After losing Bentley at the weekend, his girl Minnie is now looking depressed. She is spending much of her time just sitting in her hay tray. She is nibbling hay and will eat herbs, but she will not touch her pellets. She is pooing, but they are smaller than usual and dark, she normally does the perfect big golden poos that we all strive for with our bunnies. She does occasionally go for a hop into her run and has come out onto the patio, but she doesn’t stay out long and soon retreats back into her tray, it’s almost as though she is looking for Bentley and then gives up and goes back inside….although it could be that I am so sensitive at the moment I am just reading things into what she is doing/thinking. She was with Bentley when he was put to sleep, she moved away from him as soon as he passed away so she knew he had died, but I don’t know whether she would link that with him no longer being around at home.
I know she is now very lonely and missing her Bentley, but I don’t know what to do to help her. She is not a people-bunny, she is friendly but doesn’t enjoy human contact. Me spending more time sitting with her, or even bringing her inside as a housebunny, won’t make her happy.
I know she needs a bunny-friend and although I am not looking to take on any more rabbits, ideally I’d like to reduce my number naturally as they pass, I think I’ve no choice but to adopt another rabbit to bond with her. I’ve no existing pair/group within which I would have any hope of integrating her.
I don’t know how long to leave it before trying her with another partner. She is stressed and depressed from losing Bentley, so will adding the stress of bonding be too much? But if I don’t find her a friend fairly quickly, she might become even more withdrawn and depressed. I’m also mindful that she has had a few random episodes of stasis in the past, so being depressed, stressed and not eating properly won’t be good for her.
I’ve not had a grieving bunny before who is showing such obvious sadness.
I know she is now very lonely and missing her Bentley, but I don’t know what to do to help her. She is not a people-bunny, she is friendly but doesn’t enjoy human contact. Me spending more time sitting with her, or even bringing her inside as a housebunny, won’t make her happy.
I know she needs a bunny-friend and although I am not looking to take on any more rabbits, ideally I’d like to reduce my number naturally as they pass, I think I’ve no choice but to adopt another rabbit to bond with her. I’ve no existing pair/group within which I would have any hope of integrating her.
I don’t know how long to leave it before trying her with another partner. She is stressed and depressed from losing Bentley, so will adding the stress of bonding be too much? But if I don’t find her a friend fairly quickly, she might become even more withdrawn and depressed. I’m also mindful that she has had a few random episodes of stasis in the past, so being depressed, stressed and not eating properly won’t be good for her.
I’ve not had a grieving bunny before who is showing such obvious sadness.