The Zen of Bunnies

Giving back to the rabbits

By Elizabeth Doyle

It's Jeni Huber's first time volunteering at the Best Friends Bunny House. The morning is quiet (bunnies are almost always quiet), but the silence is deceptive. To the keen observer, the Bunny House is full of subtle commotion.

Rabbits are busily digging in the soft earth with their mitten-like feet. Trying to dig their way to China? More likely, they're trying to recreate the tunnels that would be the homes of their wild ancestors. Some rabbits are quietly pushing balls with their twitchy little noses. Some are chomping on greens. And many new relationships are forming as the rabbits engage in their complex and intuitive social lives. Everywhere, bunnies are snuggling in pudgy lumps, or stubbornly bouncing away from one another's company.

Jeni is helping with all the cleaning and snuggling that needs to be done. She came from South Carolina to be at the Bunny House this morning, and she has a special reason for wanting to help these adorable creatures. Jeni has been a teacher since 1989, often working in special education. She has taught many autistic students, and she found a great educational tool for them, something very special and furry: bunny rabbits.

"Autistic children have trouble self-soothing," she says. "That's why we see repetitive behaviors." But bunnies, she found, can be calming. Their gentle, unthreatening presence and soft fur can relax kids with autism.

Before bringing bunnies into the classroom, Jeni thoroughly researched how to care for rabbits and was careful to teach the children how to handle and care for them. The rabbits lived in the classroom during the week and went home with Jeni on weekends and holidays.

Because rabbits have helped so many children she's taught, Jeni is giving back to the animals this morning by volunteering with bunnies who need our help. And the Bunny House is filled with them.

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