Losing a rabbit hurts…But love doesn’t have to stop there
By Jennifer Lee
Losing a rabbit is just…devastating.
It’s not just sad, it rips your heart wide open.
Their soft little nose, their happy binkies, they way the flop by you like they own the place (because let’s be honest…they did)…suddenly, their gone and the quiet that follows? It’s loud.
They weren’t “just a rabbit”
They were family.
They were your routine, your joy, your friend living in the next room.
“I don’t want to betray them by getting another rabbit.”
This comes up a lot and I totally get it.
When someone loses their rabbit, I often hear things like:
“I can’t go through this again”
“It hurts too much”
“I need a break from rabbits”
“I’d feel like I’m replacing them.”
“I don’t want to betray their memory”
And honestly? The last one hits the hardest.
But here’s the thing, getting another rabbit doesn’t mean forgetting the one you lost.
It means, you loved them so much, you’ve still got love to give.
And that’s not a betrayal. That’s a legacy.
There are so many rabbits out there who need us.
Everyday, rescues like ours are full of amazing bunnies just waiting for their second chance…their forever home.
And here’s the heartbreaking part:
Most of the time, they were the pet someone gave up on.
A rabbit that was “just a starter pet,” or something to “teach the kids responsibility”
Or worse, a stand-in for a dog or cat until the real pet came along.
Then boom…cast aside. Forgotten. Left behind.
But that doesn’t mean they stopped loving.
That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the world.
They’re not here to take the place of your bunny.
They couldn’t even if they tried.
But sometimes, when the timing is right, they might help fill a little part of that emptiness and maybe you’ll help them heal too.
If adopting feels too big…what about fostering?
If the idea of another adoption feels like too much right now, that’s ok…truly.
But maybe fostering could be a good in-between?
You give a rabbit a temporary home, some love, a cozy spot to rest and in return, you get a little piece of bunny joy (and maybe a few nose bonks).
Even if it’s just for a few weeks, you’re changing a life.
And who knows…sometimes fostering leads to adopting, when the right one finds you. No pressure, just a possibility.
You’re allowed to love a little bunny again.
Grief doesn’t mean your love is gone.
It just means it was real.
And that love? It doesn’t have to stop. Your bunny would probably be thrilled to know their memory helped save another rabbit’s life.
So if your heart’s cracked open a little, and there’s even a tiny voice saying “maybe”…”listen to it.
We’ll be here, with open arms and a whole bunch of bunnies at San Diego House Rabbit Society who would love to meet you.
