There are often changes in behaviour, but this could be due to them suddenly adjusting to living alone. It's important to monitor your rabbit closely after they've lost a companion. Some rabbits can become depressed if they're left alone when a friend passes away. Your remaining pet may also stop eating and drinking.
When one cat in a bonded pair dies, monitor your other cat closely. He must eat, drink and use his litter box as usual. If your grieving cat stops eating for more than 24 hours, seek help from his veterinarian. Watch his sleeping patterns as well.
Seldom does a pair of rabbits die together. One of the rabbits will be left behind, lonely and missing the other (a price we all pay for our relationship with shorter-lived beings than ourselves). We each cope with grief in our own way, but there are a few things you can do to help your rabbit cope with his.
In some cases, they may send the body home and ask you to return it for necropsy. Give survivors three hours of complete privacy with the body. They may groom the beloved's body, lie on or beside it, pounce on it, pull at it, run circles around it etc.
Let your remaining rabbit say goodbye
Rabbits are social animals and, as such, they can grieve intensely for a bonded companion. If at all possible, try to give your surviving rabbit time alone with their deceased companion so that they can begin to say goodbye.
Rabbits are social animals, and, like us, can suffer from loneliness. Though there are exceptions, most rabbits want and need another rabbit for company. For this reason, we always recommend keeping rabbits in groups of two or more.
Rabbits can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if you leave them on their own and with nothing to do for long periods, so you should keep your rabbit with at least one other friendly rabbit.
Never touch a dead rabbit or other dead wild animal you come across. Avoid, and keep your pet away from, any rabbit or other wild animal that appears sick. Never attempt to feed a rabbit or other wild animal.
Signs that a rabbit is near death include refusing to eat, an unusual level of lethargy, difficulty breathing, or a sudden change in vital signs. A rabbit should have a body temperature between 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a heart rate between 180 and 250 beats per minute.
Most experts agree that the time to get a new pet is after you have worked through your grief adequately to be able to look forward to a new pet instead of back at the recently departed one. That process could take a week or two – or many months.
Pets have a limited understanding of death as finality. It's tough, but if possible, let your pet see the body of his deceased friend. He may not totally grasp the situation, but one last visit may help him understand that his pal is gone.
It is clear from these results that teeth problems and digestive upsets are the two major killers of rabbits that die prematurely.
In the wild, rabbits live in big groups and they enjoy being with friends who will play with them, groom them, understand them and look out for them. So if these sociable animals are kept on their own, they may become bored, depressed, and very lonely.
Rabbits are social species and prefer to live in groups. If you decide to own a rabbit, always have at least 2 rabbits. However, if you don't have the room or time or money to keep two rabbits you will need to become your rabbit's companion.
All rabbits have their own way of dealing with grief. Some may respond to their mate's death by sinking into depression, refusing to eat, and generally becoming lethargic. Others may display anger in general or that's directed at you.
Garden burials may be comforting to the family, but offer no opportunity for the examination needed to establish the rabbit's cause of death. Incorrect burial of an infected rabbit could allow the virus to be transmitted to others, particularly if the body is dug up by predators, warn experts.
Now, researchers have uncovered a particularly bizarre ability that may enable them to avoid getting eaten. According to a paper published in the journal Acta Ethologica, the rodents are capable of recognizing the odor of other rabbits that have been eaten in the feces, or "scats," of predators.
Rabbits are social animals, so a single rabbit is likely to feel lonely and depressed. Rabbits can live alone, but you'll need to provide your pet with the attention (company, petting, grooming, exercise, playing, and enrichment) that a bonded rabbit partner would provide.
Barring the odd rogue rabbit that likes the lonely life, rabbits generally benefit from the company of other rabbits. They will often be far happier and content with a mate. Rabbits are not that unlike humans, they also get bored, even depressed, and when they do, they often act it out with destructive behaviour.
Rabbits, just like other domesticated animals, have an average lifespan which can help an owner keep their bunny in optimum health in every stage of life. Unlike their wild relatives, who live for an average of one to two years, domesticated rabbits can live between eight to 12 years.
They are very social. Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
Lonely rabbits will exhibit a number of attention-seeking behaviors, such as thumping, nipping, and persistent destructive tendencies. If left alone too frequently, rabbits can even become depressed and withdrawn. They may start to show aggressive behaviors or have a decreased appetite.