Natural Disaster Strikes Dayton Home
“Ever wonder why the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland carried that pocket watch? It’s so he could kick Alice’s butt if she was late with his meals.”
Along with this note…
To Dr. Geurino and the staff of the Animal Medical Center:
A sincere thank you for your many years of caring for our pets: Martin and Chuck the mice, and Peanut and Rex the rabbits. Rex passed away rather suddenly last September, but he was surrounded by love and by his family, and he’s now laid to rest next to Peanut. Thank you, Dr. Guerino, for taking such great care of Rex and Peanut. We would not have enjoyed their long years with us without your help, and we will forever be grateful.
With love,
The Zookeeper’s Family
Will you have bunnies again sometime?
But why do you have to close that chapter of your life? Why not plan for new pets soon?
I won’t be having a bunny again anytime soon. I won’t be having any small animals again, at least not for awhile. I’ve always thought it a ridiculous notion that small animals are good “starter” pets. They need a lot of time, a good amount of space, quite a bit of equipment (cages, toys, etc.) and a lot of specialized care. And thanks to poor breeding they are, more often than not, sickly and prone to very short lives. It’s that last part especially that I’m feeling too tapped out to deal with.
As far as other pets, I’d say we’re pretty well covered in the cat department. Given their young ages and extraordinarily good health, we can expect to have them around for at least another ten years or so. And the cats have been so well blended into the household and the family that they are a natural part of our lives. I’d hate to force that with a new addition.
Now…I do want a dog. But here’s where the most pressing reason comes in, the reason for me to ‘close that chapter’ for the time being: my parents do not want anymore animals. I’m a young woman, a college graduate, and I live at home. I love living at home and I love my parents, so I really must respect their wishes. Even if I felt I could take on a new animal, it’s going to have to wait until I move out. And that probably won’t be happening for awhile.
There are other reasons too. Financially I’m not in a position to take on a potentially large investment (I’m still dealing with the several hundred dollar legacy dear Peanut left). I need to be more stable, and focus on the pets I have now, before I commit to a new animal. I also need to consider the pressure it would place on my time. I try not to overbook my life, and I think I’ve found a good balance for now. On top of that, I’ll be gone for a whole month next summer, and that gets harder to do the more dependents you have.
So there are my reasons. Things may change, and I hope that they will. But for now it’s just me and the feline posse. Pass the catnip…
I just want to say ‘Thank You’ to everyone who has shared their support over the last few days. To Tamara, who shot me an e-mail yesterday. To Maria, who sent the lovely e-card. To Becca – aka, BabyBunnies – who made this tribute (click to enlarge)
To those who have commented here on the blog, on Flickr, on the Rabbits Online Forum and elsewhere. Not many people understand how meaningful our pets can be in our lives, so the outpouring of love that I have received from you all has been such a wonderful blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I’ll be away from the blog again for a few days as I’ll be taking care of my boss’ house and pets while she’s on vacation. Have a good week, and I’ll see you on Sunday.
(March 13, 1999 – September 15, 2008)
I took this photo just a few weeks ago. It’s not quite the last one I ever took of you, but I think it works. It’s just…you, Rex. Always on the go. Always doing your own thing. You knew who you were and what you wanted, and you could be both amazingly smart and incredibly persistent. And of course, you usually got your way.
We were wrapped around your tiny bunny paw for almost ten years, Rex. You were king of the household. When Peanut died last year, we worried about you so much. We thought you might not be the same, but there you were, living life to the max as usual. And even on your last day, you seemed to handle things on your own terms. I wish I had known, Rex. One day you were here, you were happy, you were healthy.
Today you were a quickly fading star, gone before I truly realized what was happening. You’ve left a bunny-shaped hole in all of our hearts, Mr. Man, and you know, the cats just aren’t going to know what to do with themselves now that you’re gone. Who will chase them out of your bed? Who will they stalk at three in the morning?
Who will be our bunny king?
Goodbye, Rex. This room is a lonelier place without you, but you and Peanut are together now, and forever. We love you both so much.
Love,
your family
