Alek
Well-Known Member
At 5:22am this morning, my rabbit Tiberius died.
I had gotten up a couple times because he was making noise. He occasionally likes to bang things around when he couldn't sleep. I got up, he was fine and was banging his food dish around. I gave him a little food to distract him and went back to bed.
The a half hour later, I heard him banging around. I figured if he was that restless I'd let him out and let him run to the kitchen and back like I usually let him do to get his energy out if he can't sleep. Instead he acted as if he couldn't move his hind end, as if his foot were stuck. I checked and he wasn't caught. I took him out to check him over to see if he needed to go to the emergency vet.
His back end was reactionary to touch but he seemed as if he couldn't control his movements. He convulsed violently and then the rest of him wasn't able to move. His heart beat was light and his breath quick. I held him and petted him and that seemed to comfort him. My service dog Abe sat next to me and my cat Dr.House while this was going on.
Minutes later,he then convulsed again, and he started breathing shallow and his heart was shallow. I called my mother in and she sat next to me. A few minutes later he convulsed and died in my arms. Then he gave gasping breaths for 5 mins until he stopped and moved no more. It took me about an hour before I could put him down.
I allowed his best friend, my female cat, Gigi a chance to say goodbye. She was extremely confused. She tried to lick him, then cuddle him and the finally bite him to get a reaction. When she saw he wasn't moving or breathing, she started grooming him and meowing.
I'm happy that for the most part, all our family was together when he died to comfort him. It was so sudden and I'm so upset. He was such a good friend and I adored him (secretly he was my favorite). I hope my touching him and being there for him while he died made his passing a little more comforting even though his death was so slow and drawn out.
I've been telling all the people I know that loved Tiberius. I didn't realize until now how many people loved him. He went so many places with me. The neighbors loved him because he was like a gentle, little dog. He was calm and knew who needed affection the most if they were having a bad day. I took him to the community mental health clinic to visit with people. People loved to cuddle him and pet him and they are all very sad to hear he has died.
My neighbors and I are going to have a small service for him in our garden tonight and bury him. I'm going to bury him in the hat box that I had my knitting in. I'm going to pick up his things tonight and put them in storage so I don't have to be reminded he's gone.
He had such a large personality. He loved to pull books out of my hand to get my attention. He liked watching family guy while I groomed him. He never bit me ever. He was friends with dogs and cats and all sorts of people that didn't even know a rabbit could be friendly. He would look out the window on car rides. He listened really well and was so nice and polite and he loved animal crackers and bananas.
I had gotten up a couple times because he was making noise. He occasionally likes to bang things around when he couldn't sleep. I got up, he was fine and was banging his food dish around. I gave him a little food to distract him and went back to bed.
The a half hour later, I heard him banging around. I figured if he was that restless I'd let him out and let him run to the kitchen and back like I usually let him do to get his energy out if he can't sleep. Instead he acted as if he couldn't move his hind end, as if his foot were stuck. I checked and he wasn't caught. I took him out to check him over to see if he needed to go to the emergency vet.
His back end was reactionary to touch but he seemed as if he couldn't control his movements. He convulsed violently and then the rest of him wasn't able to move. His heart beat was light and his breath quick. I held him and petted him and that seemed to comfort him. My service dog Abe sat next to me and my cat Dr.House while this was going on.
Minutes later,he then convulsed again, and he started breathing shallow and his heart was shallow. I called my mother in and she sat next to me. A few minutes later he convulsed and died in my arms. Then he gave gasping breaths for 5 mins until he stopped and moved no more. It took me about an hour before I could put him down.
I allowed his best friend, my female cat, Gigi a chance to say goodbye. She was extremely confused. She tried to lick him, then cuddle him and the finally bite him to get a reaction. When she saw he wasn't moving or breathing, she started grooming him and meowing.
I'm happy that for the most part, all our family was together when he died to comfort him. It was so sudden and I'm so upset. He was such a good friend and I adored him (secretly he was my favorite). I hope my touching him and being there for him while he died made his passing a little more comforting even though his death was so slow and drawn out.
I've been telling all the people I know that loved Tiberius. I didn't realize until now how many people loved him. He went so many places with me. The neighbors loved him because he was like a gentle, little dog. He was calm and knew who needed affection the most if they were having a bad day. I took him to the community mental health clinic to visit with people. People loved to cuddle him and pet him and they are all very sad to hear he has died.
My neighbors and I are going to have a small service for him in our garden tonight and bury him. I'm going to bury him in the hat box that I had my knitting in. I'm going to pick up his things tonight and put them in storage so I don't have to be reminded he's gone.
He had such a large personality. He loved to pull books out of my hand to get my attention. He liked watching family guy while I groomed him. He never bit me ever. He was friends with dogs and cats and all sorts of people that didn't even know a rabbit could be friendly. He would look out the window on car rides. He listened really well and was so nice and polite and he loved animal crackers and bananas.
