Welcome to My World!
By Edison T. Rabbit - August 2002

Hello All! Let me tell you about me and my life so far!

I hopped into the world on Friday 2 June, 1995 in Lake Hopatcong New Jersey. My Mom, a Holland Lop named Sweet Pea, had given birth to 4 other boy bunnies besides me that day. We all looked almost the same too with just some very subtle differences! We lived in a small but comfortable little cage located in a large shed, which was locked up at night. This was so we all would be safe from any predators that might be around!

My original name was simply ST 60. The " ST" stood for the initials of the breeder who were my first pet humans. These were the people that took care of me, my Mom and my  brothers along with the rest of the rabbits that lived in the shed.

For 6 weeks, my Mom, my 4 brothers and I lived all together in those small humble surroundings. Then one day near the end of July 1995, we were all put into something called a "station wagon" and driven off to a place I heard my first pet humans call Chubb Park, located in Chester NJ.
 
When we arrived we were taken out of the "station wagon" and bought under a very large outdoor enclosure called a "tent." My pet human placed the cage containing me and my brothers on a table. We all looked up, huddled together and watched all of the activities around us. It looked like most of the humans there were having a good time. My brothers and I pretty much stayed in our cage together enjoying the summer air but wishing we could hop out, explore and be part of the fun!

Other bunnies in cages also began to filter into the large tent. Eventually they were taken out and and placed on a platform where they were looked at and studied by a few humans then placed back into their cage. Some of them would later have what I heard one human call "ribbons" placed outside the cage. Some bunnies had very large ribbons, others had medium to small. I wasn't too sure what the significance was but I did notice that the pet humans of the rabbits that received ribbons were really happy. I almost wished I had one!

As for my brothers and I, well.. we didn't get a ribbon but we sure got a lot of attention from the other humans around!

As the day went by, a few of my brothers vanished, carried off by other humans. I would never see them again and never really learn there fate but, I hope that they went to as great a home as I have now. (If anyone reading this knows If my Mom is still with us, or knows where my brothers went or even thinks that they may even HAVE one of my brothers, drop me a line and let me know know! Id love to know their whereabouts!)

During that day there was one human that walked by my cage and began to look at where I was. At the time my brothers and I were all huddled together. I had my tiny chin resting on one of my brother's backs. But there was something about this one human. Our eyes just locked for about 10 whole minutes. We both sort of looked each other over. We both knew that there was some kind of connection between us!

 He walked away for a moment and I perked up a bit as if to say "hey don't go!"  He then returned putting his finger through the cage  and scratched my forehead. He was smiling at me and I nestled back down on one of my brothers. Then he moved away once more. I perked up again and saw this person talk to my pet human and then give some green paper to her, and then walk away. It would be one more week before I saw this person again.

On 6 August, 1995 just seven days after that connection had been forged that same human had come back to see me, my pet humans at that time, and my real mom back at my shed in Lake Hopatcong.  Seven days later he, along with another human, would take me away from my my mom and my first humble home and bring me to my new home in Mine Hill NJ, where I live today.

En-route to my new home my new family was thinking of a new name for me. When my pet human first made contact with my first mom, one of her daughters said that I was a girl rabbit. So my new family had the name "Miranda" picked out for me. When it was time to come to take me off to my new home, my new pet humans discovered that I was actually a boy! So much for the first choice! 

While I was en route home, my new family decided to name me Edison. Why you ask? There were a few reasons. One because of a famous inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, that my new pet human just finished reading an extensive biography of. A few days prior to my arrival, they visited the laboratory where the inventor had worked in West Orange, NJ. One of my pet humans were given a plush rabbit with a graduate's cap and scroll for his college graduation. That plush rabbit was also named Edison. 

My new pet human is also a bit of a fan of the old Max Headroom television series, too. The main character in that program was named Edison Carter so there were plenty of name tie ins. 

The main reason for calling me Edison was that it seemed so original! Every rabbit that my pet humans came across was called "Thumper" or "Fluffy", or named after one of the Beatrix Potter characters. Naming me Edison seemed so unique! I always felt I was and my name really drove that point home!

When I got home I was placed in a new rather large cage. There were 2 resting boards , a water bottle, a crock with bunny feed pellets, and a rather large box filled with some course gravel stuff. I was so exhausted from the ride over that I hopped into the box and went to sleep! My pet humans to this day remember me all stretched out in there, with one of my tiny ears flopped over the side of the box!

For the first three days in my new surroundings, I was left in my cage just to get used to the place and to let me know that this area was mine alone. Not that I was anti-social or anything but there are times where I would just like to be by myself. For those times, this was the place! The cage was huge compared to what I had before so I felt comfortable right from the start.

I live now live in what you humans would call the den of the home. The den is a basement which was re-fitted and turned into a living space and study. It is the perfect place for a lively energetic rabbit like me to hop, play and share quality time with my pet humans.

 I used to be in my cage when no one was around to supervise me but when my pet human's got home, I was let out to hop and play around the room. I would be let out to roam around for about an hour during the morning, before my pet humans had to hop away for the day. But when they got home I got a full 5 and a half hours out of the confines of my cage to hop, play and share treats with my pet humans!

 In November of 1998, the den was made to be "rabbit resistant". Any electrical cords were either encased in PVC piping, or hidden out of my reach. With the danger of getting myself  electrocuted now passed and my litter box habits being very good indeed, I was free to hop around the place at will! I still use my cage as a bathroom (or to hide in when I need to go to the vet!)

My pet humans are the greatest and to be honest, I think I'm spoiled rotten! I get a lot of attention here, and most important for a little rabbit who is dependant on someone else to take care of him, a LOT of concern and
love!
 
Edison's Memorial Page 
Edison's Gifts

 A abbit's Journey


Edison T. Rabbit
2 June,1995 - 24 September, 2002

Edison T. Rabbit
September, 1995

"Behold the only thing greater than yourself!" - The Lion King

Allowed "free run" of the home:
November 1998

Edison sitting in one of his favorite places

Playing on the couch 

Diagnosed with Jaw Abscesses:
13 November, 1999