Following the passing of Fred, George is understandably grieving. She’s been drinking lots and seems generally sad (though she has been ill, but she seem mostly better now). She was an affectionate bun before Fred passed but even though she’s approaching an age where lots of buns become less inclined to spent time with their owners she has become positively clinging.
It seems she is now looking to us whenever she would have gone to Fred. She periscopes up to the bed if we’re sitting there, clamours over our feet if we’re sitting there and generally follows us about (you’re cooking? I’m under your feet) and if she doesn’t get enough strokes straight away she will attempt to put her head under any part of us she can or climb onto our laps. If you stop stroking her after 30 minutes and put her down, she will try to get back up.
It’s got to the point where if one of us needs to do something we need to take her to the other one where she will usually stay until they move her on. If she can’t get to either of us then she will lay down looking miserable.
We have two main issues: we’ve heard that one of the shelters allows bunny dating, but it’s out in the sticks and we don’t drive. I don’t think its fair to take George of a three hour bus ride. Six hours round trip after being put in a stressful situation and I’d worry that we’d make her ill.
George is not yet spayed. She’s 4.5 months, so she’s got another month and a half before she can be spayed plus recovery. I don’t want to introduce them before they’re ready, or bring one home while she’s recovering and grieving but I’m wondering if it would be better to attempt to squeeze a second bun into our tiny flat so that they’re both ready for bonding around the same time (instead of a second long waiting period).
The other option, is to wait until we move somewhere bigger in a year’s time. Perhaps she will become less clingy when she’s accepted that Fred is dead?
What are your thoughts?
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