Just few years, but memories of Lifetime

[Cupcake]

I am so proud of my Cupcake.  We had so many wonderful memories together.  Just feeling sad and some guilt that he past away young.  My cousin and I had him for 3 yrs. 5 mo. 2 weeks.  As part of my grief journey, I’ve been trying to convince myself that 3 yrs. 5 mo. 2 weeks is a long time, because we expected him to live 8 – 10 yrs.  He would’ve been 4 in October.  But in that time frame, we had memories of a lifetime.  I used to give him lots of caresses, massages, trained him to go outside my foyer on the doorstep which he enjoyed because that’s his natural habitat, I would put soundscape relaxation music from my tablet which would leave his senses aroused, took him to enjoy nighttime in the tennis court let him hop around and hump with his play all and relaxed.  As you all may know rabbits like alot of time in a corner or next to something especially if it’s a fenced in area.  I also took him to a community park which he enjoyed as long as he stayed next to something.

He also had a magnificent appetite.  I’d give him cilantro and his food pellets which he would jump around and on top of his litterbox and around me awaiting me to give him his food, so cute.  He also ate shredded lettuce, carrots, his hay of course.  I also gave him some pieces of English muffin on a regular basis and pieces of whole wheat bread which is high in fiber.  But here we are misconstrued naively that fiber for humans is the same as fiber for rabbits.  I wish we would’ve caught on.  The diet or the way we fed him contributed to some guilt.

First emergency we took him to a hospital in April 2016 was because xray showed he had ingested alot of paper and had a hairball in his intestines.  Thank God, he pulled through.  Vets saved him with shot of metacam, antibiotics, and something else.  We gave him soft food with syringe of medicam and something else for 2 weeks.   Doctors said he can continue eating his previous regimen after treatment.  Skipping ahead to Jun. 18, 2017, he got tremendously sick.  He ate ok in the morning.  But he started having alot of diahhrea, sent to hospital continued having diahhrea.  X Ray showed he had parasite or foreign substance in his GI tract and thick swelling adjacent to the kidneys.  He past away right after Father’s day on the 19th midnight.  I was so distraught. I don’t have kids, but he was my son and I loved him that way.  He past away at a young age, so any advice on how to get past this residual guilt that we’ve could’ve taken care of him better would be greatly appreciated.  He did live happy, and I believe he knows he was loved.  A few years can impact a lifetime!

Elizabeth and Peter.

[Jazlyn]

I am so sorry for your loss, but it sounds like his life was super fun! In almost 4 years he probably had more fun than some of the bunnies that reach 10 years. It sounds to me like overall you took care of him very well and he had a wonderful life. And besides the bread, his diet was perfectly normal. If you get another, just remember to research if they can have a certain food first but it sounds to me like he was a very happy bunny! Best of luck to you two while you grieve.

[Cupcake]

Hi Jazlyn.  Thanx.  Yeah, he was a happy go bunny.  I definitely learned a very painful lesson on taking full care of a bunny.  Yet, the foreign substance they found in his GI tract didn’t have a direct cause.  So there’s no full closure, remains a mystery.  But yeah, if or when I get another bunny, will take all precautions.

[Jazlyn]

Just try not to feel too guilty for this please, I’m sure he loved you guys very much and would not want you to feel like it was your fault. Mistakes happen, right? My rabbit ended up losing the leg because he got caught in the hole in a blanket, I wish I had changed it earlier but you just can’t think about the what ifs and the negatives, try to focus on the positives.
If you decide to get another bunny, I have found that it really helps me to write a list of all of the foods they can and like to eat so when I’m buying them stuff or feeding them, I don’t have to look all over online.
I hope you are feeling better about this situation and I would love to know if you get another bunny. ☺ My messages are always open.

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