Pongo made me appreciate all a rabbit could be - helped me see them as animals with purpose (though her purpose was different to most as you'll see if you can read this long post)
13 years ago last Labour Day weekend a man was sitting on his lakeside cottage deck reading the paper and absorbed by it when he felt a gentle pat on his legs. He looked down and leaped to his feet in shock as a large white and black rabbit sat back and stared back at him. He was not an animal person at all but after making inquires at local cottages realized that the bunny had probably been turned loose to fend for herself over winter.
This man was most impressed that the rabbit just hung out peacefully in his living room while he tried to find its home. He realized he could not turn her loose to die alone in the woods so he put her in his car and drove her to an animal control near where his city house was.
The shelter was ill equipped to handle large rabbits (they use guinea pig pages for all small domestics) and they had 2 large rabbits. They called me.
I was able to take both the big bunnies to school with me. They got lots of out time while I went through the process of having them spayed and starting the search for forever homes. While both were wonderful bunnies (Midnight in fact went to a home and learned bunny agility) Pongo's personality was obvious from day 2. She was fiesty, obnoxious some might say but full of charm too.
I decided that for the short term I would start working with her to be a humane education ambassador. Well, truth be told I could not have had a better ambassador. She would patiently sit on a mat on one side of me while I spoke to whole school assemblies (with one of my humane ed dogs on another mat on the other side of me). It was a toss up as to which animal the students enjoyed watching more... all certainly provided entertainment! (Picture if you will - me at a podium - a bird on a shoulder, a dog to the left of me, a rabbit to the right and occasionally a cat on a stool beside me).
Her real excellence shone through in smaller settings though. With little children I would have them sit in a circle (knee to knee) and let Pongo hop around at her own pace to visit who she wanted. She NEVER once missed a child. Teachers regularly commented to me that she usually chose the most "special" "angry" "sad" or otherwise exceptional child to spend the most time with. She was well litter trained and never left anything more then a couple of pellets on her explorations - if she needed to "go" she'd come back to me and get in her travel kennel.
She lived at a shelter I worked at for a couple of years (when one of the staff at my school decided she was allergic to her - despite never coming in my room). She got fed too many treats there though and had to come to live with me at my house as she developed sludge in her bladder. She lived free range for many years (mainly choosing to rule the very large laundry/furnace room). Eventually I gated her downstairs when we weren't home or awake (as she LOVED phone cords and I got sick of replacing them when they weren't put up out of reach). She had a lovely time terrorising any foster bunny and watching the ins and outs of my crazy house. I'd often find her cuddled up to a cat or dog, just one of the gang. She retired from formal humane education work about 4 years when I realized she was much older than most rabbits ever are.
She was at least 14.. and quite possibly older. Last summer she came to our weekend place with me and loved being able to be out with her new friend Bebe in a huge dog run during nice days - she ate clover and dandelions and just enjoyed life. She was obviously an older girl - she was losing a little weight, she didn't jump or bink as high but her coat was glossy and she loved attention.
Last January (2009) I put a load of laundry in - she came up for cuddles - normal - I went down to trade loads at 7 and she came up for cuddles - lame. Eating, drinking, but a little sore. Rabbits hide things well so I was quite upset. At midnight she was a little more sore. I didn't sleep much and called a vet buddy forst thing (useful friend for me for sure!).
A quick xray revealed the bone was nearly eaten away at the joint by a tumour. A full body xray showed some shadowing in the lungs. With her usual grace and timing Pongo picked when and how to tell me she was ready to go. We were moving the following weekend and plans had been made to send Pongo and Bebe off to a friend for a few weeks through the transition. Can you imagine if I'd sent her away and the leg had fractured on the poor friend who was taking her for me? I can't imagine how that would have affected our relationship.
The big bunny that could.. I miss her a great deal. She opened my eyes to rabbits many years ago though and for that I am very grateful to her.
andrea
13 years ago last Labour Day weekend a man was sitting on his lakeside cottage deck reading the paper and absorbed by it when he felt a gentle pat on his legs. He looked down and leaped to his feet in shock as a large white and black rabbit sat back and stared back at him. He was not an animal person at all but after making inquires at local cottages realized that the bunny had probably been turned loose to fend for herself over winter.
This man was most impressed that the rabbit just hung out peacefully in his living room while he tried to find its home. He realized he could not turn her loose to die alone in the woods so he put her in his car and drove her to an animal control near where his city house was.
The shelter was ill equipped to handle large rabbits (they use guinea pig pages for all small domestics) and they had 2 large rabbits. They called me.
I was able to take both the big bunnies to school with me. They got lots of out time while I went through the process of having them spayed and starting the search for forever homes. While both were wonderful bunnies (Midnight in fact went to a home and learned bunny agility) Pongo's personality was obvious from day 2. She was fiesty, obnoxious some might say but full of charm too.
I decided that for the short term I would start working with her to be a humane education ambassador. Well, truth be told I could not have had a better ambassador. She would patiently sit on a mat on one side of me while I spoke to whole school assemblies (with one of my humane ed dogs on another mat on the other side of me). It was a toss up as to which animal the students enjoyed watching more... all certainly provided entertainment! (Picture if you will - me at a podium - a bird on a shoulder, a dog to the left of me, a rabbit to the right and occasionally a cat on a stool beside me).
Her real excellence shone through in smaller settings though. With little children I would have them sit in a circle (knee to knee) and let Pongo hop around at her own pace to visit who she wanted. She NEVER once missed a child. Teachers regularly commented to me that she usually chose the most "special" "angry" "sad" or otherwise exceptional child to spend the most time with. She was well litter trained and never left anything more then a couple of pellets on her explorations - if she needed to "go" she'd come back to me and get in her travel kennel.
She lived at a shelter I worked at for a couple of years (when one of the staff at my school decided she was allergic to her - despite never coming in my room). She got fed too many treats there though and had to come to live with me at my house as she developed sludge in her bladder. She lived free range for many years (mainly choosing to rule the very large laundry/furnace room). Eventually I gated her downstairs when we weren't home or awake (as she LOVED phone cords and I got sick of replacing them when they weren't put up out of reach). She had a lovely time terrorising any foster bunny and watching the ins and outs of my crazy house. I'd often find her cuddled up to a cat or dog, just one of the gang. She retired from formal humane education work about 4 years when I realized she was much older than most rabbits ever are.
She was at least 14.. and quite possibly older. Last summer she came to our weekend place with me and loved being able to be out with her new friend Bebe in a huge dog run during nice days - she ate clover and dandelions and just enjoyed life. She was obviously an older girl - she was losing a little weight, she didn't jump or bink as high but her coat was glossy and she loved attention.
Last January (2009) I put a load of laundry in - she came up for cuddles - normal - I went down to trade loads at 7 and she came up for cuddles - lame. Eating, drinking, but a little sore. Rabbits hide things well so I was quite upset. At midnight she was a little more sore. I didn't sleep much and called a vet buddy forst thing (useful friend for me for sure!).
A quick xray revealed the bone was nearly eaten away at the joint by a tumour. A full body xray showed some shadowing in the lungs. With her usual grace and timing Pongo picked when and how to tell me she was ready to go. We were moving the following weekend and plans had been made to send Pongo and Bebe off to a friend for a few weeks through the transition. Can you imagine if I'd sent her away and the leg had fractured on the poor friend who was taking her for me? I can't imagine how that would have affected our relationship.
The big bunny that could.. I miss her a great deal. She opened my eyes to rabbits many years ago though and for that I am very grateful to her.
andrea
.
