Thursday, November 10, 2005

Bunny Update

After much Internet research last night, a tummy massage and offering of freshly picked treats (a sprig of parsley, sage, and a grape leaf), Mr. Peaches is back on his feed/feet! Yeah!

We lost a dearly loved lop-ear bunny, Brownie, to a one-day bout of anorexia of unknown causes (most likely a hairball or blockage) a few years ago, so I was relieved to the utmost, to see Peaches bouncing off the walls, of the bathroom again, in his "I'm so happy to see you" morning dance. I had felt so bad when Brownie died, and found out afterward that not eating/eliminating for as short a time as 12 hours could be life-threatening to bunnies. Our previous rabbit, Falina, had lived to be a healthy old lady bunny, on virtually the same diet, never missing a meal; so I had no clue.

My apologies to any non-rabbit fans out there for what must seem a boring post - but I felt I needed to offer this cautionary tale to any current or prospective bunny people out there, in gratitude for Peaches' good health & in memory of our sweet Brownie boy. If you're thinking of getting a bunny as a pet though - please think about it THOROUGHLY - they're NOT the easiest pet, they can chew furniture, electrical cords, etc. I'm sure this is why our bunnies got dumped on us. No, domestic bunnies don't just survive in the wild, the way your average cottontail does - they don't have the social connections to join a burrow for one thing - rabbits have their own social order. Please don't get your child a live Easter bunny or any other pet, then drop him in the wild! I have no more room at the inn to take any more bunnies or any other critters in - so please don't ask me to take them in, either! Ok, I'll step down from the soapbox now, before I fall off or they bring out the hook to pull me off.

Yes, I realize how nutty our life must sound to others; keep in mind, apart from the aquarium residents, we didn't buy or seek out any of our menagerie - they just show up, & the ones that stay, do so because no one answers our "found pet" or subsequent "free to good home" ads.

The bun's one up on the cats & dogs, by helping pay for his keep - he acts as a built-in source of compost/fertilizer for the garden. He's also been helpful by posing as a bunny model for my artwork. Beatrix Potter had an actual Peter Rabbit that she kept inside and walked on a leash - so we do have a literary/artistic precedent for our eccentric lifestyle!

I promise a more entertaining post is coming soon. Till then, G'night everyone; it's time for me to put on my bunny slippers and go to bed.

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