My heart has joined The Thousand

...for my friend stopped running today.

As some of you know, my roommates are more than just cavies and environmental canvassers. The yellow house is the home of rabbits, fish, and at times, a select few of the neighborhood cats.

My dear friend Newman recently came down with an Upper Respiratory Infection. It went downhill very quickly. Last night around midnight, I was falling asleep when I had a sudden thought that maybe Newman needed another dose of sub-cutaneous fluids. When I got him downstairs and was preparing to stick him with the needle, he went slightly limp and took a deep breath. I rushed him upstairs to my room. I cradled him and rocked him. I begged him not to leave. After two more heavy sighs he stopped breathing and went completely limp. My friend was gone.

I laid down on my back with Newman's body on my stomach. I cried for a very long time.

I adopted Newman and his brother, Benner, on Earth Day of 2007. Newman was the sweetest rabbit I have ever known. He always had a look about him that was so very knowing and wise. Everyone who met him instantly fell in love with him. My mother's daycare kids talk about him all the time. They loved visiting him when I lived in Westcott Nation.

When I rescued Bella in November of 2007, She too fell in love with Newman. But not so much with Benner. The year that followed was rough on the three of them, trying to make a bond work between them proved to be darn near impossible. Benner passed away suddenly in November of 2008. I had the same reaction. I was jerked awake at 6:18 AM. I had plans to go for a morning walk with my mom, so I thought my body was just anticipating that. I went. When I came home, I found Ben lying

underneath my bed, stiff. I now know the real reason that I was awoken was because he was leaving me.

Newman was one of my very dearest friends. He was five years old when he died. He was a pretty sickly bun. His mama, Marshmallow, and two of his five sisters, Hyacinth and Edelweiss, are still in foster care.

Bella and I have never been close, she was rescued from a cruelty/neglect situation as a young bun and had never trusted or liked people very much, despite how much I worked with her after I rescued her. I toned down her cage aggression but she still has a lot of mental trouble. I know that I will probably have to get her another friend eventually but for now, it's just going to be her and I. And the cavies and the fish. And when he gets back from Florida, my roomie, Scott.

This is the last photo I took of him.

Goodnight, sweet bun. Thank you for sharing your life with me.