Wendy
I lost a good friend today, one of the best I’ve had in years. Her name was Wendy, and she had cancer of the spleen. She was a funny bunny… she and her boy toy, Waldo, have been living in my bedroom for the last 3 years or so, and she has entertained me, snuggled with me, comforted me, and made me laugh big belly laughs. I couldn’t help but love Wendy, even after she nibbled on the woodwork, ate my Bunny Suicides collection, and ripped the paper cover from the sheetrock on the wall behind their pen.
Wendy has been going downhill since late last summer – I took her and Waldo in for their annual exam, and because something had just been off with her for a while. The vet palpated her belly and noted that her spleen was enlarged; she took x-rays and found that her abdomen was so full of fluid that there wasn’t much visible. The next step would have been ultrasound, but since there’s no good treatment for cancer in rabbits, we really didn’t see the point. I brought her home to live out the remainder of her life – 4 months – comfortably, snuggled next to her Waldo. She surprised me by being her usual bouncy self all the way up to this morning, when she could no longer move around the pen. She tried… oh, she tried, and it was the most pitiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I just couldn’t let her suffer. For a being so full of life and vivacity, it was simply heartbreaking to see that her body could no longer keep up with her will. Waldo and I took her to the clinic and said our goodbyes, and just like that she was gone.
It’s never easy, losing a companion animal. Rabbits are special to me – as prey animals, they aren’t very trusting, so when they put their trust in you… it’s just one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced. Wendy came from a horrible place; she lived in a wire cage below another rabbit’s wire-bottomed cage, so you can imagine how filthy and nasty her hair was when we rescued her. She came a long way in the almost-5 years after rescue… I’m so happy I got to know her, and to share my home with her.
And now that my blog is officially maudlin, I’m posting the lyrics to Blackbird by The Beatles, because it oh-so-appropriately came on the radio on our way to the vet this morning. I know, I’m a sap.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Faith
It’s things like this that really help restore my faith in humanity. I guess it’s true what they say about one man’s trash being another’s treasure… congratulations on finding a good home, Mr. Fluffy Pants!
Filed under indignities, nablopomo, rabbits | Comment (0)Adoption only
WOOHOO!
It’s a good day for the bunnies, and an even better day for those of us that have been involved with the PETCO rabbit adoption program. PETCO announced today that they will cease the sale of rabbits in their stores nationwide, and will implement an adoption-only program for rabbits based on the model piloted and implemented VERY successfully in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. We implemented this program in central Indiana around three years ago, and saw adoptions increase dramatically. Bigger than that, though, was the even more dramatic decrease in surrenders to local shelters. The best part of working with Petco to house adoptable rabbits in the store is the opportunity to reach people that may not have thought to contact a rescue organization to adopt a rabbit. These are people who wouldn’t necessarily go to an adoption or education event. I’ve always enjoyed the education part of rescue the most, and it clearly has an impact.
If you are interested in adopting a rabbit, please check out Petfinder.com and see what’s available at shelters or rescue groups in your area. In Indiana, please visit the Indiana House Rabbit Society website to see a list of adoptable rabbits.
