Advice about my lone rabbit after one of a pair died please?

I had 2 male dwarf rabbits. A fox severely attacked their hutch over night. It dug 2 massive holes under neath to get to them. It didn't succeed in getting in but when I found the rabbits one of them had its leg hanging off where the fox had caught him. It was heart breaking, I rushed them both to the vets and sadly had the injured one put to sleep. Thing is the vet said he couldn't believe he hadn't died of shock, pain or bleeding. He seemed so calm and i cuddled him while he was put to sleep. I miss him badly. When I left the vets we went straight to the pet shop and bought all new indoor cage for the remaining rabbit, I couldn't face putting him back into a hutch that smelt of his brother nor could I risk putting him outside again. I expected the lone rabbit to be severely traumatised after the attack, also missing the one that was always the brave one that he hid behind. But he's acting like nothings happened. He is eating well, playing and generally looks happy. I was advised by the vet that rabbits don't like being on their own but he seems fine. He's not as sociable as the one that died but I have been paying him lots of attention. Will he remember the attack? Will he be missing his brother? It seems so odd that he's acting like nothings happened. I think it's traumatised me more than him !! They are 2 and a half. Any advise would be great. Thanks xxAdvice about my lone rabbit after one of a pair died please?
I am so sorry for your loss.





You are doing exactly the right thing for your remaining bunny. Bringing him indoors and spending time with him will help him adjust to not having his brother around. he may well have got lonely and depressed on his own back in the old hutch. Bonded rabbits can suffer grief and depression following the death of one, you just need to give him lots of TLC and make sure he still acts normally.





Here are some links that might help you:


http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/care鈥?/a>


http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/multi鈥?/a>


http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/R鈥?/a>


http://www.greenfieldsrescue.co.uk/rabbi鈥?/a>Advice about my lone rabbit after one of a pair died please?
i have a bunny and he lives with 2 male guinea pigs.. if your concerned about him being lonely you could get him one too... i had a female rabbit before and i thought she was lonely and bought 2 more for her to play with and she hated them... maybe he'll be ok alone
Sure, he will miss his brother, but the attention from you is great for him. Perhaps after he gets a little more friendly, you could introduce a friend. They do like to hang out together for play and comfort. Have a healthy and happy year!
Awe, im so sorry to hear that.


All my rabbits live alone, i mean there


right next to eachother but none of them share


a cage. He probable will miss his brother but


as long as you still play with him im sure he


will be just fine.
Aww! That's so sad...I luff bunnies...anyway, all I can say is to keep watch on him. You see while most rabbits are social, some DO like to be alone...so just keep monitoring his behavir. If he acts weird than consult your vet, or maybe get another rabbit. I'm sorry for your loss!
oh whata shame i was gettin upset reading ur story i think ur rabbit will be ok on his own if hes still the same in a few weeks leave him on his own that must have been so horrible to see i have 4 bunnies
If he's not neutered then he may not take well to a new bunny friend (unless it's an unneutered female, which I don't recommend!). If you want to pair him then once he's neutered and recovered from that you could try him out with a new neutered girl friend. Be warned though I bought a new friend for my neutered female when her neutered male buddy died (they were inseparable) it has taken 18 months of very careful introductions and many bunny scraps to finally get them to agree to live together (I thought the day would never come!) Now however they are as inseparable as the original pair were but it was hard work to bond them.


A bonded pair of rabbits are a wonderful thing but that doesn't mean that your bunny won't do well on his own with lots of TLC from you. Introducing a new rabbit is not as easy as just getting another bunny and putting them together. Occasionally that works but for the majority of the time it's a recipe for disaster.
I'm so sorry to hear that, losing a bunny can be really hard. I had a similar situation when one of mine died, I was absolutely heartbroken, but her sister didn't seem to notice. I kept her as an only bunny for about 6 months before getting a friend for her. They got on famously for a while, but now hate each other! (I think this happened because I had my new male bunny neutered straight away, but left the original female bunny entire on advice from the vet.)


There are many websites that give information on introducing a new rabbit into the family, but if he seems happy there's no reason to change things.
Give your remaining rabbit time to adjust before thinking of a new mate. He will still be traumatised and will need you attention and reassurance for at least 2 months before introducing a new rabbit.





You are best getting him neutered if not already done so to calm down his territorial tenancies and feistyness.





Introducing a mature and spayed doe from a rescue centre is the best option as you will be able to find a compatible temperament. you cannot do this with a immature doe as temperaments can change at maturity which may end up in a personality clash.
hi there! just keep doing what you are doing the rabbit will be fine this is a bad thing to say but the boss is gone now he can get on with his life rabbits don't do well in pair cause there is always a boss i've had to split rabbits up and the shy one is not shy anymore!! its if the boss doesn't like them coming near anybody they have to rely on the boss its a whole new world for your rabbit and you both should enjoy it!! good luck hope this is of some help and you don't find me cheeky
Your story is so sad i really feel for you. I just recently lost one of my bunnies and his friend definately was upset. He stopped eating and i had to take him to the vets for an injection to stimulate his gut. I have bought a new bunny and they are showing signs of interest. I have not introdued them yet as i am allowing them time to get used to each other through sight and smell. Rabbits are sociable animals and in the wild they live in a group. That does not mean to say that your rabbit would like another. It may be that he would not bond but on the otherhand he might. Do keep an eye on your rabbit though and if you want to put him back outside you can buy hutches that have fox proof wire on them.
hi, i'm so sorry for your loss. i know it's not quite the same, but we had a rabbit a few years ago that was pretty close to someone who lived with us, and when she moved out, we expected the rabbit to morn, but she didn't. she just carried on as normal. about 2 months later though she started to act strange. she started pulling out her fur, attacking everyone who went near her even though she was usually very friendly, and wasn't eating properly. we made her an appointment for the vets, but unfortunately she didn't make it. one day we come home from work and found that she'd passed away. i hope this doesn't happen with your rabbit, but thought i should say so you can be more aware to this being a possibility. we don't know that this was what killed her, but are pretty sure it was. please watch your bunny closely, and if he acts at all different take him to the vets straight away. also, have you tried buying him a teddy. i know this sounds silly, but with the animals i've seen, they are in a lot of ways like children, and even though your rabbit might not be very sociable, it's a companion for them, and a lot of animals seem to like this. good luck with everything, and i truly hope your rabbit is ok. xXx.
hmm....


he may not take to a new rabbit friend and, since he seems to be coping fine, I see no reason why you should get a new rabbit if you do not particularly want to.





I have a solitary rabbit and he is perfectly happy and loving. If you do not want to spend money and time on a new rabbit, I suggest that you do not unless your current rabbit displays abnormal behaviour such as not eating, pulling fur out etc


at this, I would take him to the vet before opting for a new companion

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