Life Twist: Tribute to the Bunny

April 23, 2008 | By Kristen | In Chaos of Life 

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My last post was about the small things the kids did to make me smile before it was even 9:30 in the morning. To show you how quickly things turn and change and show you just how unpredictable life is by 10:30 the house was in a pure state of chaos. The rabbit died.

A Little Life Gone

Not a pretty, go to slip him a carrot and he is quietly sleeping…. the frantic “MOM the rabbit is screaming and flipping all over his cage”. I don’t know what happened but poor bun bun had a series of seizures that he just didn’t recover from.

He took his last few breaths while laying in the grass with all of us soothing him. He was a good bunny, he actually thought he was a dog and loved hoping around the house circling your feet or laying with the other animals in their beds.

As a believer in “the Secret” I quietly wondered as I sat there if I caused this, it was just two nights ago I awoke at 2 a.m. remembering that I didn’t bring him in and cursing “the blasted rabbit”. I dutifully made my way outside in my bare feet and nightshirt to remove him from the hutch and transfer him to his indoor cage. Due to the fear of coyotes, fisher cats and raccoons I don’t like leaving him in his outdoor hutch that is directly next to the house but for a hungry animal he would be tempting.

As far as rabbits go, he was pretty spoiled. Most days we left his cage door open so he could go in and out as he pleased, he was fed plenty of treats although he preferred to steal the kids fruit loops and yes, I moved him outside every morning and inside at night. He was even given a regular rotation of fleece fabric beds.

We had the rabbit for three years, an acquaintance brought him over because his son had no interest in him anymore and we had another rabbit that I was “fostering” from the shelter, so what the heck what’s one more? That’s the story of my houses “what’s 1 more?”.

The Kids and Death

Each of the kids had their own reaction to the situation.

Taylor, my oldest, quietly cried and gave him reassuring pats. Then immediately took action by collecting rocks and painting them with Love messages and decorated a box with all his favorite things.

Drew, my second oldest, my spite fire, is actually the loudest extrovert but I think is the most sensitive proceeded to yell and yell that this was his worst day ever and he was his best friend and kick everything and be destructive. He wouldn’t let anyone comfort him and instead went off on his own only to return now and then to open the box and look at him. His way of coping with things is what concerns me as a parent and I try to be very conscious of but I try not to over analyze because he is only 6 and still learning the ways of the world.

Dylan, the three year old going on 13, forever worker bee, went to get his shovel and ask where we wanted the hole with a shrug of his shoulders.

We did wait until my husband got home to dig a hole in the garden and lay him to rest with all his favorite toys. Tomorrow we’ll get some new flowers (any suggestions for a good plant?) and plant them over the spot with all the decorated headstones from Taylor.

There is a good book at the library that we have read before about a little boy when his dog dies. Tomorrow we’ll make a trip and pick it up to use that for another discussion if needed.

Looking forward to tomorrow as a new day.

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