Companionship
Rabbits are very sociable animals and should never be kept alone – they value the company of other rabbits as much as they value food! They need companionship and should live with at least one other rabbit to ensure they are never lonely.
If you haven’t already got a bonded pair or group, you can not just put individuals together as they may not get along. ‘Pairing up’ can be a long process, however it is well worth it in the end. All rabbits in the group must be neutered. We highly recommend this for health reasons and you don’t want them ‘breeding like rabbits’!
Keeping rabbits together isn’t just recommended for the social aspect but also for health and happiness reasons. All rabbits whether they are wild or pet rabbits are prey animals and have the same needs and instincts. Rabbits group together to keep warm and safe. A single rabbit will feel anxious and unsafe being alone because of having to spend a lot of time on high alert for danger. Single rabbits are proven to show behaviours that indicate negative welfare such as bar biting – this is thought to be stress.
Rabbits communicate with each other really well through noises and subtle body language. There really isn’t a better companion for them than another rabbit. It has been known that people have put a rabbit and a guinea pig together. We strongly recommend against this. However if you already have a bonded pair please do not separate them as that would be cruel, but rabbits and guinea pigs both need to be with their own species. Behaviours such as snuggling, grooming, diet and exercise needs will be different between rabbits and guinea pigs. Also being with their own species will make it less likely for them to be carrying around an infection that could kill the other.
