How soon to rebond?

[Digbietta]

Hi,

I am looking for advice and opinions if anyone is able to please offer either. I shall attempt (but probably fail) to sum up the story in short-

I got Digby (male) as a baby and had him neutered at the appropriate age. My g/f and I spent all day every day with Digby for a year until we both got full-time jobs and he didn’t receive as much time with us. He became lonely and depressed and so we got another bun. We got Little One (neutered male rescue rabbit same age as Digby) and read up lots on bonding. Digby ruled our entire flat and had been used to all of the attention so was not best pleased to accept Little One and the two fought upon any contact for about 4 months. We then moved flat and had some neutral territory to work with – it took another 5 months or so for the fighting to stop and Digby and Little One to live happily together in their cage. Digby and Little One were very happy together for several months. This weekend Little One died (aged 2). The vet said that he was probably neutered too early in life which is why he never grew very big and hence his body was not strong enough to survive any slight illness. Obviously this is incredibly upsetting as we tried so hard to find Digby a suitable friend and worked so hard for a year to bond them. Nevertheless I am now faced with what action to take regarding Digby.

As a human my obvious plan of action is to mourn the loss of my beloved pet for some time before even considering the slightest possibility of replacing Little One and allow our household to have a suitable grieving period. However I very much wish to do what is best for Digby, who will now be spending 18 hours a day during the week alone again. I do not wish Digby to be alone for the rest of his life. He will eventually require rabbit company. Brief research suggests that the most ideal time to introduce a new rabbit is NOW – general opinion seems to be that the longer Digby spends alone the less accepting he will be of new introductions. Obviously I am concerned that bonding will be hard work again, but will it become harder work the longer it is left? Will Digby get more used to being on her own as time goes by and start treating all territory with sole ownership the longer she has solo rule over it?

Additional info – Digby doesn’t appear to be grieving just now. He was with Little One at the time of death and was able to spend several hours cuddled up to the body so seems to have accepted things. He was binkying everywhere (quite unusually) last night and is now pelleting and scenting (chinning) everything in sight (again, unusually). Other than this there is no change in behaviour. When I do get a new rabbit (now or later) I will ensure that I have full medical history and a neutered female of a similar age to Digby to maximise their chances of having lots of time together (as I attempted the first time but was unfortunately just a bit too inexperienced and unlucky).

Concluding question: Digby will at some point need a mate for the next 5+ years. Should it happen as soon as possible or will leaving it for a few weeks not make much difference?

Thanks for any help or advice anyone is able to offer – I really appreciate any new info as t’internet seems a bit scarce on in-depth articles about this (have found a couple at rabbit.org but they’re not too specific).

Cheers,

Jo

[Beka27]

Welcome to BinkyBunny.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Little One, and I understand your concerns. Getting Digby a mate now or waiting a few months, really won’t make a difference. Wait until you have had a chance to grieve and begin to heal. If I can make a suggestion, try to take Digby “bunny dating” at rescues with spay/neutered bunnies. This way he can meet different buns and choose which he likes the best. This can go a long way towards making the bonding process easier on you.

The unfortunate thing about life is… you don’t know how long a person/animal has. I think it’s a good idea to get an animal around the same age as Digby, but that isn’t a guarantee, as was the case with Little One. I have also seen successful bonds with young rabbits (1-2 years old) and senior rabbits (6+ years) and they may still have several years together. So I guess what I’m trying to say is… don’t get too caught up on age. Their interactions with one another is what is most important. Someone is always going to pass first, but it’s the quality of life that matters.

[Digbietta]

Hey – thank you for your warm, speedy welcome and kind response to my query. I really needed someone to tell me that there was no massive rush and to slow down a bit – it helped me stop panicking so much so thank you.

I took Digby to the vet last night as she sneezed and the internet told me this meant the snuffles and then pneumonia then imminent death. The vet said “sometimes rabbits sneeze, you shouldn’t worry about the snuffles – you should worry about her teeth growing through her brain, that’ll be twenty quid please”. I am no longer less panicked. I am however very glad that Digby is actually fine.

Just one more thank you for your reply and a quick aside to say that your bunnies are really beautiful – they look such lovely, happy rabbits : D

Jo

[Beka27]

Oh thank you! They are happy bunnies… I make sure of it!

Your vet sounds a little bit, careless… unless you were exaggerating. :o)

Snuffles is kind of a “catch-all” term and is used way too freely. With those types of symptoms, you have to worry about a pasteurella infection. And I would expect your vet to take that a bit more seriously, if he is at all savvy about rabbit health. Sneezing is not uncommon with rabbits, but if it’s continuous or accompanied with nasal discharge, or a wet nose, eyes, chin, or paws, that is something to be concerned about.

[Digbietta]

Yes my vet was incredibly insensitive – when someone comes to you in a panic desperately seeking reassurance its best not to give them a ten minute lecture about all the things that can go wrong with teeth in my opinion! I’d got into a bit of a panic again – the internet is brilliant for info but sometimes it gives too much and I get all anxious! Thank you once again for setting my mind at ease : D

Digby is fine – she had a teeny tiny bit of sneezy discharge about a month ago, tho I did not know what that meant back then. Absolutely no sign whatsoever since and no hint of any other symptoms. She’s been binkying like crazy these past couple of days which has been lovely to see.

Its reassuring to know that support is always available on forums – I shall return to lurking again now… x

[Beka27]

Very good! Don’t be a stranger! We’d love to see some pics of Digby and if he gets a new mate!

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