must be neutered and spayed before you put them together and this would need to have been done at least three to four weeks prior to them being introduced to one another.

Neutered and spayed rabbits tend to be far less aggressive and they are not so territorial either. This means when they are introduced to each other, things go a lot smoother, there's far less chance of them fighting with each other and this goes for keeping either females or males together too.

Spaying Females and Neutering Males is a Must

You need to bear in mind that rabbits can start breeding from a very young age which is anything between 3 to 6 months old and where males are concerned this can be even earlier, so if you do decide to get both a female and a male bunny, at least one of them has to be neutered or they will mate. Naturally, it would be better to have the female spayed and the male neutered so that any aggressive or territorial behaviour is minimal.

The other benefit of spaying and neutering bunnies is that it reduces the chances of them getting cancer which typically develops in their reproductive organs. The other thing to bear in mind is that when they are neutered, rabbits make for much nicer and happier pets all round.

How to Introduce Rabbits to One Another

It's really important to introduce new rabbits on neutral ground which means if you already have one bunny, you need to let them meet the new rabbit away from where they normally live or area they are allowed to run around. You may like to consider setting up a pen either in your house or in the garden and then put them both in keeping a close eye on how they react to each other.

You might find that you need to put up some sort of partition between them so they can see each other but not touch which is a great way of reducing the risk of fighting or injuries. Putting them in separate cages and then placing them side by side works well, and if you do this for a few days, your pets get to know each other and to familiarise themselves with each other's scents and odours.

Keep a Close Eye on Your Rabbits

You should never leave your rabbits on their own when they first meet but keep a close eye on how they behave around one another. Once you are happy they do get on, then and only then, should you leave them unsupervised. Some people like to separate two new rabbits at night by placing them in cages that are kept side by side. This allows the bunnies to see other but not to get at one another should a fight break out when nobody is around.

Keep an Eye on Dominant Rabbits

Some rabbits are more dominant by nature and will bully another rabbit which is something else you need to keep an eye on. If you find that one of your pets just won't leave the other rabbit alone and it's stressing them out, you would need to separate them and give them a little more time by just being able to see one another rather than be with each other.

Making Sure Each Rabbit has its Own Space

It's also really important for rabbits to have their "own space" which means hutches need to be big enough to accommodate them both with enough room for each of them to get away from the other when they want to. You may also find that each of your bunnies would want their own litter trays because they may well refuse to share one. This is very much a territorial thing which spaying and neutering usually sorts out to some degree but it is never foolproof, as such it's always best for each bunny to have their own trays.

Conclusion

Bunnies do like the company of their own kind and as long as they are introduced to each other carefully, they usually end up becoming the best of friends. It may take a little while for this to happen and until you are happy they are indeed, getting on, you should never leave them unsupervised.