Chinese New Year is Thursday, February 3, and it marks the year of the rabbit.
However, if I was a rabbit, I would go into hiding.
Sunday morning I was headed out for worship when a petrified white bunny with pink eyes tore in front of me on its way to the bushes. I tried to speak some nice words of encouragement to the bunny, being Dr. Doolittle as I am, but sweet tones that soften the hearts of dogs do not work with bunnies. The rabbit was just more terrified, so I left it alone. I surmised that by the end of the day, the bunny would no longer be with us. It would die of fright, run into a wall, or have heart failure from running away from people.
I feared this very thing would happen.
It is the year of the rabbit, so parents think it is cute to go down to the numerous pet stores and buy little bunnies as gifts for their children. Even if they buy cages and have good intentions, within two weeks, they will tire of feeding and caring for the frightened animals.
Furthermore, it is winter, meaning the grass is brown and dead. There is no free rabbit food, and in this economy, most people are not going to spend their hard-earned money to feed a rabbit.
I've seen the bunny trend before (one neighborhood kid gets one, then all the neighborhood kids want one). Here are some of the things that end up happening:
- The rabbits get loose, are chased by people/cats/dogs, and have a bad ending.
- Some people take the rabbits back to the pet shop.
- Some people just abandon the rabbits outside. The rabbits have no where to go, no other rabbits to hang out with. They don't know how to survive on their own. So they don't. Survive, that is.
I have an American friend who once had a rabbit in this country. She left her rabbit with some local friends while she was gone for a week, because they had a pet rabbit too. The rabbit got sad (something like that) and died the first day. The family didn't know what to do with the deceased rabbit and didn't know how to contact the American. They didn't want the rabbit to die in vain.
So, you know, they, uh...can you handle this...they had it for dinner.
It's not easy being a rabbit.
4 comments:
That was my rabbit!!! : ( Poor little FuFu...thinking of him during the year of the rabbit. I'm ok now though...I got a really cute little dog in his place...
That was my rabbit!!! : ( Poor little FuFu...thinking of him during the year of the rabbit. I'm ok now though...I got a really cute little dog in his place...
Hi Special Speck! Thanks for not getting upset with me for mentioning Fu Fu. I didn't mean to open old wounds (wasn't sure you were reading my blog, but glad you are...how are you?) I follow your blog and new company website stuff too. Hope you, your husband, and little doggy are doing well. Miss you around here and think of you often! E
Aww...no opening of wounds. I'm good...it was a really funny story anyway...after I got over the shock. It was one of our best friends there too that, gulp, had him for dinner. We are doing great here. Really busy! But good. I miss you all and think about you all SO MUCH!! Happy Chinese New Year!!
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