Without any warning, other than a slightly decreased appetite, my little Ozzy passed away yesterday.
I had noticed that he wasn’t eating a full bowl of food per day as he used to, but I just attributed it to him not being a young buck anymore. He wasn’t old though, by rabbit standards. We got him about this time four years ago. He had just been weaned at that time, so he was middle aged at best.
We spent a lovely day at my mother-in-laws birthday party, I came home, filled his water bottle and cleaned his litterbox. It was then that I noticed he seemed kind of listless. He didn’t stand on his hind legs to greet me as usual. He also showed absolutely no interest in the lettuce scraps I put in his bowl. When I petted him he didn’t respond in his normal cuddily way. An hour or so later he wa worse. He couldn’t seem to get comfortable and found it difficult to move. By bedtime he was gone.
I never expected to take it like I did. I bawled like a baby. He was such a little character. I’m gonna miss ya buddy
Usually, from everything I’ve read, about 5-10 years. He was only four, not even at the low end of the average yet. I’m not sure what happened, and it happened very quick. I think that’s why it upset me more than I ever thought it would.
I’m sorry to hear of your loss. We’ve had two bunnies who have died. Our first was a lovely little fellow, Bun, who was such a great guy. He got sick (intestinal blockage) and the vet managed to pull him through, only to have him get sick a few months later. When he crashed, the did so FAST and was dead shortly thereafter (not even enough time for us to notice it, and get him back to the vets). Our other little bunny, Nicki, had a tumor behind her eye (we think she was a lab bunny before we adopted her, and the tumor was as result of testing at the lab). We had to have her put to sleep, and even then, when she got sick, she got sick FAST.
In capitivity, bunnies can live upwards to about 10 years, but when they get sick, they get sick fast, very fast and there’s not much one can do.
Thank you so much everyone. I know many will think it silly to be so emotional over a bunny (my husband for one) but I’m in the “pets are my kids” camp, and it tears my heart out whenever I lose one.
I just finished burying Ozzy in the yard. I had to wait until after work. We’re supposed to have a small snow storm tonight so at least I was able to get him laid to rest before the bad weather. I held up pretty well all day today until I actually had to place him in the ground.
Thanks again everyone for letting me share. I don’t have many people in my life who would understand that this is hard for me.
Your post made me a little misty, both for the sadness of your sudden loss and because I have a little critter named Ozzy too (mine’s a kitty) and I know how awful I’d feel if I lost him.
Never let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t be emotional about the loss of any pet, though! I remember when I was little, my parents were extremely snotty about how despondant I was when my guinea pig died. I was just a little kid, so I don’t know why they felt justified in blowing me off and telling me to stop whining and get over it, but that’s basically what they did. I guess that a lot of people can’t understand getting so close to “just an animal”.
Since for the first 15+ years of my life, my animals have treated me consistantly better than the people in my life, I don’t see it as odd at all.
Since then, I’ve had some of my cats die, but it hasn’t been as pointed a loss, because they were living at my old house with my father, and I had already gone away to college. Also, in all of their cases, I knew that they were going to go soon; I think it’s so much worse when it’s unexpected. So there wasn’t the shocking sudden loss of them. Even so, there were quite a few tears, and I still miss them sometimes, especially Stripes and 'Fisto. When I see cats who look like them, I miss them the most.
I may have a complete nervous breakdown when Cordelia or don Francisco dies. I don’t relish the prospect of trying to explain to a therapist when I’m 40something that I’m unable to get out of bed because one of my cats died.
(And tell your husband that it could be worse. My father forbade me from continuing to maintain my aquarium, because the inevitable fish deaths left me in tears for hours.)
And just so people won’t think he’s completely heartless, he is very attached to his dog and I imagine when he dies that will be the first time I’ll ever see my husband cry. He just isn’t the type to understand attachement to small pets. I still can’t convince him that Ozzy wa not a “rodent”. :rolleyes:
He did feel bad that I felt bad. In fact, if he didn’t have work today and school tonight he would have been the one to bury Ozzy. I know he didn’t feel good about leaving it for me to do.
it seems that we, at the dope, have more animals than the average american (or insert your country, i suppose).
we also like variety.
am i off in haivng this perception?
