The Perfect Friend

Two years ago Ian and I bought our rabbit, Bunny, a goose stuffed animal as a toy.  We gave a similar toy to our dog last year and he ate the stuffing out of it.  Bunny, however, fell into sudden and unexpected love.   She’s maintained a faithful bond with her inanimate best friend for the past two years.  Bunny grooms Goose on a regular basis and puts Goose’s head in the food bowl so Goose can “eat.”  In the heat of summer we give Bunny frozen water bottles to keep her cage cool.  When one is delivered, Bunny makes absolutely sure that Goose is propped up against it before she settles down herself.

It’s a remarkable display of affection.  Ian and I have debated getting Bunny a rabbit friend when we have a little more room.  Rabbits are social animals so they need companionship.  This explains why in our house it is the littlest prey animal who bosses around the dog and the cat.  She obviously has a lot of love to give.  But at the same time, I can’t help but feel like getting a real live friend might set Bunny up for disappointment.

After all, right now Goose is the perfect friend.   Goose is there for a heart-to-heart at all hours of the day and she never complains.  Goose is a warm body to snuggle with, she never talks back, and Goose never eats the last bite of food.  She will never leave Bunny and never die.  How can anything else compare?

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