Dead Bunnies

Out of the last three litters of bunnies only one bunny remains. Last week I saw several new ones, and then earlier this week, I noticed some really small babies- my guess there are two new litters. For a while I was in a panic the yard would become over run with rabbits, but somehow about 99% are eventually killed.

Last week one of the Calious (pronounced KAI-U) brought a little white bunny with gray spots into the house, although I thought I felt a faint heart beat, it died very soon after I found it- in the jaws of the dog...

Rabbits make this really horrible sound when they are being attacked, a very distinctive high pitched death scream.

I thought I heard it last night, and unfortunately I was right.

I think the dogs find the bodies when they are very close to or actually dead - what I can't figure out is who is killing them. I think its the cat, but still can't figure out if the bunnies get out and then are murdered, or if the cat somehow catches them inside the enclosure.

I suspect there is a poison involved- or the cat is volunteering to "babysit", and rabbits have very short memories, so the parents may fall for it every time.

Clearly, unless I want to have my house collapse under its own weight, the untimely death of these little guys is actually necessary. Yet it always bums me out, although I have gotten used to handling of the little corpse(s)- not in a good way- more like I can tolerate it way.

Whats my point? I'm not exactly sure, but I think it has something to do with the fact that if you do something enough times-- even the disposal of the body of a still warm limp little defenseless bunny becomes commonplace.

Guilty confession- last night I just threw the little guy in the dumpster- not even a cheap shopping bag coffin. It made me feel callus and oddly empty.

So its just a lot all the time. The girls, my job, the re hydrating from my severe to really severe night sweats....

And so tonight I hope there is no bunny death, I'm standing of the edge of the cliff and although I wont purposely take a step backward hearing that death scream coupled with the full moon...

It may just be enough to knock me over....

Just because I have gotten used to handling dead bunnies doesn't mean I want to keep doing it....