Advice for grieving rabbit

[joemorris86]

Hello,

My mini lop lost his partner of 9 years two weeks ago. Since then he hasn’t eaten any hay or pellets at all. He will still take treats and veg.

He is on a mix of medicines and recovery feed to keep his gut moving.

Is the only way to help him feel better to introduce a new partner? Or is this too soon?

These were the first two rabbits we have ever owned so have no experience with this.

If anyone has any advice or has had a rabbit in a similar situation after loosing their partner I could really do with any tips please.

He is a house rabbit so we are giving him lots of company but he isn’t overly interested in spending time with us at the moment, unless the treat bag is out.

Thanks

 

[tonibun]

Sorry for your loss. It will be a big change for him after being with his partner for 9 years so it takes time to adjust. I think it could be a good idea to look for another friend and meantime treat him as you would normally and I am fairly sure he will soon get back to eating properly. They usually do.

 

[Omi]

I am sorry that one of your bunnies has died. I'm also sorry that you now have the worry that his long term bonded partner is grieving. I presume that your vet has ruled out other causes such as teeth to be causing the problem with selective eating?

Most rabbits will be much happier with a partner bunny. Bu it is not easy to determine how soon to get another partner for him. Some bunnies in fact will never accept another bonded partner, but that is rare.

You have to also take into account that whilst your current bunny is currently obviously not feeling 100% healthy, the bonding process in itself can be stressful.

I think I would make sure that other causes for the issue have been ruled out. Then I would try to find another bunny. It would be probably ideal if you could find a gentle female bunny of a similar age. I would then first of all settle the new bunny in an area separated from your current bunny, but where he could be aware of her and then monitor his reaction. I would leave the arrangements like that for a little while before deciding whether to actually bond the two bunnies.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[a reader of books]

I’m so sorry you lost your bunny, and your remaining bunny lost his friend who he’d been together with for so long, poor boy.

I had a similar situation last year when my Casper lost his friend of 10 years. He grieved deeply and barely ate and needed medication to keep his gut going. He’d had a vet check and was physically fine, which I assume is the case for your bun, too, since he’s clearly seen a vet. I discussed it with my vet because I was a bit worried about bonding him when he was already poorly, but the vet said that normally they do a lot better once they have another bunny around again. I normally take my bunnies to the rescue with me to see how they react to the new bunny, but that would’ve been to stressful for him now, so I looked for a bunny I thought would suit him and left him at home. Once they began bonding he got a lot better and started eating normally and he got his bounce back, and the bonding wasn’t any problem.

Obviously every bunny is different, but my recommendation would be to find a new friend as soon as you can. If it’s soon for your bun he’ll let you know. I’ve always gotten my bereaved buns a new friend within 3 weeks, though, and it’s never been an issue. In my experience most bunnies who are used to being bonded are just happy to have some bunny company again.

Sending your grieving boy a lot of vibes

 

[JamesonGray]

I am sorry that one of your bunnies has died. I'm also sorry that you now have the worry that his long term bonded partner is grieving. I presume that your vet has ruled out other causes such as teeth to be causing the problem with selective eating?

Most rabbits will be much happier with a partner bunny. Bu it is not easy to determine how soon to get another partner for him. Some bunnies in fact will never accept another bonded partner, but that is rare.

You have to also take into account that whilst your current bunny is currently obviously not feeling 100% healthy, the bonding process in itself can be stressful.

I think I would make sure that other causes for the issue have been ruled out. Then I would try to find another bunny. It would be probably ideal if you could find a gentle female bunny of a similar age. I would then first of all settle the new bunny in an area separated from your current bunny, but where he could be aware of her and then monitor his reaction. I would leave the arrangements like that for a little while before deciding whether to actually bond the two bunnies.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thank you.

I am sorry for your loss.