Bunny Grieving – What is normal and what should I look out for?

[Kat9055]

My rabbit Penelope just lost her bonded partner of 9 years (she’s 10 and he was 13 years old). She went with us to the vet and spent time with his body, but she’s very lonely. I plan to bond her again soon to help her move on from her grief.

 

Since his passing, she’s been making a soft grunty-sniff noise (like a soft combo between angry honking and sniffles) that started the same day. She also ate less for a few days but kept drinking and pooping normally. Lately she’s been seeking more human affection, which is unusual for her. She ignores the stuffy that smells like him, and I haven’t cleaned her cage yet. The vet is closed until Tuesday, so I’m hoping to learn more then, as this is my first time with bonded rabbits. Her mate was very devoted to me and very important to me, so even though Penelope and I aren’t as close, I want to do everything I can to support her.

[BrunosMama]

Hello!

I’m sorry to hear of your loss. 🙁 I’m sure its hard on both you and Penelope bun.

I have had similar experiences when a close bonded bun loses its mate. Most of the symptoms were loss of appetite, not super active, and in one case, the bun just shut down – he didn’t want to eat or groom himself, he just sat and stared. Its important to make sure she continues eating, even if you have to syringe feed her. You don’t want her to go into stasis. So, just be extra mindful of her intake/output right now.

I’m glad Penelope got to be with her mate when he passed, I really think this helps.

You could try giving her a new stuffy (or wash the old one) and maybe rearrange the cage once you have cleaned it. Or rearrange her play space. It may help her to have something new to explore and may help to “reset” her brain that things have changed. This may also help with a new bond, as she won’t associate the space as her and her former mates space.

I hope that you both feel better. Its never easy losing a bun.💜<!–/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_bodytext_250830_130328_950.sdocx–>

[mia]

Keep checking her food/water intake and poo/pee.

 

I usually clean (bedding, litter, soft toys) right away and give myself and bun around a year to grieve. For my buns, they may be a bit off afterwards but usually return to normal behavior within a couple days but during the year, most buns personality change slightly (more affectionate towards me, a quicker hop, more curious of their surroundings) so this time lets them become their new selves before we try to find a new friend.

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