Our 8.5-year-old rabbit lost her husband. Does she need another companion?
Looking for a bit of advice about our lovely little Fifi.
Fifi is eight and a half and lost her husband, Booboo, just under three months ago. We're still heartbroken over losing our little man, and I'm sure she misses him terribly too.
We've had Fifi for four and a half years. She's always been a timid but feisty little lady who preferred Booboo's company to ours.
Initially, she was quite depressed, but she's really come out of her shell. She previously only accepted rubs when Booboo was getting them, whereas now she actively seeks affection, especially from my wife. She's very clear when she doesn't want rubs, but often asks for more when we stop!
She's also taken over Booboo's job of supervising my cleaning duties and has become more adventurous, exploring parts of our apartment she'd never visited before.
She's completely free roam, with plenty of cosy beds, hay piles and cardboard boxes for her little construction business. She enjoys her evening snack routine and still does zoomies and occasional binkies.
My wife is home two weekdays, we're around at weekends, and I'm home every evening. We spend lots of time with Fifi. My wife also gets up occasionally during the night, and Fifi will sometimes greet her with excited little binkies before enjoying rubs and treats. She has several cosy sleeping spots she moves between overnight.
Our dilemma is whether she needs another companion.
We're still grieving Booboo and aren't emotionally ready for another rabbit, but we'll absolutely get her a friend if that's best for her.
My biggest worry is nighttime, when she's active and we're asleep. Is she lonely, or genuinely content? Equally, at eight and a half, would introducing another rabbit cause unnecessary stress?
Has anyone experienced something similar with an older rabbit? Did you get another companion, or was your rabbit happy living alone?
We absolutely adore our feisty little lady and just want her to be as happy as possible for however many years we're lucky enough to have her.
Thanks a million for any advice. ❤️