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By Liz O'Connell
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A toddler who still prepares breakfast for her loving pet has crushed viewers as the rabbit recently crossed over the rainbow bridge.
The tradition started about two or three months ago, Frankie Seamark, the toddler's mom, told Newsweek. Seamark would always feed their rabbit, Mavis, in the morning with Ottilie watching intently, but it eventually grew to Ottilie preparing the rabbit's breakfast herself.
"Ottie loved feeding Mavis in the mornings, and the first thing she would do was check that [Mavis] was at the back door," Seamark said.
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In the January 22 TikTok video, which was posted to the account @henryshousegrooming, Ottilie is going about her normal routine. She goes straight to the cabinet filled with bowls, picks one out, and then fills it with the rabbit's food. Ottilie goes to the back door where Mavis typically eats and waits, but there is no rabbit to be found.
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Seamark had Mavis for four years. The beloved pet passed last week and, unfortunately, the rabbit's absence has not yet been processed in Ottilie's mind.
"She is still too young to understand, fortunately, so she seems to be OK," said Seamark. "Just confused as to where she is in the mornings when she would usually give her breakfast."
The heartbreaking clip, which has nearly 3 million views at the time of writing, broke viewers' hearts. Pet loss is hard enough, but seeing a young child go through it has been too much for viewers.
"I held it together until she sat at the back door with the food waiting," said one TikTok user. Another commenter wrote: No no no this had me crying. Let's get this sweet girl a new friend."
Other TikTok users have encouraged Seamark to get Ottilie a new rabbit friend so the tradition can live on.
Helping Kids Through Pet Loss
Having a pet die might be one of the hardest things one has to deal with in life no matter what age. And for kids, this might be their first experience with death, which oftentimes makes it harder for them to cope or understand.
Psych Central recommends parents use a combination of talking about death and closure activities to help children grieve. No one hat will fit all as everyone experiences the grieving process differently.
Licensed therapist Katie Lear, who is quoted in the Psych Central article, said it is best to use direct language as "crossing the rainbow bridge" or "put to sleep" could be confusing to children.
Other options to help children process include creating art projects to express their feelings, reading grief-related books, and memorializing the pet. This can be done with a ceremony, sending off a balloon, or writing a letter.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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