Comment on Grieving the loss of a rabbit by Will.

I lost my 16 month old little girl bunny today. I have lost friends young (was deployed three times in 12 years) and other pets due to old age. I have always kept death in perspective and loss in stoic manner. Always accept things as they are has always been my creed.

I got Gidget after she was a young bun and bunny sat her last year when the neighbors who had just gotten her went on vacation. I litter box trained her and allowed her to free roam. I fell in love with her immediately. When they returned I said they couldn’t keep her in a cage all day. They decided she was better off with me.

Again, I have been to war and lost half a dozen friends. I have never loved anything as much as my little bunny. She turned me from a blank and hard person into an immeasurably happy man. She slept with me, hung out with me, was with me all day every day (i work from home). She would lick my face for 30 mins straight and follow me around the house from room to room.

She had stasis six months ago and I recognized and rushed her to the vet. She recovered. Two days ago it returned at night, I fed her critical care and she rebounded in a few hours. Yesterday was perfect and last night she slept next to me like every night. Waking me up every 30 mins licking my face. She went downhill again tonight. I started the protocol (baby gas x, critical care…) she was alert and responsive but I was rushing her to the vet first thing in the morning.

She went from alert to almost nothing in minutes and died with me holding her tonight. There aren’t words to describe how devastated I am. She filled a hole I didn’t know was there. I have dealt with some of the worst things on earth without a care and this feels like my entire world just disappeared.