Fur babies....

A few months after losing Areila, I went outside to pick some fresh basil and parsley for dinner and heard a squeeling/squeeking coming from the front yard. I recognized the noise as an animal in distress and as I turned to follow the noise, I saw a baby animal scurry across the lawn. I thought to myself....oh fuck, I DO NOT want to be mama to an orphaned baby animal. I walked closer and saw that it was a baby rabbit, looked around and didn't see any other animal, but noticed its nest was torn apart and scattered across the lawn. When I approached it unsteadily scurried under a bush and I was going to leave it there in hopes that the mother would appear after I left but as I walked away, it reappeared on the sidewalk. Again, I thought...fuck, fuck, fuck. Well, I scooped it up and brought it down to my husband to hold. When I opened the door I heard the loudest distressed squeel and saw a tiny animal running for its life down the street while a crow was attacking charging. I ran out into the street and scared the crow away and scooped up the poor traumatized rabbit. I looked around for any others and found no more....damn crow got them.

(Om (left), Shanti (right)

I presented another bunny to my husband and all I could do was let out another.... "fuck." I've done wildlife rehab in the past. I've been able to nurse and release many wild animals back to the wind.... oppossums, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, groundhougs....never have I been able to keep rabbits alive. I thought for sure that the one rabbit that was attacked by the crow would die of shock. Oh....and I was not in the mindset to lose another creature but....I had no choice. Gosh, I just wish I wasn't there at that time and nature could have run its course without my knowing . I did some research and made it my mission t keep these precious bunnies alive....luckily they were about a week old and weren't totally helpless newborns.

I can't begin to tell you how serious I took being foster baby bunny mama. I woke up every few hours at night, mixed formula, prepared probiotics and even mixed poo with formula (rabbits are cecotropes/poop eaters) to maintain healthy digestive flora. I gradually weened them from formula as I introduced various greens. I was constantly on the lookout for grasses/flowers that I thought they would enjoy and eat. It was truly insane....I was always scouting out places to stop and pick grasses. They grew quickly grew and became eating and pooping machines. I even found a babysitter for them while I went into the hospital for surgery.

(Om and Shanti~couple days before release)

The time came for them to be released. They were still small but old enough to care for themselves in the wild. I felt like they had a better chance for survival in the wild than in my care. I released them at dusk, as suggested. The one little guy (Shanti) scurried away while the other (Om) hung around for quite some time. My husband and I hoped that they would come back and somewhat remember me but I interacted with them as little as possible so that they would fear humans. Everytime I see a rabbit in the yard, I hope that it is one of "my babies".

(Om~release)

Yes....I am a true dork for naming the bunnies Om and Shanti.