LOSING SABRINA
The loss of a beloved family pet is a heartbreaking experience that most animal lovers reluctantly choose to accept when sharing their lives with what often turns out to be a best friend and trusted companion. Most of us have been down that sad and lonely road before, swearing we'll never travel this way again. It's too hard, we tell ourselves. Much too painful to ever do again, as we try valiantly to believe our own thoughts. The passing of time, however, allows our grief to subside a bit, replaced by happier memories of sharing life with our animal pals. It becomes apparent to most of us that in spite of the inevitable loss we will face again someday, life without animals is incomplete and less enjoyable. And so the search begins again for a new friend, not to replace, but to honor the memory of our lost pet.
When we lost Cinder, my beautiful, black, 14lb rabbit in the spring of 2011 from issues of old age, we decided that there was space in our home for another rabbit. Turning to a wonderful rescue organization in Wisconsin (K&R Animal Sanctuary) we somehow came home with 3 lovely Flemish Giants; young sisters Sabrina and Jill, and Babe, a shy older female. It became readily apparent that Babe had no intention of getting along with other rabbits, at least these two sisters. After several fights and one expensive vet bill, the difficult decision was made to allow Jill to go to another loving home that really wanted her, and to keep Babe, who would be much harder to adopt if I took her back to K&R. Besides, she was a sweet, crotchety old girl and we loved her. Over the next 8 months, Sabrina and Babe became buddies, as long as there was a fence between them! They would lay together and even groom each other occasionally but put them together physically and all hell would break loose. Since Sabrina was a large 18 pounder and Babe was a few pounds lighter and slightly smaller, she would always pay the price for messing with the big rabbit. It was a friendship that only a rabbit could understand.
Sabrina began to cough intermittently, followed by what I thought was a bad inner ear infection. The resulting dizziness and vertigo made it difficult for her to move in her usual athletic manner. Anyone who has seen a big, young rabbit launching into their aerial gymnastics knows what I mean. Incredibly powerful and a lot of fun to watch. After a round of x-rays and large doses of antibiotics, she seemed to improve, and my hopes rose accordingly. The next few months had us on an emotional rollercoaster ride, as Sabrina would get stronger and more stable, then decline, to my great disappointment. Her interest in life never waned, but her normally large appetite began to fluctuate and her weight and muscle tone lessened, as well. We worked hard on a daily basis to keep her healthy and happy and never gave up hope.
Sadly, on a Sunday when I arose for morning chores, Sabrina had taken a dramatic turn for the worse, and showed no interest in her greens and veggies; two of her favorite things. She appeared to have turned inward, showed no movement or interest, and I knew she was in trouble. I made the now regrettable decision to leave for work with the intention of monitoring her condition. After a call from my partner a short time later, I found myself driving home as fast as I could. A call to an emergency vet had us rushing to get there in time, but as I gently placed Sabrina in my girlfriend's blanketed lap, I knew that all those months of care wouldn't be enough. A mile from home she died in her arms and all we could do was to pull over and cry for our beautiful girl.
In looking back over the nine months before her passing with equal amounts of joy and sadness, I wonder if there was anything else we could have done for our sweet Bun. I could only hope not. Money was never an issue, and all options were explored, but in the end, it wasn't enough. On my final trip to the vet with Sabrina for cremation and a forever home with us, our Vet asked if she could do a brief necropsy to check her organs for any possible answers to the mysterious illness. White lesions were found in her heart muscles and intestinal tract, a possible link to Pasteurella, an incurable and sometimes fatal disease found in many rabbits in varying degrees. We'll never know for sure.
The only bright spot during that week was that we still had Babe. She retreated back into her shell somewhat and appeared depressed and a bit stand-offish. I’m convinced that she missed her cross-fenced friend as much as we did. Some rabbits are known to be healthier and longer-lived with the presence of other rabbits in their lives. We decided that in the interest of Babe's mental health and well-being, another friend for her should be considered. Our next rabbit will eventually live in our hearts forever, as Babe does now, in company with Sabrina and Cinder. Our two sweet, beautiful girls are missed very much and the joyful memory of them will never diminish. The cycle begins again.
by Steve Hanssen
