Dealing with the Loss of half a Bonded Pair

[Cass C]

Tonight I had to put down my female Roxy due to Malo. I'm worried my male will be lonely and get depressed. Anyone who has been through this and can give me some of what I can expect from Viper would be greatly appreciated.

Also is it worth trying to introduce a new friend for him or will he be alright on his own? He is neutered if that makes a difference. It's been a hard night and I just want to make sure Viper will be alright.

 

[mercynursie]

I have nine males and all but two live as singles. They can be happy as singles and may be better off vs chance of fighting to introduce a new chinchilla. I would suggest a cuddle buddy or something similar for him to snuggle with.

 

[Cass C]

I have nine males and all but two live as singles. They can be happy as singles and may be better off vs chance of fighting to introduce a new chinchilla. I would suggest a cuddle buddy or something similar for him to snuggle with.

Just ordered him a cuddle buddy. Thanks for the idea I hadn't even thought of that. I just want his adjustment to be as easy as possible.

 

[Kara315]

I was worried about this when my Eeyore had to be put down suddenly. I ordered Tigger a cuddle buddy and he could care less about it. He's been doing fine. They were very close, never slept apart but Tigger handled his absence a lot better then I expected. I was very worried he'd get depressed or something but he's doing good. This December will be two years since Eeyore passed away.

 

[Crazy]

That's awful; I'm so sorry to hear that. When my girl lost her sister she took it very hard. She barely ate or drank and didn't want anyone to touch her. She did eventually spring back and has been doing fantastic ever since.
My condolences. Losing a loved one is the hardest and worst pain there is, imo.

 

[Cass C]

Just a small update. Viper has started eating reasonably normal again. Roxy's last week we spoiled her with treats that were not so great for her, because we had our suspicions that we would lose her soon. I'm sure Viper got her leftovers and was kinda holding out for them.

He has been getting extra out of cage time and seems to prefer sitting on me to running around like he used to. I'm sure he's a little lonely and confused about the whole thing. Today he is finally starting to act more normal, and even a has a little bounce in his walk. Still insisting on 20 minutes of cuddles before he will actually play at play time, so I'm wondering if that will ever change?

I also invested in some mini wheats (unsweetened), because it makes me feel better knowing that he is eating crunchy things.