Today we buried Wooly Sparkle and Blanca Nieve. Our two angora rabbits, which we have had for 4 years succumbed overnight to some unknown malady. Wooly Sparkle had been on the decline for the last month so her death was somewhat expected. We had been working with cages and wool/poop build-up on her for the last month, but seemed to only keep falling farther behind and never really solving the problem. Two days ago, I went out for the daily duties to find her unable to use her backend. Blanca was straddling her. When I lifted Blanca off, she jumped right back on. With enough force that I have to wonder whether she broke Wooly's back with such a manuever. I separated them right away and began to scour for solutions. Blanca, seemingly healthy, though not necessarily happy in her new home, was upright and eating when last I saw her.
Andrew went out in the morning and came in to report that they had both died in the night. More experienced rabbit keepers from my spinning group are suggesting a rabbit disease called "snuffles". It sounds like something you would name a rabbit- not something they would die from, but it is apparently quite deadly. Had I thought to mention it earlier during spinning, perhaps I would have had some experience to help guide me toward a different outcome. I didn't even know until mentioning the deaths that anyone there kept rabbits. Mostly the talk revolves around sheep and goats. Probably I should have separated them sooner. The disease is quite contagious and can wipe out an entire rabbitry overnight, according to my fellow spinners. Wooly and Blanca were sisters and have always shared a cage. It seemed mean to separate them, but it may have aggravated all of our problems according to these more experienced rabbit farmers.
It was a quintessential burial day. The mourners stood on the muddy hillside in a driving sleet, murmuring a few words of good-bye and shedding a few tears. We put them under a new blueberry. We will remember them with fondness in future summers as we enjoy the plump, sweet fruit.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
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