Dedicated love song

So, my sister and I were always doing crazy things with Noogie and Pookie.  We would try to dress them up or we would make them dance to music.  We were in our early 20’s (twenty years ago, in fact) when we heard K-Ci and Jojo’s hit, “All My Life“.  One day, when it was playing on the radio, we decided to dedicate that song to both of them.  We literally picked them up and serenaded them by singing it to their faces, swaying them to the music.  They were really good sports about it!  To this day, I remember that moment—while millions of others used this song for their wedding that year, we used it to commemorate our love to these two wonderful furry family members.  Even now, whenever I hear it playing, I smile because it reminds me of them.  It makes me laugh too because we enjoyed the theatrics of it all when we were doing it to them, while they stayed immobile and unresponsive, waiting for it to be over.  But we thought it was a perfect song for them and when I think about the lyrics, they’re pretty accurate (just change the word “lover” to kitty or bunny).  I haven’t found a song fit for Gamora and Groot but if I do, you’ll definitely be informed.  Or perhaps I could compose my own songs for them and be like Freddie Mercury, who loved his cats so much that he actually recorded musical tracks in honor of them 🙂  Oh, the things we do for our fur babies!

 

Putting bunny to rest

As it is with every pet owner, the death of an animal is tremendously hard.  Even when it is expected, it is never accepted without many tears and longing.  I never thought the day would come when my sister would call me up and tell me (through weeping) that Pookie passed away.  To be fair, Pookie was a dwarf bunny and their lifespans are a bit shorter than regular rabbits.  Nevertheless, after almost a decade (9 years to be exact), she lived one year longer than the estimated time.  It seemed that her little heart stopped from old age, as she had no illness before she died.  By then, Pookie was not living with me but the pain I felt upon hearing the news still affected me greatly.  She was a joy in those brief years that sometimes seemed so long because of the intense care my sister would provide.  Now, our white fluff ball had crossed over to the other side and was finally at rest.  Since my sister no longer lived with my parents, she wanted to give Pookie a proper burial at the house that she had grown up in.  My sister didn’t have the heart to deal with the preparation, so her husband wrapped Pookie in soft cloths and put her in a plain white shoe-box.  When they arrived at my parents’, we each took one last time to stroke her still very soft fur.  We closed the box and wrote loving messages and drew pictures on it.  Then, we buried her in the backyard, at the top of the hill.  I think it was more sad knowing that we would say good-bye forever to owning a bunny, since we all said we would never get another one again.  But for all the struggles she put us through from time to time, nothing can replace the value of Pookie’s special companionship.  It has been twelve years already since she left us but we always feel that we were truly blessed with the privilege of having her in our lives!  I hope you are enjoying Rainbow Bridge, Fuzzy Cheeks 🙂

Ears are NOT for lifting!

Contrary to popular belief and what we have seen at magic shows, rabbits don’t have long ears for the convenience of picking them up.  You may be wondering why I would even bother to write a post about this at all in my blog but Pookie almost experienced it firsthand!  We had guests over one afternoon and one of the visitors was delighted by our dwarf bunny’s cuteness, while she sat in her cage.  I will give the benefit of a doubt to this person by saying they probably genuinely thought that reaching for Pookie’s ears to lift her out of the cage was the most easiest way to do so.  We had stopped the action before it had even begun, however.  We yelled, “No!” in unison and explained that it was the incorrect way of handling a bunny.  The person (who was an adult) was shocked and couldn’t believe that it was true.  They figured that since Pookie was so small, picking her up by the ears wouldn’t be an issue.  In fact, all of Pookie’s weight would have stressed her tiny ears and might have made the action worse for her.  Her ears could have become dislocated or the cartilage could have ripped!  Either that or if she struggled while being held by the ears, she could have easily twisted out of the person’s grasp and in desperation, break her back falling.  We jest about it now, when we remember that day but I dread to think what could have happened if she was lifted by the ears.  The best advice I have for picking up a rabbit would be to allow them to sniff your hand first and then gently proceed to hold them around their torso, resting their belly on your chest once you have removed them from their cage.  Keep one hand supporting their bum, while the other rests on their back—kind of like holding a baby!  I know that when we held Pookie it was in a different manner from the way we held our cats.  Let’s leave bunny ears to do what they were meant for: hearing better to avoid predators and keeping them cool when they get overheated.

Bunnies love grooming too!

    

This will be absolutely no news to rabbit owners but bunnies enjoy cleaning themselves about as much as cats do.  Have you ever watched the grooming session of a rabbit?  I never thought it could be something to write about but it is absolutely adorable.  They seem to have enough time in the world to concentrate on keeping their fur spotless.  We never gave Pookie a bath—and it was never needed, even though she was white!  Besides, although giving your bunny a dip may seem fun, they certainly do not require it (according to the House Rabbit Society, it is considered very dangerous and even fatal if the bunny is traumatized by the experience).  Better to err on the side of caution and trust that your rabbit can maintain its hygiene.  Even if they have “poopy butt”, there is no need to give a full body bath.  We were lucky—Pookie was immaculate in her cleaning routine and we never had to intervene (even with diarrhea episodes).  Whenever Pookie commenced her cleaning, I was entranced.  Maybe because she was so petite that she looked cute doing anything.  But I must say, one of my favorite moves was when she cleaned her ears.  It literally looked so dramatic—as if she were in a shampoo commercial and she smoothed them between her licked paws, as though her ears were extravagant locks of hair.  Pictures don’t do the action justice; you need to see a video.  Paw and face washing are equally entertaining.  In this respect, bunnies proceed to clean themselves in the same manner as a human would.  Totally different from cats.  They enjoy a good brushing too, so don’t deny your little companion this activity.  We used to comb Pookie’s fur with a soft baby brush.  If you want to fall in love with a rabbit, just watch them groom: so innocent, so  determined.

The surprising sounds of bunny

Owning a rabbit certainly taught me how similar they can be to any other pet.  Before we had Pookie, I never thought bunnies could emit sounds like dogs, cats or birds do.  She put a halt to a few of our misconceptions about the pointy-eared, cotton-ball tailed cuties.  One Summer afternoon, while the screen door was open and I was doing something at the kitchen table, I heard a distinct but soft cooing sound.  It was hardly audible but I have exceptionally good hearing!  I thought there might have been a pigeon or morning dove outside but that would have been odd, given the fact that we never had them in our neighborhood.  I wondered where the sound was coming from and then looked down at Pookie in her cage.  She was in a ball—her eyes closed, ears back and her teeth grinding.  I knew this was her state of contentment because she did it often.  What I didn’t realize was that when rabbits are really enjoying the moment or feeling secure, they start cooing like a dove.  I went closer to the cage to see if the sound was really coming from her and it was!  It was the cutest, most calming sound I ever heard.  When she grew older, she became more stubborn and would make grunting noises when she didn’t approve of something.  It was quite a thing to hear.  Then, of course, there are the high pitched shrieking sounds that can be heard when a bunny feels threatened.  I am happy to say that we never heard Pookie screech in all the years we had her but I sadly did hear it coming from a helpless wild baby hare, which was taken from its siblings by an outdoor cat.  Even though it has been years now, I can still remember how Pookie sounded when happy or upset.  Certainly much different from a “woof!” or “meow” (Actually, dare I say that I think the sounds for Tribbles on Star Trek were modeled after the vocalization of rabbits?).  She was so small but even she had the right to express her emotions 🙂

Eskimo kisses: bunny style

When Pookie was still a baby, she had the sweetest habit of showing affection: licking my sister’s nose!  It wasn’t considered exactly an ‘Eskimo kiss’, since that involves two noses rubbing each other but it was close enough  🙂  It is too bad I don’t have a picture of it in action but when my sister would pick her up at eye level, Pookie would quickly start to lick the tip of my sister’s nose with her tiny pink tongue—as if it was a treat.  We didn’t take it for granted because once she got older and then entered her senior years, it had stopped.  I don’t know why Pookie only gave these special kisses to my sister (perhaps because she was the primary caretaker) or why she eventually ceased to do it but I thought it was truly an adorable way for a bunny to show affection.  I had always associated licking with dogs.  Even cats lick people sometimes but it seems more rare.  I never expected a bunny to show affection in this way.  She obviously felt no threat and wanted to express her love.  At the time, we didn’t have internet or a computer, so the only source of information was through books.  Looking through those, I don’t remember seeing anything about licking noses but licking fingers or hands was mentioned.  She pleasantly surprised us many times with her personality and actions.  Whatever triggered Pookie to lick my sister’s nose, it was something to witness.

Learning to eat again

As owners of a dwarf rabbit, we learned very quickly about the complications that could arise when their delicate systems were thrown off balance.  Force feeding was one of the ‘joys’ we encountered when Pookie had come back from any kind of procedure that required her to go under.  I think the first time we were introduced to this experience was when we brought Pookie home after she was fixed.  The doctor warned us that after waking up from the anesthesia, bunnies may be susceptible to starvation.  This would be due to them forgetting that they need to eat because they may not feel 100% after an operation (they could be groggy or in slight pain).  Somehow, if food does not reach the stomach regularly, the digestive system shuts down and the bunny stops eating.  As the caretakers, we had to reintroduce food to her and make sure she became hungry again.  The quickest way to get the procedure going is to make a mush with food pellets and water.  This concoction is then put in a thick feeding syringe and then it’s time to make bunny eat!  We never had much difficulty feeding her but sometimes it took a while.  We would wrap her in a blanket and then insert the tip of the syringe in the side of her mouth (as seen in the picture above).  As we pushed the food in, she would just automatically start chewing.  But her mouth was so small that it was a long and messy process—her little tongue would flick pieces of food out as she ate.  Watching her consume the paste was like witnessing a senior trying to eat without their teeth.  She was adorable.  The force feeding did do the trick and usually after one or two sessions, she would ‘remember’ to eat again.

“Fuzzy cheeks”

When a rabbit wants you to rub its head, boy, you better do it!  Just like a dog, Pookie demanded affection in the form of petting.  Many times, when out of her cage, she would approach you and nudge her nose under your hand or arm.  One of my favorite things that I liked doing was to take her face in between my hands and start rubbing her cheeks, calling out, “Fuzzy cheeks!”, as I did so.  I would kiss the top of her nose and then commence to pet and scratch her head.  The session could go on for a long time, as she didn’t want it to end very quickly and was insistent that you continue even when you thought it was enough.  It was a pattern: “Pet my head, please.”  Fine.  There you are!  “Not enough.  More.” (nudge, nudge).  Ok!  Cute little Pookie.  Alright, done.  “Nope. More!” (nudge nudge).  And then she would settle in a ball, grind her teeth and close her eyes in contentment, relishing the head rub.  One day, I was home alone with Pookie and Noogie, the cat.  As I only had two hands and they both loved attention, I was resigned to using one hand for each of them.  I wish someone could have taken a picture.  Pookie was nestled on my left, while Noogie was sprawled out on my right side.  I was a slave to them but I laughed and cherished the moment.  They were absolutely one of a kind.  Moments like those certainly brought down stress levels—for everyone involved! 🙂

Bucking bronco bunny

When Pookie was let out for her exercise routine, she wasted no time running, jumping and chewing things.  The cutest jumps she performed were those that made her look like she was a wild horse at a rodeo!  In fact, jumping with a mid-air twist before landing was EXACTLY what she used to do.  It is seen in the first image of the pamphlet above, being  described as a rabbit “binky”.  I didn’t know until today, that it even had a name!  We knew she liked to jump so she could stretch her legs after being in her cage but to actually claim that it was a sign of sincere happiness, totally caught me off guard.  Her bucking bronco jumps were entertaining and we never knew when we would be treated to the special show.  The other images of the bunny above show how relaxed and content a rabbit can be and I am so happy to say that Pookie was often found in all of these positions.  I know she had a very good life, where she was pampered and lived quite long but seeing this pamphlet is complete proof that our bunny was one of the happiest on earth and that certainly makes me feel assured that we did the best to love and care for her.  When Pookie passed away, my sister cried with guilt, wondering if the rabbit had really enjoyed her confined life.  She can now be confident knowing that Pookie truly did.

The Easter Bunny lived with us!

How many people get to say that a holiday celebrity shared the same roof with them for almost a decade?  Well … I guess those who actually owned a bunny and celebrated Easter!  When we had Pookie, we realized that Easter holidays would get just a bit more fun.  Even though we were well in our early adulthood, every year, we would still receive chocolate treats or goodies from our parents.  The story became more cute when we said that Pookie worked real hard to work all night delivering sweets to households and made it back in time to greet us in her cage on Easter Sunday.  The first Easter we had her marked the beginning of Pookie’s most important day of the year.  The following years we played along and continued to pretend that she was the Easter Bunny who we were so blessed to have living with us.  While we ate during our family Easter lunches and dinners, she would be part of the gathering, enjoying our company.  Unfortunately, those days didn’t last for too long, since she only lived till about nine or ten.  At first we were sad that we couldn’t make the story last anymore but then we realized that she was still around in spirit and so we continue to believe that Pookie is doing her best to visit every Easter and delivering yummy stuff to us and the new kiddies who are now part of the family.  Whenever  Spring rolls around, I get a nostalgic feeling of how wonderful it was to have a bunny for a pet.  I guess I feel her absence more during this time of year than any other.  There is only one word to explain it: bittersweet.