Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK conducted a study which found that the health and well-being of domestic rabbits improves when they are housed with a companion.

Animal welfare advocates report that this is significant because about half of pet rabbits are housed singly.

The study looked at rabbits living in a rabbit-only rescue center.  The researchers studied 15 single rabbits and 15 pairs.

Because rabbits can be territorial, the researchers were expecting to find lower levels of stress in the singles and more stress in the pairs.  Instead, they found the opposite.

8 of the 15 single rabbits were observed biting the bars of their cages, a sign of frustration and a desire to escape.  None of the paired rabbits engaged in bar biting.

The paired rabbits showed positive social interactions for about a third of the time they were observed.  The behaviors included huddling, grooming, and nuzzling together.

No aggression was observed.  The researchers speculate that this was because most of the pairs consisted of one neutered male and one neutered female, a good combination for bunny harmony!

The single rabbits were also found to have colder body temperatures than the pairs, as much as a .5-degree Celsius difference. On cold days, the single rabbits had more compact and less relaxed body positions.

Being in a pair also helped the rabbits handle human interaction.  After handling, the paired rabbits returned to normal behavior more quickly than the singles.

According to an article on the study on the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare website, one of the research team members found it sad to see signs of physical and emotional distress in the single rabbits.

“It’s crucial that we take rabbits’ needs for a companion seriously,” she said. “There is a culture of getting ‘a rabbit’ and this needs to change, meaning that pet shops, vets and animal welfare charities should advise owners on housing rabbits with a compatible partner. Part of the enjoyment of having rabbits is surely to see them playing and resting together, especially when we give them suitably large housing.”

Interested in learning more about caring for pet rabbits?  The House Rabbit Society is a great resource!