Life is a mystery. I’ve heard countless stories of people who made numerous “mistakes” (based on the current HRS guidelines), and their rabbits lived long, happy lives. Other people can do everything right, but if a rabbit is genetically ill, or becomes immuno-compromised, the best care in the world will not make a difference. The first step as I see it is recognizing that Hugo’s passing wasn’t your fault, he would have passed under anyone’s care. You did him a great service by giving him a caring home for his final weeks.

Despite being “prey” animals, the majority of rabbits can be pretty darn resilient. You will always have that occasional rabbit who will go into stasis if looked at wrong, but fortunately, those buns are rare. If it makes you feel better, do a thorough check-up: Blood work, fecals, the whole thing. This will give you an idea of what could be an issue right now or in the near future. Beyond that, stop worrying. Remember, it is more stressful for a rabbit to be taken off to the vet for each individual sneeze or smushy poop. Enjoy every day you have with her… this could be for a year, this could be for 10 years.

I’ve never lost a bunny, but I have had a similar problem with my bunnies – especially Mr. Bunny. There’s not much you can do besides relaxing and trying not to worry so much. Some sneezes and hiccups are no reason to be worried.

I know that Hugo died just a couple of months after you got him and had quite a few health problems. Do you think that you’re just worried that you could miss a health issue early on, and that Abby could end up like Hugo?

First of all “hugs”! I do the same thing, every time Mocha or Lulu sneezes I freak out and i watch them the whole day and make sure there ok. Or if Lulu is grumpy and doesn’t want to be by me I assume she is sick, or in pain! I think once you get used to her and her behavior maybe you will calm down a little. But don’t worry, your not the only one!

When my Bear died from liver torsion, I became a bit paranoid about genetic abnormalities. I got worried that Lago might have something and might not know until the last minute. But I hadn’t had Bear for very long and he probably changed his behavior before when his liver actually started twisting. I only had him for a week and couldn’t really tell what was normal for him. I find that once I know my bunnies’ behavior, monitoring illnesses is easier. After recognizing that, I stopped being paranoid as much. (I still am a little, especially since my housemate has some ill rabbits downstairs)