Kiki 10/10/11 - 12/11/18

I've had to have some time before I could write this, i didn't imagine I'd be writing it so soon. I'm writing this on 13/11/18.

Kiki passed away suddenly yesterday evening. We had her up at the vet for her routine checkup, she had been fine immediately prior to this. As we were sitting in the waiting room, me holding Kiki in my arms as I usually do, she suddenly started having a seizure. This was the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed, so much so I thought that I would lose her then and there. Our vet Ingeborg came and rushed her through to a consulting room, she had come round from it by then and seemed fine for a short time. We hoped it was a one off and discussed possible treatment options, but she had two, more violent seizures not long after that. We had to assume at this point that her cancer had metastasised to her brain and that no treatment was likely to help ease the seizures.

Kiki had decided for us that it was time to go. She helped us so we didn't have to choose, her lingering on, us agonising over whether or not it was the right time. In the end it was probably a blessing that it happened this way. Although traumatic for us, Kiki had been pain free and as well as she could be right up until the end. We had an excellent day with her and Hubert on Sunday, it really was lovely, we did not think we would lose her the very next day. We brought her home afterwards to let Hubert spend some time with her. He snuggled with Kiki as he usually did and lay beside her, we think though that he understood what had happened. Hubert had been with Kiki since he was eight weeks old, he doted on her, I know he will miss her as much as we will.

We thought we were going to lose her three years ago to her jaw abscess, but she proved what a fighter she was by defying the odds over and over again! Kiki endured so much in those three years, 550 injections, daily oral medication and eye drops, multiple surgeries and more trips to the vet than I can count. We softened her food when she couldn't chew it, she liked it when I fed her it by hand sometimes. We sat up and waited as she finished her food to give her medicine, she always took longer to eat than the other buns. We scheduled our entire lives around her needs, we never grudged it once. Last night was the first time in three years where we could just feed the bunnies and go to bed, no sitting waiting, no medicine or injections, nothing. I missed it. I miss her.

Kiki really was the best companion I could have wished for. She was there for me during some of the most difficult times in my life, she supported me and kept me going when I didn't think I could. She had such a huge impact on my life and I will never forget her, she leaves an enormous hole our hearts. Kiki was our first bunny, she is the reason we have six other amazing characters in our lives, I can't thank her enough for that.

Kiki, I love you.