Once upon a time before the 4Buns, when there was just one big grey rabbit, this writer and her son and the rabbit moved to a too small studio in the back yard of a rabbit keeping family. The rabbits were not house rabbits, but they were well kept and got to hop on the lawn on a fine day. The family had two children a boy and a girl. The girl was about 5 and liked rabbits very much. One day a rabbit hopped into the yard. It was caught and lots of signs went up all over the neighborhood. No one claimed the rabbit and it lived for a time in the big house. But they grew a bit tired of an indoor not very box trained rabbit. Feeling responsible for the animal that came across our path I took the stranger in, had her vetted (over $200 with tests) and bonded her, more or less, to my Bandit, who I was concerned might be getting lonely during the day. The girl still wanted to visit Biscuit, for that was the name of the stranger rabbit, and we allowed visitations on the lawn run. One day Biscuit was suddenly a head tilt bunny. A vet visit and antibiotics that didn't seem to help a lot. She got a little better, and a couple months later fully recovered when she had lots of room to roam in a new place.
The story continues. One of the other bunnies at the house with the too small studio developed quite severe head tilt. Investigation revealed that it was from an injury incurred when the little girl let go of the bunny from too great a height and the bunny landed more or less on it's head. I have no doubt this is what happened to Biscuit. The girl didn't know. Maybe she thought bunnies are like cats who really can be released from a ways up (within reason). She was a nice little girl but her parents should have supervised and given good instruction on bunny handling. This sad tale has a sad ending, but your story can have a better one. If you are considering falling down the rabbit hole do some research first, if you decide being a rabbit's slave is still the lifestyle to which you aspire, adopt a rabbit or two from a rescue organization and start each day thinking how you can be a better person by making your rabbit's life the very best it can be.
All photos taken 05/26/2011 and I think you know by now
which bunny is which, or is that whom?
8 comments:
A sad tale, indeed--I hope someone explained to the little girl that her actions caused the bunnies harm (even if that was not the intent) and that she is a wiser little girl now.
I meet so many "rabbit ignorant" people, it breaks my heart. I am so glad the rabbits owned by the humans in the blogs we all visit are well cared for!
I hate it when I see children who cannot handle animals correctly, because they do not know, or because they are to young to understand, or because they simple don't have hands and arms large enough to do it. I now longer interfere, I just look away because it is not cute. I got tired of being the bad guy critisizing the child who begins to cry and then shuts off like a faucet when the parent comes to rip me a new one. Three Billy Goats Gruff will butt them off the Rainbow Bridge.
I knew of a person whose toddler son strangled five kittens while he sat by unaware. It never crossed his mind that the cute boy would do such a thing.
Children and animals are both cute but neither should be left in care of the other.
Amelia and Harriet I got. The other two? Only a mother can tell them apart.
Good to keep the word out.
I hope the little girl grew up to know better and become a wise critter lover.
Such a sad story, but beautifully told. Thank you. I hope that little girl was made to understand that she hurt a rabbit that way, and hasn't continued handling animals carelessly into adulthood. Some people do.
Well I certainly know Harriet and Amelia apart. I think Sydney is the Spot with the full mask, and fully black ears, and Tyler's ear black starts a bit further up and only has an off-center spot on his nose? Or do I have it backwards?
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