Thanks so very much everyone...I seem to havebeen taking this much harder than I would have expected. Scooby - who Iadopted on a spur-of-the-moment decision - truly was special. I can'tquite put my finger on it...when I got Raph I immediately felt a senseof connection, like I knew him. But with Scooby, my heart went out tohim for being at the Petsmart adoption center for so long, and so Itook him home. I didn't think that he would turn out to be one of those*special* animals that we allow into our hearts...you all must knowwhat I'm talking about. We love all of our animals, but there are a fewthat get into our hearts and stay firmly there. Scooby was one of thoseanimals.
He was very quiet, with the patience of a saint. Very personable littleguy. Over the last few months I found myself becoming closer to him,and was surprised to discover that I felt the same way about him as Ido about Raph...Raph, as you know, captured my heart completely.
Last evening I just finished constructing a new indoor pen in thebasement for the rabbits. I had brought the two of them in for thewinter, and had put up a temporary pen for them...which I discoveredwas not Raph-proof...hence Scooby's mishap last week. So I tore thatone down and made something more solid, and decided to let Scooby testit out. He was running back and forth, exploring all of the corners.The pen itself encompasses the two rabbits' cages, so Scooby was ableto run up to Raph and see him sitting in his cage. I watched him as hetried to get into the cage with Raph...apparently not remembering whathad happened to him last time...but when he discovered he couldn't getin, he pushed his head up to the bars of the cage. Raph pushed his nosethrough, and together they sat there and nuzzled one another. Theylooked so content at that moment, Raph and his little buddy, Scoobs.
When I fed them at dinner time, Scooby literally dove into his dish,devouring everything in sight. That was highly unusual for him, as hetends to be a fussy eater. But last night he was enjoying his dinnerimmensely, even the rabbit pellets, which he normally picks at timidly.Then this morning I put him in his carrier and he sat there so quietly,waiting for me to get ready. At the vet's I opened the cage door,hoping he would venture out, as I wanted to hold him and give him a hugbefore leaving. He was timid and wouldn't come out, though he did comeup to the doorway and peeked through, allowing me to scratch his nose.I was very apprehensive at this point, but dismissed the feelings andrefused to think about it again.
Then at 3:55 the phone call came. I was just getting ready to phone thevet to see how Scooby made out when his office called me. But as soonas I heard his voice, I knew. It sounded as if he was fighting backtears himself...he told me that they began the surgery okay, but asthey got into it Scooby began to have problems breathing. So theyfocused their attention on that, and for a few minutes he went back toregular, steady breathing. But a few moments later he went downhillagain, and the vet finally made the decision to stop the surgery. Butit was too late...they worked on him for 20 minutes, and Scooby didfight, but he just wasn't strong enough, and they lost him.
I keep reminding myself that everything happens for a reason. And I dobelieve it...but why this happened...I just don't know right now. Andyes, I have been beating myself up over it, even though I do know thattaking blame is futile. And I think it is hardest to accept right nowbecause...Scooby wasn't sick. He was perfectly healthy, eating andrunning around and playing. I think this sort of thing is easier toaccept if an animal has been ill for some time, and you know they needto let go. That's what makes it hard...knowing he was so full of life.
The funny thing is, for the past several weeks - whenever I would go tothe basement to play with the rabbits or feed them - as soon as I'd godown there I would feel an apprehensiveness, and I would immediatelycheck Scooby's cage first, to make sure I could see those little earsof his poking up. And one day last week as I went down there and caughtmyself doing that, I questioned why I was always feeling thatapprehension, and why it was always over Scooby...even though Raph wasthe one with health problems. It was as though I could sense somethingwas going to happen to him. However, in hindsight...we cannot alwaysact upon our intuition, or even understand it.
I wish I had taken a lot of pics of Scooby, but Raph was my camera-hog.I do want to post a couple of them that I do have though, in hismemory...I will put them in the Rainbow Bridge thread. Never thought Iwould be putting Scoob's picture there, at least not for a very longtime.
Thanks so much everyone, for your support and prayers. This has been atough day, but in allowing me to talk about him, and in reading all ofyour kind words, you have helped immensely.
~Di
and we had to re schedule to a later date. Its notvery common to happen but it is so unfortunate that it had tbo happento Scooby. I am so upset for you.
