Hi
I just got 3 month old Holland Lop buck! He is currently inside and gets lots of attention ( 3 kids + wife). My intent is an outside hutch. My concern is when the kids are back at school and me working all day, he will get lonely, does he need a friend / mate?
If so
male or female (\"fixed\" no babies)
will it make him less friendly to us?
or is he happy being alone during the day?
regards
ronbo404
Hi,
I am a busy person with two rabbits that I keep outside. I am glad they have each other because I don\'t have to feel guilty when I have little time for them. Rabbits are social animals and so I think having two is the best. Indoor rabbits are usually more friendly because they are around you more. The more dependant the rabbit is on you for everything, the more friendly and happy he is to see you. You could keep him in a small cage so he depends on you to let him out to move around, but that is not the way I like to keep my rabbits.
Rabbits that are given lots of room to run, will jump in the air and spin, and are very entertaining. If you do put your rabbit outside, be sure to have a nice run for him. I have found that dog kennels work great and used ones are advertized in the want ads all the time. You can put a hutch inside and padlock the kennel, and to keep out prey animals you can add a top. I also put my rabbits on a flea preventative I get from the vet. We have trouble with shrews in our yard and they transfer fleas to my rabbits if I don\'t use flea protection. If you live where it gets cold in the winter, put your rabbits outside by mid September so they can grow a thick winter coat before the cold weather hits.
If you get another rabbit, don\'t mix an adult with a bunny. Adults pick on bunnies and sometimes kill them. Two fixed rabbits of the opposite sex usually are your best bet for getting along. Two females will get along much better than two males. Do some on-line research on \"bonding\" before getting another rabbit. A little education in this area will prevent a lot of problems. Hopefully someone who knows more about the bonding process will respond to your questions.
Good luck!