Sudden death in young rabbit/sister left behind

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 5 months ago by JillSmith722.

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- 11/09/2018 at 11:31 AM
  JillSmith722
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  2 posts
  Hello,
  
  It is with a severe broken heart that I write this. My beautiful Mocha died suddenly on Saturday. She was only 1.5 years. She seemed fine up until the morning of. I have a video of her looking lively and eating with her sister just 2 days prior. The morning she passed she was lethargic and not interested in eating. We did get her to eat some lettuce but I knew something was wrong. I took her to the vet immediately. They said she was critical and her lung sounds were not good. They put her in an oxygen cage for an hour, gave her sub q fluids and a shot of antibiotics. They gave me antibiotics to give her at home. We left. Half way home she started thrashing in the carrier. I pulled over, took her out and she died in my arms. I am completely devastated. Have you ever heard of this?
  
  She was my 12 year old daughters rabbit. She lives in our house with her sister Luna. We take very good care of them. They have room to run. Fresh food and water. We clean them daily. They are away from doors and drafts. We look up everything before we give them anything. They are spayed.
  
  Besides my poor grieving daughter, what is worse is seeing Luna in her cage by herself. It literally rips my heart out. We have been paying extra attention to her. I did place Mocha’s body in with her for a few hours before burying her. They are young…only a year and a half. I don’t know how to help her. Do I have to get her a new friend? Should I? It seems wrong and right at the same time. Luna is dominate. She gave Mocha a run for her money at times. She barbered Mocha for a short time and we would have to separate them. Every time we fed them she would chase Mocha around. Because she is dominate, would you think a friend is a good idea? She seems to be okay for now. She is eating. When we are not home she is in a very big cage with a “run”. I have cats and while they all get along, I would NEVER leave them unsupervised.
  
  I know this was long and full of info. I am just beside myself. I miss Mocha terribly. She was the sweetest little thing. I want to do right by Luna. She deserves a happy life.
  
  Thank you for your time.
  
  Jill
- 11/09/2018 at 12:50 PM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so hard to lose a part of your family like that. Binky Free Mocha <3
  
  It really could’ve been anything that took her life, so don’t feel hard on yourself.
  
  As for another bunny, that’s a decision you need to make for your family and Luna. If you get another bunny, I suggest taking Luna to a shelter for speed dates that way she can find a bunny that’s compatible with her and her demands, and of course they will already be spayed so you won’t need to do that. You’d have to give the new bunny a good month to settle in before you start prebonding and then eventually go through the bonding process with them. So whether you go shelter or breeder route, you still have to wait to bond them, but it will be a significantly shorter time if you get a shelter bun.
  
  If you get another bunny, don’t think of it as replacing Mocha. Mocha had the best life a bunny could have. I personally believe that our bunnies would want what is best for us and their friends when they cross the Rainbow Bridge. Maybe now isn’t the right time, but maybe it will be in a few months.
  
  Sending vibes your way <3
- 11/09/2018 at 1:28 PM
  Ellie from The Netherlands
  Participant
  2512 posts
  Absolutely heartbreaking to lose a family member like that Sadly they are very frail, and sometimes all the best care and love are not enough to save a rabbit. Who knew that such a small animal could make such an impact on our lives? Binky free sweet Mocha!
  
  It’s very good of you to let Luna to say goodbye to her sister, it will help her with the grieving process. In her situation I’d try to get her a new friend whenever she’s ready. Some buns can live solo, but they’ll need a lot of attention, interaction and often free-roaming. In the long run that’s going to be difficult with the cats, school and work.
  Many shelters do speed dates so she can choose a friend for herself, and you won’t have to go through the troubles of bunny puberty and neuter/spay. In her case I think it’ll work well with a fixed male rabbit who’s quite laid-back. She’ll be more accepting of the new rabbit if he (or she) won’t try to claim her position.
- 11/12/2018 at 6:58 AM
  JillSmith722
  Participant
  2 posts
  Thank you for the information. I have been looking for shelters that have rabbits. The ones I have found are kinda far. I will keep looking. I had no idea about the speed dates! Luna is getting a lot of love and seems to be doing pretty good. She still has her spicy personality, but allows us to love her. I will keep up my search and see what I can find.
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