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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 12sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 2 months ago by Gordo and Janice.

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- 08/19/2018 at 3:40 PM
  Bladesmith
  Participant
  849 posts
  I have studiously avoided the Rainbow Bridge section for the longest time, not because I’m insensitive to the pain of others, but because I wanted to avoid dealing with the potential of losing my beloved Clover. Which is no longer an option, obviously.
  
  In the process of dealing with this loss (And thank you everyone for your support), I started searching, as I’m sure we all have, to try and rationalize the why and how of a perfectly healthy bunny suddenly dying. I know this is just a response to me asking myself is I could have done more, if I should have done more, and the usual self incrimination. Would I still have her if I’d managed to get the money to have her fixed sooner? Or spent more money getting her to a vet for checkups? Did I do enough? Or or or….You guys have been there, you know the drill.
  
  There seems to be no rhyme or reason for it.
  
  So I started reading the many threads here that matched the same sort of sudden death we experienced. Now, I’m certainly no vet. I’ve had some emergency medical training, and I’m a hard core science nut. But at heart, I’m an investigator. I want to know. What I’m not, is a bunny expert. What I’ve learned about rabbits I’ve learned from you, my friends. So bear with me through my perusions.
  
  We know that rabbits are extremely fragile creatures. It doesn’t take much for one to injure itself, or be frightened to death Bit of a design flaw, if you ask me. Anyway, it seems a lot of sudden “Out of the blue” deaths occur around the 3-5 year age and I wonder why.
  
  I think, and this is based on nothing whatsoever but my own feelings wrapped around my grief, but I think that, for lack of a better term, rabbits are “designed” this way. They’re prey animals as we all know, and incredibly fragile. Were rabbits as hardy as say, a housecat, combined with their fecundity, they’d have taken over the world by now, instead of just our homes and hearts. We’d be swimming in rabbits.
  
  So maybe, it’s an ecological thing to control the amounts of rabbits in the world. A self limiting genetic code, that goes off like a poorly made bomb timer, invisible, but ticking randomly, and there’s nothing you can do, no amount of money you can spend, to guarantee their health.
  
  I know I’m babbling. Forgive me, I’m just trying to cope.
- 08/19/2018 at 5:11 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16964 posts
  It is an interesting thought, Bladesmith. In the wild, rabbits rarely live beyond one – two years. I just learned from Gina.Jenny that rabbits only have a very basic immune defense. Thats why they must be revaccinated (in Europe and Australia) so often, their antibodies don’t keep. It’s also why their pus behaves as it does and they’re so prone to abscesses – their bodies encapsulate infection rather than attacking it.
  
  As you say they are “designed” to have babies, many babies. That’s how they live on, by rapid vertical gene transfer. If they were to live to 15 all of them, the world really would be ruled by rabbits and we humans would be completely enslaved.
  
  It is hard to cope.
- 08/19/2018 at 7:35 PM
  Bunny House
  Participant
  1241 posts
  I would say that is a good thought. Maybe since they are so fragile they are only supposed to live for so long, but of course our love we have with them makes it hard as anything can happen at any moment. I always feel like I’m on my toes trying to make sure they aren’t sick or if they are, to get them to a vet. I think all bun owners share that fear.
  
  I know it’s hard to cope with loosing a pet and I don’t have any words to help you as each bond with an animal is totally different. I think sometimes the beauty of animals( even though we might hate this) is that we don’t know why they don’t live so long. Maybe it’s nature, maybe it’s because we are meant to love a lot of animals, and maybe they are only here to teach us a lesson and once it’s learned, they leave.
  
  I also agree with that Bam said, they have a lot of genetic downfalls to them which makes it harder on our hearts to have them.
- 08/20/2018 at 7:07 AM
  Q8bunny
  Participant
  6345 posts
  I often wish I could live in a world ruled by rabbit overlords… I suspect it would be a better place than the current circus we call home.
  
  Bladesmith, I think to a great extent you are on the right track.
  
  And Bam, that’s so interesting about bunny immune systems. I hadn’t thought of it before, but it makes sense. So now I’m wondering if the dried echinacea (or echinacea infusion) I give to the wookie actually does anything… I think it helps, but could itbe a placebo effect?
  
  Either way… having to lose our beloved companions is cruel, any way you look at it. IMO
- 08/20/2018 at 9:24 PM
  Gordo and Janice
  Participant
  703 posts
  Very well thought out Blade. Indeed if the average life span in the wild (which is where they would be if we didn’t step in) is one to two years and nature’s answer to successful survival of the species is constant rapid reproduction, then there would be and is no need for any degree of heartiness for length of life. It may very well be that even though we know they are fragile by observation and empirical evidence, they may be even more so than we realize. And for any of us to have bunnies that live to 7, 9, 13 years, well, maybe we are truly just lucky in the “rabbit gene” lottery. And despite our best efforts at care, in the end, it doesn’t matter, because, as you said, there is truly nothing you can do.
  
  I think we (my generation) are just behind the curve on technology as far as the significant prolonging and preserving of quality of human life. Maybe the newest generation will benefit. And hopefully soon after or right along with them that will extend to our pets.
- 08/23/2018 at 8:33 AM
  Bladesmith
  Participant
  849 posts
  Q8, I’ve seen the vid of people visiting that “Island of Bunnies” and think, “Ahh, Heaven.” And then I think, “Island of unfixed rabbits” and scream loudly inside my head at the horror.
  
  But yeah, Bunny Overlords would rock. Bunnies deserve better genetics than to kick off so soon and so easily. They’re better than most people. I’ve decided I will get another rabbit. MY life is just too empty without one. Leaning towards a non pedigree/show Flemmie. My home is a haven for the weird and rejected, so…. Call me selfish, but I need a cuddly lap bunny.
  
  I bought a Blueberry bush to plant over Clovers grave. Her favorite goody. Alyssa (My daughter) and I thought it apropos.
- 08/23/2018 at 9:45 AM
  Gordo and Janice
  Participant
  703 posts
  “My home is a haven for the weird and rejected, so….” – Lol.
  
  So Flemmies are cuddly lap bunnies? I mean I know they can be. But are they practically guaranteed so?
  
  And yes, apropos indeed…
- 08/24/2018 at 7:01 AM
  Bladesmith
  Participant
  849 posts
  Well, they’re supposed to be. And I like big bunnies. That said, I know me, and I’ll end up getting the one that needs me the most.
- 08/24/2018 at 7:41 AM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  I think you just like cuddly Flemmies cause they remind you of yourself… appearances are deceiving Jokes aside, I think it’s great you’re getting another bun. I think you’ll just know which one is right for you and it’ll just click for the two of you. And of course you’ll need to post pictures of new bun
- 08/24/2018 at 8:38 AM
  Tony's Mum
  Participant
  431 posts
  I bought a Blueberry bush to plant over Clovers grave. Her favorite goody. Alyssa (My daughter) and I thought it apropos.
  
  Oh this is a beautifu idea.
- 08/24/2018 at 10:39 AM
  Bunny House
  Participant
  1241 posts
  My new Zealand( close to a Flemish) is the biggest cuddle bug ever so definitely rescue a Flemish! And may she enjoy those blueberries that grow and keep Clover protected.
- 08/24/2018 at 10:53 AM
  Bladesmith
  Participant
  849 posts
  Posted By Asriel and Bombur on 8/24/2018 7:41 AM
  
  I think you just like cuddly Flemmies cause they remind you of yourself… appearances are deceiving Jokes aside, I think it’s great you’re getting another bun. I think you’ll just know which one is right for you and it’ll just click for the two of you. And of course you’ll need to post pictures of new bun
  
  You know I will! It will be a while though, before we do it. We’re moving back to Tennessee next year, after my daughter finishes middle school here. So we have a lot to do between now and new bunny. Plus, whoever we get has to get alone with Ninja Stealth Death Bunny Dawn (I swear I caught her listening to Norwegian Death Metal one night.)
  
  She’s little but fierce. So we’ll have to go through the whole bonding process again, if Dawn is still with us. We got lucky with Clover and Dawn, because Clover just got along with EVERYONE. I doubt I’ll be that lucky twice. Plus, we’re renting an apartment for our first year there, until we’ve got our feet under us, get my mother settled in her place, etc.
  
  When we get another bun, I want the house to be calm, well established, and stable, so the new member will feel safe and secure.
  
  Sigh. So much to do.
- 08/24/2018 at 12:18 PM
  Gordo and Janice
  Participant
  703 posts
  I relate. The first bunny was like, “A rabbit? Okay, sure. Bring her in”. Now after having one and being more educated and sensitive to all their needs and sensitivities, etc, etc, etc, things need to be done and get done before being able to conscionably (is that a word) provide the proper environment for another bunny. At least that’s the way my personality works.
  
  I sure am “chomping at the bit” though. That is such a long time and I am sooooo curious to find out who the lucky winning bunny is (and what they are all about) that gets to live with the “Bladesmith” family and vice versa.
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