Passing of a pet

I've had several pets pass away over the years, and it's always been hard. Now that the kids are older, it's started to affect them a lot more, too.

Our pet rabbit, Nibbles, passed away this afternoon, December 19, 2023.

We're not 100% sure how old she was. We've had her over 8 1/2 years. She was originally the younger kids' pre-school pet. Nibbles may have been an FFA rabbit, and when we got her, a vet estimated she was 3 or 3 1/2 years old. Which means she was about 12. California rabbits can live up to 10 years old, so she was really an outlier.

Rabbits are such docile creatures, and typically don't make any vocalization. However, I knew it was just a matter of time, and starting in August after we got back from a trip to the UK I saw something that troubled me. She stumbled and got twisted, but it was in a way I hadn't seen happen to her before. It was just that one time, but I started watching her more closely.

For the most part, she seemed fine. She had lost some weight, but otherwise seemed active. Her joints were a bit stiff, which was to be expected for a rabbit that old. She was seemingly fine until just a few days before her passing.

She will be missed greatly.