Carmen

by Jo-Ann Driscoll

We were "bunniless" after four years of companionship, and she was all alone and wandering in a strange place. Someone had abandoned a beautiful black and white lop-eared bunny on the grounds of our office park. (Too often, rabbit owners think that a bunny will "go back to nature" if turned loose. They won't-- they haven't the breeding or skills to survive.) A couple colleagues found the female rabbit on the front lawn and wondered why she seemed so "tame."

Well, we brought the little lady home. Carmen weighed about nine pounds and was a bit cranky. In fact, we'd never heard so much growling from a bunny! She didn't like being picked up or even approached, and would often snap and bite. But she was healthy according to the veterinarian and certainly was beautiful.

After a while, we decided to get her a friend, and found a cute little brown lop who resembled our bunny who had died just two days before we found Carmen. Scooter was a sweetie, but Carmen didn't agree, and the fur flew more than once when they got together. Scooter wanted to be friends and would snuggle up to her and put his head down in submission, but Carmen rebuffed him every time.

Eventually we had Carmen spayed and all our lives were incredibly changed. Our nine-pound girl came home that evening weighing a mere 6 1/2 pounds. The veterinarian had removed a large (benign) growth from her tummy that probably had been the cause of all her ill temper. She looked a bit odd until all her internal parts settled, but this tough, grouchy bun became a sweetheart over night.

Carmen and Scooter are now inseparable companions. They sleep together, "hunt" together, and guard their "parents" together. They can often be found grooming each other under the dining room table, and they've taught us that two bunnies can bring many times the enjoyment of one. We're so glad Carmen came into our lives.