Change I behaviour of our girl

[Kaiajo]

We’re really concerned about our 8 month old girl Anna. She was such a lively mischievous little bunny and loved to play with her sister in the garden or in our living room. We took the decision to have them both spayed at 6 months and were devastated when Anna’s sister died after bringing her home from the vets. Anna was so bonded to her sister and used her so much that we took adivice from breeders and got her a little brother. She’s bonded well with him but just isn’t the same rabbit now. She’s so quiet and withdrawn and hardly ventures out of her cage (which we have indoors). We try to tempt her with her favourite veggie treats but she just sits in her cage quietly. We don’t know if it’s because she’s still grieving her sister (its 6 weeks now) or it’s the spay, or if it’s her new brother (who’s getting a bit frisky now). We’re so worried about her. She’s eating and drinking and pooping ok so no worries there. Any advice would be really appreciated.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m very sorry for your loss.

Is she completely bonded with the little boy? And is the little boy neutered? If not, he may be a tad hormonal which may be frustrating to her. If that is the case, I suggest you separate them until after he is neutered and given time to recover. House them separately but where they can still see and smell each other.

Perhaps another member can advise further.

[sarahthegemini]

So sorry to hear about Anna’s sister

Likely it’s a combo of all 3 factors. May I ask, was Anna able to see her sister after she passed away? I don’t have any experience with this but I’ve read that if the surviving bunny in a bonded pair is able to see the deceased bun, it helps them gain closure and accept that their friend has died.

[Kaiajo]

Thank you for your replies. Yes we made sure that Anna had a chance to see her sister after she’d died. It was a very traumatic time for her as she was recovering from the operation and vet visit herself. She does seem bonded with her new brother as they both sleep and eat together and groom each other all the time. As he’s only 13 weeks old he isn’t neutered yet but he’s pestering her quite a bit now so maybe she’s fed up with his advances! She never snaps or gets cross with him though. I did wonder if she just feels safer in her cage. I’ve booked a consultation at our vets for a neuter check to see how quickly we can have him fixed. Hopefully then she’ll come out of her shell a bit more.

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