Happy bunny but why??

Bit of an update and a weird response from my bunny. I posted on here last week that my eldery female rex did not seem very healthy as she had lost a lot of weight. Sadly she died peacefully Sunday morning, she seemed to wait for myself and my OH to get up and see her then she pass away within minutes. I was very sad to see her go but was happy that she pass away peacefully as i had made the decision that I would have her PTS if she was still with us on Monday.

Anyway as I stated last week she lived with Gimli my male rabbit. He had previously lost a mate and he fell into a pit of depression when she had to be put to sleep. As Elomir had died peacefully I left her in her bed for an hour to allow Gimli to see this. He cleaned her for a bit and then hopped away and sat in his favourite spot. Since then i have given him lots of fuss and he has spent the last 2 days out in the garden with me. The weird thing is that he hasn't stop prancing and dancing around and binkying and lolloping in the dirt. He lost a leg about 2 years ago and since then I haven't seen him binky once! Why all of a sudden has he started, he is happy? or am I completely misreading his signals?

Any advice would be greatly received!

Sorry to here about Elomir, was she the dominant one?
When I lost my Treacle, honey was quite happy, I think this was because Treacle was dominant and Honey felt like she was free.

Did she ever bully him? It certainly seems an odd response.

Do you know I'm not sure, she was very fiesty and I think if i had to choose i would say she was, but excuse my ignorance here, because she was the female and Gimli is male I thought he would have been boss?

my ignorance here, because she was the female and Gimli is male I thought he would have been boss?

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Its not always that straight forward I'm afraid. Bunny relationships are super complex.

Do you know who groomed who?

My female (Bella) IS GROOMED BY her male partner (Flopsy) most of the time- she is definately boss! Having said that he does binky and he does enjoy her company as he was on his own for a while before.

EDT - just realised I said it the wrong way round ! oops sorry to confuse ! He grooms her most of the time ! or at least she thinks he should !

Gimli always groomed Elomir. Elomir lived on her own for many years so I just presumed she didn't know how to groom or interact fully with him, although she did mount him quite alot!

GimliandElomir said:

Gimli always groomed Elomir. Elomir lived on her own for many years so I just presumed she didn't know how to groom or interact fully with him, although she did mount him quite alot!

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As per my EDT above ... LOL... she must have been boss!

From my understanding, the groomee (the one BEING groomed) is the dominant one.

The humper is the dominant one.

Just to confuse matters, my pairs bond is more complex, Biscuit is dominant mainly, but Ginger is dominant over territory :wave:

I think rabbits live much more in the moment than we do. Many rabbit's binky when given access to new big spaces so perhaps the combinations of lovely warm weather, your undivided attention and the access to the garden has put him in the mood to binky.

Bonded rabbits also tend to like to hang out together so he may have been sticking close to Elomir and preferred lounging about if she was a bit on the mature side for binkys.

I don't think it's a reflection how how they felt about each other. It would be weird behaviour for people just after the loss of a close companion but bunnies think differently.

GrahamL said:

From my understanding, the groomee (the one BEING groomed) is the dominant one.

The humper is the dominant one.

Just to confuse matters, my pairs bond is more complex, Biscuit is dominant mainly, but Ginger is dominant over territory :wave:

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Yep agreed - see edit i am a nelly

Roseberry said:

Yep agreed - see edit i am a nelly

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sorry, i started replying before i read your edit

Makes sense now its editted. Here was me sat here thinking 'I thought it was the other way round.' :lol: