Can rabbits become depressed?

[HoneyBunnys34]

Sadly today my little boy, Nippers has passed. We went on a trip to Michigan and a friend of the family was supposed to come over and feed and water my rabbits. She didnt tell us till the last day which we were up there in Michigan for 3-4 days that she did not come down and water and feed them. So thanks to her my Christmas present year was coming home to see my rabbit dead in his cage. So I was wondering if his brother who hes been with his whole life could possibly become sad or depressed from his brothers death, and do they realize that their friend has passed or is it just hey my buddy is gone where did he go, type of thing? I dont want to be freaked out if I see him in the corner of the cage not being his usual self and thinking that hes going to die too.

 

[cwebster]

Am very sorry for your loss. Hope his brother will be ok.

 

[Jed Judd]

You need better friends.

 

[HoneyBunnys34]

Me? Why do I need better friends?

 

[Preitler]

He means that you need someone you can count on, from what you wrote it sounds like the person in charge of the bunnies just didn't bother. I think that's a nightmare for every pet owner.

I pay a teenage girl in my road to feed them when I'm away, and have 2 backups, fellow breeders in my road, if something goes wrong.

How your rabbit copes with the loss, well, impossible to predict.

 

[HoneyBunnys34]

Oh sorry I was confused for a second but yes I do need better friends. It sucks though becuase I know no one else around here and everyone I do know is to lazy to do anything

 

[HoneyBunnys34]

I really hope he is ok though after the loss of his brother

 

[JBun]

Were they bonded and together when his brother died? If they weren't bonded and living together, then he probably will be just fine emotionally. Physically, if he was also starved like his brother for those 3 days but managed to survive, I would suggest getting him seen by a good rabbit vet right away tomorrow(and send the bill to your family friend). Not eating for 3 days can cause severe digestive and liver problems to occur.

If he was bonded and living with his brother, then it is possible he could get down. Along with seeing the vet, I would keep a close eye on eating and behavior. If he is eating, drinking, and pooping normally, and isn't acting lethargic or unusually inactive, then he's likely fine emotionally. If he's not eating, drinking, and pooping normally, he could either be sick from not eating for so long, and he could also be feeling down because of his brother being gone. Either way, a rabbit not eating and one that is acting lethargic, would be a reason to have your bun seen by an experienced rabbit vet.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

If you want to hold this family friend legally responsible, your state likely has animal cruelty laws that may apply to this situation(you would have to check). If you don't or can't hold them legally responsible, I would at least give this person a piece of my mind for the cruelty of causing this poor rabbit to starve to death.

 

[Bam Bam]

When my Pebbles passed my Bam Bam was definitely sad. He did something that he hadn’t done since I bonded them, he bonded back with me. My Bam Bam was my love bunny before Pebbles and he became my love bunny again. Just give your bunny time to bond with you.
I bunny sit here in NY and your story is why I urge people to seek someone you can bring your bunny to so he or she would be monitored all day instead of 5 to 10 minutes a day. I am so sorry for your loss and would ask if I could use your story to tell others who are seeking people to come to their home to feed their bunny that it is a bad idea. This is not your fault. You trusted someone and they betrayed your trust and there is a special place for them in the future and it is not a good place.
Your bunny will be a little sad for a few days but give him plenty of love and he will be okay.

 

[HoneyBunnys34]

You can use my story, it doesn't bother me. Also I dont want to hold her legally responsible becuase shes been a family friend for so long it just really ticks me off how she would just let my bunny die