Flowers in California

Flowers in California

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Learning from a Rabbit

I went to visit and give my rabbits a treat today.  I like to make them happy.  It doesn't hurt to stay on their good side either.  I'm not saying I'm afraid of them but I'm cautious.

Before I got to their cages, the bigger rabbit knew I was coming.  He had a better view but, even if he hadn't, he would hear me.  He even stops doing things (sometimes) when I say "No Theodore."  I say that a lot.  Little Powder did not react at all to my entering the room.  He was washing himself and had no idea I was there.  I instinctively called his name so as not to scare him but there's little I can do to alert Powder.  He's deaf and when I see things like today's obliviousness, that fact is reconfirmed.

We had our first clue that Powder was deaf when he couldn't be roused from sleeping one day.  It was scary as a plumber had been working on something in his room and, oddly, another rabbit had died after we had a plumber working on the same problem.  Thankfully, Powder was just sleeping but I'd never had a rabbit sleep like that in front of me before.  As time went on, we put it together that he was deaf.  He has blue eyes and is white.  My mother-in-law told me that white, blue-eyed cats can be deaf.  Evidently, these rabbits can be too.

Of course, Powder is safe here (although I would suggest he avoid plumbers).  There is the other rabbit but they play separately.  From the way Powder gets away from all of us when we want to put him back in his cage, I'd say most of his senses work well.  He does ok.

As Powder lives in his quiet world, I wonder if he has any knowledge of his difference.  He seems like a happy creature and I don't see a way he could know he's deaf but, really, we can't know.  I hope he is completely ignorant of the fact that other rabbits hear and thinks he is doing just fine.  I guess there's a lesson in there.  It's best to focus on what is right with ourselves and not look at our challenges, our disabilities, our weaknesses.  Doing so helps us live our lives more fully and enjoy things.  I want to live like Powder.  Well, I don't want to live exactly like Powder; I don't want to live in a cage and I his bathroom set-up is not to my taste but his attitude is admirable.  And he does get all his food prepared and delivered.  I'd like that.

JAHD

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