Signs of loneliness?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 13sd replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 2 months ago by Elrohwen.

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- 12/31/2010 at 11:34 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  What are the signs that a bunny is lonely?
  
  I’m 95% sure Lolli is fine. But it seems like she’s been sleeping a lot more lately. of course, today was a crappy day with thunderstorms and rain, so we were both sleepy all day. She’s eating just fine, pooping, peeing all normal. Even begging for treats. But I’m worried she’s lonely. For the umpteenth time since Eddie passed away. Perhaps I’m just projecting since I don’t have a super snuggly bunny anymore. But I want my little girl to be the happiest she can be though. Sigh.
- 01/01/2011 at 4:06 AM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  I’m sure she is fine. You said yourself that another bunny isn’t possible right now, so don’t worry about it.
- 01/01/2011 at 8:08 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  Thanks for that! lol I guess I was projecting last night and also, she’s been a bit lethargic the past 2 days but now she’s back to normal. lol
- 01/03/2011 at 12:22 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Have you considered a surrogate for her? A rabbit-sized plushy for her to loaf beside? It could double later on when you do ge a second one as a stunt double. It is possible she is lonely, since she had a buddy before. But as long as her routines suggest good health I would not worry. Try the double! Careful though in the beginning, check to make sure she doesn’t eat the surrogate in pieces.
- 01/03/2011 at 9:36 AM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  I gave her a bunny plushie when I had my surgery, but I don’t think it’s the right size or something. But she’s not even interested in it. It’s still sitting out here but she doesn’t even go near it. lol It seems like she’s ok as long as I’m home with her. I’m going to try to find a more realistic plushie and see how that goes.
  
  When she’s stretched out, she’ll sometimes lay her head (chin) completely on the floor. So she looks like a woeful dog sometimes. lol She looks depressed when she does this but the rest of her behavior is fine.
- 01/03/2011 at 10:24 AM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  Chacha stretches out and puts her chin on the ground as well. She is actually napping.
- 01/03/2011 at 12:43 PM
  GrumpyBun
  Participant
  643 posts
  Yup, Bisto does the woeful dog look. Whilst snuggling with Oxo. That’s sleepiness, not sadness.
- 01/03/2011 at 12:53 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  OK…. woeful gaze does not qualify for proof of loneliness. Things to watch for are over-destruction or lethargy or even excessive grooming.
- 01/03/2011 at 12:54 PM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  mocha and lulu lay down like that to.
- 01/03/2011 at 6:17 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  OK…. woeful gaze does not qualify for proof of loneliness. Things to watch for are over-destruction or lethargy or even excessive grooming.
  
  Ok, ok! Well now I know! lol She just seemed a little more lethargic for a couple of days last week. Which got my mind spinning. lol Gotta have something to worry over regarding her.
  
  With her laying like that, what started me worrying was she was listening to me without raising her head. I know she was listening cause her ears kept swiveling towards me. Unless they hear in their sleep? lol She’s always slept like that but she’d always lift her head to listen to me. Guess she was just being lazy.
- 01/03/2011 at 6:39 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Smudge does that, flops with her head on the floor, her ears still listening. She just likes being comfy
- 01/03/2011 at 6:53 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  Guess she just decided to start showing off new behaviors. I’ve seen her actually flop. I’ve never seen her do an actual flop until a few days ago. She has always laid stretched out. But she’d go down into the meatloaf position and stretch out from there. Now she’s showing me her flops. It’s so cute.
- 01/03/2011 at 8:00 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  I found the surrogate, while not like the real thing, was amazing. My rabbit Chuck loved his lion -it’s actually a dog toy. The kind that isn’t stuffed-it’s basically the whole lion but with no stuffing-so he’d lay on it, groom it. He seemed to regard it as real. Of course he preferred Noot as Noot would groom him back but her certainly seemed happy with his lion
- 01/05/2011 at 12:05 PM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  Otto does the chin on the floor thing – he looks like a little puppy! Definitely not a sign of depression though. Ditto everything Petzy said!
  
  Before Hannah had a friend she was destructive, hyperactive, and carried her stuffie around with her, groomed it, and laid with it. Now that she has Otto she rarely pays attention to stuffy and is much calmer. Otto wasn’t lonely before we got her and his behavior hasn’t changed (he was always lazy and still is). I think a lonely bunny is a destructive and obviously stressed bunny – not a lazy one.
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