Last Photos of Cami

I finally felt able to get my photos of Cami off the camera and onto the computer. These were all taken the day before she fell ill, when she was feeling very lively and eager to explore her new home. This one is in the kitchen, where we put her pen and enclosure while cleaning her area in the dining room. It took her awhile to come out of the cage onto the floor, but once my mother put down a mat in front of her door, she was happy to emerge.



I am always amused by these views of rabbits exploring around corners. Furthermore, Cami tended to look somewhat bow-legged from behind, so she was especially humorous when creeping forward.



Cami looking alert, dignified, and probably wondering if Ms. Spots was about to come into the kitchen.

Cami was excited beyond words when she discovered that she could hop onto her pen. The staff at the House Rabbit Society later told me that this would have been particularly thrilling for her as when they received her she was practically too obese to hop, let alone jump onto things. We speculate that her previous condition may have left her with digestive problems or damaged her kidneys. It's anyone's guess what her original people fed her to make her so fat.

A joyful rabbit in command of her small territory. She was enchanted by the view out the window and entertained us during dinner by exploring the top of the cage and wondering how to get down. After awhile she hopped down on her own and was very pleased with herself.
The House Rabbit Society staff and volunteers who had known her were much saddened to hear of her death, but assured me that we had done all the right things for her. She was a bit of a favorite with them due to her sweet, highly pettable disposition. We had had her just long enough to start giving her nicknames. My father liked to call her Ears and Creature, while I was more inclined to call her Cami-O and The Camelopard. I was anticipating it would be only a few more days before she and Ms. Spots were happily bonded and could share the house.

I have been reluctant to try adopting another rabbit yet since I'll be leaving California at the end of the month, but I do drop by the House Rabbit Society center now and then. Yesterday afternoon I felt I ought to go, even though I doubted that there would be many new rabbits. During our review of Cami's last days, one of the staffers mentioned that a rabbit there had just died of a heart attack and left a bereft mate.
We went in to see the grieving rabbit. I remembered him well from previous visits, because he looks very much like Buster, the rabbit we got when I was eleven. Buster was a handsome smoky Dutch mix and a highly memorable character. Willow, the bereaved rabbit, has a very different personality and was noticeably shy in contrast to his lively, friendly mate. She had always been eager to greet me when I came by, and, as with several of the bonded pairs, I had been sorry I wasn't in a position to adopt two.
Willow was very quiet and sad, but he let me put him on my lap for petting. While he isn't an outgoing rabbit, and isn't sure he wants to get to know any humans, he seems like a a nice rabbit who just needs to be loved.
Calypso Spots, while territorial, has a lot of love to give. I made an appointment to bring her in to meet Willow this afternoon.