Tastes like chicken …

After our two male bunnies surprised us with a litter earlier this fall, we realized that we were going to need to get ONE of them “fixed”. Had we not fallen in love with two of the baby lion heads, we would have neutered the male, but since the two little buns we were keeping from the kindle were also male, it made economic sense to spay the single female. And afterall you can take your cat to a low cost spay or neuter clinic and have it rendered harmless for $50-$75, so how much could it cost to spay a female rabbit?

$100? $200? $300? Try $400! Small wonder our local animal shelter says it doesn’t even spay its rabbits before sending them out for adoption. Really? How can this be? Its not like bunnies are prudes. We don’t need an android app to see how fast rabbits level up in the reproduction game. Somehow we must still see these domestic creatures as little more than rats. They are often “disposable” pets, many being released into the wild where they are of course incapable of surviving and end up sick and suffering until they are lucky enough to be eaten by a hawk or night owl or run over by a energy efficient compact car.

Of course there are those pet owners who will spare no expense when it comes to their beloved furry friends. But I’m not one of them. I have to draw the line at the expense of extensive surgeries, chemo therapy, or other life prolonging efforts that always seem in the best interest of the owner rather than the pet. I’m a born again vegetarian, having reaffirmed my faith after a brief lapse spurred by a meaty bone left on the redneck’s plate one decidedly iron deficient night. But believing in the ethical treatment of animals does not mean we don’t KILL them, as PETA has tried to explain after being accused of euthenizing thousands of dogs and cats each year. In response (and fearful of losing $$ donations to their cause) PETA paid for a high profile google ad to defend the killings, going so far as to claim that the slander is spurred by a group that is backed by the likes of Outback Steakhouse.

The seemingly blurred line between animal rescue and ethical treatment often boils down to money. Do we have the money to “save” this animal? Or do we put on a pot of water and boil the critter to make soup?

In our culture it seems unconscionable to filet Fido. And if that thought makes you sick, don’t fret, its even illegal to eat road kill in california let alone cook up your family goldfish for Tastes Like Tuna Tuesday. Whereas in Peru and Bolivia guini pig is a major part of the diet. One of my children’s nannies growing up use to tell us a story about how her mother would keep an iguana under the bed as she let it grow to acceptable dinner size. It frightened the poor child. Talk about nightmares of monsters living under the box springs!

What we eat, what we abandon, what we consider food or family all raise interesting questions as we strive to practice loving kindness and look at our commitment of compassion for all sentient beings. How do we balance our ability with our aspirations? How do we make peace with our decisions when they seem to deny our deeper values? How can we walk the walk when our wallet is exhausted?

No, we didn’t decide to Hasenpfeffer our doe. We accepted that Christmas would be a little less commercial this year. Suffice to say we paid the inflated bill and also wrote a YELP review on the vet’s practice because we were initially given a quote of $250 but they later claimed the doe was in heat and subsequently there would be additional fees. Has anyone ever heard of a female rabbit NOT being in heat? Please.