pet rabbit lost best friend

Question
Hi. I had 2 rex rabbits, Chewy (male) and Peanut (female) that have been together since they were 3 months old. They are now almost 2. Yesterday Chewy died due to a hardening of his small intestine. They were very close,grooming each other, being curious together, playing and cuddling together when they slept. I'm worried about Peanut now that Chewy is gone. How can I make this transition easier for her? Should we get another rabbit? p.s. Peanut is spayed  

Answer
Dear Kate,

I'm very sorry about your loss.  Peanut is very lucky to have such a sensitive "mom."

Different rabbits grieve in different ways, and what you do next really depends on what Peanut's behavior is like.  Certainly spend a lot of time with him and share your grief.  Rabbits are amazingly sensitive to such things.  I hope he had a chance to see Chewy's body.  This helps bring closure and lets the bunny know that his pal did not just disappear.  Rabbits do understand death, if given a few hours to deal with the grim reality.

Keep a close eye on Peanut's appetite.  If he's really grieving badly, he may stop eating and go into ileus:

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

Sooner or later (depending on how he's behaving), Peanut will need a new pal, and will be happy to have one.  But it's important to let him do the choosing.  Rabbits are notoriously picky about their companions, and bonding must be done with care.  You can go to www.rabbit.org/ to find your local House Rabbit Society chapter, and set up a "blind date" for Peanut.  If he's really grieving badly, then "sooner" might be better than later.

I hope this helps, and again, I am sorry about your loss.

Dana