A few questions.

As i know you are aware my gorgeous girl Twinkle went to the bridge yesterday. We burried her in our garden today with hay, a card written by us and laminated, a photo of us and a photo of her and Dobbin, also a strawberry made out of fabric, that i made (She loved them), she was wrapped in my t.shirt and my husbands shirt.

Dobbin had time with her last night.

My questions are:
1) He is eating, pooing and running around but a bit restless and nervous, he is obvioiusly missing her, can i do anything? Should i be worried?

2) Do we get him a new friend?

3) If so, how many rabbits should we get - 1,2,3? How many can live together happily? Should it be an even number or a high number?

4) If we get 2 or 3 should they be bonded? Will that put Dobbin at a disadvantage?

(I really dont know what to do, i am so upset at the moment that i cant think straight as it is)

5) I am so worried about the bonding process, Dobbina nd Twinkle went together so easily, Dobbin is my baby i could not cope if anything happened to him while bonding.

6) I am in Kent, does any rescues here do bonding or can anyone please help me?

Sorry for so many questions.

The most important question for me right now though, Is does this pain and constant crying get any easier?

Thank you so much

Sue
xxxhugxx

I'm sure someone more experienced can answer soon but I think some questions can be answered by going to a rescue. That way you will probably be able to get another rabbit Dobbin's age and they sometimes help with the bonding process.

I'm sorry to hear about Twinkle. Wrapping her in your clothes sounds like a lovely idea. I doubt the pain and crying ever goes away completely. I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth in that regard having not experienced it yet but the thought of it feels me with dread.

awww Sue ...im sorry you lost Twinkle ..

in my experience if Dobbin is eating ok i think he will benefit from a little time to grieve .. most buns do ..although some pine and in that case finding a new partener is more urgent .

As for going for a pair or group ...i think that is something you need to decide for yourself .. each choice has advantages and disadvantages .

take a day or two to let the pain recede ..yes it does but it never leaves completely ...

sending hugs ..and Hope sends love
Angie x

Thank you very much.

I do miss her so much, keep crying.

Dobbin is in the house with us, when should i out him back in the shed on his own. HE is currently sat looking at me, when is the time right to put him back in the shed on his own, do think maybe thats what he needs?

Today we are totally cleaning out the shed before putting him back in.

So much to worry and think about.

Thank you all

Sue
xx

Hi hun,

So sorry you lost your beloved Twinkle, you must be gutted and I'm not surprised that Dobbin is a bit down

My take on your questions...

1) He is eating, pooing and running around but a bit restless and nervous, he is obvioiusly missing her, can i do anything? Should i be worried?

Sounds pretty normal, of course all buns behave differently but they do grieve just like we do, and they miss the company that they are used to as well as their particular friend. To a certain extent I think timing of getting a new friend depends on the bun. Some will refuse to eat/move and getting a new companion can be more crucial in those circumstances, whereas other buns seem to want time alone to grieve before rebonding.

2) Do we get him a new friend?

Personally I would say yes - your gorgeous Dobbin is used to having a friend I think it would be far preferable to get him another friend. You are not "replacing" Twinkle, you are providing Dobbin with a new companion, which can be a difficult thing to work through while you are still grieving,

3) If so, how many rabbits should we get - 1,2,3? How many can live together happily? Should it be an even number or a high number?

I think the answer is 'it depends'. Again my personal view is that of the rabbits I've known, those in pairs seem to be more content than those in larger groups and many larger groups separate themselves off into more closely bonded pairs too. I bonded my two pairs into a four a couple of years ago and 3 got on well and the 4th was left out, but others find that one gets left out of a three. I separated mine back into their pairs and they seem happier. So it does seem to depend very much on the individual buns.

4) If we get 2 or 3 should they be bonded? Will that put Dobbin at a disadvantage?

I don't think it really makes much difference as long as they are bonded in a neutral environment.

5) I am so worried about the bonding process, Dobbina nd Twinkle went together so easily, Dobbin is my baby i could not cope if anything happened to him while bonding.

Yeah I sympathise, I know you are devoted to Dobbin and remember when you bonded him with Twinkle the first time. Maybe it's best to see if you can get a rescue to either bond for you or at least to 'start them off' and you then have them indoors in a neutral space for a week or so before putting them back into the shed.

6) I am in Kent, does any rescues here do bonding or can anyone please help me?

Santa came from GBH rescue in Beckenham, Kent and they bonded for me. You could get in contact with them and see if they will start them off for a couple of hours or take Dobbin for a few days to really get them bonded.

The most important question for me right now though, Is does this pain and constant crying get any easier?

Yes it will, and over time you will start to remember your time with Twinkle fondly. It is so very hard though, and it shows how much you loved her. xxx

Sorry to hear about Twinkle. I lost my beloved Buttercup 3 days after Christmas last year and I was a total mess, crying all the time. I have a special grave for her in my back garden, with tubs of flowers on it, which does help a bit.

The crying does subside, eventually, and you will be able to remember the happier times better. Do give yourself time though, and if you feel like a cry then don't bottle it up.

Sorry I can't help with your other questions.
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Live sex

Sorry I can't help with most of your questions either, because thankfully we've not been through it. We have lost a single bun though, Bobby, and we were distraught, I could not imagine it ever getting any easier. Bob was the funniest, most beautiful bunny and I could not imagine what we would do without him. It's over a year now since he went to the Bridge - on the anniversary we bought a small fisherman's lamp for tea lights and it shines from the kitchen window to the place in the garden where we laid him to rest, so he knows we're still with him. Although I still cry over him from time to time, we have so many happy memories of him, and we talk about him everyday. We miss him loads, but we can remember him with happiness and mainly without pain. I promise you will feel better, it just takes time.

We now have Little Ted and Rosie - Rosie came first and in the beginning I felt so guilty that we had a new bunny, but I'm sure Boo would have wanted us to give a new bunny a home. It sounds weird, but there were certain signs (and I really don't believe in that kind of thing) that seemed like a message from him saying it was ok. We are so happy with our two, and I no longer feel that guilt. They are both rescue bunnies and we definitely know that Little Ted had a very poor start to his short life, it's very satisfying knowing that we've provided a lovely home for them and we love them so much.

I wish you all the best. It really does get easier, and don't feel guilty, you're not replacing your beloved Twinkle but helping Dobbin to feel more secure again.

im so very sorry

in my own experience Alvin would not of been happy single so i sent him off to the rescue 4 days after Pearl died. he perked up straight away. but Pearl had been dying for a very long time and i honestly think he had already said goodbye to her before i had her pts. so what worked for him may not work for your bun, i think they still need a little time to greive or they may not accept a new partner.
I also had a very real worry about Alvins tummy with him being a stasis bunny and with him being so anti human i couldnt comfort him after the loss.

they crying does get better i promise. i havent cried for Pearl for over a week now and she only died 1 month ago, i found having a new soul to love has helped me heal, even though at the mo i am still comparing Holly to Pearl

Seeing Alvin happy has really helped me

im so sorry for your loss, i havent been to RB for a few days so have missed a few losses of RU buns

Thank you so much everyone for your help.

We will defiinelty get him a new friend, we have one in mind! WE just need to get our hearts and heads around losing our gorgeous Twinkle. Dobbin will have a new friend.

Thank you

Sue
xxxx

So pleased Dobbin will have a new friend. It will be hard at first because you can't help but compare them with your beloved friend. But soon you will love the new bunny, and realise they are in no way any sort of replacement. Let us know how you get on.