Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Toki

Okay, so I guess it's time to write about the passing of my little bunny, Toki. I got Toki about 2 years ago, and she died last Monday. She died so young. I should have rushed her to the hospital as soon as I saw her mushy poop, but I thought she could last a few hours as I was rushing off to work. So stupid. She was dead when I came back. I feel so guilty. I'm so sorry, Toki. Next time I will know better.


I cried a lot. I'm sure people will think it's silly, but she my was companion for two years. They live in my apt. with me, and my two bunnies were the last thing I would check on before I left the house and the first thing I would check on when I got back. I tried to take good care of her. Unlike Enif, who I adopted from a shelter, I got Toki from a pet store. She was so little, a baby Netherlands Dwarf. Here are some early pictures:



Here she is still getting to know Enif (the flash makes her eyes red):


Eating her veggies:

Somehow I had the idea that if she had been in a pet store being petted by lots of people, she'd be used to be touched and handled by people. But Toki was always a little shy of people, even me who she saw everyday, and Enif became more friendly. Go figure.


Her name means "rabbit" in Korean. Before I had her, I used to just call Enif "bunny", and I thought, "what will I do when i have another bunny?" So I named her 'rabbit' in Korean. Anyway, after I got her I stopped calling Enif "bunny" anyway. Some times I called her "Little Mama" because of her false pregnancy. When I first got her, she was too young to have spayed. Unspayed rabbits can sometimes go into a false pregnancy when mounted by a male. Enif had been neutered for a long time, but I guess it didn't matter because when she was around 4 or 5 months old, she had a false pregnancy. She went around the house gathering anything soft she could find to make a nest. Very destructive. She also took fur from her belly, and she turned their litter box into a nest. I think Enif was confused. See what she did to this doll's head!



So I got her spayed. Near $200! I cleaned her wound everyday, twice a day, though she hated it.

When I went to study Zulu in Bloomington, Indiana over the summer, I packed up my favorite plants, clothes, and my two bunnies and drove down there with them. Here is a picture of her all grown up from that time:


It was in Indianapolis that I found their bunny sitter, a volunteer for the House Rabbit Society. Even though I went back to Chicago after that summer, I still drove them down to their house when I went out of town because she is such a caring bunny lover. I will take Enif there next week while I visit family for xmas in CA. She said she would light a candle for Toki to help her cross the Rainbow Bridge. I'm not one for supernatural or spiritual stuff, but it is nice to imagine Toki as still being somewhere, curiously getting ready to cross a bridge where she will have other bunnies to snuggle with and get all the banana treats she wants.

I had her for two years. She was really special. Oh Little Mama, we will miss you around here. Goodbye, Toki.






6 comments:

carlita dee said...

She was lovely and loved.

May she rest in peace.

somebunnysloveDOTcom said...

Bunny hugs from our little warren to yours. :( But I bet Toki is binkying her little heart out right now for you!
=:8
www.somebunnyslove.com

SoapDoc said...

Oh, Nikki! I am so sorry for your loss! Furbabies do become such a part of our lives it's amaziing! Especially when you don't have human kids.

Hugs to you and Enif.

Squawker Girl said...

Oh, how sad! Animals are the best...sometimes better than people. Sounds like you gave Toki a wonderful life! I am sure you are her angel in bunny heaven. My sympathies to you and Enif!

Bec said...

Nothing silly about it...it is always hard to lose a pet!

(just linked to your blog from knittinghelp)

Becca

Tammy said...

Oh Im so sorry about Toki. She looks adorable. I can tell she well loved. I have 2 furry babies too and can't imagine life without them. My female also just had a false pregnancy. Anyway, my heart goes out to you!!