KokaneeandKahlua is right on about listening to your gut. I have lost bunnies before and each scenario is a bit different depending on the situation.
It’s so hard to not only lose your animal companion but to watch the bonded buddy left behind suffer in any way too. It’s just a big double whammy. When Jack’s bonded mate, Rucy, passed away, he was a sad boy. Rucy was his rock, as she was the adventurous one and he’d follow her, let her brave new things and new places first. When she passed, he needed constant attention and wouldn’t eat unless I was there in the room hanging out with him. He wasn’t a bunny who handled being alone very well, so it didn’t take me very long to try and find him a new friend. I can’t remember but I know it wasn’t more than a couple of months.
It was different with Vivian — Vivian had been alone already for a couple of years at the shelter (with the exception of kind humans at saveabunny), and then she came to be part of our family and a new friend for Jack. She had been with Jack for two years before he passed away this past May. She handled it very differently. Her appetite did not suffer and she never had any digestive problems due to the loss, Unlike Jack she was not moping —or at least not the same way, instead she just tore up the place — she acted out with aggression, not depression. I stuck by her though and let her get it out, and again, spent as much time with her as possible until she seemed to settle into her life without Jack. (I’m the one that has the difficult time with that still). Because she had dealt with being alone before, she has done just fine now and is adjusting well. She is older and at first, I thought, I don’t want to get another bunny and then have that bunny go through a loss in just a couple of years or so. I also dread having to watch the surviving bunny suffer (as it’s hard enough to lose your animal as is!), however, my gut says she will be fine, but she would like to have a friend (unlike Jack who really just seemed to need a friend to be happy). And in the future, if our finances will allow it, regardless of her age, and she’s still with us, I will take her bunny dating.
The only thing that is holding me back right now is finances. Because she is older,(estimate 8 – 9 years old), I know that can mean more vet visits and expensive vet bills, so I need to be realistic while things are more financially tight right now. If I got another bunny and for whatever reason that bunny needed vet care and Vivian ended up needing it too, it would be extremely difficult and so I don’t want to be in that position.
We are definitely open to finding her a buddy when we can have more saved up for a second bunny. In the meantime, we are becoming closer and she seems happy — does little head binkies almost daily and she comes out every night to spend time in the living room with us.
So I also say, go with your gut. Each situation is unique.