The cats were supposed to help fill the void.
After Michelle and her husband, Kyle, lost their beloved 14-year-old Maine Coon, Boo, this past February, they rescued two cats, Coffee and Cocoa. And while Michelle calls them, “fun-loving, precious, and sweet,” she also says they are clearly Kyle’s cats. So her search for a special connection with a new furry family member continued.
Michelle got the idea for a rabbit “from a silly YouTube video of a girl with a bunny,” she said. But once the idea was planted, she started doing some research. Michelle learned that bunnies are litter box trainable and can make great pets. When she spied Louie, a lop-eared rabbit, on the Anderson Humane adoptables web page, she was sold.
“It was love at first sight,” Michelle said. She came to our South Elgin shelter to meet Louie, and despite being surprised by his nine-pound size, called him “the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I never thought I could love a bunny as much as a cat, but I’m so attached to him,” Michelle said. “He’s thriving in our home. The two cats and him don’t seem to be bothered by each other one bit.” They do watch each other a fair amount from either side of their pens, as they have yet to be around each other without some sort of barrier. Louie also has a hamster sibling named Posey, who is kept in a 20-gallon tank with a lid. (The cats are much more interested in her.)
Michelle has enjoyed getting to know Louie’s personality. “He’s super chill but a character. He loves to play and cuddle,” she said. “He’s also sassy. When he’s out and I go to scoop him up for bed time, he’ll look right at me and stomp his foot.” Michelle laughs.
She has started harness training Louie, hoping to take him outside and potentially get him registered as a therapy animal. Michelle is a school secretary and works closely with special-needs kids. She knows the students would love interacting with Louie.
Clearly Michelle loves interacting with him too. “I laugh and smile every time I interact with him,” she said. “Louie finally filled the void of an animal you really bond with. He’s brought that light to every day.”
Check out all the bunnies and other furry friends available for adoption at Anderson Humane.