Yesterday we lost our little best friend, Rue.
She has been a part of our lives and family since the first year Nic and I were married. We were always told a bunny's life expectancy is 10 years and Rue was 7 1/2 so we knew this day could be coming. It didn't make it any less easy.
Nic and I were working out by her yesterday morning and one moment she was fine and the next she was spasming, her back/legs looked like they were giving out, and her breathing began to slow. It was so traumatic to witness and I spent several hours yesterday feeling guilty and wishing there was more that I could have done for her. I don't know if she choked on her food and couldn't breathe or had a stroke or something. She's had some eye problems and we were told after her last vet visit to take away her pellets and only give her hay to help wear down her teeth so the roots wouldn't grow up toward her eyes. She seemed so ravenous since we made the change so we'd give her an even smaller amount of pellets but still a few in case she was hungry. I'll never know what happened.
The one thing I was thankful for was that I could be with her and comfort her as best I could in her final moments so she wasn't alone.
We miss her. You don't realize how much they are a part of your daily routine ... the sounds they make, the presence they have, until it isn't there anymore. Thankfully both of our kids have taken it really well. Liam got a little teary as Nic and I told him but has only asked about her one other time. Lyla walked by the spot where he caged used to be and asked me with a confused expression on her face, "Momma, Ruey?" and with tears in my eyes all I could tell her was Rue had to go bye bye since she is so little and can't really understand.
Nic and I went through all of our pictures of her last night and talked about some of our favorite memories with her. Here are just a few ...
The day we brought her home ... she was so itsy bitsy!!
Nic and I were working out by her yesterday morning and one moment she was fine and the next she was spasming, her back/legs looked like they were giving out, and her breathing began to slow. It was so traumatic to witness and I spent several hours yesterday feeling guilty and wishing there was more that I could have done for her. I don't know if she choked on her food and couldn't breathe or had a stroke or something. She's had some eye problems and we were told after her last vet visit to take away her pellets and only give her hay to help wear down her teeth so the roots wouldn't grow up toward her eyes. She seemed so ravenous since we made the change so we'd give her an even smaller amount of pellets but still a few in case she was hungry. I'll never know what happened.
The one thing I was thankful for was that I could be with her and comfort her as best I could in her final moments so she wasn't alone.
We miss her. You don't realize how much they are a part of your daily routine ... the sounds they make, the presence they have, until it isn't there anymore. Thankfully both of our kids have taken it really well. Liam got a little teary as Nic and I told him but has only asked about her one other time. Lyla walked by the spot where he caged used to be and asked me with a confused expression on her face, "Momma, Ruey?" and with tears in my eyes all I could tell her was Rue had to go bye bye since she is so little and can't really understand.
Nic and I went through all of our pictures of her last night and talked about some of our favorite memories with her. Here are just a few ...
The day we brought her home ... she was so itsy bitsy!!
I can hardly believe the amount of hay we gave her back then! Now she would eat 2 big handfuls in one day ...
She taught Nic and I so much in those first couple years and in some ways prepared us to be better parents when the time came for us to have Liam.
She'd hide behind these blinds in our old apartment and clean herself or sprawl out on a blanket under our old electric piano ...
When both of her ears used to stand straight up ...
The pet store had us convinced she was a boy so we originally named her Thor. Then we took her in for the first time to the vet and found out she was actually a girl. haha So I gave her a bow for a day or two until we came up with the perfect girl name. Since then she has had many nicknames ... Loops, Loopsy, Ruey Lue, white shadow, and my most recent favorite that Lyla started calling her, Ruey. I'm so sad we never caught her singing that on video because it was the cutest thing ever!
Her little tongue <3 p="">
This was on her first Easter ... she was about 5 months old!
The same setup on her next Easter ... I hid treats in the Easter grass! haha
She LOVED when we'd give her romaine or spinach leaves, watermelon, and apples! Never did like carrots?! This particular moment was not my brightest because she dripped so much apple juice on the carpet and wanted to chew it up for weeks after. It wouldn't have been her first time chewing carpet, naughty bunny!
Baby Liam playing with her in our backyard for the first time once we got it fully fenced! She used to be apprehensive about getting out of her cage whenever we took her out there but once she did, she loved it and never wanted to come back in!
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Losing her has been so much harder for me than I thought it would be. She feels like the first pet I've ever had that I've gotten to keep until she grew old. We'll miss you Ruey girl and love you so much!
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