Pet Lovers

[Glittergal]

You are such a sweet person!  You made the little bunny's life wonderful while he/she was here by providing food and a safe place to stay.  It's sad that they can die so suddenly, but please be comforted in knowing that the bunny probably felt no pain.  They have a built-in biological mechanism to have a heart attack when there is danger so they won't have to suffer long when they become prey.  Thank you for caring about them.

[eddyandme]

I understand how you feel.  I once rescued a blue jay that had fallen from its nest. Took it in to protect it. It became part of our family, me and my mother! I loved that little Babie - that's what we called it 'cause didn't know if boy or girl. But, figured it wasn't fair to keep a wild bird who was young enough to join others of its kind and live the life it was meant to so brought Babie to Tufts Wildlife Hospital. Babie and I both cried; they asked me to leave Babie's blankie (a white facecloth) for comfort as they acclimated my Babie back into the wild.  I creid incessantly - for a very long time. And even today, if I see a beautiful jay, the doctor couldn't get over what a beautiful bluejay Babie was, I call out Babie to see if I'll get a response. Tufts did say they were going to bring Babie far away so he/sh would stay in the wild once released an not come back to us. My only comfort is that Babie was given to find love and a family and the happy bird life it was meant to have.

Yesterday, had to yell at Eddy. In his yard I could hear a baby animal crying and he wanted at it - of course, that wasn't gonna happen! Couldn't see enough of it as it was hidden in the grass but talked to it and brought out a cookie and some water to try to calm it down. Had seen a rabbit running away so assumed it was a bunny. Eddy and I stayed in/or away from that area at least, as I figured if we were away the mama would come back. Well, shortly ago, saw Eddy moving something else - it was a dead baby bunny. I checked the aread where the other one had been - it wasn't breathing - but it wasn't hurt either - no marks or anything, looked like a stuffed toy. Very sad. Put them in the woods. The of the cookie pieces were gone so figured the mama came back - just don't know what happened.

Wildlife is so special, we easily befriend them; then life takes over and we lose them. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[Lilysmom]

@pattypeep, so sorry this happened to you.  It can be tough for the wildlife.  LM

[RedTop]

Wild bunnies are also very susceptible to carry ticks.   We find several dead ones on the property every year, their necks covered in engorged ticks.   

[Perkup]

I thought one of my favorite wild bunnies had died.  He was lying under the rose bushes on his side with the white underbelly showing.  I walked toward him, and called out to him (about 8 inches away).  He didn't move, so I went inside and got a shoe box to bury him iin.  When I came back out, he was up and nibbling on some corn kernels.  Since then I've seen him sleeping under the roses almost every day.  I guess he feels safe under the thorns, as we have a hawk that hangs around when I'm not watching. So glad he is okay.

Spoiler

[pattypeep]

Thank you @Perkup@RedTop@Lilysmom@eddyandme@Glittergal And to everyone else who wrote kind words of encouragement.

[SeaMaiden]

@pattypeep   I am so 😐 sorry.

[CareBears]

@pattypeep I am so sorry, I know the pain all too well, you just grieve as long as you need to, and take comfort in the fact that while that bunny was on this earth, you made a btter life for it, and it knows you loved and cared for it!  i know it does not help, again I am so very sorry!

[Tinkrbl44]

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@pattypeep wrote:

I know, I know ~ they're wild rabbits. But ~~ I had been watching and caring for (as much as I could) two little bunnies that showed up in my yard a couple of months ago. They appeared to be from the same litter. I bought bunny food to supplement their diet and they seemed so healthy and happy. I went to my yard the other evening to see if they were out and one of them was laying under it's favorite bush dead. It didn't have a mark on it and must have died within the hour. I picked it up in a towel, carried it into the house, and sobbed my heart out to my dh. I feared for the other one, but saw him the night before last. I searched the Internet and it seems it is quite common for rabbits to die suddenly with no known cause. Heart attack is one. It doesn't help my anguish. I'm still so heart broken.

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@pattypeep

Oh, darn!   It's SO heart breaking to lose any animal we've cared for.  

I experienced that exact same scenario as a kid.   My father gave me an insight ...... "We have to let Nature take its course.  The bunny died of natural causes in a place it felt safe to die.  Can you imagine how terrible it would have been for us to find it killed by a hungry predator, it's bloody body torn to shreds?   Can you imagine a more sad way for a little animal to die?   Now, this animal is in Bunny Heaven, probably with his mommy."

Now, I was still very upset, but he had a point .....  the bunny died of natural causes in a place it felt safe to be when its time had come.   

I'm sorry for your loss.     It's always very sad when this happens.

[Qshopper1991]

@pattypeep

We had several rabbit nests every year in our front and back yard.  The one morning I was sitting on my back deck.  And this huge falcon came swooping down on the rabbit's nest and grabbed a baby bunny.  It was tough to watch because I had been checking their nest (I ran over it with my tractor I didn't realize it was a nest until it was too late) but they all survived because the hole was deep).  But on this occassion, they were peeking out of the nest - and were food to the falcon.

I believe that rabbits have large litters because other animals feed on them (sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's called survival of the fittest).

It's hard to see any wild animal die.  But just think about how many other wild animals live because they eat other wild animals.  It's pretty amazing if you think about it.