RIP Rocky Rabbit

When we first moved up to Aspen Meadows, the kids were small and they were active in 4H.  Camille participated in sewing and knitting.  Kyle joined the rockets group – and they were both in the rabbit group.  They both got rabbits shortly after we moved into the house, ten years ago.  Camille showed her rabbit Oreo, who we lost a couple years ago.  Kyle’s rabbit was Rocky.  Kyle picked out Rocky for his tenth birthday.  Rocky was a beautiful seal point Holland lop.  He was too heavy to show (although the judge said he was a very healthy bunny; not fat, just too big).  Rocky didn’t like being handled so Kyle pretty much left him alone after they dropped out of the bunny group. 

Initially, Rocky and Oreo lived in one of the horse stalls.  We stretched a puppy pen to divide the area in half but Rocky was able to scale and jump the fence easily.  Kyle called him “Super Bunny” and bragged about his athletic prowess.  We tried to keep the rabbits separated because Oreo would try to mate Rocky; constantly.  We even had the two rabbits neutered in the hopes that Oreo’s hormones would settle down but it didn’t work.  Rocky was a good looking rabbit and maybe that’s why Oreo couldn’t resist.  Rocky would put up with the constant mounting for awhile and then he’d get annoyed (and you couldn’t blame him).  Fights would ensue.  Oreo ended up with a big tear in his ear and we decided to permanently separate them.

Brett built the rabbits a pen using dog run fencing.  He put a brick floor in so the bunnies couldn’t dig out.  We put the two hutches in the pen and alternated letting the rabbits out to run around.  Oreo was out during the day since he was friendly and loved to interact with people.  Rocky got night shift when there were no humans about to bug him.  It worked well until Oreo died.  Then, Rocky got depressed and skinny. 

  

Camille bought two new rabbits, Basil and Sage.  Since Rocky was neutered, we put them all together.  Rocky and Sage became inseparable; sleeping and eating together.  She groomed him.  He got fat and happy.  Over the years, I worked with Rocky at feeding time giving him treats by hand and getting to the point where he would let me pet him without thumping and running away.  He loved carrots and peanuts.  

When he died, Sage was with him.  Tuesday morning, when I went down to feed, Sage was sitting next to him and it looked to me like she was trying to keep him warm.  When I pet him, he didn’t respond. I pushed him gently and I thought he might have twitched so I left him there.  I knew he was 99% gone.  When Brett got home, Sage was still sitting with Rocky.  Basil had joined them and Brett said it looked like the Basil and Sage were grieving for Rocky; sitting with their noses touching, in front him. 

Rocky has a Rough Night

Rocky: Winter of 2008

Yesterday morning when I went down to do chores, I noticed blood in the bunny area.  Rocky's rear end was all matted with blood but he wouldn't let me near and I was short on time so I didn't force the issue.  He was bright eyed and hungry - even though he did seem to be missing part, or all, of his tail. 

This morning I had a bit more time before I had to head off to work so I caught him.  Rocky is my son's rabbit, a Holland Lop, and is about eight years old.  My son is off to college and his bunny is living the good life with my daughter's two Mini Lops.  Rocky has been neutered so the bunnies all hang out together.  He's never liked to be handled and so other than petting him a bit in the mornings when they get treats, he is left alone.  I managed to corner him and pick him up this morning.  He was squirming and kicking and carrying on in panicked rabbit fashion.  I turned him over on his back so he couldn't get traction with his hind feet but then they just went a hundred miles an hour in the air.  Sigh.  He's not bleeding anymore although his butt is a big matted mess of fur.  His tail still seems to be there, maybe, kinda.  It was hard to tell for sure but I felt a knobby thing in the tail vicinity.  I figure if he has that much fight in him and he's still eating well and otherwise happy, I'll just leave him alone.

A wet bunny.  One of the girls this past December.

Besides,he's got the girls to look after him.

They take turns grooming him - he is usually spotless - so I imagine he'll be cleaned up in a day or two.
















I wonder, though, what happened.  It wasn't the dogs because they are in the backyard in the evening and in the house at night.  The blood was fresh yesterday morning so it happened during the night.  Racoons are notorious for trying to pull chickens out of their pens, through their fencing.  We have secure chicken pen fencing (chain link lined with chicken wire) so they haven't gotten any of ours.  But we have neighbors who have lost chickens to raccoons.  It's not a pretty sight.  You can imagine.  Or maybe not.  It's gruesome.  Maybe a raccoon got Rocky by the tail? 

Other than that, we're just waiting on the rain.  The first of three storms is set to hit tonight.  Although the storms are coming in from Alaska and are cold, we have been taken off of snow watch.   The snow level is expected to be down to 4,000 feet and we are at 3,200.  So, we'll just be cold and wet.