I was directed to this area of the forum, I came here just a few days ago hoping to find some answers and tips on how to take care of an elderly bunny with arthritis and she quickly passed away not long after I hope you all don’t mind if I stick around for a short while longer as I steer through my grief and also learn to comfort my parents, especially my mother, who were her true owners.

For those that hadn’t read the original thread, I had a dutch bunny named Marjory that I bought when I was young and my parents ended up falling in love with her and keeping her when I moved away many years ago. She would have been 9 years old in just a couple months. The friendliest rabbit you could ever meet, so very interactive and at one point lived with cats and liked to chase them and herd them around. She never struggled when you picked her up and held her, in fact she seemed to enjoy it. Would nudge your hand to be pet and wait at the refrigerator for you to give her an ice cube. She seemed more like a dog than a bunny!! My dad never even really liked animals, and for some reason he fell in love with this little rabbit and that totally warms my heart and was so fun for my mom to connect with my dad like this as they learned to live with a bunny.

She was also very well behaved, potty trained from the start. This, combined with her being friendly, was what won my normally non-pet loving dad over. And my mom loves anything that breathes and would get another one in a heartbeat. Because of this unique relationship that my dad had with the bunny, I’m just not sure he’d feel the same about a new one. So whether or not they will welcome a new bun into their home is uncertain. I told my mom that she should wait a while to heal, and then start perusing shelters and rescues for an adult rabbit with good litter habits and a friendly soul. I am hoping that they eventually can have another special rabbit.

She only started showing signs of old age and arthritis a couple weeks ago. I can’t believe she’s already gone. I thought for sure she had at least another few months left. So did my mom, and she’s so incredibly sad. She keeps telling me she misses taking care of her and coming home from work to see her greeting her. Says she just wants to hold her one last time. All of her stuff is sitting in the laundry room unused and it makes her cry. I have been looking at old pictures of her from when she was a baby and lived in my college dorm, also crying like a baby. I know I will be ok. How can I comfort my mom? I am sending a card this week with the rainbow bridge legend on it. I feel like I need to do more. My mom started collecting rabbit things after becoming a bunny owner, and I found a dutch bunny figurine. Do you think I should give that to her when I see her next in a few weeks, or do you think that will be too painful for her? I’m just not sure. Maybe I should hang onto it until Christmas? But maybe it’ll be too hard for her then too.

My parents were both with her when she died. I am so grateful for that. They both were petting her and my dad told her he was going to miss her (crushes my heart). This next part might be difficult for some of you to read, but I am hoping for some insight. It’s not overly graphic or anything, but it is sad. So just a warning. My mom had gone over to her to give her meds that night and put her in her cage and picked her up as she always does and Marjory began to cry so my mom sat her down. She continued to cry so they began to prepare to go to the emergency vet. She began to breathe oddly so they sat down next to her and pet her and she then died. My mom is distraught that Marjory cried when she picked her up and died minutes later, and feels she did something to hurt her. I know my mom is insanely gentle and Marjory is used to being held (she also was just at the vet earlier that day to get her laser treatment!) so what happened? Is it really a coincidence that she died after being picked up? What could have happened? I would NEVER tell my mom if there was a connection. EVER. It is obvious that Marjory was going to pass away sometime this weekend regardless. But I am curious as to what could have happened by being picked up that led to her crying and then passing away. Just for my own thoughts, not my moms. She doesn’t need to know.

Sweet little Marjory I never knew what a gift she’d be when I bought her on a whim with my roommates one Saturday afternoon nearly a decade ago. Best. Decision. Ever. And she brought my parents so much joy, an unexpected bonus.