Scared Bunnies

We have bunnies in our barn.

It's better than mice, who seem to respect the bunnies and have pretty much made themselves invisible - we called the original bunny "Killer" because once she showed up (yes, it is a she, because after she moved in there were baby bunnies) the mice seemed to leave. I don't think she killed the mice, but her presence seemed to have intimidated them somewhat. Go, Killer!

Bunny doing what it does best - blending in.

Over the last couple of years, the bunnies have been present at a lot of coaching sessions, and are always a hit with the participants. They enjoy watching a bunny streak across the barn floor, and their gentle energy is very soothing.

We've had to keep the dogs out of the barn because Bernadette, who is a lethal hunter, managed to maim and kill one of the baby bunnies. That was traumatic, not only for the bunny, but for us. We like the little sprites. They aren't making a mess (like the PIGEONS), and their occasional forays into the limelight are enjoyed by all. Bernadette was only doing what dogs do - so no blame there - and to keep the bunnies safer, we keep the dogs out of the barn.

She doesn't look dangerous, does she?

Now, if the bunnies decide to wander into the dogs' area around the house, they're on their own. And there's always one that will lead the dogs on a merry chase.

They usually get away. They know all the exits, and know they can get through the perimeter fence and the dogs are too big to follow.

Unfortunately, a bunny met its end today at the barking of the dogs. I was in the barn, feeding, moving the horses around, doing general barn stuff, and off in the distance I heard the dogs barking, barking, barking. There are some guys laying cable along the edge of our property, and I thought the dogs were barking at them. When I headed back up the hill, though, I saw the dogs laying in a semi-circle looking at something intently on the ground.

It was a bunny. Very dead. Without a scratch on it. I think they probably scared it to death - three dogs against one little bunny seems hardly fair.

People will often say to me "Tell my dog to stop harassing (squirrel, rabbit, cats, birds) and to treat them kindly." 

It's impossible.

I can ASK. Dogs behave like dogs. Cats behave like cats. Etc, etc. If they want to evolve, they may listen to the request and comply, or at least attempt to comply. Otherwise, all bets are off.

Another thing to consider is that nothing happens in a vacuum. Did that bunny choose that way to exit life? Were the dogs willing participants in the bunny's plan? Did they have a soul contract?

Chasing SOMETHING.

The dogs chose a dog body for a reason, and maybe one of those reasons was because chasing things is their way of breaking out, and having a different experience from what they may have had before. The bunny went along with it."You can chase me and scare me because that's what you need, and I need to experience what it feels like to be literally stressed out of my body." It may not be what we would chose - but then, we're not a dog or a bunny. We chose a human existence, which has its own set of challenges.

Those contracts may not always go exactly as planned, but I believe the dogs and the bunny were co-creators of the situation. 

Outside the barn, right next to the door where we go in and out to take care of the horses, was another bunny. It was hunched up and had its eyes almost closed. I could have touched it, or picked it up. Usually when someone gets close they bolt, and there was plenty of room to run. But it was obviously stressed out.

It might have heard what was happening on the other side of the fence. It might even have been on the high danger side of the fence and managed to escape. Was this also part of the experience equation? I don't know, but when I checked on that bunny a hour or so later, it was still there, looking more alert. I suspect by the time we go out to feed this evening, it will be gone. I told it that from me it was safe, and to do its bunny thing.

I am safe. I am safe. I am safe. Am I safe?

Life is a constant series of experiences, and if we look at them as chosen paths evolving as they should, it's sometimes easier to deal with them. We can't completely control anything around us, including our pets. We LISTEN. We are OPEN to what's happening, and how our animal is responding. We VALUE their input, since they are not ours to dictate to - they are the owner of their life. And we are willing to EXPAND ourselves to try to understand their point of view. That's L-O-V-E.