Another

When Mister left this world two years ago,  my heart was raw and broken from loosing the fight to have him adapt to life as a tripod.  I had gone into his ordeal with bone cancer convinced that if he came through the surgery all Else would fall in line.  Every story I had found about tripod bunnies told of wonderful success story of rabbits living years and years happily hopping on three legs.  The surgery went well but Mister did not adapt. I will not recount the details, it breaks my heart to recall.

In the two years since I realized that the life of my beloved Mister was a constant struggle for him, I have lost my father, Misters beloved Lily, and my dear cat Cleopatra.  For each loss I cried and my heart broke, but never with the same feeling of defeat that loosing Mister left.

My broken heart knew that Mister would never be replaced, but deep inside I knew that there would be another bunny in my life.  If not for me then for Lily.  Lily was always an affectionate bunny, she loved me from the moment we met, and a few hours later she loved Sooty and Cleopatra.  Unfortunatly Sooty and Cleopatra never reciprocated the affection.  Mister came into our home as a companion for her.   Bunny bonding is supposed to take days or weeks.  Lily and Mister bonded immediatly.  Its true that the bonding was a bit ackward.  Mister, the unaltered rabbit wanted to display his love in a physical way, but had never seen a girl before.  He attempted mounting Lily forward, backward, sideways.  Lily was fixed and did not seem to mind so it was decided that Mister was the dominant and Lily was the cleaner of ears, eyes, well his whole coat needed cleaning, and it suited the two of them perfectly.  Even after Mister had his "snip" operation.  It was beautiful to see them together.  When Mister was gone Lily carried on but I new that her life was better with a mate than without.

It took six months.   I seen Stu on a rescue site.  He was close to Lily in age.  In my idelic lala imagination I was thinking of the two of them snuggling happily together for the rest of their days.  And it seemed like that was the way it was going to be.  Stu came home and we started the bonding process.  Stu in the cage and Lily saying "let him out, I need to clean his ears, and his eyes, and his entire coat".  Stu liked having his face and ears and coat cleaned.  Stu liked Lily. 

Stu had months with Lily compared to the years that Mister shared with her.  When her little heart stopped I told myself that there would be no more bunnies.  Stu had lived a decade as a bachlor before he knew Lily and he would adjust to that lifestyle again.   The last year has had its ups and downs; and Stu has readjusted to life as a bachlor, he enjoys his carrot tops, hangs out under the lazyboy chair, appreciates when he gets into the backyard and does the odd binky.  But I cant help but know that he was happier when his face was being washed and his ears were being cleaned.  

Maybe I should get another, a rabbit as a companion for Stu.  I am not sure that my love is enough to make him happy.