[Leica] IMG: Departed and very loved pet rabbit

[photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Phil Forrest)]

I came up to Jersey City on the 3rd of April to stay for two weeks
while my friend Katelyn was away on vacation in Florida.
Kate and I have been lovers of rabbits for years and we both volunteer
at the NYC Animal Care and Control center in west Harlem to assist with
rabbit rescue when we can. 
Katelyn adopted Maya in the fall of 2008. She was from a litter of four
or five other rabbits who had been abused, neglected and abandoned in
NYC. Maya came to the shelter very skittish and had quite a temper not
hesitating to paw or bite a person. 
After a few months Maya calmed down a bit but she was still very
temperamental until her friend Ollie came along in the fall of 2009.
Katelyn adopted Ollie to give Maya a companion and after their
introduction, they bonded well over a few months and
have been inseparable since.
Last month Maya was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy which caused
pressure on her already weakened heart (from a previously unknown
cardiac episode) due to fluid build-up around it. Her lungs were
filling with fluid as well and she was having difficulty breathing. She
was put on medication these last three weeks and her health got much
better. Within a week of her diagnosis, she was again the spry little
bun that we knew and loved.
These last two weeks I've gotten to get closer to Maya than ever
before, having to administer her medication and generally dote upon
her. She showed a lot of interesting things about her personality in
these last few weeks that endeared her more to us and made her passing
that much harder.
She died this morning and Kate and myself are very sad about losing
her. The anxiety of her possibly being in pain is over though and we know 
that she had the best life possible
these last several years. Ollie is probably still processing it. He
said his goodbyes and groomed her and we think he knows what happened.
He's been a little down today. 
Apologies for rambling.

Maya in 2008:
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/Maya/01140011.jpg.html

Maya and Ollie last week:
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PhilForrest/Maya/L1006768_E.jpg.html

Thanks all.
Phil Forrest