other friends for my bunny

Question
To: Mr. Lee Meyer,
i am wondering if i should get another pet "friend" for my rabbit other than another rabbit. any ideas of what animal?
From: ami

Answer
Hi Ami,

when you consider all the factors in what will make a good friend for your rabbit, I would have to say that another rabbit is really the best match.

After all, their instincts will be very similar.  They communicate with the same sounds and methods.  They will look similar to each other, even with size differences.  They will have similar needs and be able to take care of each others' needs.

You will be able to feed them similar diets, using the same food pellets and probably the same veggies for each of them.  They can share hay and litterpans as well.  There won't be any cross-species problems, and you won't have to worry about one having a non-lethal disease (to them) that can kill the other one.

However, if you do not like the idea of another rabbit, many people have had luck with a guinea pig and a rabbit together.  However, these pairings are often more dangerous for the guinea pig, as they sometimes get kicked and can die, and there is a disease in rabbits that can kill off a guinea pig pretty quickly.  They can also get really stressed out and bullied by a rabbit because of the general size difference of the rabbit being larger.

My advice is to try to find a rabbit friend.  There are a lot of great shelter rabbits that have successfully bonded with a rabbit people already have.  Often the shelters and rescue groups will help assist you in 'bunny dating' to help see if a particular one you are interested in likes your guy, and vice versa.  Check your local House Rabbit Society folks or your local shelter.  

GOod luck, I hope you find a good friend for your bunny.

Lee