Six years ago, today, on January 31, 2009, I met Simba. Those of you who met me after January 31, 2009, likely know all about Simba. I talk about him often, and he has travelled far. He followed me from college, to work, to law school, back to work again, and has visited many places and people. This is him:

I could describe many intelligent, cute, mischievous, playful, and amazing things about Simba in this post, but I won’t. Instead, I’d like to speak about how Simba has inspired me. I like to call him an animal ambassador. In many ways, to me, he is.

How I met Simba:

Simba is, essentially, my first pet (that I can remember). I got the idea to rescue a rabbit from a woman sitting next to me on the T. She was reading about the House Rabbit Network (HRN), and I was drawn to the adorable rabbit images. Covertly reading over her shoulder, I read that rabbits are often purchased as pets for children, especially around Easter, only to soon be discarded when it becomes apparent that rabbits are not an easy “pocket pet.” I decided I should rescue one. I researched rabbits thoroughly, I learned all about their habits, how to take care of one, what supplies I would need, and I made the call to HRN, which requires you complete a phone interview before visiting adoptables. I passed the interview, and because I had seen Simba (formerly Crystal, HRN 2009) on the website, I visited his foster home on January 31, 2009. I was surprised to see there were many foster rabbits there! I visited Simba first, and since I was there, I thought I should take a look around at some of the other adoptables. Simba wasn’t too keen on that. He kept bounding into the rabbit interview room and approaching me; I took that as a sign that he was meant to come home with me. I tell the story of how we met often, and most people find it to be a prototypical heartwarming animal rescue tale. This isn’t what makes Simba an animal ambassador though, that came much later. Here we are on his first day home. Apologies for the image quality, it’s an old blackberry picture!

Learning to Trust

Rabbits are prey animals. They can be skittish, easy to scare, and don’t necessarily immediately fulfill the cuddly dreams of a child or adult who simply wants a fuzzy pet. That rabbits are discerning, however, makes their companionship more rewarding. When Simba first came home with me, he was scared of all the new sounds, smells, and people. I slowly worked to gain his trust. I would lay pellets down in front of his face in a line that ended with me. I got down on his level, and lay on the floor, so he would find me less threatening. I tried to take things at his pace. At times, this was frustrating. Slowly, but surely, though, he started to acclimate. Each step was such a reward. The first time he trusted me to keep laying down as I walked by, the first time he flopped out in my presence, drank water in front of me, flopped upside down, or binkied! (A binky (binkies) are the most amazing twists and jumps a happy rabbit will perform!) Gaining the trust of a prey animal is its own reward. Rabbits are gentle, loving creatures, once people give them a chance. Today, Simba will lay out on the bed with me, flop in my arms, and lick me ceaselessly because he adores me that much. That I had to earn his trust and love only makes it that much more valuable to me. Here we are enjoying some Saturday morning cuddles, when I don’t have to leave him and get to work!

Inspiring Me

I was a lacto-vegetarian (no meat, fish, or eggs) since birth, long before I met Simba. Seeing a prey animal one on one, gaining its trust, and loving one, changed me in a way that simple vegetarianism did not. I started to question the morality of any animal products, especially dairy. I started to boycott restaurants that served rabbit, because I more viscerally empathized with the pain and suffering of the animal on the plate. I even contemplated pet ownership, and how I felt about the status of animals as property. With these thoughts as an undercurrent, my experiences with Simba put me in a moral state where I wanted to help animals. At my send-off party before law school, in fact, even my Mother was so moved by Simba that she told me to remember to help those in need, but especially to work to help women, minorities, and rabbits. Simba inspired me to do more investigation, to visit farms, and animal sanctuaries, and to audit an animal rights seminar my third-year of law school that inspired me to become vegan. Aside from me, Simba’s journeys have taught others about rabbits: they are intelligent, unique, loving, sweet, and gentle.

So, thank you Simba, on our bunny-anniversary, for inspiring me! Six years of bunny companionship, and things continue to look up every day.

For those of you interested in rabbits, I urge you to adopt. Rescue rabbits make fantastic additions to the family. If you’re in the Boston area, House Rabbit Network is a great place to adopt from! Simba and I heartily recommend them. They often need foster homes, and are always in need of donations for those of you who don’t have the space/time for an animal commitment at the moment.