Pet Portraits and Wildlife Art

Hopefully my last post with bad news.

Today has not been a good day at all. Today my beloved Willy, my chocolate dutch rabbit was put to sleep. For a few weeks we have been fighting a chest infection, forced feeds, antibiotics, vegetarian baby food, pineapple juice and rabbit medicines have been at the forefront of each day as I tried in vain to get him better. I had thought until yesterday, that things were looking up as he had started to eat grass when in a run in the garden. Alas it didn't last and after a run around the living room last night, his chest infection got the better of him and he failed to catch his breath all night. I stayed up with him and he licked my hands and was happy to be cuddled until I realised things couldn't carry on. He has been buried with a carrot in his rabbit run and is finally at rest.

To say I was a mess is an understatement.

Before my beloved William, I owned an identical chocolate dutch rabbit called Wilbur. I do believe Wilbur helped me through a serious illness. My parents allowed me to move him into my bedroom when I was too poorly to sit outside with him and he would happily sleep on my bed as I wasted hours watching rubbish on television, unable to do much else. When I was better, I remember sitting outside with him when he careered down my sister's wheelchair ramp at high speed loosing his footing and twisting himself as he went over on the corner. Unfortunately he trapped a nerve, and over the next few weeks became lame, until I had to admit the inevitable and have him put to sleep. Because he was my best friend during my illness, I decided never to have another bunny, let alone one who looked and behaved exactly the same, until one day we stopped at a garden centre, and there he was, my new Willy. Another chocolate dutch rabbit. A lady had ordered a pair and decided to take only the female. He'd been a permanent pet at the garden centre for over 6 months. In the end William moved in with my boyfriend before I did and became a firm favourite. I was near enough convinced they were one and the same as they were so alike. William and Wilbur were the two most friendly cuddly rabbits I ever met and today Willliam has passed away. I am absolutely devastated, I have 4 more rabbits all of which have been rescued but none compare to my Willy. None are as cuddly and are only there because I had him first and knew rabbits were adorable. None will match him even though I wouldn't trade them for all the tea in China (and I love tea) so today I feel a big hole has opened up and I don't want any more as nothing will ever match my two previous Willy's. I'm hoping now spring has sprung and that weather is warmer our animals will fare a little better than they have of late.

William the chocolate dutch rabbit and his best friend Rag.