Volume 3,
Issue 2 - May 2003
Lobo, Blueberry . . . And, the
Little Brown Rabbit
by Marie Grosshuesch
Alexa
Meets the Little Brown Rabbit
“MY BUNNY!” Five-year
old Alexa sobbed uncontrollably
as her mother took the little
brown rabbit and placed it where
they had found it, huddled next
to the fence. Alexa did not want
to leave the frightened little
creature. She slid across the
dirt and put her arm protectively
around the rabbit. “My
bunny,” she softly whimpered.
It was hot—one of the dog days of summer. No breeze, not a cloud in the sky, sweltering. The little rabbit squeezed next to the fence, trying to find a tiny bit of shade and also stay out of the way of other animals. Alexa’s parents felt sorry for the rabbit living in the petting zoo. It seemed dangerous for the small defenseless creature to be penned with ostriches, goats and other large animals. But they needed to leave and didn’t see anyone to talk to about the rabbit.
Trying to explain to Alexa why she couldn’t have the rabbit proved useless. She cried all the way home and for days afterward talked about nothing else but the little brown rabbit.
Happy
Birthday, Alexa!
Then, on her birthday, her parents
gave Alexa a slate blue, lop-eared
bunny. Alexa was ecstatic! She
named him Blueberry, and solemnly
pledged to help take care of
him. Her mother explained that
Blueberry could be injured if
not held properly, and told Alexa
not to pick him up or carry him
around the house. The very idea
that her beautiful bunny could
be hurt scared Alexa. She promised
always to sit on the floor before
coaxing Blueberry to her lap.
Blueberry was only three months old and frightened after being taken away from his bunny family. As she had done with the petting zoo rabbit, Alexa gently stroked his ears and back and within days Blueberry was romping around the house. Alexa pranced after him and was quick to tell everyone—“My bunny.”
But
Alexa
didn’t
forget
about
the
little
brown
rabbit
and
pleaded
to return
to the
petting
zoo
to get
him.
If the
brown
bunny
lived
with
them,
she
reasoned,
Blueberry
would
have
a playmate
when
she
was
at school.
Blueberry
Discovers
Lobo
But
Blueberry
had
another
idea.
With
Alexa
hovering
protectively,
he began
circling
Lobo,
one
of the
family
cats.
The
gentle
giant
watched
with
interest
as Blueberry
stopped
in front
of him,
lowered
his
head
and
waited.
Getting
no response,
Blueberry
repeated
his
friendly
rabbit
dance,
intent
on establishing
a bond
with
the
big
cat.
One day, Alexa hurried her mother into the foyer. There, sharing Lobo’s favorite sun spot, the two animals slept side by side. Now, in addition to his doting human family, Blueberry had a special buddy.
It was Blueberry who initiated the next level of friendship—he began grooming Lobo’s large feet. When Blueberry lowered his head, Lobo responded in brotherly love and began licking behind Blueberry’s ears. But the cat’s raspy tongue tangled in the soft, downy fur, causing the floppy ears to bounce and flap wildly. Still, Lobo kept on licking, determined to be a good grooming partner. Blueberry appreciated Lobo’s efforts and reciprocated with gusto. He closely bonded with the big cat, followed him everywhere and always slept with him.
The day old Lobo died, part of Blueberry died. He was bereft without his best friend, and nothing and no one, not even a new family cat, sparked any interest in the despondent rabbit.
It seemed
Blueberry would die of grief.
With hope in their hearts, his
family adopted a beautiful black
rabbit from the House Rabbit
Society. It was love at first
sight! Blueberry eagerly welcomed
Emma to his home, glad to finally
be someone’s hus-bunn.
When
they think back . . .
When Alexa and her parents think
back to that day at the petting
zoo, their hearts ache. They
keenly remember how frightened
the beautiful brown rabbit was,
but at the time they didn’t
know rabbits die of fright—they
can be “scared to death.”
Nor did they realize rabbits
easily succumb to heat exhaustion,
which is why the little creatures
generally sleep during the day.
But Alexa knows the little bunny is safe now. On a clear night she points to a special star. Whenever it appears to twinkle, she says it’s the little brown rabbit doing a bunny binky. She knows he’s never lonely or afraid anymore because there, in the star sparkling closest to him, is a constant companion—Lobo, the special cat who is a friend to all bunnies.
