A Wonderful Bunny

So, on Wednesday, we had to put Alaska to sleep.
She's been with me for 12 years - half of my life.
It's strange to realize how much I think about her in a day, now that she's gone.
I bring her into my room every morning. And every time I walk into my room, I say hello to her. I wonder when I'll stop thinking that when I walk into my room.
I remember when I lost Midnight, for months I'd see Mom's black purse from the corner of my eye, or something black sitting around and think that it was Midnight.
Animals have such short lives, but they bring so much happiness.

Alaska was the best rabbit I could have hoped for. My family and a bunch of my friends loved to visit and pet her, and she was always happy to get attention. She'd give kisses, and back when she could walk properly, she would come when I called. She's also come and sit under m computer chair so I'd pick her up and snuggle with her. She was more a lap pet than either of my cats.
She took a lot of maintenance as she got older. First her ears got something of a permanent infection, and I had to keep them clean, which felt awful to her. Then her arm started not working properly. Eventually it sort of hung useless beside her. Then about a year ago she got an abscess tooth, which I had to clean for a long time until it finally stopped being nasty. Though there was still a permanent lump on her jaw.
Then Tuesday night, I found something really awful, and brought her to the vet the next morning. And there was nothing they could do. The treatment that would have been required was risky for a 2-year-old rabbit, let along a 12-year-old rabbit.
And so we had to say goodbye to my sweet bunny.
This must have been the last picture I took of her. Or at least the last one that's in focus.

My parents and I had a funeral for her in the back yard, and I spent the rest of the day taking everything off of every surface in my room and cleaning it. There was a lot of dust and rabbit fur. And a few years ago, I suddenly became allergic to Alaska, and my entire room. Despite all my attempts to keep my room clean. So now that everything is clean and the floor is mopped, I might be able to breathe properly for the first time in a few years (except when I got to Japan or Portland...) Even last night I could start to breathe again.
I guess my room is cleaner than it's been in 12 years. But I'll still always picture my bunny sitting in the corner by my bookshelf.