second rabbit

Question
I just got a second rabbit...i had a female and she seemed indifferent towards another female in an introduction so i took the second female home.  They havent gotten into any fights, but my rabbit is terrified of this second rabbit.  I only got another to keep my rabbit company in the first place, and now it seems like she would much rather be alone.  What should I do? I didnt adopt the second yet, Im bunny sitting for a weekend to see if it goes well.

Answer
Dear Jamie,

When bringing a second rabbit into a home where there's already a resident bunny, two things are of utmost importance:

1.  Both rabbits must be spayed/neutered.
2.  The resident rabbit must be allowed to choose his/her own mate, lest bonding be exceedingly difficult.

Bonding is tricky, and bonding a same sex pair is trickier still.  It can be done, if the two bunnies are compatible, but it can take a lot of work.  It seems that your bunny is taking on the role of the subordinate to the new rabbit's "alpha."  This might just be a natural outcome of their personalities.

Still, I'd suggest you go here:

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

and read some of the helpful articles on bonding rabbits.  I hope some of the information will be useful!

I hope that helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana