Husbun has lost his bunny wife.

[MyGrandbunns]

Hello there everyone. I am new to this lovely site. I have Grandbunnies- my daughters- she moved in with her boyfriend and they aren't allowed pets. So grandma- me-has had the "kids" still living with me for 2 years. They lived in our kitchen/dining room- with semi-frequent escapes/ adventures through the rest of the house.
Our precious boy bunny survived gut stasis 2 yrs ago- we were very close to losing him but he made it through. All has been fine and then last week i was giving them their supper and noticed girl bunny eating her carrot slowly not ravenously like normal. I went to bed but by the time i got up i found her sitting by herself in the pantry- clearly very very unwell. Rushed her to the vet. They weren't sure but thought stasis. Her temp was very low and they couldn't warm her up. Without invasive tests they weren't sure. My daughter decided to put her out of pain and our little girl was put to sleep. The thing is I have read how the surviving rabbit of a bonded pair will pine and not eat etc however our boy seems fine and has even been binkying around the house. I have been giving him alot of kisses and patting time, and our little dog runs around him- though looking for food. I hate for him to be lonely but don't want to get another bunny. Has anyone had anythings they have found helpful? I wondered about moving him to my bedroom at night- though miss doggy sleeps with me and seems quite miffed when he comes in to explore. Thanks everyone- sorry for the long long tale.

 

[Blue eyes]

Thanks for the background information.

It would probably be best to keep things unchanged. Keep his routine the same. Keep him sleeping where he normally would sleep. Any changes could serve to disrupt his ability to adjust. He seems to be doing well, so let things remain consistent with his routine.

If he's binkying, then he'll likely be just fine. He also sounds like he will be fine as a single bun too but only time will tell. I've been in your shoes before, where the female of a bonded pair died and I didn't want to get another rabbit. The remaining male had been a shy rabbit and actually came out of his shell as a single bun.

 

[MyGrandbunns]

Hello there So appreciated your quick reply and helpful advice. Thankyou so much. Yes his "wife" was very dominant. He is getting lots of pats and kisses and more freedom again like he did before she came. He is toilet trained but she never quite got there! Am feeling very fearful of what i feed now and have scaled back his pellets and more timothy hay. I still can't fathom how fast stasis happens and how lucky we were to catch it last time with him.
Have a lovely day!

 

[Blue eyes]

You're welcome! Yes, some rabbits are more sensitive to certain foods than others. In your original post, you mentioned a carrot. Not sure if you meant an entire carrot. They are high in sugar and should be considered a treat. Normally, just a 1" slice of carrot (or one carrot nib) should be given in a single day.

More hay, limited pellets, is always good. You could take a peek here (if the site will open in NZ) for a diet refresher:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/feeding.html

 

[MyGrandbunns]

Thankyou again so much. Yes their evening supper was timothy hay and a chunk of carrot each-they would run away and hide from each other with their treat prob an eight of a carrot each. But now doing just a few wee slices for him. I will have a look at the link..Goodnight Mary