Should I get my bunny a companion?

Question
Hello,
Three weeks ago my husband and I got our first pet rabbit, he is about 4 months old. We are currently living and teaching in South Korea and there will be two one week periods where we have to go away (we have someone to come to our home everyday to make sure he is fed, has water, and spend a little time with him). We are wondering though if it may be better to get a second rabbit so that he won't be as lonely. We are also gone for at least 8 hours a day, but when we get home he gets lots of attention, and has a good 5-6 hours out of his cage.
Just worried he might be lonely, or get stressed when we leave.
Thanks,

Nicole

Answer
Dear Nicole,

You are a great bunny mom to be concerned about him, and I do agree that a companion would be good for him if you are away for long periods.  But before you consider this, you must have him neutered.  Otherwise, you will soon be up to your armpits in rabbits.  It's true what they say, and you can read this, if you're not sure:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/scary.html

I hope you will be able to find a rabbit-savvy vet for this here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Once he's neutered and recovered, try to find a local rabbit rescue group.  I'm not aware of one in Korea, but it might be worth asking around.  If you buy a bunny, try to be sure you get a female, as it's much easier to bond an opposite-sex pair.  But she will eventually have to be spayed, since females have a very high risk of uterine cancer.  

For tips on bonding, the articles here should be a great help. Be sure to read them first, so you'll know what to expect:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-a=00062824-sp00000000&sp-q=bonding

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

Dana