Does my rabbit need a new mate?

Question
About three weeks ago I lost my male. So that just leaves me with my female Azumi. A friend of mine who works with her mom at a rabbit rescue told me last week when I saw her that I would need to find another mate for Azumi or she wouldn't live past a year. I got Azumi as a mate for my male since he was paired before and I was working full time at the time. Azumi wasn't paired before and had only been paired 2 years with my male rabbit.

I am not working anymore, I spend almost all my time with her, I sing to her, talk to her and play with her daily. Is my friend right and I need to look for another mate for her or will she be fine on her own with me? I want a second opinion on this so that I have all the facts and can make an informed decision on this matter.

Thank you for your time and your help.

Answer
Dear Jules,

Sorry for the delay; I have just finished an excruciatingly busy middle school ecology outreach program that pretty much prevented me from doing anything but that!  But now I'm back.

If Azumi is eating well, acting happy, and is getting a lot of attention from you, she might not need another mate.  But only you can really judge her moods and whether she seems to be depressed or mopey.  Depression can lead to illness, and this can be judged with the tips here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

Bonding rabbits is not for the faint of heart.  You could try to contact your local rabbit rescuer:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

to set up some "blind dates" for Azumi to see if she likes any of the neutered males available.  But even if she does, you need to do careful bonding once the two get home and she's in her own territory.  That changes all the rules, and fighting may begin.  It really depends on the personalities of the rabbits.

Azumi would probably be happier with a rabbit mate of her own choosing and preference.  But I think your friend might have been overreacting when she said that Azumi would die within a year without one.  Unless she's really grieving and acting sick, she might be just fine with your constant company and pampering.

So the decision is now up to you.

Hope that helps.

Dana