Lexy River Lewis: She was Loved

She was a delightful bunny.

Sunday, September 7, 2013 was a sad day for us - It was the day Lexi died.   Having to see life slip away from something dear to the family was very painful.  But it helped that I was holding her in my arms like a baby when she took her last breath.  I can't imagine how much harder it would have been had we found her already dead.  

We lost our sweet cuddly and fluffy bunny.  Miriam was very upset.  For two days, she cried whenever she remembered her.  Even I was very sad and upset.  She was the only pet we had that we could actually pet.  She loved it when we'd run our fingers on her head and in between her ears.  We will really miss her.

Tim and Brahms dug a grave for her in the same area where we buried Casey and Bob.  The following day I planted some echeveria on top of her grave.  That place now qualify as a pet cemetery.

We loved Lexy.  And we thank God for the many happy moments that she brought to our home.  Some of her memories are written in my blogs for posterity:

Adopting Lexy 

Lexy Arrives at the Lewis House

Lexy's Influence on Miram's Art

Shannon Meets Lexy

Lexy in the Garden

Introducing Lexi

Yesterday, we finally got Lexi (Lexi River Lewis).  It was a long wait and unexpectedly long process but now we have her.  We all agree that she is a nice bunny.  She loves to be petted.  Brahms put his hands on her back just a while ago and she dropped herself flat to the floor as if waiting for a serious prolonged petting session.

When she is out of her pen her favorite destination in the house is the stairs.  She likes climbing up to the second floor which I think is a good stretching exercise for her.  She has been in a cramped cage at the pet store while waiting for someone to adopt her.  Now she is given some time to walk and hop around the house.  Miriam and Brahms brought her to play at the now-vacant-Shannon's room earlier today.  They noticed that Lexy was startled to see another bunny which looked exactly like her.  For a long time she stared at the other bunny in front of the mirror until the urge to inspect the room prevailed.

For a long time Lexi just played on the rug because she would slip on the marble floor.  Soon she learned a technique and defied the threat of the slippery floor. 

Lexi met the first person outside the family - Erich came to see her and petted her for a while. 

Having Lexy is the closest that we will ever get to having a dog or a cat. 

Guess What?

FUR (Friends of Unwanted Rabbits) finally called us today.  I had two interviews - the first one by Karen and the second was by Kimberly (the boss).  They asked me about the condition of the place where we intend to keep Lexy, the bunny.  They had to know whether we have other pets; if we ever had a bunny before; which part of the house will Lexy be; do we know the appropriate foods for rabbits; do we know about rabbit proofing our home; etc.  Wheww!!!  I think we are qualified!  We have an appointment to go see Lexy and try to interact with her.  Only then will we find out whether we can have her or not. 

Anyway, Miriam is very excited.  She can't stop telling me, " Mommy, you don't know how happy I feel!"  

In the meantime, we wait patiently till Friday at 6:15pm when we find out if we will have a pet rabbit or not. Oh, the life lessons that one learns just by having pets.

Challenging Adoption Process

We have come to a family agreement that Miriam can have a pet rabbit as long as we get one that is litter-box-trained.  A rabbit that has been pre-owned would be a candidate to meet this criteria.  Last Friday we saw Lexy on display at Pet Smart on E. Bidwell.  Miriam got so excited because she expected that she could go home with a bunny that day.  Unfortunately, we have to deal with  adoption procedures.  We have placed several calls to the phone number given to us and sent an email through their website Friends of Unwanted Rabbits but we have not talked to anybody so far.  Miriam checks the phone messages every day to see if they have left a message.  We got one call but missed it. 

So we wait and try to contact the right person some more.  There is nothing like persistence when it comes to getting the right attention. 

Predator



The hawk waited on the fence for another opportunity.

 
Whenever the sun is out, we bring Lala, the dove, outside to enjoy the solar warmth and the company of the wild birds in the backyard.  We maintain a bird feeder that attracts American Gold Finches and White-crowned Sparrows.   These wild birds like to go around Lala's cage to glean seeds.   


The other day while I was pulling off dead leaves from my potted plants I heard the sound of flapping wings. It was so violent that I turned around to see Lala which was not a foot away from my back.  And as I turned my upper body swinging my arms for added balance I touched a feathery moving object.  There was a gush of information that simultaneously rushed to my brain.  From what I felt, the dove probably has escaped from the cage.  A split of a second later, my eyes sent new information - I actually touched a hawk.  Yes, a hawk that tried to harass Lala from its cage.  This hawk was not inhibited by my presence or my proximity to its intended prey.  When it flew it did not go very far.  It stayed on the fence for a long time until I went very close to it - I guess it got scared by my camera.



Scared position.



Relaxed position.

Lala was traumatized.  The cooing dove did not make a sound for the whole afternoon and evening that followed.  It only started to coo again the next day.  Sleep must have helped her forget the experience.

Sometimes we are also confronted with predators.  We lose the peace that we are so accustomed to and suddenly we shift into a mode of crisis because we realize that we are no longer control the situation.   It is not all bad to recognize the presence of a predator because it is then when we begin to examine the ways we handle our wings.  We become more alert and observant so that we can sort out the truth from the lies lest we get deceived.   

"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm." 

~ Proverbs 1:32-33 NIV