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Friday, September 26, 2014

New family member.

When we first started doing some volunteer work at Heartland Rabbit Rescue, a teenaged bunny named Gwendolyn had just recently been rescued. Animal control had found her running the streets in a small town near Norman.

She was the first youngster we met and she immediately captured us. When we decided to bring a bunny into our family she was the first one we thought of but we wanted to take someone who had been at the rescue for a long time and hadn't had much of a chance to have a home of her own and that's part of the reason Nessie Ray ended up living with us. Nessie lived to be about 13 but she died back in November. She took part of me with her when she left.

In the meantime, about 18 months or so ago Gwendolyn met the guy bunny of her dreams and she had bonded with Barney...who was just an absolute sweetheart of a fellow and together they made easily the most loving and carefree couple at the rescue. Well...several months ago Barney suddenly died and Gwendolyn was left alone. It was very apparent that she was depressed and heartbroken.

Gwendolyn
I had been thinking about bringing her to live with us because we had always been attached to her and when Juli visited and saw how stricken Gwendolyn was...she came home with us the next day. She has some weakness in her left rear leg because of the aftereffects of a parasite but she gets around fairly well. It has been very happy making to see her adjust to living in a human house (she has never done such before) and to see the sparkle return to her eyes. She has always liked both of us and since, for most of her life, all she has known has been kindness from humans...she is a seriously affectionate being. If one of us gets down in front of her and tells her how she beautiful she is we are rewarded with  bunny kissing on the nose or cheek or wherever she can reach. She loves headrubs and responds with teeth chatter and kisses all over the place.

She's able to thump because when she spotted Gracie Ray for the first time we were treated to several thumps...Gracie was the first cat that Gwennie had seen and she didn't quite know what to make of her. Yesterday they had their first nose to nose encounter and there was no hostility so that will all work itself out.

Gwennie's disposition is very sweet and affectionate and she will often, if you get down in the floor and rub her head, do a flop and soon go to sleep with her head in your hand (as long as you keep rubbing). She falls completely unconscious, laid out and totally relaxed. She's an absolute treat and I fall more in love with her daily.

After Nessie was gone, the house was bunnyless and it felt rather empty. Once you've lived with a bunny, it becomes apparent that they bring a magic to wherever they are and with Gwendolyn...bunny magic is back.

If you can...share your home with someone of another species.  The rewards are amazing...and...if you do that and live vegan...well...just wow. If you can't share your home...the living vegan part brings lots of wow all by itself.


9 comments:

Laloofah said...

Hurrah for you, lucky Gwendolyn, and the return of the bunny magic! She's beautiful, and I'm so glad she won the bunny lottery - a forever home with the kindest people on the planet, who did so much to help heal her broken heart. :-) She's just beautiful, and this post made my day!

(P.S. As you probably know, we share our vegan home with our three vegan dogs, all rescues. I can't think of anything more gratifying - and fun!) :-)

Anonymous said...

Bunny Magic and Vegan Ethics! unbeatable force of good in the world!

Bea Elliott said...

This is wonderful for Gwennie and for you as well! So glad everything worked itself out on the up-side again. Sounds like you all came into each other's lives at just the right time. <3

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Laloofah, DEM and Bea.

Laloofah: She is indeed a beauty and we're lucky she's here. Good for you for sharing your home with those lucky dogs. Thank you.

DEM: Right on! :-)

Bea: Sometimes it seems like all falls into place, doesn't it? Thanks Bea.

Christine said...

What lovely bunny. It is so refreshing to hear such an uplifting story; Gwendolyn is indeed a most fortunate rabbit. Yes it is wonderful to share your home with a rabbit, sadly few people understand what amazing creature’s rabbits are. It’s so good to know that there are people who care.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Christine. Bunnies are, as you well know, well...they're magic. :-)

Have Gone Vegan said...

Aw, sorry to hear about Nessie, but so glad for you about Gwendolyn! She sounds like such a sweet soul, and I'm sure that all members in the house are the happier for it. :)

p.s. received your message about difficulty with commenting on my blog (not sure if you received my reply?), but just posted tonight so please try again and let me know if it's still buggered up... ;)

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting HGV. Thanks for your kind words re Nessie and about Gwennie.

I've signed in every way possible on your blog (google, typepad, etc) and while I can enter a comment when I go to click the post button...it is dead and absolutely nothing happens even though I'm obviously signed in or whatever. So...here's the comment I wanted to make re Mr. Mowat.

Comment: "I get to raise my hand...I did (and do) know about this fellow because I saw a little movie called Never Cry Wolf way way back in time (the movie was released in 1983). I wasn't living vegan then but I already knew that how humans were behaving toward the planet and her beings was seriously and profoundly screwed up...the movie just helped confirm that. The book, which I then undertook to read, had been published even earlier (1963).

He was a multifaceted individual. I recently saw a documentary that highlighted his role in negotiating with the Nazis to provide food assistance for starving people in the Netherlands (during WWII).

One of the articles you linked had this quote: “He has always gone his own way, a powerful defender of the oppressed and mistreated — from Canada’s native peoples to the many other beings with which we share this Earth,...”.

It was also noted that Reagan disliked him and barred him from the US. Now I ask you, is there any higher accolade possible? Not to me. :-)

He was a treasure, thank you for the quotes...and while he wasn't vegan...if all unvegans were like him the human world and mother Earth would be a magically different (and better) place."

Have Gone Vegan said...

How very strange! I'll put in a support ticket to typepad tomorrow and see what they say. In the meantime, I'll try and enter this comment on the blog on your behalf.

Glad you enjoyed the quotes and sorry for the trouble.