Bunny died this morning - what next?

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

My dds have two rabbits. Sadly one died this morning. We originally bought a pair because of the idea that they shouldn't be on their own.

With one dying, how quickly should we look at adding another rabbit? Or should we not - will the remaining rabbit be territorial?

I meant to ask the vet this morning but I forgot as it was all a bit sudden.

[Silkiefloof]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your bunny.

It might be worth asking a rescue to see if they can help with bonding your bunny with another one.

[DumpedByText]

Sorry for your loss. The other bunny will need a friend for sure. They are pack animals so don't like to be alone.

I went to a rescue who bonded them for me. They both need to be neutered first though. It took just over a week and they lived happily with each other.

You can do it yourself but I didn't have the space or equipment to keep them separate.

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

Thanks for the responses. It seems the consensus is sooner rather than later. Our remaining bunny is neutered already so hopefully will be able to adopt one that has also been already done. I do have the space to bond them as we have a large hutch and a large run connected by a tunnel which can be shut off. We can put up a temporary hedgehog box type thing in the run as well.

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

Bunny has been buried in a lovely box decorated by my DC, and with letters from each of them in there. We've been to the garden centre and bought a flowering shrub and some bedding plants to put in that spot in the garden tomorrow.

Managed to pop into pets at home while we were out and they recommended waiting a week and then getting a new rabbit companion. So that's the current plan.

[bunnygeek]

I would recommend going to a rescue and not a pet shop to find a new rabbit friend. A good rabbit rescue will do match making for you as it will be up to your rabbit to find the ideal match. So many rabbits end up in rescue in the first place due to people buying a rabbit to bond and it having disastrous consequences as they're not a match 😔

A rescue rabbit will already be up to date on vaccinations, already neutered and thoroughly vet checked. You won't get that guarantee from a pet shop. There's also a massive rabbit rescue crisis at the moment, for every rabbit adopted, there's 20 more waiting in the wings to fill that rescue space 😓

You can find your nearest rescue here:

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

I've looked but there aren't any rescues within 20miles of me.

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

Unfortunately!

[MysticalMegx]

Depends what it died of, either flystrike or RHVD and sadly chances are the other bunny will pass too. Happened to mine recently, one died and I was looking to get another as she seemed lonely and went off her food, a few days later she'd gone too 😪

[rcat74]

If a rabbit ‘goes off their food’ it’s gut stasis and an emergency and they will die if not treated.

[bunnygeek]

Whereabouts are you @SirSamVimesCityWatch? the rescue I got mine from rehome up to 3 hours away

[Pinkpinkplonk]

Pets at home have a rescue section!!
edited… in our local store

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

Yes ours does too, this is what I'm hoping to use.

[bunnygeek]

PAH rescue sections are often just left over “stock”, rarely vet checked, vaccinated or even neutered. I’ve watched staff move animals from the shop cages to the adoption cages and make up a story to go with them.

There’s always a high risk the rabbit you choose isn’t the right match for your rabbit, which can result in really nasty bonding injuries if you haven’t read up on bonding properly. Then you end up with two rabbits that hate each other.

A good rescue will speed date, fully supervised before they begin properly bonding which can take several weeks. It took my boy 3 girls to find the one he settled with, the first one beat him up, he beat up the second one but the third one was just right and they’ve been besties for several years now.

[tattychicken]

I really wouldn't get any animal from PAH.

[purplepandas]

I am so sorry to hear about your bunny. No need to wait a week at all. Also would agree about a rescue. Whereabouts are you? We have bonded (via rescue) many times in this sad situation.