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Very sad - all advice welcomed

W

Worried father

New Kit
My wife and children had a pair of 1yo mini-lop rabbits, both females and neutered. Very sadly we lost one of them yesterday and of course my wife and young children are very upset.

I am no expert at all but I am sure the remaining rabbit and my children would like some company for the remaining rabbit. So I have come here hoping some of you guys might be able to offer some advice. Thoughts that have crossed my mind:

-) Try and find a similar rabbit of a similar age
-) Get a new baby rabbit
-) Get a pair of new baby rabbits
-) Something else

In terms of background, the remaining rabbit is very friendly and was always very friendly with the other rabbit (although I am sure there is no guarantee this would be the case with a new introduction). We have a large double level hutch and a 6x6 run which can be accessed 24/7 through a tunnel.

Thank you for listening and I would love to hear from you.
 
Worried father said:
My wife and children had a pair of 1yo mini-lop rabbits, both females and neutered. Very sadly we lost one of them yesterday and of course my wife and young children are very upset.

I am no expert at all but I am sure the remaining rabbit and my children would like some company for the remaining rabbit. So I have come here hoping some of you guys might be able to offer some advice. Thoughts that have crossed my mind:

-) Try and find a similar rabbit of a similar age
-) Get a new baby rabbit
-) Get a pair of new baby rabbits
-) Something else

In terms of background, the remaining rabbit is very friendly and was always very friendly with the other rabbit (although I am sure there is no guarantee this would be the case with a new introduction). We have a large double level hutch and a 6x6 run which can be accessed 24/7 through a tunnel.

Thank you for listening and I would love to hear from you.
Click to expand...

I would find a rescue next to you and get a rabbit from there....

Where do you live?
 
Ring your local rescue. Rabbit does not have to be of similar age, breed or size its more down to personality. The rescue may also be able to do the bonding for you. Also it will be neutered and vaccinated already.
 
Yes that's what I meant by the first option - would a similar rabbit be necessary?

We live in Rochester, Kent. I did have a quick look at the local RSPCA but they seemed to all be pairs. I could give them a ring.
 
Hi, I'm so sorry about the loss of one of your bunnies. Do you know what happened to him/her?

What I would really recommend at this point is getting a partner for your new rabbit from a rescue centre. Rescues do the full works - they spay/neuter the new partner, vaccinate them, can tell you about the temperament of the rabbit you are adopting, and most importantly, they will introduce them for you on neutral territory, so that they get on.

There are loads of rescues across the UK who would do this. Where do you live and perhaps we can recommend one?
 
It would probably best to get a neutered male as a friend for your female. Males and females seem to be the easiest pairs to bond.
I wouldn't worry too much about age, I have a 5 and a 2 year old.
I hope you find a suitable rabbit soon!
 
I'm so very sorry for your loss.

We have a 'rainbow bridge' section on here where people post tributes to their animals. Maybe your children could draw a pic which you could upload or write a letter or story you can type up for them to post there? I only say this because when I was little and my sister's rabbit died, I wrote her a little letter and buried it with her, which helped me to grieve.

Good luck with finding your bunny a new friend.

x
 
hi there, i dont know whether you have a male or a female bunny or the rabbits age but it doesnt have to be a similar age but you may wish to have a younger or older bun to match yours, i find with new bonding as long as both bunnies are neutered usually a male female pair works best though some people have also got bonded male-male and female-female pairs. if you ring a local rescue (see rabbit rehome for all those in your area) then they will allow you to bring your own bunny down for speed dating to find the right bun and can help you with bonding (not as easy as it sounds sadly) if you decide to undertake the bond yourself then i advse you start in a quiet neutral area when both bunnies are neutered. and a short car ride with them both in the same carrier. do you know why your bunny that passed away died? a health check on the remaining bun may be a good idea at the vets and ensure its up to date with its vaccinations do a precautionary 28 day course of pannacur (and disinfect the whole area) and maybe also change the hay to a new sack (if you think its likely to be contaminated) best of luck so sorry to hear of your loss xx
 
Not sure if this has been mentioned but many rescues will do bunny runs to get a bunny to it's new owner so that may be an option for you too.
 
Schuette said:
Not sure if this has been mentioned but many rescues will do bunny runs to get a bunny to it's new owner so that may be an option for you too.
Click to expand...

This.

I may be able to assist with a bunny run at the end of each calendar month, as i have to travel back to Walderslade, Near Chatham each month for work, so if a bunny needed help, i *may* be able to offer assistance as far as travel is concerned, but this would be dependant on when obviously and my personal situation at the time.
 
i'm sorry to hear of your loss :(

i'm sure there will be a suitable bunny in a rescue for your other bunny to bond with. please keep us informed:)
 
Thank you again for your kind words and help. We found a rabbit today at RSPCA Leyborne who has recently lost his friend. Fingers crossed this one wants to be friends with our one!
 
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