Rabbits will definitely remember, and mourn, the loss of a companion. Sad but true – some rabbits die of a broken heart after losing a bonded mate. If your pet's companion simply ups and vanishes, it will be worse for her. Your rabbit will fret and worry.
If the rabbit died from something contagious, you can be certain that the other rabbit was already exposed before symptoms were present. Giving the survivor time with the body does not add to the risk. Typically a rabbit will grieve for the loss of a partner for several weeks.
Since they are very social animals, rabbits who are bonded have a deep and lasting relationship. Many of these pairs do almost everything together. Whether it is eating, sleeping, grooming or simply exploring their surroundings, bonded pairs make everything a group activity.
Bonded rabbits can also break their bond. This can happen if they've been separated, for example if one bunny needs to spend a few days at the vet. It can also happen if you move house, move or change your rabbit enclosure, or upset the hierarchy by introducing new rabbits.
If your rabbit leaves behind a bonded mate, he, too, will grieve. Now more than ever, your surviving rabbit will need you to help him through his grief. Rabbit grief is very real. Just like people, rabbits grieve in their own way.
Watch for aggressive behaviors: tail up, ears back, growling, boxing, circling, chasing and biting. If one of these behavior occurs several times in a row; if neither rabbit backs down; if it leads to further aggressive behaviors, it should be interrupted.
Bonded rabbits spend the majority of their days and nights together. They tend to visit the litter tray at the same time, eat together and groom together. A lot of time is spent simply snuggled up together sleeping.
Although trying to bond rabbits will inevitably be stressful to them, there are other factors that cause stress too and every rabbit owner should be aware of them.
Chasing is a normal behavior to expect during bonding that you should allow to continue. This is not a true fight where the rabbits are getting territorial with each other. However, it can look similar to other behaviors that are aggressive.
Rabbits are very loving, social animals, which means they not only love to spend time with their humans – they require it. Without human interaction, rabbits can get bored, even to the point of becoming lonely and depressed.
In general, the only time you should give up on bonding rabbits is when they have injured each other. You should also reevaluate the bond if one rabbit is a bully, making the other rabbit anxious and afraid to eat, use the litter box, or even move around too much.
Once the rabbits have bonded, DO NOT separate them. If one rabbit needs to go to the vet, both need to go. If they're separated and one rabbit comes back with a different smell or change in health, they may reject each other and begin fighting.
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.
For the first few minutes it's quite normal for rabbits to appear to ignore each other before you see any more 'obvious' behaviours. At some point, they'll approach each other to sniff. They may then back away from each other before approaching again.
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.
While they shouldn't be in the same shared area together at first, due to rabbits being highly territorial, they should be able to see each other. Separating the areas with x-pens is a good idea as it allows the rabbits to see and smell each other, but not be in close enough contact to allow any biting.
They will also take care of each other's play and grooming needs. Even if you have a pair of rabbits, 24 hours is the maximum time they should be alone. Like all pets, rabbits rely heavily on their owners. Domesticated rabbits lack the survival skills of wild rabbits.
Bonding sessions may only last about 10-15 minutes at first. That is okay. Don't stress about it; you can slowly increase the time until they can spend hours together.
Bonded rabbits are healthier, happier rabbits and tend to live longer lives. Having a loving partner helps to calm a rabbit, thereby reducing their levels of stress and allowing them to better cope with new experiences or environments.
Split mixing is the safest way of bonding two rabbits. You can use split mixing for first introductions, when a bonded pair is of mating age but awaiting neutering or if a rabbit is returning from veterinary hospitalisation.
Bonded rabbits will use the same litter box without fighting – make sure you have one big enough for both with space to move around. The litter box is like the sandbox in elementary school.
These are all signs that the bond will be successful. Thumping when a rabbit uses a back leg to stomp. A thump is a to let everyone know they are frustrated or annoyed about something or as a warning sign if they feel threatened. The rabbits may also show each other the 'bunny butt'.
A lonely rabbit may become hyperactive and angry. They may display destructive behaviour such as gnawing at the carpets and other furniture. Lonely rabbits may pull at their fur and overeat.