I only had Alfalfa for a year before I lost him. I just need to tell people who understand rabbits about him. I need someone to witness his life and know who he was.

 
<p style=”text-align: left;”>The short life of Alexander Falfa

I ‘rescued’ Alfalfa from a shelter to help give my bunny Timothy a companion. The first thing I did was to foster him. We believe that he had been kept in a poor wire cage by a breeder or shop. That is how he broke his leg. His little leg was in this cute little cast when I got this several month old rabbit. The plan was to amputate and they I could adopt and provide him a good disabled life… Someone should have told Alfalfa. He wasn’t going to lose that leg. His apatite for life was just too much. So we rehabilitated. I gave him slow patient exercise, letting him recover as I fell in love with him. When it was time to take the cast off I was allowed to remove it (my mother is a vet tech at the shelter.)</p>
 

No amputation needed! Much the opposite in fact. Over the next 6 months Alfalfa developed into the most energetic, happy, athletic rabbit I’ve seen. He loved to climb. He loved to jump. He never let anything stop him. He was so excited to live life. I had to build  a special wall around his enclosure just to prevent him from jumping and climbing out. It was honestly frustrating. I would build more walls, he’d  figure out a way around them. It was a constant battle. No one could keep Alfalfa from loving life. But when he did get out (and I was home) I didn’t mind. Because the second he got out he would run to me… All he wanted was to cuddle. All he wanted was to be around me at all times. He would sit at the edge of his cage and just look at me… He just wanted to be with me.

Well he also very much enjoyed eating! When I had him out I’d leave the oxbow hay bag open. (He didn’t chew the plastic bag, he just pulled out hay) He would eat his fill of hay and then run up to me. But he was so excited that he would just munch on his hay in my ear. Being around me and eating hay was all he wanted from life.

Well he also enjoyed making new friends! Unfortunately our bonding goals were made far more challenging thanks to covid. The Fixing and neutering was very hard to fit in to our new schedule and finances. But like… Alfalfa didn’t want to fight Timothy or have territory arguments. I think he just wanted to visit. Just like with the dogs and cats of our house. Anytime we gave them limited supervised visiting time Alfalfa was fearless, I think he was just happy to make new friends.

The Final Days

When I went to feed them on the morning of Christmas eve It was immediately apparent to me that he was unwell. He would not approach his foo, he was lethargic, and worse of all he was grotesquely bloated. You know what I’m going to say next… GI Stasis… Yes we brought him to an emergency vet and got X-rays. They said it was the worst they have ever seen. What proceded was a fever dream of wakeless nights, syringed critical care, Gas, GI mobility, Painkillers, Antibiotics, Heat treatment, Sub-Cu fluids, And I was with him giving pure love and affection for like…50+ hours straight if you don’t include the handful of times I managed to sleep.

Then on Saturday after I had finally felt like it was safe to return him to his cage what did he do? He perked up, gained full lucidity, and came over to the cage to pull on it and get out. For the next hour he was so lovey, so appreciative, so cuddly, so licky! I thought he was better. He knew he was saying goodbye. He knew he was tired. Tired of the pain. Tired of seeing his poor dad worry sick. Soon after that it got very very bad. I’d rather not talk about it. So we made the call. Looking at his diminished health and the likelihood of a successful surgery. We made the worst call a pet lover can make. Thank god my mother his a vet tech. Thank god his last moments, until the very last second he was held close to me, knowing. without a shadow of a doubt that he was loved. He was loved for 1 year. 1 short year of life.

My Apology

I am sorry. I left pizza crusts out. I thought my homemade walls would hold. I made a mistake and it cost you everything.

I am sorry. Sometimes when you wanted to be with me I felt too tired to clean my room so I left you alone.

I am sorry. I could have paid more attention. I could have caught this earlier.

I am sorry you could not live to bond with Timothy (although it might be better this way)

I am sorry that sometimes I couldn’t afford hay for a day before payday.

You will live with me forever. Whenever I clean my mess so Timothy or my next bunny wont get it. It’s for Alfalfa.

I am now a litter-box checking, stomach-listening, Hay hoarding, Critical-care keeping, Gas-drop toting, Vet visiting obsessed bunny person. It’s for you Alfalfa. I wish you could benefit from it.