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Nightime - Day Three
Caring for a baby bunny is exactly like having your first child all over again. The feedings are every 2 1/2 - three hours apart all night long. She starts moving around the aquarium to let me know she is in search of her mommas milk. I set my phone alarm every 3 hours to check in on her. She always sticks her head out of the nest and holds her head back to let me know that she is ready for milk.
I take a trip downstairs and warm a small glass of water and place her glass of milk inside to heat her milk to room temp. She gets so excited when she sees me come back in the room. I pick her up and tuck her safely inside a towel and crawl back into bed with her. She sits peacefully on my chest as I slowly allow her to sip the droplets of milk from the dropper. I have already been diluting the milk with distilled water a little bit to help get her weaned. A few loving kisses on her head and lots of chin strokes to show her some affection and back to her nest she goes until the next feeding.
Day Four
She was sitting up waiting for her morning meal when I awoke. She looks so good today. I picked her up and snuggled her into the towel and brought her downstairs to have her morning meal on the back porch. She was a little nervous and kept hiding her face in the towel. I kept caressing her on the cheeks and top of her head until she felt secure. My husband warmed her milk and picked her some fresh greens from the garden. He even brought her the head of a dandelion to enjoy. She was so delighted to have the dandelion that she devoured it quickly, which made me a little nervous. But she insisted on eating some red ruffled lettuce and green romaine lettuce too. A little bunny nap in my arms while I had some coffee and off to her nest until the next feeding.
We look in on her so much that you would think she would put up a little rabbits foot and say.... it's okay, I am just fine. lol It has been so hot here this past few days that it is difficult to even spend time outside in the heat of mid-day. My husband and CoCo our little dog, decided to take a nap in my room with the bunny as CoCo has become like a nurturing, worrying little mother hen over our little "honey bunny", which by the way is what we named her. I was getting too hot working in the veggie garden that I decided to join them for a family nap time. I picked up Honey Bunny and put her in the towel snuggled between my husband and I while CoCo laid between us too. She always insists on licking her a few times every time I bring her out of the nest.
After an hour we got up and gave her a few fresh dandelion greens and some droplets of water and put her back into the nest. We went down and started watering some of our gardens as the sun began leaving the yard, which probably was about a half hour or so. I went upstairs to peek in on our little one. I picked her up and she was almost lifeless. I could not believe what I was seeing as she was practically limp in my hands where just a little bit ago she was a vibrant little sweetheart.
I brought her down to the back porch and held her for a few minutes before my husband realized I had her. Tears streaming down my face, he looked at me and said no, she has to be okay. I said honey, she is not moving at all and is not opening her eyes. He looked at me in disbelief and just started stroking her precious little face. He sat down next to us and I knew in my heart that he was the one to hold now. As he sat there with Honey Bunny laying limply in the palm of his hands, we were both crying like little babies unable to hold back our emotions. Oh my god, how could two people get so attached to a little thing so quickly. Our hearts were literally breaking over our little one. We held her close, loved on her and let her know that it was okay to go to bunny land now, as we sat there waiting for her to take her last breath.
It was less than an hour that passed as that little one went from a content, ravenous little creature to one that had no strength at all. It was indeed her time to transition over to the other side and we knew that we had done all that we could have to ensure that her last days were filled with love and kindness. Tears are still streaming down my face as I write this update for all of you. This has been the most beautiful week full of precious moments that neither one of us would not have wanted to experience. We carefully wrapped her into her little towel and buried her right next to the steps on our back porch. A pretty stone lays atop her grave as a reminder of how much she meant to us.
I know this is not the happy ending that all of us were wishing, hoping and praying for. It was always up to her and her alone if she was to survive. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for all of the love and support that each and everyone of you has sent her way. Love and Blessings for all of you from Bunny Land.
Video of Honey Bunny on her last day
If you missed the first part of the story you can read it here: Part 1 "The Beginning"
Until next time, this is Sunscape...
Sun. Scape. Ing your day
Oh, I feel like crying too. As I was reading, it looked like she was doing so well. I was shocked when I read such a sad ending. What you did for her was amazing, you gave her so much comfort and love, and put in so much work in caring for her. You did all you possibly could. Isn't it amazing how we can grow close to all kinds of animals both big and small, and how heartbreaking it is when we lose them.
This was the hardest thing I ever wrote. She touched our hearts in a way that even surprised us both in a few short days. Thank you for your love and support @white.tiger xoxo
You are welcome. Its always nice to meet people that have love and respect for nature and animals, good hearted people.😊
Oh! I am so terribly sorry, my friend. Hugs for you.
Awe, thank you Melinda I still cannot believe she is gone and CoCo is still looking for her everyday too.
Oh this is so heartbreaking. The poor little dear. I had a similar experience with tiny kittens that the mother abandoned. The vet told us the mother knew something was wrong, but we tried to save them anyway.
I'm so sorry you lost her.
Thank you Ginny Annette, I know that's why she abandoned her, but I had to give her a chance. It was such a delight to care for her and enjoying her little essence. It was also the most heartbreaking too. I know how badly you must have felt over the kittens.... and that is life.
I can't stop thinking of her, she's in my prayers since she arrived at you and yesterday was really sad to find out about her passing away. I'm so sorry! As I said yesterday, at least she felt loved these couple of days.
Thank you Erikah, I wish it had a better ending. We were so looking forward to her being a part of our family.
I know and also know you did everything humanly possibe and that will be appreciated. She also wanted to live but the universe had other plans for her, unfortunately. :(
This is sad to say the least. Love is a mighty thing.
It sure is Mike, I can't believe how heartbreaking that was for us. You know how it feels when you loose one of your cats. It really gets us deep down inside. xoxo
I'm wacked out just when they get sniffle.
My wife was out taking our dog for a walk. She came home and had a young bunny (kit) that she had found all by herself and thought the mother had abandoned it.
I told her to take it back to exactly where she found it and put it back.
Mother rabbits leave their young alone for most of the day as they go out foraging for food. They only come back to feed their kits and nest with them through the night.
They do this everyday as the kits grow and the main reason is so she does not lead predators back to her nests.
If you see a kit just leave it alone and let it be. Mum will come back and check on it during the day to make sure it is okay.
Thank you @acwood I so agree with you. I know that they do that with the little ones and it is part of their training. This one was laying on it's side in the front lawn all dehydrated and almost gone. That is why we did what we could. She was unable to walk on her own, she could only crawl forward. There was a nodule on her spine that handicapped her. We gave her what we could and the rest was up to her.
That was good of you. Sorry the little guy didn't make it.
I am very sorry to hear about what happened, I think you did everything you could to help her survive, and that means a lot @sunscape
Thank you so much @adazone we did our best and there were a lot of beautiful souls pulling for her here on steemit. Thank you for your kind words.
My heart is broken with you @sunscape. Thank you for giving Honey Bunny so much Love, support and the chance for survival. I am sorry that this journey hasn't ended differently (at least in our realm), but it is deeply comforting to know that she was cared for by you & your family. Your embodiment of compassion in action and sharing of the experiences is truly a blessing. I thank you with all my being for your wayshowing! Reiki Hugs
Awe, you are so precious!!! Thank you so much for your kindness, love and support. It always means a great deal to me that so many beautiful souls connect in wonderful ways in this awesome community. LOVE YOU!
That was not the happy ending I was expecting. My condolences.
I appreciate your kindness, we really thought she would make it. It happened so fast.
Awe, I'm sorry @sunscape! You did all you could but it was just her time I guess. Not gonna lie..I'm sitting here with a few tears as well! I'm glad she has a pretty resting place! xoxo
Thank you Deerjay she is near us and hopping in bunny land and that is what she decided to do. Thank you for your kindness during our little adventure with her.
I am so sorry because this did not have the happy ending that I was expecting either. God bless you and your beautiful heart and just know that I am so warmed by the story. Thank you so much for sharing it.
You are most welcome Denise. Honey Bunny gave it her all and so did we. I guess it was just a time of bonding for us all until she decided it was her time to go. Love you and thank you for your kind support always.
((Hugs)) I am so sorry that she didn't make it.
Thank you Debralee, I am sad and at the same time happy for her too. Bittersweet for us all.