Franklin

[kmaben]

Yesterday morning I held Franklin while he died. Earlier he had been diagnosed with a possible liver torsion. We had been going to the vets everyday for care as he was not yet a candidate for surgery. He seemed to be improving. I was positive and the vet was "cautiously optimistic" even though his prognosis wasn't very good to start with.

We met Franklin through another RO member. She was teaching my husband and I how to flip our rabbits and in general work/pick them up. She brought along Franklin for demonstration and he was the sweetest, calmest rabbit, asking for pets, and just being his usual lovable self. We were so impressed with him that I broke rabbit rule number one. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors rabbit." As we left I jokingly said "If he ever needs a home call me." A few months later Franklin indeed came to live with us.

I have a bit of PTSD and some anger issues from the Army. Before Franklin ever came to live with us I would sometimes have to drive around aimlessly until I could calm down enough to come home. Some days I would just rage at my husband until all my emotions were spent. When I would come home in those moods the other animals would run and hide until I was calm again. Never Franklin. Franklin didnt care what mood I was in. I could walk in the door cuddle with him on the floor for about 8 seconds and be a normal person again. My husband came to greatly appreciate Franklin and would sometimes just hand him to me when I walked through the door. He loved to be petted and cuddled. He would hop around you and lay his head on your foot until you paid attention to him.

I've been deployed the last nine months and Franklin would sit for hours with my daddy and watch tv. He swears Franklins favorite show was criminal minds and would hop on the couch when the opening credits would play.

I'm going to miss his smooshy face that invited you for a cuddle. I'm going to miss those long floppy ears that he was always dragging through everything. I'm going to miss that inch worm gait he had. I'm going to miss the way he would just puddle when ever you went to pet him. I'm going to miss the calm he brought to my life. Thank you Franklin for everything you brought to me. I dont understand why you had to go and I love and miss you.

 

[Chrisdoc]

I still don´t know what to say to make it better. All I can say is that we will all miss this gorgeous boy, I always wished mine would sit on the sofa with me, good taste he had.

I know he always made everything better for you with just one look and all his cuddles made the world a better place.

Life is bitch sometimes but we have to meet it head on and just try and go on as best we can. He´s left his mark on lots of us and I for one will miss that smooshy face.

RIP Franklin, binky free on the other side :bunnyangel2:

 

[lovelops]

My father who passed away in 2011 was an Air Force Korean War veteran, and I had done some work for the VA as well in the past on the My Healthe vet portal. I totally understand what you mean about PTSD and anger issues from the military. I saw that first hand in my father. He wasn't the only veteran we had in the family, but everyone that returned from whatever war(Korean, Vietnam.. etc in my family seemed to deal with it differently and some didn't seem to be able to cope with it at all. However, most of them seemed to turn to pets.

I was reading and rooting that he would pull through and was so shocked when I read he passed. I could tell from your posts the positive impact he had on your life. I was reading about his visits to the vets and even now it brings me to tears.

The only other animal I had another deep emotional attachment with was Buttons and I thought whenever he died they would have to put me in a mental institution. He was my life. Sure, I had other pets at the same time but he was special and smart as the day was long. They didn't make 'em like him anymore but it sure sounds to me like he had a soulmate in Franklin.

I understand the deep profound effect he had on you. Hopefully in the future, you might find another rabbit that will do the same. If not, I hope maybe not now, maybe not any time soon (Buttons died in 2010 and at times I still can't think about him without having a deep pain in my heart), but in the future you will remember all the good times you spent with him and smile and feel good about all the great memories. I know I still can't...

Hang in there,
Vanessa

 

[Aubrisita]

Franklin was an extrodinary boy. It amazes me how some animals instinctively know when we need extra love. His loss is truly a tragedy. My heart goes out to you and your husband. Binky free Franklin, you will be missed.

 

[Bville]

I'm so sorry about Franklin. Your story reminds me of some things I read by author Eckhart Tolle. He says that animals help us because they live in the present moment and don't ruminate about the past or worry about the future and can help us do that too just by being around them. If you haven't read any of his books already, you might want to check them out to see if he might help with your PTSD. :rainbow:

 

[kmaben]

I appreciate everybody's kind words. I know most of you posted on my page already but I felt like Franklin really needed a proper write up to send him off. Anybody outside my family and this website just do not understand rabbits. They seem to ken them with hamsters and gerbils. No they have long life spans, they're smart, they have personalities that just don't quit. You do not just go out and buy another French Lop and expect him to be another Franklin. He was such a good boy. There are so many good rabbits and other furbabies out there and it's hard to understand why their life spans are so short. Binky free my love with all the other good rabbits who have so recently left us.

 

[Tauntz]

I'm so sorry you lost your sweet Franklin. I know it was of comfort to him to have you there to hold & love him as he passed. What a wonderful tribute to Franklin! I know you have many happy memories of your time together & I hope they will bring comfort, joy & help ease the pain of his loss. No matter how long they are with us it is always too short.

 

[Tammy B]

Hi My name is Tammy..Me and my bun Stewie are new to the forum...I am so sorry for your loss of Franklin he sounded like such a sweet boy..
I am sorry that i never got a chance to get to know him here through RO..Sounds like he was lucky to have you and you him.

R.I.P Franklin :bunnyangel:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We're so sorry for your loss. What has helped me in the past with some of my "issues" is to talk with other vets. Nancy used to get mad at me as I am mostly a clam but then will discuss my past with other vets, but not her. Just how it is or I am.

 

[Azerane]

I am so terribly sorry for your loss

 

[Troller]

My condolences. Franklin sounded like a great bun.

 

[majorv]

A late post, I know, but I was sooo sorry to hear about Franklin. Sarah did a good job of selecting him as a youngster. Even though he stayed at our place for a while, I didn't get the chance to know him real well, but I do remember he was a sweetie. Binky free, Franklin.

 

[kmaben]

Thank you for the kind words. Sarah did indeed do a good job with Franklin. So many things had to happen for him to come into my life. I actually went out to Franklins breeder just to be around other Flops. Out of over 100 rabbits not one could hold a candle to Franklin. I just cant believe how laid back and friendly he was. Everyone at the vets just loved him as he was easy to work with and wanted to be petted as they were working on him. It was so easy to check for spurs on his molars as the vet would just flip him over and take a look. No fuss from Franklin ever. Some days I do ok and others I'm just bawling my fool head off. I took Kai in for a check up and could not stop crying. Thankfully the vet understood about Franklin and managed to get everything done without much input from me. We went to petsmart and I picked up some toys for Shya and Kai. Omar found me in the rabbit aisle a hysterical mess and managed to steer me out of the store. Thankfully he's the most unflapable man ever. I just feel like a crazy person without my Franklin.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Oh kaley I know how much Franklin meant to you. I am so sorry this had to happen. I am so grateful for how he was able to heal you in such ways that no one else could. It was truly fate that brought him to you. I just happened to be a small stepping stone in his beautiful life. I truly loved Frankie and will never forget him. I think of him every single time I see a Frenchie.

Rest in peace my dear Franklin you were one of the best.

 

[kmaben]

I dont know if it's baby hormones in conjunction with Mansel but I've been so mopey lately. I just miss him so much. He was just special. The other animals have been driving me insane. I trip over them, they bark, they meow, they fight over who is going to sit in my lap or next to me on the couch. I'm really starting to resent Mansel because he isnt Franklin. I never had any of that with Franklin. I just need him to sit with me for a minute. I dont understand why I had to give him up. Any other rabbit could have gotten a liver torsion. I dont see why my special boy had to suffer through it. Life is such a bitch sometimes.

 

[JBun]

I'm with you Kaley(not pregnancy hormones though ). It's been about 3 years since Dash died, and I had kind of forgotten how devastating it is when you lose them, then a couple weeks ago Zeus died during his neuter surgery, and I've been crying and mopey on and off since. I keep thinking of how things should have been different and why it happened that way. You just have to keep waiting for the time to pass so it doesn't hurt so much.

I think you'll get past having a hard time with Mansel. It took quite a while for me to be ok with Baby after losing Dash. Probably about a year, because of how devastated I was losing her and how much I loved that little bun. So it does happen once that heartache isn't so intense. And now, though Baby is a bitey bun and cage aggressive, she is my best snuggle bun.

The fact is that losing them just sucks and there's no way around it.