So Long Harvey

Harvey arrives at Slip Away Farm

I was so excited three weeks ago when my friend Taz gave me a bunny, my first farm animal. The little guy (pre-named Cottontail and re-named Henry and then re-re-named Harvey) went to work every day, busily mowing and fertilizing the grass pathways between some of our beds. Collins and I built him a rabbit run with wheels and a wire bottom so we could scoot him around the field easily multiple times a day.

Among the Kale

On the days that I was at the farm alone, Harvey kept me in quiet company.

We were even working up to a real bunny/owner relationship: he was just starting to let me scratch him lightly behind his ears without running to the corner of his cage where I couldn't reach him.

And then.... a few days ago I noticed Harvey's munching was slowing down. He didn't eat all the pelleted rabbit food I left for him that night, and his fertilization came to almost a complete halt. By Thursday night, he looked really really sick. I'm pretty sure he was pale under all that white fur. His eyes looked a little off. He was squeaking. And he let me hold him. That never, never would of happened unless he felt completely rotten.

I knew things were not looking good. I called Taz-- a rabbit connoisseur of sorts-- and we talked through a few rabbit symptoms.

Were his ears hot? Rabbits regulate their body temperature through their ears, so if he was overheating, we would have felt it there. They didn't seem particularly hot.

Was he crouched up really tight? This would signal gastro-intestinal issues. But he didn't seem any more crouched than usual.

Was he grinding his teeth? Its a signal of rabbit pain. No teeth grinding in Harvey.

Turns out it is difficult to diagnose rabbit illnesses. I made a nest of tall grass for him to curl up on, gave him a bowl of fresh water, and left him for the night, only mildly encouraged by his feeble attempts at eating and drinking.

And in the morning, our little mowing machine and first farm animal died. Poor guy. I buried him in our field, and planted a few sunflowers on the spot.

Goodbye Harvey Henry Cottontail!