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I'm just "unloading" here - not looking at all for sympathy. I know most have shared this human experience.....
About ten years ago, when I was still an undergrad and living in an apartment near the university, I had a neighbor. They were a family with two small kids (probably 5 and 8 or so) and a pet rabbit. This rabbit often ran loose (AMAZING he lived AT ALL..... AMAZING he didn't run off) and was really abused. I felt really bad for that rabbit. Some of you remember Dr. Steve over at CF; he and I were friends at the time and I sought his counsel with all this at the time. Well, finally, one day, as I held that trembling very sick rabbit, I brought it back to the family and offered them $80. for the rabbit. They practically laughed out loud that I would WANT that animal, much less PAY for it! They quickly took the money .... and I had a pet rabbit (which really didn't "fit" my lifestyle at the time.....I just RESCUED it).
I learned about the House Rabbit Society and via the 'net asked their advice. They gave me the name of a vet who knew about rabbits (FEW do) and..... over $1,000 dollars later (!!!!!!!! This from a poor college student!) .... turned out he had mega problems..... I had a pet. He was my pet for nearly a decade.
I have no clue as to the mystery of the animal/human bond. Makes no sense at all. But it's real. And powerful.
This rabbit and I shared our lives. He never went outside but shared my various abodes over the years. No cage, he just had a corner where he slept and had run of the place. He was perfect with his "litter box" and didn't chew anything (blessings not always seen in rabbits). A funny guy who loved to jump and run (I called it "bunny dancing") and to play with his numerous toys. Like a puppy, he greeted me at the door when I came home. He loved his fresh vegies and could play for hours in his box of hay (which he also ate). He'd jump up in my lap and be petting for as long as I would do it. He was shy around others (often hiding) but eventually warned up.
He had picked up a problem during his days mostly outside and this proved to be a reocurring problem since it could not be cured (it would just flare up now and then) resulting each time in several hundred dollars in vet bills. But other than that, he proved to be healthy and happy, very beautiful.
Finally, everything seemed to go south. He was probably 12 years old (old for a rabbit). He suddenly developed multiple problems. Our house looked like a hospital. He was taking a lot of different meds and needed all kinds of special care. Lots of vet visits. But he was going down fast. A lot of problems. He could hardly move. He was hardly eating, loosing weight fast. Last week, as we had another visit with the vet (the same one he always had)..... the vet simply looked to us and said, "It's time to let him go." I was NOT prepared for that (SHOULD have been, but.....). He and the assist left us alone because I just cried out loud..... The vet was right, of course.
Crazy this human/animal bond..... I'm only now beginning telling family and friends....
About ten years ago, when I was still an undergrad and living in an apartment near the university, I had a neighbor. They were a family with two small kids (probably 5 and 8 or so) and a pet rabbit. This rabbit often ran loose (AMAZING he lived AT ALL..... AMAZING he didn't run off) and was really abused. I felt really bad for that rabbit. Some of you remember Dr. Steve over at CF; he and I were friends at the time and I sought his counsel with all this at the time. Well, finally, one day, as I held that trembling very sick rabbit, I brought it back to the family and offered them $80. for the rabbit. They practically laughed out loud that I would WANT that animal, much less PAY for it! They quickly took the money .... and I had a pet rabbit (which really didn't "fit" my lifestyle at the time.....I just RESCUED it).
I learned about the House Rabbit Society and via the 'net asked their advice. They gave me the name of a vet who knew about rabbits (FEW do) and..... over $1,000 dollars later (!!!!!!!! This from a poor college student!) .... turned out he had mega problems..... I had a pet. He was my pet for nearly a decade.
I have no clue as to the mystery of the animal/human bond. Makes no sense at all. But it's real. And powerful.
This rabbit and I shared our lives. He never went outside but shared my various abodes over the years. No cage, he just had a corner where he slept and had run of the place. He was perfect with his "litter box" and didn't chew anything (blessings not always seen in rabbits). A funny guy who loved to jump and run (I called it "bunny dancing") and to play with his numerous toys. Like a puppy, he greeted me at the door when I came home. He loved his fresh vegies and could play for hours in his box of hay (which he also ate). He'd jump up in my lap and be petting for as long as I would do it. He was shy around others (often hiding) but eventually warned up.
He had picked up a problem during his days mostly outside and this proved to be a reocurring problem since it could not be cured (it would just flare up now and then) resulting each time in several hundred dollars in vet bills. But other than that, he proved to be healthy and happy, very beautiful.
Finally, everything seemed to go south. He was probably 12 years old (old for a rabbit). He suddenly developed multiple problems. Our house looked like a hospital. He was taking a lot of different meds and needed all kinds of special care. Lots of vet visits. But he was going down fast. A lot of problems. He could hardly move. He was hardly eating, loosing weight fast. Last week, as we had another visit with the vet (the same one he always had)..... the vet simply looked to us and said, "It's time to let him go." I was NOT prepared for that (SHOULD have been, but.....). He and the assist left us alone because I just cried out loud..... The vet was right, of course.
Crazy this human/animal bond..... I'm only now beginning telling family and friends....
