My rabbit died in my arms last night….

[kfsa1]

My rabbit of three years died in my arms last night….and I caused it. I don’t think I can ever forgive myself. He was urinating all over the floor of his cage more and more lately and as a result got himself very dirty. I decided to give him a bath to clean him up (as I have done dozens of times over the last 3 years) and after drying him, left him for an hour. When I came back to check on him, he was curled up in the corner of his litter box and when I picked him up and put him down, he could not support himself. I immediately thought it could have been due to improper drying so I wrapped him in a towel and held him close, making sure to rub him….he then started to seize a few minutes later…and he eventually passed. I can’t get the image of him suffering out of my head. When he stopped breathing I didn’t even think about doing CPR on him like an idiot. All I did was sit there in tears.  

He was such a docile bunny who loved being pet and got along with any one. He always ran towards me to play whenever I came back from a hard days of work and I would spend hours just giving him attention. He loved his pellets and the second he heard the sound of me opening the pellet bag, he would dart towards me with so much excitement. 

Why on earth did I ever feel that he needed to be “cleaned”? Would it have really been a big deal if I just let him be dirty? In the end, my selfishness of wanting him clean killed him. Now when I go downstairs, all I have left to look at is his old cage, his litter box, his comfy bed, and his bag of pellets that he loved so much. He won’t come running to me anymore. 

After this, I don’t think I deserve to have another pet. I’m so irresponsible. 

[litheandgraphic]

Oh, kfsa1. You are being so hard on yourself. I’m so, terribly sorry for your loss, but you really were just doing what you thought was best – you were trying to do what was best for him. It sounds like you were a very good bunny parent who just made a bad mistake.

Give yourself some time to mourn. If you decide you really want another bunny, we’re here to help you along the way.

{Binky free, bunny}

[tinyhorse]

I’m so sorry for your loss and I agree with funny-looking-rabbit; you were doing what you thought was best. While it’s not a good idea to bathe rabbits without a good reason, dirty fur can lead to other health problems like sores, infections and matted fur (which can twist and pinch the skin and even cut off the circulation). The change in his bathroom habits could have also been a sign of another problem. It’s hard to say for sure, but I believe you had good intentions and obviously cared very much about him. If you did not care you would not be taking it this hard.

It sounds like he had a wonderful 3 years with you-try to focus on those. I also encourage you to read some of the other stories on here, I know it helped me tremendously.

[LBJ10]

So sorry to hear of your loss. I agree with tinyhorse. From what you described, it sounds like there was an underlying problem. He may have already been sick and weak.

[Bam]

I’m sorry for your loss. A bunny who’s had dozens of baths before and who obviously were fond of you you is very unlikely to die of being given another bath by you. I too would think there was sth else wrong. It may have been lots of things. Bunnies hide bad health extremely well.

Don’t blame yourself. It does no good. Be kind to yourself and mourn your bunny.

[LongEaredLions]

I agree that you should not blame yourself for this. He most likely had some sort of condition that just happened to spring up at the wrong time. You obviously loved him a lot, and he knew that.
Sending tons of love your way….

[Author]

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