Volume 5, Issue 1 - Februrary 2005

Ernie
by Julianne Bruce

Several years ago, my husband, Mark, and I came to the Colorado HRS to find a mate for our rescued miniature Dutch rabbit, Cassidy.

The Perfect Match
We fell in love with a black mini lop named Ernie. He had been abandoned in an apartment when the owners moved out. We were told that he was an HRS volunteer’s favorite—it was easy to see why with his friendly personality, bright eyes and adorable face. Unfortunately, he was unavailable, as he had recently been paired with another rabbit. We tried a couple of other rabbits, none of whom worked well with Cassidy. By that time, however, it had been determined that Ernie wasn't very happy with his new mate either. Joyfully, Ernie and Cassidy bonded, and the delightful little Ernie joined our family.

Cassidy and Ernie adored each other. She took care of her man and he doted on his ladylove. They were so perfect together! Cassidy would talk to Ernie while he gave her presentation smiles. They enjoyed snuggling together and playing chase games with our two cats. The bunnies would gang up on the cats and play until they all collapsed, exhausted, under the coffee table!

Ernie Gets Sick
Just before Christmas, Ernie got sick. We had moved to Iowa earlier in the year, and I don't think our vet knew enough to save our little guy. We hand fed Ernie, held him and gave him medicine for three days. The vet told us to separate the bunnies so Cassidy wouldn't get sick, too. (See the Note from Nancy at the end of this article.) We put their cages next to each other, so they wouldn't be too lonely. He seemed to be getting a little stronger. On what was to be his last night, I decided Ernie would be better off being cared for by Cassidy while we got a little sleep. I put him in with her, not knowing just how important it would be for them to be together.

I guess he couldn't fight the infection any longer, and he died in the night. We found him lying in the hay box. He had been far too weak to jump in there by himself, so we figured little Cassidy must have lovingly dragged him in. He looked so soft and precious lying there, it was hard to believe he was gone. Cassidy sat nearby, watching over him.

Cassidy is more than ten years old now and getting quite frail. We had fully expected that Ernie's death would be the end of her as well. But our cats--especially our female cat, Molly--have worked hard to take Ernie's place. We find Molly in the cage with Cassidy, Molly licking Cassidy's head and Cassidy giving Molly presentation smiles. It's amazing!

Loved, Missed and Greatly Appreciated
I just wanted you to know how much we loved Ernie and how grateful we are for the chance to have him in our lives. He was an amazing bunny, whose love and friendship we will always treasure. He is missed every day. Thank you for rescuing him and for working to find the right mate. Ernie and Cassidy were the perfect couple.

We learned so much from the HRS, and we continue to educate people around us about house rabbits. They're pretty amazed in Iowa that we allow "stock" to live indoors with us. We have a long way to go! You do fantastic work, and your efforts are truly appreciated. Many years and many miles later, your dedication continues to make a huge difference in our lives. We'll be sending a donation to honor our little Ernie and to say thank you for everything you do.

--Julianne, Mark, Cassidy, Molly and Toby

**Note from Nancy: Never separate a bonded pair because one is sick. The point of greatest contagion is just before symptoms appear, so the healthy rabbit has already been exposed. Separation stresses both bunnies. This can cause the sick bunny to get sicker and the healthy one to succumb. Besides, the support of the healthy bunny is sometimes what makes the difference between the ill rabbit surviving or not!