Bunny

[UserName]

My husband and I did small mammal rescue and rehab for a decade before having to wind down because of the limitations of chronic illness and more disabling conditions. Still we are generally known in our area for doing intensive care for little animals.

Two Mays ago, because of a crisis at a breeder’s place, we were asked to take in a litter of four kittens. They had been orphaned the day prior, at three days old, and had not been fed since. The rescues and animal welfare organizations in the region were all (predictably) swamped with kittens. The kittens grew up just fine. They were Manx kittens. Three of the four were adopted by six weeks of age, all placed with clients of the nearby animal hospital who were known by the hospital to be persons who would spay/neuter and take good care of their needs.

We decided to keep the rumpy one, Bunny, because he would require special attention and help for his severe colorectal dysfunction and elimination problems. Bunny goes to Doctors about twice a month, on average -- even more than I do.

[Dollythehun]

Bunny is adorable. We always rescue our cats. When our two elderly cats passed, we rescued Nathan from the rescuers. He is the joy of our lives. Sweet and spoiled. We rescued Dolly from the Hammond animal control who found her in the Pick and Pull junk yard. She is paranoid and ungrateful...Sometimes psycho...Then there is Jack. We found him at a job site. My friend took him home. From there Jack spent several years with teen aged boys. When they went to college out west, we got Jack. He has a host of bad habits that many people could live with. Amusingly, when a Frito bag opens, Jack begs. Still, he is a lover. Three is too many and Jack is a plant eater. Orchids are always out of his reach.

Nathan is first, Jack in the box, and Dolly is my Avatar.

[jkofferdahl]

That you kept Bunny BECAUSE of her condition is so amazing. Thank you, and thank your husband, for your wonderful hearts!

[UserName]

Thank you very much, Friends.

Dollythehun – Thank you so much for rescuing yours! They all look happy and loved. They are all very lucky to be in your care. Dolly does sound ungrateful – but it is more likely that her prior life experience keeps her traumatized and fearful. When they are not frightened, even most low-intelligence mammals are smart enough to understand and accept needed help. Fritos bags, yes! Bunny loves that sound too. I think the only people food Bunny ever gets is little bits of cheese pizza that my husband occasionally shares with him. Bunny has been very bad to our holiday cactus and ponytail palm for being too close to one of his hangout windows. When he damaged one of the orchids very near another of his hangout windows, that grow-room became The Forbidden Room. In another room are some orchids not in his way – he ignores those.

jkofferdahl – Well, it was not that nobody else could take proper care of him – it was serious doubt that anybody else around here would. The timing of Bunny’s arrival was providential. We had wound down from a steady stream of animals needing help. By late 2014 we had quit accepting any more. The last of our non-releaseables had left us (Rainbow Bridge) just a couple of months before Bunny and his family arrived. It hurts to release a healthy animal to freedom with all the dangers out there. It hurts much more to see them grow old and sick and have to leave the other way. I would not have stopped that work, though, but for the absolute necessity. Still I longed for a companion animal who might live for more than two to three years. Then the kittens came to us.

[charlesf6]

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by UserName

Thank you very much, Friends.

Dollythehun – Thank you so much for rescuing yours! They all look happy and loved. They are all very lucky to be in your care. Dolly does sound ungrateful – but it is more likely that her prior life experience keeps her traumatized and fearful. When they are not frightened, even most low-intelligence mammals are smart enough to understand and accept needed help. Fritos bags, yes! Bunny loves that sound too. I think the only people food Bunny ever gets is little bits of cheese pizza that my husband occasionally shares with him. Bunny has been very bad to our holiday cactus and ponytail palm for being too close to one of his hangout windows. When he damaged one of the orchids very near another of his hangout windows, that grow-room became The Forbidden Room. In another room are some orchids not in his way – he ignores those.

jkofferdahl – Well, it was not that nobody else could take proper care of him – it was serious doubt that anybody else around here would. The timing of Bunny’s arrival was providential. We had wound down from a steady stream of animals needing help. By late 2014 we had quit accepting any more. The last of our non-releaseables had left us (Rainbow Bridge) just a couple of months before Bunny and his family arrived. It hurts to release a healthy animal to freedom with all the dangers out there. It hurts much more to see them grow old and sick and have to leave the other way. I would not have stopped that work, though, but for the absolute necessity. Still I longed for a companion animal who might live for more than two to three years. Then the kittens came to us.

Carol (Dollythehun) has a heart as big as the outdoors. If it's alive, there's a place for it in her heart. I know that's true because she's even nice to a grumpy old man like me. For myself, the ONLY time I've ever gotten a pet that wasn't a rescue or shelter animal was when I was 12, so I refuse to accept the blame. I've only fostered a few and the last one I agreed to "foster" has now been with me 6 or 7 years and sleeps on my bed, taking up roughly 83% of the space. Another, my Shelter Boxer, actually came to me 5 or 6 years ago when a friend from OB (sadly, I can no longer find her) told me about his impending euthanasia at a county "Shelter" a few counties from where I live; he now sleeps on my easy chair when I'm not in it. Sometimes even when I am. None of mine, though, are as blessed as is Bunny.

[Dollythehun]

Not deserving of that praise, John, still learning to walk the tightrope between helping and enabling. Wish I could figure out how to shrink my squirrel video to post it. You would love that!

[UserName]

Thank you, Friends. You are very kind.