Advice? One of my bonded rabbits just passed away.

[Bianca]

Weatherwax and Ogg have been a bonded pair for most of their life. We aren’t sure exactly how old they are due to them being rescues. But my guess would be 7-8 years old. Sadly today Weatherwax crossed rainbow bridge. 

My concern now is for Ogg. She was always the cuddlier of the two and spent a lot of time with Weatherwax cuddling and grooming her. I’ll keep an eye on her to see how she copes alone, but does anyone have any experience they can share of similar situations? I plan to get a vet check for Ogg this week, and get her desexed because I suspect neither of them were. I’m just not sure how Ogg is going to cope alone, so I am just after a bit of advice/stories, if that is okay? I have never owned rabbits before, so this is all new to me. 

[tobyluv]

I’m sorry about the loss of Weatherwax. Spend as much time with Ogg as possible. If she has any favorite fruits or veggies, make sure that you have those on hand in case her appetite decreases. It can be helpful to have a stuffed animal for a lone bunny to cuddle with, unless you think that she might chew on it and ingest it. If Ogg is 7 or 8 years old, a vet may not want to spay her. He would certainly need to do blood work first to make sure that her liver and other organs were functioning normally, if he did think it was okay to spay her at her age.

When some rabbits lose their companions, they can get depressed and may not want to eat as well or be as active, so you need to watch her and make sure she is eating well and pooping normally. Other rabbits may not be as affected, especially if they are more bonded with people. I hope that Ogg will cope well without Weatherwax.

[jerseygirl]

Some {{{vibes}}} for Ogg. I hope she adjusts well. 

I just read your Profile. It was lovely of you and your partner to take the pair in. Im sorry the Weatherwax has passed away. If the bunnies are in fact 7-8 years old, that was a good age for her to reach. Tobyluv has given great advice already. It really is a matter of observing her and seeing how she copes. Do keep things as normal as possible for her, as they feel secure with routine.

You mentioned your dog would hang out with the bunnies. Do you think Ogg will gain some comfort from having the dog nearby?

[Bianca]

Thank you both. So far Ogg is acting normal. But she is often doing her own thing during the day – it’s at night she cuddles with Weatherwax. So we have bought her a soft toy to give her something. Weatherwax was the major chewer, so it should be safe to leave a toy in there now.

Currently Ogg is exploring our bedroom, which she thinks is the best thing ever because she knows it is often out of bounds. And the out of bounds areas are obviously the best ones to be in.

[jerseygirl]

Aw, bless her!

Well, it there was ever a time for special privileges, it’s now. 

[Wascally Wabbits]

I am so sorry for your loss! Hope poor Ogg will cope with it ok. My currently single rabbit Lilo just lost his brother Chicho also. I now let him out of his x-pen every chance I can. Try to give Ogg more time out (in the morning when you get ready) and whenever you’re at home. Give her a lot more attention. I also got some fleece of JoAnn’s that I just roll into a bundle and tied with sisal twine so Lilo has something to cuddle up to. I try to save toilet cores and paper towel cores to make silly little toys every couple days so he always has something new to go on. Watch Ogg’s eating habits, watch her poop and pee. I also introduced more treats (Floppers garden mixes from Binky Bunny), but I waited at least a week from Chicho’s passing in case it’s too many changes all at once. Watch out of signs that Ogg might need more companionship (cuddling up to inanimate objects, standing and staring for long periods of time, yanking at caging materials to get out, getting very destructive).

[Bianca]

Update: Ogg ate all her food last night. Wee and poo is all normal. She spent the night in her little tray rather than in the sheltered box she and Weatherwax used to sometimes sleep in. But then again, it was a very warm night and they did used to sleep in the littler tray more on warm nights. This morning she was a bit quiet. Normally when I open her sectioned off area of the study she sprints straight out and heads for any part of the house she isn’t allowed in to see if she can get in. This morning she was just staring into space a bit. But I picked her up and we had a cuddle on the couch for a moment. After a quick cuddle she decided it was time to explore and has now spent all morning having her normal adventures around the house. She is a bit annoyed that she can’t get to the cat’s litter tray. Last week she discovered how fun it was to play in which annoyed the cat, so now the litter tray is out of bounds for Ogg so of course she wants to get to it even more.

She isn’t running around binkying as much as normal, but it is a very warm day which easily accounts for that.

Unfortunately yanking at caging materials to get out is a normal thing for Ogg. She isn’t obsessive. But she and Weatherwax recently worked out how to escape and so even though we put a stop to that – they still like to try! But I will keep an eye on it anyway in case it gets worse. So far so good though.

I think she will be okay in time.

[Bianca]

Another update: Ogg has been given a soft toy for the last 3 nights. She ignored it the first night. Second night she slept with it in her litter tray, because she likes to sleep on her food. This morning I found that she had moved the toy out the litter tray and was sleeping with it just outside the litter tray.

She is certainly a bit quieter at nights and in the mornings still, but is eating, drinking, pooping, and weeing normally and is her usual cheeky playful self during the day. She is a bit cuddlier with us, particularly at night.

[Wascally Wabbits]

Aww, it sounds like she’s just grieving. I’m glad she is still eating! Just give her all the emotional support you can.

[Author]

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