ST. LOUIS, MO / MANHATTAN, NY – On Sunday, December 16th, 2012 we said a final farewell to Opie. Click the Show Photo Gallery link above to see our photo tribute to him. Note: The dude was so old he pre-dates our digital photo library. Our older photos (actual prints) of him are in storage and not shown here.
This was our second farewell of the year, with the passing of Cali back in January.
Similar to Cali, Opie suddenly lost function in his hind legs. Blind and now unable to move, he was taken to a vet in Manchester, MO by Susan and Emily Hughes. After Angela and I said our goodbyes over the phone from New York, he went to sleep peacefully in hopes of reuniting with Cali in a better place.
Optimus Prime Bachmann aka O.P. aka Opie aka The Douche aka Brat aka Snot Rabbit aka Black-n-White was adopted as a one-year old Dutch bunny from the Missouri House Rabbit Society in July of 2001. He was a one-year wedding anniversary present from Matt to Angela.
Opie lived his early years roaming our new apartment in Kirkwood, MO, napping underneath our glass-and-wood coffee table and developing an affinity for “snacks” (wheat thins and licorice). In June 2002, he made the trek to California with us, “surfing” with paws splayed out on the backseat of Angela’s Honda Accord. A few months after moving to San Diego, we adopted a small, female dutch-dwarf mix bunny that we named California (Cali). A strong, life-long bond developed between Opie and Cali. They would be frequently found together, side by side, in our IKEA chair.
Opie and Cali were even more spoiled when we moved into our first house that gave them their own room and plenty of space to explore. Opie was known to make an aggressive leap onto our rather tall bed to wake us up for his morning breakfast. His attempts to jump down off the bed were comical, although ultimately successful. He also took advantage of the hallway where a frightened rabbit could really pick up speed when the occasion called for it.
Opie and Cali grew old together in our house, spending much of the day in their room and then joining us in the living room at night, munching on vegetables near the TV.
In January 2007 we adopted Sasha, our German Shepherd mix, and after learning there was nothing to fear from the Sash, the bunnies eventually accepted the dog as part of the family. Opie became quite “brave” and would poke Sasha with his nose as she slept.
Opie was a friendly bunny that really enjoyed being petted, but not necessarily held. He had an iron stomach that could digest any and all foods that came his way. He would thump loudly when upset. His favorite spots to relax were under our bed and under his coffee table – always obsessed with the coffee table. He loved to run through his tunnels. He demanded attention and grooming from Cali, but was not eager to return the favor.
In January 2012, Cali was put to sleep and Opie was clearly confused and lonely. We gave him two stuffed bunnies and he was found cuddling next to them and occasionally even grooming them. He was blind, but still moved throughout the house, slowly. In June 2012, Matt built him a platform that would fit in the backseat of a car to make it easier for him to travel. He was loaded into the same Honda Accord in which he arrived in San Diego 10 years ago, making the reverse trip back to his hometown of St. Louis. He lived 6 comfortable and calm months with the Hughes in Manchester, MO – the logistics of him continuing on to New York with us too great. Susan and Emily provided excellent care and attention to a rabbit that definitely deserved it.
Opie’s fortitude, especially after the loss of Cali, was admirable. He was blind and thin, but kept being himself even as he approached his thirteenth year. He had us believing that in another 6 months he would be placed into a Honda Accord to head West once again.
We will miss you Opie and we will always remember you.
