Chapter 109 – Getting Old Sucks
At thirteen years old, Mocha’s life wasn’t very exciting anymore. No more binkies or zoomies. Hobo, his buddy of almost nine years was gone. His life mostly consisted of eating, sleeping, and pooping. Despite a rough life for the first few years of his life, Mocha had a good long life and kept plugging away.
Until one night, as he walked across the floor on the Starship Bunnyprise, he fell over. He flailed around for awhile until he got his grip and then stumbled back to his bed. The next morning, when Dad brought Mocha’s breakfast, he found Mocha laying on the floor. “Mocha, what’s the matter?” he asked. Dad tried to help him stand up, but he just fell over. Dad rushed him to the vet. Their regular vet was out, but the vet on duty thought it might be an inner ear infection, since he had some puss in his ear and an elevated white cell count, or e cuniculi, and sent him home with antibiotics to address the infection and some medication to address possible e cuniculi.
Over the next couple of days, Dad kept an eye on Mocha. His condition worsened. What’s more, Abigail had suffered an ear infection when she was young, and her behavior was not like this at all. Abigail had head tilt and couldn’t stand up because she was dizzy. Mocha did not act dizzy. It looked as if he could no longer control his back legs. Dad would stand him up, but as soon as he tried to walk, he fell over. He called their Supervet and explained the symptoms. Dr. Stern suggested, “Maybe he had a stroke.” That explanation made more sense to Dad.
Each day, Mocha seemed weaker. He looked so sad. Dad said, “I’m sorry, Mocha. Getting old sucks, doesn’t it?” Mocha thought, “Dad, I’m hungry, but I can’t get to the food tray. Can you help me?” Dad sat on the floor with Mocha and hand fed him his greens, leaf-by-leaf, which he ate voraciously. He was essentially bed-ridden.
Dad remembered his experience with his mother at the end of her life. She broke her hip and was bed-ridden. As she wilted away, she begged him to help her pass, but he couldn’t do that legally. Ironically, humans have the ability to give animals the gift of leaving peacefully with dignity, but not other humans.
Only a few weeks before, he had had to make the hard decision for Enzo. Was time for Mocha? What to do?
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