"I'm more than a rabbit, you know!"

Sometimes a rabbit comes along who is more than just a rabbit. In the summer of 2003, I met such an animal. October J, a handsome brown and white rabbit, belongs to Jenifer, who speaks to buzzards and teaches yoga at a local wellness center. Jenifer and October are the best of friends.

I quickly grew fond of these two as Jen shared the depth of her relationship with this very communicative bunny. Many times, our conversations included her daily rabbit-human interactions, as well as our other experiences with animals.

Guard Rabbit

One day, I was present at the wellness center when Jen and another yoga teacher attempted to develop cooperative use of Jen’s space. That day October J had come to work with Jen. After a half an hour, the condescending aggressive attitude of the male yoga teacher made it clear that no meeting of the minds was possible. As the man’s voice began to take on an unnecessary arrogance and intensity, the rabbit hopped in a circle around Jen to separate her from the other teacher. He continued until the tone of the man’s words changed. October was clearly protecting his mistress.

That evening, as I reviewed the incident, an apparition of October appeared on my dining room table. I saw him as a kind of filmy image that came into view quickly then vanished. In my mind I heard the words, “I’m more than a rabbit, you know.”

The next time I saw Jen, I told her about October’s declaration. She laughed and replied nonchalantly, “Oh, he always says that.” Here was a guy with his self esteem in the right place!

Artist and Philanthropist

Jenifer told me more about her special rabbit. The veterinarian who took care of October J agreed that his functioning was well above the behavior of most house rabbits. Jen explained that as she raised him, she allowed him to make choices and treated him as if he were an intelligent being. Therefore, October developed some unusual characteristics.

October liked to make pictures from shreds of paper. When Jen put a magazine on the floor, the rabbit selected the pieces he wanted then tore them out with his teeth. Jen took the papers the way October put them on the floor and glued them to a sturdy piece of cardboard. October’s vet liked his artwork so much that she bought two of his creations and hung them in her office. She felt it only fair to compensate the artist, and paid Jen $10 for the rabbit’s work.

Returning home, Jen handed the money, five ones and a five, to October J. After all, she said smiling, “It was his money.” He took the cash in his teeth, hopped away, and placed it with his toys and other belongings.

One day, while taking stock of the family funds, Jen and her husband sat on the landing of their stairs. Six months into the opening of her yoga studio, Jen was a new business owner. Ryan, Jen’s husband, was a struggling, budding screenwriter. The young couple counted very little between them and needed to find some instant cash for groceries.

As they finished their discussion and were about to get up, October loped down the steps from upstairs with two one dollar bills in his mouth. Jen laughed, took the ones, and added them to their cash.

Intuitive Counselor

Jen is extremely intuitive and communicates with October on a daily basis since he is a respected part of the household. One late afternoon, a loud noise scraped and crunched into their home from the nearby highway. October had been standing on his back legs several moments before the incident. A car accident had occurred, and Jen heard these words in her head, “Hurt badly, don’t go.” She called 911, but stayed in their home and listened as the distant siren of multiple ambulances arrived at the site. The evening news reported a three-car crash and two fatalities. There are many accounts of animals having premonitions before major events such as earthquakes and natural disasters.

Yoga Teacher’s Assistant

Sometimes, October J helps teach yoga. In select small classes where all are comfortable with a rabbit as a co-teacher, October assists. If the class does a certain stretch, for example, the rabbit assistant will go to many of the students and place his front paws on the body part the student is trying to stretch. He has repeated his performance enough that Jen no longer considers it a novelty, just part of her rabbit friend’s skill set.

Book Character

Jenifer consulted Michele, an intuitive, to do a reading about October J. I was nearby at the time and after the reading, spoke to Michele and Jen. Michele smiled and told me, “October J wants to be in your book.” “He wants to be in my book?” I repeated in a surprised voice. How did October know I was writing a book? Jen knew about the project, however, she didn’t discuss it with the rabbit. October only traveled with Jen once in awhile. Again, I realized that animals have a larger view than we give them credit for. October J proved he is indeed more than just a rabbit, and I felt honored that he wanted to be included in this work.

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