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Farewell, little Spike the Bunny
Oct. 22nd, 2007 08:06 amSpike passed on Friday. I find myself pretty sad about it; I'd gotten pretty attached to that rabbit.
The thing about bunnies is that they are ephemeral. They could live seven years or, like Spike, they could kick it for no apparent reason and without warning when they're barely over a year. Evolution did not make rabbits individually tough but instead endowed them with the ability to, well, breed like rabbits. It's worked well, for the species. Anything with a rex coat, I've noticed, tends to be more delicate than a normal coated or angora, but any rabbit can die unexpectedly.
I've had hundreds of rabbits in my life, and I try to be more attached to "rabbitness" than any individual (if you've read 'Always Coming Home' by LeGuin, you'll know what I'm talking about), particularly since I raise them for their fur and meat. (This was the plan for the spring, which will be quite hampered if I can't find another velveteen lop buck). But of course you DO get attached to individuals sometimes, and Spike was one of those. He was one of my 5-6 favorite rabbits ever.
I skinned him out on Saturday. It will be a beautiful fur. Now I've got to find another source for Alum, the chemical I use to tan with, because apparently Longs dosen't sell it anymore. But hey, it's all salted, it will keep for awhile if I have to get the stuff online. Sigh.
The thing about bunnies is that they are ephemeral. They could live seven years or, like Spike, they could kick it for no apparent reason and without warning when they're barely over a year. Evolution did not make rabbits individually tough but instead endowed them with the ability to, well, breed like rabbits. It's worked well, for the species. Anything with a rex coat, I've noticed, tends to be more delicate than a normal coated or angora, but any rabbit can die unexpectedly.
I've had hundreds of rabbits in my life, and I try to be more attached to "rabbitness" than any individual (if you've read 'Always Coming Home' by LeGuin, you'll know what I'm talking about), particularly since I raise them for their fur and meat. (This was the plan for the spring, which will be quite hampered if I can't find another velveteen lop buck). But of course you DO get attached to individuals sometimes, and Spike was one of those. He was one of my 5-6 favorite rabbits ever.
I skinned him out on Saturday. It will be a beautiful fur. Now I've got to find another source for Alum, the chemical I use to tan with, because apparently Longs dosen't sell it anymore. But hey, it's all salted, it will keep for awhile if I have to get the stuff online. Sigh.
