Us bunnies live a pretty carefree life. We have little to worry about, we live in the moment and are generally a happy bunch. But every once in a while we learn of something that can really affect us, make us worry and even make us sad.Last week Mom and Dad took Miss Binks for a check up. Generally she is a very healthy girl but they did learn something about her. She is blind.
Mom and Dad had suspected it. Binky has been a little more grouchy lately and startles more easily - both things that indicate eye issues. Binks had her left eye removed 5 years ago because it never developed properly and was getting problematic and her right eye has been cloudy since birth. Chances are she never saw that well to begin with, but she was able to see. Up until recently. Dr. Deb did a few tests with her and she concluded that my Binky Girl is now officially blind.
Mom is pretty upset about it and Dad is just a mess. Miss Binks is a Daddy's Girl and he has a very special bond with her. Even though they both know that her loss of eyesight has probably been very gradual, and that many bunnies do perfectly well without sight, having this confirmed has been quite the blow to us all.
"Binks, I'm so sad! My pretty girl can't see anymore...(sniff)"
"Oh Fluffy, don't worry! You know us bunnies have other senses that we use to make up for not seeing, right? My hearing is sharp and so is my sense of smell! I can feel vibrations in the floor and movement around me and my little whiskers always tell me when something is close by."
"I know, but I'm still sad. You can't see Nutters and Butters play in the leaves. You'll never see pretty sunsets, beautiful fall foliage, the cardinals and blue jays and freshly-fallen snow...."
"This may be true Fluffy, but please don't fret. I can still see things in many special ways. Just like my friend Trinket once told me, bunnies don't just see with their eyes, they see with their whole entire beings. I can feel things around me, I know they are there. I was never able to see very well anyway and it's not like this happened overnight. It was very slow, very gradual, and I have had plenty of time to adjust and accept my new way of life."
"But.....you can't see me......"
"Oh Fluffy, my Big Tough Lop!" she snuggled close to me and gave me licks. "I might not be able to look at you and see you, but I can hear you, smell you and feel you wherever I go."
"Really?"
"Yes. And if I concentrate hard enough, I can indeed see you in my memory - your brown and white patched fur, your big brown eyes, your funny, floppy helicopter ears...."
"Yes, that's me!"
"...see? I will always have you in my memory, clear as a bell! Plus, I will always have you right beside me waiting for ear licks, right?" lick lick
*sigh* "Yeah, you got that right. I love you Binks. You're my Special Girl and I will never leave your side."
"Thanks Fluffy, I love you, too. You and me, forever."
We snuggled and kissed for a long time, her soft white fur pressed up against mine, our foreheads touching, random licks exchanged between the two of us. If I could wish for only one thing in the world, it would be for Santa Paws to bring her a brand new pair of eyes, so that she could not only see me, but everything this beautiful world has to offer, like she has never been able to see it ever in her bunny life.
Then Mom came to the gate and shook the box of raisins. "Who wants a raisin?! Are there any bunnies here who like raisins?!" Miss Binks shot up on her feet, ran clear across the room, avoiding the water bowl, hopping over some toys, threading through some table legs, stopped an inch infront of the gate and periscoped on her little hind legs. "Me, please!!!!!"
That's my girl.....
