A Sweet Love

The slight movement within my jacket is my reminder to search harder alongside Jane, the librarian who took upon herself to solve my predicament. Unable to continue our search in the bookshelves we turned our focus to the internet. Oh Lord! Is there ever lots of information out there but not much on what I need to know.  A shift in comfort then warm then another twitch. I breathe a sigh of relief. Then my heart stops. The warmth turns to wetness as it seeps into my pants near my jeans’ zipper. What do I do now? Do I just sit here become stinky or go on if nothing has happened? I cannot do anything about that now. I will wait and see if any smell becomes of this. I am not even sure if that is what actually happened. No one must know what I am hiding rubbing over my jacket ever so gently trying to reach reassure my slight bump that all is good.

It has only been a couple of hours since I found out and already my heart has turned inside out. I must fight. I have to learn. I have to save. I am unwilling to think anything else. I delve into researching what I must do. Jane is a great help; it is obvious she loves her placement. We continue on to reach our goal.

Staring into the flames of the electric fireplace the memory engulfs me. Warmly wrapped in a fluffy fleece throw I remember every detail. The smell that never came and the knowledge I gained that day. Thankful for Jane’s help we grew and became a family of two.

Pulling the soft fleece to my face unable to stop myself I rubbed the warm blanket across my skin. My face buried and I nearly jump when I feel a slight nudge against my knee. Wondering what was happening I slowly lower the fabric. As I watch she pushes her tiny nose against my knee.

“What are you doing, little one?”

Taking my question as encouragement to climb onto my knee she lunges up and misses my leg all together and slides down the blanket to the floor. Stopping she looks up at me with her sweet soulful brown eyes as if to say, ‘please help me.’

Scooping her up I snuggled her into my lap. The fleece nest wrapping her in warmth. Then stirring much like it had been before in my jacket before. Hopefully she won't pee on me again for the hundredth time. I brush my hand over her nose. With a sturdy nudge she pushes her nose under my hand. I guess I have better pet her after that demand.

Becoming more and more demanding as of late she always gets what she wants. Still tiny she has grown into a busy and curious creature. Always under foot when I try to walk anywhere even to the bathroom. Reading has reassured me this is normal.

Saving her from certain death and raising her as a mother would have has been a great joy with a few scary moments. I take her to the veterinarian regularly and I am always reassured she is healthy. When I found her, she was laying next to my step on the lawn barely moving. She had been abandoned by her mother. Only able to crawl her chances of survivor was small, but she had pulled through. 

Due to her size I chose to name her, Baby. I was told she is small for her breed possibly the runt.  Now at five months old she is the size of a three-month-old Netherland dwarf rabbit. Netherland dwarfs only grow to the largest size of seven pounds she has made it to a pound. She is healthy and happy. The first few works weeks were terribly scary not knowing if I was doing anything right. I had stayed up a few nights cradling her and feeding her eyedroppers of kitten milk replacer I had gotten from the veterinarian. Eventually my sleep had gotten longer and now I sleep through the night.

“Oh, what are you doing?” Baby has decided to do some crazy jumps and flips while bouncing in the same spot within the blanket. Apparently, she cannot keep still.

The softest nose nudges my hand as she climbs out of the blanket. The amazing softness is warm and so cuddly I would press my nose into her fur all the time if I could. But it does tickle my nose when I do. Wiggling bounces continue on my lap. Instead of a bouncing baby I have a bouncing bunny.

Suddenly with no warning she races off across the living room. Goodness but she is fast. Tearing across the room for the fourth time she races past me giving a kick into the air. Giggling so hard I can hardly breathe. She is so funny. She brings me so much happiness. Another jumping wiggle and she is running full tilt towards the fireplace. Wishing her to slow down she tucks her head down to the side and stops running in mid leap flopping a sliding on her side. Skidding across the floor on her side she slides to a halt. What just happened?

Laying there slightly panting baby looks a little confused. Then she lays her head back down onto the floor. My heart is racing as panic is setting in. I want to run to her, but I am unable to move. Was that a planned lay down or did she have a fit of some sort? I have read of people having panic attacks when their rabbit flops onto their side unmoving.

Flipping the blanket off my lap I stumble to rise. Just as I get to my feet Baby is racing past my feet. Relief like no other I have ever felt flows through me.

I guess she had decided to stop to rest a moment at that second. As the minutes pass, she slows down and stops in front of the fireplace and flops onto her side. Maybe the first-time flopping was too much of a crash landing.

Doing things so randomly there have been moments where I have puzzled over the fact all day. Instantaneously trying out an action is her way of learning. There is never a dull moment with this little grey fluff ball in my life.

Hopping over to me Baby sits on her bum, front legs up, begging me to pick her up. She has tried several times to jump onto the couch but is unable to do so. After the crashes she decided to look at me as if asking. Picking up my bundle of energy we settle on the couch. Pets and cuddles aside she licks my fingers with kisses.

I would never change the fact that she came into my life, my little bunny love.