A RASCAL IS BORN
Hi, I'm Rascal, and I really live up to my name! Have I got a story to tell about my lives! (What, you thought only cats had more than one?)
I am one verrry lucky bunny! I've been around 4 times (so far), and all 4 times I've been able to find my Mommie. It started back in March '93, when I was dumped by some irresponsible hoomins. They dropped me off in a big field, thinking I could live with the wild rabbits there. Wrong! I'm a house rabbit and need to live inside with my hoomin family. Anyway, it was cold, windy, and damp out - typical lousy Michigan winter - and I was hungry, so I started looking for food and shelter. There was nothing to eat but dry, brown grass - yuk. And the only shelter around were some bushes, but they scratched me. Finally I found something safe to hide under while I pondered my dilemma. But before long, a hoomin walked by and told me, "Shoo!" I was shivering so much I didn't wanna move! But she made me leave, then all of a sudden, my temporary shelter was gone! It seems I was hiding under her car and she chased me away so I wouldn't get squashed! Back under the bushes I retreated, awaiting my dubious fate. After what seemed like years, the hoomin came back and saw I was still there (waiting for her, heehee). When I approached her, somewhat apprehensively, she picked me up and took me inside with her. AHHH! Food, shelter, and, hopefully, a Mommie to love me....
By the following day, we were madly in love with each other. (Guess I picked just the right car to hide under, huh?) I quickly took over the apartment and made it my territory...
Mommie also took me to the vet right away to make sure I wasn't sick or anything. She was convinced that I was a boy bunny, but the vet told her I was a girl! Now Mommie jokes that she flunked Rabbit Anatomy class! The vet, however, must not've known much else about bunnies, because she said I didn't need to be spayed. And since I was Mommie's first bunny, she wasn't aware of resources like the House Rabbit Society; in fact, she didn't even get on the internet until the year 2000! But I'm getting ahead of myself...
And after 4 1/2 years of the most wonderful, loving and fun relationship, I became very ill... By the time it was bad enough to notice, it was too late. Yes, I had the curse bestowed upon 75% of all unspayed female bunnies - uterine cancer. I was so weak I couldn't even lift my head. Mommie sat on the floor next to my cage, crying her eyes out as I silently pleaded, "Please, Mommie, please..." And because she loved me so much, she did the right thing. But for the next 11/2 years, I was still in her apartment, in spirit form. She could see a streak of white run across the floor (that was me), and would talk to me. I had promised to keep an eye on her, since she was hurting so bad; I knew that my presence comforted her. We missed one another so much that I decided, when I got the first chance possible, I would come back again...
I love sitting in this big chair! Mommie took me to see Santa Claus!
In the spring of '99, Mommie noticed that I - my spirit - was no longer around anymore. I tried my best to send her telepathic messages, to let her know I was on my way back (though at this stage I was still in utero, as I hadn't been "re" born yet). It would take a few more months till I would be able to find her again. And find her I did! As Mommie always says, there are no coincidences in the Universe. A br**der (dirty word!) sold me to a pet store, where a couple of immature teenagers bought me. I was only 2 months old, but smart enough to know they weren't the ideal bunny parents. It was 90 degrees and humid outside; yet they kept me in the back yard, in a birdcage laying on its side, on the ground! I managed to escape, as they weren't very careful about locking the cage door. My poor little feet were yellow and soaked with urine, and I was ready to die from heat exposure...
Everything happens for a reason. It was Karma that brought me to the back yard of those irresponsible teenagers, as one of Mommie's close friends lived next door to them! When I escaped from the birdcage, I managed to get into the friend's yard just as she was looking out her window. I ran and I ran, round and round in circles, to make sure she noticed me - and she did! She "caught" me and put me in a big cardboard box, then went and called my Mommie. I heard her on the phone: "Come over here and get your rabbit - Rascal's back." When Mommie came to get me, she picked me up and held me; we looked into one another's eyes and she started crying. I told her, "Mommie, it's me - I came back!" She brought me back home, after an absence of nearly 2 years. But somebunny tell me, why do these hoomins wanna cry so much when they're supposed to be happy?
And here I am again - In one end, out the other! I love knocking over
aren't I the cutest baby? Mommie's stuffed bunnies!
So now we were happily reunited. As I had been a girl before, Mommie naturally assumed that I was a girl again. Big mistake! I was busy marking my territory, re-establishing my authority and all, when she interfered and accidently got sprayed in the face! "Rascal! Why didn't you tell me you were a boy?" "Because, Mommie, I didn't think it made any difference!" Ok, so within a couple weeks, it was off to the vet to get "fixed." (Gee, I didn't even know anything was broken, hee hee hee!) I recovered quickly, and, as I was growing so fast, in no time I outgrew my cage. A friend of Mommie's showed her how to build one out of NIC cubes, complete with a balcony. It took her an entire week to finish it, during which time there was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth... on Mommie's part, not mine! (I sat back and supervised, a neat trick I learned from my friend Wally. His Mom sells HareWear T-shirts. Cool!)
Wally takes time out from his duties at Harewear to stop and smell the roses.
POOH & STACHE - A LOVE STORY
Pooh (background), and Stache (front).
We lived across the hall from some very good friends of Mommie's, who had two bunnies of their own. There was a girl named Pooh, and a boy named Stache. Whenever she went over there to visit, of course I would follow her. Well hey, she always left the door open! Pooh always got real excited, thundering around in her cage, shaking it till it sounded like it was going to fall apart. Stache was just a good-natured, laid-back kinda guy. Mommie said that if I hadn't come back, she would've adopted Stache instead. See, Stache just showed up one day outside our apartment building as a stray, and our neighbors found him. Pooh was already living with them, but she wasn't spayed. And since they fell in love with Stache (who wasn't "fixed" either), they wanted him to live with them, too. A friend of Mommie's who worked with the Michigan Rabbit Rescue took them to a vet who did neuters and spays for their organization, so off they went, together. (SIGH - true love!) And a lucky thing it turned out to be -- Pooh had a tumor on her ovary, but they got it before it became a problem. WHEW!! Stache turned out to be one little bunny angel - his showing up at the right place and time saved Pooh's life! As Mommie and I both say, there are NO coincidences in the Universe! So, you hoomins out there, be responsible for your fur babies (pets, for the uninformed) and get them fixed BEFORE they get broken! Not just us bunnies, but your cats and dogs too!
My friend Jackie, a gorjuss redhead! Me with the Easter Bunny! Allll snuggled up in my blankie!
And then, Mommie got very sick with noo - pnew - pneumonia? Is that how you spell it? She was very sick for a whole year; she coughed and coughed till she almost passed out! I was one very scared bunny, as the doctor put her in the hospital a couple times. Our nice neighbors (Pooh and Stache's hoomins) came over to take care of me during those times, but I was still very worried and lonely, too. Mommie tried to go back to work but kept getting sick, so her doctor told her she shouldn't be working anymore. (I really think she was allergic to Michigan, as she kept saying how much she hated it!) Finally, in April 2002, we moved to the sunny, dry, warm state of Arizona, which is much better for Mommie's health. (Oh, sure, it may be 110 degrees here -- but it's a DRY HEAT! hee hee) Mommie bought us our very own house; now we have so much more room than before. I even have my own room, which is the den. But I let Mommie put her tv, stereo, bookcases, and, most importantly, her internet stuff, in MY room, so that she would spend more time with me! (And, of course, she does.) She's much happier living here in the desert than she was living in a swamp; I'm much happier now that she's at home with me instead of waking up at 5 AM and cursing at the alarm clock! SIGH... it's a dream come true!
AAAAA-CHOOOOOOO!! See, I told ya!
(Me imitating mommie when she was sick.)
DRUMROLL, PLEASE!
PEEKABOO! THE END, HEEHEEHEEE!
BUT THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY!
IN MEMORY OF RASCAL BUNNY... June, 1999 - Dec 7, 2003
My companion and soulmate, in this lifetime and beyond. Again you left me too soon, my widdle Boo-Boo Bunny.... All my love, your grieving Mommie.
Rascal's Final Gift to His Mommie...
Exactly one week before he started showing any signs of illness, Rascal surprised me by telling me he wanted a companion. I was mystified by his request, as he'd always been happy as a single bunny. But, knowing him as well as I did during two of his lifetimes over the past decade, I trusted that he knew what he was doing. And he did -- in fact, one week after choosing the new bunny, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. The companion was for me, NOT him! He obviously knew he was going to be leaving me again soon, and his final gift of love was that he didn't want me to be alone. (What an incredible bunny - I always knew he had a human soul.)
We drove all the way to Phoenix - an 8 hour round trip - to attend an adoption event hosted by Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue. Rascal was introduced to 5 different "dates" and eventually chose Flower, a big, gentle girl with soft black fur and big brown eyes.
Here we are at the adoption event. Heeeeeeeere's Flower! Here's Flower stuffing her face.
FLOWER'S BUNNY TALES
Dec 10, 2003
Mommie is frustrated with me and is threatening to make that awful 8-hour round trip to Phoenix again, to exchange ME for another bunny! She says my litterbox habits are horrible! She's mad that even though I'm 4 years old and healthy, I just won't use it! She says she can't handle it, so the people at the shelter apologized and said for her to come back in a couple weeks and pick out another bunny! How dare she! Doesn't she realize all the stress *I'M* under, having to readjust after living at the shelter for 3 years, getting adopted and moving to a new home, and then, after only a week, enduring the pain of my new husbun getting sick and crossing the Rainbow Bridge???
Dec 24, 2003
Mommie changed her mind - I'm staying!! HOORAY!! She says my litter habits are much improved, and, after all, Rascal *DID* choose ME!! I'm still a little shy and easily spooked, but I'll eventually get over it. See, I just needed a little time to get used to my new home!
Jan 1, 2004
In only one month, I've gone from being a shyer than shy scairdy bun who piddled all over the floor to a still little bit shy but perfectly potty trained Pampered Princess. If Mommie's not in the den and I want her attention - THUMP! If I don't get my smorgasbunny bowl of greens right at dinner time - THUMP! And so on and so forth. {{GRIN}} Well now *WE* know who's the boss here! Mommie says if I keep this up, she's gonna change my name to - you guessed it, THUMPER!! So, I woke her up with constant thunderous thumps this morning, demanding my breakfast and a clean litterbox. SO, what's wrong with that?? (Just call me Princess Thumper!) ;-)
Jan 14, 2004
((SIGH)) Now, Mommie's complaining about me leaving cracker crumbs in my bed! Every afternoon I get a toast treat from Busy Bunny, which I grab and jump back into my bunny bed (small litterbox with a pink baby blankee in it) to eat... (crunch, crunch, kerr-UNCH! hee hee hee) I also pull gobs of hay out of my hay tray and drag it into my bed to eat. HAY, who cares? I know I'm so darn cute to watch! (Besides, everything that's supposed to go into the potty - the big litterbox - goes there!) If Mommie's late with treats or supper, I sure let her know about it - and then I promptly clean my plate!
April 15, 2004
Today was my big adventure - we went to the vet for the first time since I was adopted (4 1/2 months ago). I needed a pedicure and also my scent glands needed to be cleaned out. (Mommie said I actually smelled like my namesake from Bambi!!) :-O We went to the nice lady vet who administered ER treatment to Rascal before he crossed the Bridge in Dec. Even though I had come from an abusive situation, which contributed to me being shy, if not downright terrified, I was a good girl! I didn't struggle one bit when the nice doctor took my temp, checked my teeth, and trimmed my nails. Of course Mommie was right there with me for reassurance.When the vet flipped me on my back so she could clean my scent glands, both Mommie and the vet tech gently stroked my tummy, which put me in a trance, I was SO relaxed! My Mommie was one absolutely amazed bunny mom! I got treats just as soon as we got home; then I went to Mommie and kissed her bare feet to thank her for getting rid of all that stinky stuff on my bum. Now I smell like a *real* flower, instead of Bambi's friend!
