Hanging in There

Nibbles is still hanging in there. After a less than stellar vet trip yesterday, the bunny has rebounded some today.


Yesterday was tough. The vet was very kind, but honest when she informed me that Nibbles prognosis is "guarded." He has a deep inner ear infection which is tough to completely cure. To make things worse, he has bruised his eyes from flailing about so much. My main job now is to pump Nibbles full of bunny gruel (yogurt with his food pellets mixed into it) every four hours, lots of water, and plenty of hay. I managed to hold it together at the vet since Car Guy and Curly Girl were with me, but as soon as I was by myself at home I pretty much lost it. I am such a sap for animals. I am rather low on mercy when people are sick, but fall apart if an animal is lost or hurt. I can't even watch "The Lion King" or "Bambi" because of my affinity for injured animals, and don't even ask me how much I cried at "Benji" movies when I was little.

I can kind of empathize with Nibbles. I had an inner ear infection when I was seventeen, and it was definitely no fun. My ear infection appeared without any warning and, unfortunately, reared its head when I was driving. Thankfully, a friend was with me who could take over when I blacked out at the wheel. I completely understand that Nibbles' world is spinning because mine did for quite some time, along with repeatedly passing out, until my antibiotics kicked in.

This entire rabbit rehabilitation episode seems to have brought out two of my less desirable (or they could be positive, depending on how you look at it) personality traits: stubbornness and a refusal to give up on people.

I am just absolutely, downright stubborn. If someone tells me I can't or shouldn't do something, then I'll just try even harder to prove them wrong, even if it flies in the face of common sense or public opinion. So, gosh darn, I'm going to rehabilitate this rabbit if it's the last thing I do. When I was feeding Nibbles a few minutes ago, Curly Girl commented that we are probably the only family whose schedule is dictated by a rabbit (and to think that I laughed at a friend when she syringe-fed a squirrel for two months; Okay, Kelsey, now I get it). I have even arranged for a substitute bunny feeder to care for Nibbles when I am not home (Thank you, Mom, for taking on this duty.). My refusal to listen to other people does sometimes pay off, though. I wouldn't have the fantastic time I have with my kids if I had actually listened to my husband when he told me that no way, no how would we ever home school. Ssshhh, don't tell him, but I have already spent more than the amount I was "told" to spend on bunny care. You see, I just don't listen to people other than myself.

My new career as a rabbit rehabilitator has also reminded me that I refuse to give up on people or animals, for that matter. I tend to give people multiple chances to get it right, regardless of how many times they may screw up their lives or relationships. I hate to say goodbye to people or to animals. I just don't want to do it. I can't stand losing touch with people. Over the last two years, I have lost touch with one of my closest friends from the high school and college years (the same person who was with me when I passed out while driving), and it absolutely drives me crazy. Our lives have just moved in opposite directions, but I, of course, blame myself for this turn of events. Just like the Nibbles situation: I refuse to give up on the rabbit, and I blame myself for his issues, even if it is not completely reasonable.

There it is in a nutshell: how caring for a bunny has brought my own foibles into the open. I'm sure that we all have emotional hang-ups, for some reason I am just feeling rather transparent about mine today. Think of me if you happen to be awake at 5am. I'll be feeding the bunny then.