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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A A question about sudden single buns?

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    • Mandyyy
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        Nava has lived with Domino her whole life (Nava is a year older, and is about 8. So about 7 years she lived with her). Now Nava is a single bun, which even before Domino she lived with a rabbit when she was my ex friends bunny. I figure Nava is too old to adopt her a friend, and she may not accept one since she’s unfixed and old (she’s pretty accepting of dogs and cats though, but she hasn’t met another bun since Domino came into the picture). My mom’s taking me to get her a stuff bunny friend around her size tomorow. Is there anything else anyone can suggest I can do for Nava to make it easier on her? For the first hour after Domino passed Nava wanted nothing to do with anyone (which is rare for her), she did see Domino and press her face against hers or about 5 minutes. Now she seems back to herself, but I don’t want her to get sad.

        Sorry I started rambling… but is there anything you guys can add so I can make this better for her? 

        Thanks.


      • Michelle&Lolli
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          I would spend time just hanging out on the floor with Nava. Just be with her and let her take her time and come to you. This is what I did with Lolli after Eddie died and it made us a lot closer.

          And she might be able to have another bunny friend in the future. Just give you both time to grieve and heal.


        • Mandyyy
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            Alright, thank you.

            I was thinking about taking her out to the yard soon before it gets chilly. She likes sitting in the grass with the dogs (supervised so nothing gets her, of course). I feel like it would make her feel a lot better to be outside with her dogs.


          • Kokaneeandkahlua
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              It’s hard to know-I’d say go with your gut. When Kokanee passed, Kahlua was with her, but very upset. I had been trying to bond the two with Rupert and suddenly she needed someone so badly that her and Rupert fit within hours. With Chuck going, Noot was lonely but couldn’t be with Rupert and Kahlua. I was going to take him tentatively to date other bunnies but my mom had the perfect suggestion-a guinea pig. (disclaimer: rabbits can harm guinea pigs, I knew they’d be ok as Noot was a gentle gentle guy and blind, and not a nipper or a quick mover) so I brought home a piggie for him. That worked well until he passed, then I had to get a pig for my piggie and now I have two guinea pigs…

              So it all depends. It seems like other than Rupert I’m looking after ‘friends’ Kahlua was Kokanee’s friend, Norman was Noot’s friend, and Rockwell was Norman’s friend So it can spiral.

              Anyways thats my experience. I would say go with your gut and your heart and what your situation can afford…if another bun is out of the question, try to provide the support you can. It sounds like Nava is recovering and doing fine with just you. It certainly will be an adjustment, but it’s not an emergency. And if introdcing a bunny or dating will be more stressful then you wouldn’t want to do that. Trust your gut-I brought home Noot on a whim but also with my gut-he cuddled immediately with Chuck and they were inseperable, and I never regretted it. However it was the situation, not a one bun emergency that made that happen. And it could have just as easily not worked out. So I’d say no easy answer, just be there for Nava, and watch and think and reflect. And don’t rule out a stuffed bunny or more TV cuddling with Nava as a substitute.

               Remember, if you give a mouse a cookie…you are going to end up with two guinea pigs who don’t even like you


            • Michelle&Lolli
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                Within minutes after Eddie passing, I was freaking out because I thought Lolli needed a friend. Turns out, she was fine. And I was probably just wanting to replace Eddie for both of us, trying to fill that void and unbearable pain. Lolli never bonded with me while Eddie was alive as I bonded her to him. He was also very dominant and overshadowed her. So ironically enough, it took his passing to bring Lolli out of her shell so to speak and bond with me. I mean, I saw and knew her personality before but she never came up to me while I was on the floor or anything. Eddie would boss – aka chase – right out of the room if I so much as looked at her. lol But now she nose bumps me and lets me give her kisses and even comes up for kisses as long as i’m laying on the floor with her. So our relationship only got better and now, while I still want another bunny, I am afraid if I do ever get one, she’ll bond to it and our bond with break. lol

                I am rambling too. I wasn’t able to get another rabbit for financial and health reasons. At the time, it killed me but it really was for the best. Like Kokankee said, just follow your gut. And allow yourself and Nava to grieve. There is no time table. I kept beating myself for still grieving months later. It wasn’t deep grieving, just a day of sadness here and there. ((((Hugs)))


              • BinkyBunny
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                  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. 

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              Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A A question about sudden single buns?