I need your opinions

[PuddleJumper]

My cat Sky was found behind a old matress in my garage with his brother and sister when they were two weeks old we could not find the mother  so we took them in and hand raised them my brother has Sky’s brother and my neighbor took their sister. Sky is so bonded to me because I raised him and he is the first cat I have ever met that suffers from separation anxitety, he lives in my room due to my dad having alergies he loves it but the the problem is when Im not in my room he gets stressed and over grooms himself. When I  got Basil the over grooming stopped and he got close to Basil and everything was going great now that Basil is gone he is meowing and sitting by his cage and looks for him and he is starting to over groom his belly again… I was considering getting another bun in the distant future but the way my cat is acting I might be getting one sooner.

I just feel bad the Basil has only been gone for a few days and I am already thinking about looking for another rabbit… would it help our healing process if I got another bun right away after just losing Basil?

[Sarita]

I think everyone is different when it comes to healing and you are your best judge of when it is right for you and for Sky.

Don’t feel bad about how you feel. Any rabbit you chose will be lucky to have a nice home and I know Basil would understand as well.

Hugs.

[Beka27]

You have to keep in mind that there’s no way to know if a new bun and your cat would get along. Just because Sky and Basil had a good relationship doesn’t mean this will happen again with a “strange” bunny. If they do not get along and both have to live in your room, this could be difficult for the bunny to get adequate exercise. I’d hate to see you get a bun and it not work out and you have to return him/her.

[PuddleJumper]

I agree Beka, I am trying to go through a adoption agency that allows you to bring home the bun you picked out to see how personalities are with me and my other pets if does not go well they welcome the bun to come back and you can try another bun if you want. Im in no rush to just scoop one up and makes it get along with sky so its going to take some time to find a new Bun.

[KatnipCrzy]

Cats who overgroom themselves have what is called psychogenic alopecia- they cause self trauma and it is not always limited to the haircoat- it can involve the skin if the cat gets stressed enough.

You can try a Feliway diffuser to see if that helps- the calming pheromones are supposed to ease the cat.  There are anti-anxiety medications but I would not jump to that right away as it is usually a life long or long term medication.

If you are ready you could look into a new friend for your kitty.  Would he groom a stuffed animal instead?

I have bottle raised many kittens- and even though a human can provide excellent care they cannot teach them things that a momma cat can- so I have noticed that bottle fed kittens can be higher maintenance than a typical cat- not always but sometimes.  So knowing he could have different emotional needs could make a difference in your pet selection/time process.

[jerseygirl]

What about those toys (or pillows?) that have a simulated heartbeat? You could try transfer some of Basils scent onto something like that. They are supposed to be good for orphaned animals or animals that have lost a litter.

By all means get another rabbit when the time is right for you. I hope you do. If the time is right now, then that’s great. Don’t feel you are dishonouring Basil by thinking about another. In my opinion, I think it’s a healthy way to honour the rabbit you’ve lost by offering another a home.

[LittlePuffyTail]

In my opinion, I think it’s a healthy way to honour the rabbit you’ve lost by offering another a home.

I agree. You’re not “replacing” the bunny you lost, you are just offering a home and a happy life to another rabbit in need. I can understand your guilt as I’m sure I would feel the same but I think if you can emotionally handle a new bunny friend right now, go for it. There are so many sweet bunnies who desperately need love and care.

[PuddleJumper]

Thank you guys for your input, Sky is almost 11 and that silly cat has been like this his whole life one time a I called a vet and asked what I could do about his OCD and the vet told me he had a “nerological disfunction” or a parasite from eating raw fish and to put him down! my cat is a indoor cat! and has never seen a real fish let alone a raw fish! lol
I never thought of using scents to calm him thats a great idea! I know he is looking for Basil, every noise he hears he runs to the cage looking for him thats the hardest thing to watch… I have been really thinking about adopting a rescue bun like Basil to give them a new chance to live I think Basil would want me to do that just like I did for him, Im not going to rush out and get a bun but I am looking for one I think it will help me heal along with Sky by having another bun, the part what I’m having the hardest time with is seeing his empty cage and not having a bun running around my feet or snuggling with me…
So the quest for a bun begins!

[Author]

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