And Then There Was One

I'm not one for writing bunny obituaries, but I feel as though I need to pay some kind of tribute to Walter. It still seems unreal, and yet when I walk to their cage to feed them every morning and to let them out every evening when I get home from work, I now only find Jack, huddled in the corner looking just as sad and confused as I am.

I came home from work on Wednesday of last week and found Walter lying in the cage. He was dead. It was totally unexpected, and it broke my heart. I know he was just a rabbit, but if you know me, you know that I love my bunnies like children, so it was really painful to say goodbye. Thankfully, I have some amazing friends who came over to help me bury him. We reminisced about our memories of him for a while and then took him out back, dug a hole by the tomato plants, and placed him in it. I covered his body with dirt and cried. You know you have great friends when they cry with you. You also know you have great friends when they bring over beer for the occasion. We ended the evening with a few drinks, some laughter, and a few more tears. 

I got the pair (names after Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau) back in October and have thoroughly enjoyed  their company. Here are a few picture highlights of my time with Walter.

This was taken the first night I got them. They were both pretty timid, although Walter's always been the braver of the pair. They were brothers, and they loved hanging out together.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Walter. What a handsome young man!

One of my favorite memories about Walter is that he loved to jump on top of his cage. Sometimes when I would leave the top of their cage open, he would jump out and run around. Jack could never do it, because he was always smaller.

Walter would generally jump on top of the cage while I was cleaning it out. I guess that was his contribution. 

Jack and Walter had a play day in the leaves. They loved it!

So cute.

Look at those ears!

Around Christmas time, I bought miniature apples for decoration. Walter decided they'd be better as food than ornaments.

In his short life, Walter got to experience a number of road trips. I took the bunnies home to Michigan for Thanksgiving last year.

The last road trip was for Easter. Jack and Walter were great companions.

I let them run around the yard. They loved it.

I love this pose.

This picture perfectly captures our relationship. I love that Walter is sticking his tongue out. He made a habit of being defiant.

Just as all good things must come to an end, so my time with Walter is done. Looks like it's just Jack and me now. I suspect that we'll make a grand pair!

My Little Gentlemen

I'm embarrassed about how late this is, but here's their official introduction. Meet Jack and Walter. They're named after the famous Odd Couple duo- Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. I got them back in October, and they've been such a wonderful addition to my life! They're brothers, they're about 9 months old, and they are full grown. At first look, they're identical, but the more you get to know them, the easier it is to tell them apart. Jack is significantly smaller than Walter and has smaller features. His ears are shorter and his face is more smooshed (is that a word?). Walter has longer ears and a pointier nose. He's a bit more adventurous than Jack, but he is also friendlier. Jack is still really timid, but he's opening up.

Here are some pictures Jack:

And here are some of Walter:

 

 

They make an adorable pair:

 

We've really been bonding as of late, since they're getting a lot more comfortable with me petting and holding them. My favorite moment with them so far happened last Saturday night. I was hanging out with them (I usually sit or lay on the floor so that we're at the same level), and they came over and started licking my forehead. That was the first time they ever licked me, and it was glorious. I'm holding out for more licking sessions in the future.

Children vs. Pets

Parents often say that children are the best thing that ever happened to them, but I find that hard to believe. Children are annoying. Period. Yes, they can be cute if you dress them up in Halloween costumes or put pretty pink bows in their hair, but that warm and bubbly feeling you get from watching a baby giggle is quite transient. It soon dissipates when you realize what a terror they really are. They cry and scream when they don't get what they want, they get into as much trouble as possible, and they often refuse to obey you. The worst part is, when they're your kids, you can't get rid of them. Your stuck with them FOREVER! For these reasons, I am of the opinion that pets are a far more appropriate alternative unless you wish to enter a permanent state of responsibility, chaos, exhaustion, etc. Now I know I may be expressing my opinion in an extreme manner, but in an effort to be as unbiased as possible, I have created a list of pros and cons for both children and pets.


Children
Pros:

• Pass on the family name
• Can bring great joy and happiness to a couple
• Get to create a mini you
• Provide entertainment when your husband is boring
• Give you a real purpose if you feel you're lacking in that area
  

Cons:

• 9 months of misery
• Approximately 5-10 hours of extreme misery
• The end of your life as you know it
  
• They cry all the time
• Get into trouble on regular basis
• Have to change WAY too many diapers
  
• Need to hire a babysitter if you want to go out
• 24/7/365 job for 18 years, in some cases much longer
• Have to choose between career and motherhood
• VERY EXPENSIVE
• If they grow up to be screw ups, it's your fault
  

Pets
Pros:

• They're VERY cute
• Keep you company if you're lonely
• They don't talk much
• Usually easy maintenance
• Typically fairly inexpensive to care for
• Only need to hire babysitter when you leave town
  

Cons:

• They can be messy
• Have to train them to behave
• Can't really have good convo with them, even when they "grow up"
• Have to clean up their crap

What I have found is that the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to children, and the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to pets. Therefore, pets appear to be the obvious of the two choices.

* This argument is based on my current feeling towards children. However, I reserve the right to alter my view at any point in time.