My sweet bunny died September 17th early in the morning having recently turned 4 years old. She was a very special friend. She died after a week long struggle for her life. Over a week ago my boyfriend came home to find our apartment as hot as an inferno due to a faulty air-conditioning unit. Our bunny, Ceres, was very stressed when I arrived home 15 minutes after my boyfriend. As a result of the incident, she developed ileus and gastric stasis and spent the week in and out of the intensive care unit at the hospital fighting for her life. In her final days, I tried to nurse her back to health pumping her full of medicine and intensive care food and giving her fluid therapy via an IV that ran into her back. She slowly declined despite my 24 hour nursing care and on September 16th I took her into the veterinarian for the last time. My vet convinced me that her fight was not over and that he would treat her. Since I did not have the money, I signed her life over to this extraordinary man (her vet) in a final attempt to save her life. He would try over the next couple of days to bring her back to life on his own dime and then I would repay him when I was able but it never came to that. When I said good-bye to her that evening I had no idea that it would be forever. I knew that in 48 hours her vet and I would make a decision about pursuing surgery or euthanasia but neither of us were prepared that at around 5:00am the following morning she would go into respiratory distress and die within minutes. The only comfort I take is in knowing that her pain had subsided since her vet had pumped her full of pain medication after I left her that evening and that she died quickly.

She was a truly amazing bunny. She would come when I called her name. She sat under my coffee table when I was reading on the couch and under my feet when I typed at the computer. She had a huge personality for one so small. Her life was filled with joy. I know that I gave her the best life a bunny could have. She had free reign of the apartment. Her cage was gigantic, and she was only in her cage at night and when nobody was home, which was only a few hours a day. She had all the fresh veggies a rabbit could hope for on a daily basis and excellent care.

In her final days, she taught me one of the most amazing lessons I have yet to learn in life. As I attempted to nurse her back to life and help her fight for her life in her final days, I was forced to deal with one of life’s most mysterious and terrifying stages – death. I learned to embrace the process of dying and know when to say, “This being has suffered enough.” I could no longer pump her full of all the crap the specialists were telling me to do. I turned her over to the only person who had a chance to save her and asked him not to let her suffer anymore, but in the end neither he nor I had to decide that – her body gave in.

We buried her today and beside her planted a beautiful ground cover that produces tons of fragrant, white flowers. Over time it will cover her little grave with beautiful flowers. I read this as we buried her:


To Those I Love

If I should ever leave you, whom I love,
To go along the Silent Way,
Grieve not,
Nor speak of me with tears,
But laugh and talk of me,
As if I were beside you there,
(I’d come---I’d come, could I but find a way!
But would not tears and grief be barriers?)
And when you hear a song,
Or see a bird I loved,
Please do not let the thought of me be sad.
For I am loving you,
Just as I always have.
You were so good to me!
There are so many things I wanted still to do.
So many things to say to you.
Remember that I did not fear.
It was just leaving you that was hard to face.
We cannot see Beyond,
But this I know:
I loved you so---‘twas heaven here with you.

-Isla Paschal Richardson


Tell your loved ones you love them and give your pets a hug and kiss. Do not take their time shared with you for granted. I loved my sweet baby and always will. I am just thankful that our paths crossed for a brief moment in time because the remainder of my life’s journey will be all the richer having shared it with such a beautiful soul.