A companion for your dwarf rabbit
While some dwarf rabbits prefer to be the masters of the house and the only ones to receive cuddles, other rabbits love the company of their own kind. A second rabbit can bring years of joy, fun, and companionship to your bunny. But beware, it’s not always love at first sight! Sometimes, this choice will require a lot of patience and spending time and energy to make them get along.
But how do you choose the perfect companion?
Blind dates
A good idea to find the perfect companion for your rabbit might be a blind date. I’m not kidding, a real blind date. The idea may seem rather strange, but the possibility of spending time with other rabbits to understand “in the field” which could be the ideal playmate is quite widespread in breeding or adoption associations for sterilized rabbits.
If this option is not available in your area, don’t worry, an alternative solution may be to talk to the volunteers of the adoption association or breeders, who know the character of their rabbits very well and will certainly help you in the choice.
First dates
What is essential is that, before bringing another rabbit home, you have had the chance to understand how your rabbit interacts with its own kind. Obviously, a neutered or spayed rabbit will be calmer and less territorial, therefore more manageable and happy in its relationship with another. In these cases, the perfect couple is made up of a male and a female.
Even if usually calm and peaceful, a rabbit that sees its territory invaded can become aggressive, bite and fight, injuring itself and the new friend. This is why the first appointments are fundamental for their own health.
How to introduce a new rabbit into your home
Of course, given everything we’ve just said, the introduction of the new arrival cannot be an invasion, but must be well-organized.
Let me explain it to you here, in a few steps, to be clearer:
- Position the two rabbits in two different rooms of the house, each with their own objects. However, make sure they can see each other or smell each other’s scent.
- Every morning when you give them fresh hay, water, and pellets, swap their bowls after rinsing them. This will help both of them get used to each other’s scent.
- After a few days, do the same with their toys: swap them. They will learn to share in the future.
- For the in-home meeting, choose a neutral room. One that hasn’t been territorially marked by either one of them. It can be the kitchen or the bathroom, for example. It’s essential that the space is small so they are forced to interact, and that you are present and ready to separate them in case of a fight.
- If a fight does happen, I suggest you keep a water spray bottle handy; spraying them a little will help separate them. Also, a tennis racket can help create a separator so they can see each other but can’t attack each other. Remember to cover yourself: you need to have your legs and arms covered to avoid direct bites. You can also decide to wear gloves, but I wouldn’t overdo it.
In these meeting occasions, the two rabbits may chase each other, nibble each other, hit each other, or mount each other. The signs that things are about to get worse are two: the raised tail and the flattened ears.
If the meeting goes badly
If you notice that one of the two has been injured or that the fight won’t stop, separate them and continue with the training before trying to make them meet again. Remember that sterilization is essential to keep them together.
If the meeting goes well
If you notice that everything is going well, then you’re almost there. All you need to do is organize a few more meetings and then gradually reunite them under the same roof.
In these cases, I recommend taking it slowly. If you spend a lot of time with them at home, then you could try organizing a session every 15 minutes. If you are away from home during the day, try sessions of 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening, then 20 minutes, then an hour, and finally, if everything goes well, there will be no problems.
After a while, I assure you that the two will begin to love each other, clean themselves, lick each other, and play together. You will need to have a lot of patience and invest time and energy, but the satisfaction will be great, and cuddles and companionship will not be lacking.
