Thus Ends Joe

Our last bunny, Joe, died suddenly today. He was about 8 years old.

bunnies

As we were preparing to walk out the door, I went in to feed Joe his morning pellets as usual and he was sitting in his hutch flaring his nostrils and biting at the air. It seeme like he was struggling to breathe. Well, that’s not good, I thought.

Grace came in and picked him up, taking him to Whitney but he seemed desperate to get out of her arms. Looking back on it, I suppose he was smothering. He bounded down onto the kitchen table and hopped a few times. Then Grace picked him up again.

Then he started screaming.

Rabbits only do this when they’re in extreme pain or they’re dying. He sprawled out immobile until the screaming subsided, then he seemed to twitch and loaf back to himself.

I grabbed the carrier and Whitney put him in it, then I took off for the vet about 20 minutes away. He started screaming again a few miles down the road. I told him I was there with him and reached back to touch the front of his carrier. He twitched a few times.

Then, it was quiet. I thought I heard some movement, but by the time I got to the vet he wasn’t breathing, lying with his head cocked to one side, unseeing eye rolled halfway shut. Joe was gone.

In a daze, I took him into the vet and the desk nurse grabbed the carrier and took him back immediately. I just sat down in a stupor. They called me back and told me he was gone.

They emphasized that likely something had happened making it difficult ot breathe, maybe fluid–it’s hard to say. I told him he was fine yesterday; they said it’s good. He went quickly and didn’t suffer. when they enter the “death scream” phase they’re no longer conscious.

So, my bunny died today, likely marking the end of the bunny adventure that fulfilled a lifelong dream of Maria. Every member of our family game to care deeply for these lagomorphs and we miss them.

Joe loved watching TV with me, listening to me type on my mechanical keyboard, and hiding in the upper floor of his enclosure that he slowly chewed to oblivion.

He will be missed.