Owned by Paige Harris (’19), Poe the bunny is a popular rabbit on a variety of social media platforms, including Tumblr (poethebunny.tumblr.com) and Instagram (@poethebunny). His full name is Edgar Allan Poe Dameron, and though he is small in stature, he makes up for it in personality. At three years old, he is full of energy and has plenty of love to give.
“When people first meet him, they always comment on his fur,” says Harris. “Mini Rexes are known for their soft fur and friendly disposition. He’s a good specimen of his breed, and if his previous owners hadn’t lost his papers, I would have been able to show him.”
Poe was bought off of Craigslist, and has been on campus with Harris since her freshman year. “Originally me and three other people adopted him, but things got messy, custody got complicated, and now I’m his owner. He was living in a fish tank and had two toddlers constantly picking him up and dropping him. He was underweight as well. But he’s doing so much better now.”
Poe is Harris’s emotional support animal and has helped improve her overall mental health. “He’s so sweet and energetic,” she says. “It’s nice to come home to someone who’s always excited to see you.”
When not being held or kept in his cage, Poe will run around Harris’s room. He’ll do quick circles and jump into the air for fun, an action called a binkie. He’ll also play with almost anything. “He’s played with plastic forks, sunglasses, key rings, and even phones if you put them where he can get to them. He especially loves keys though. He likes to pick them up and throw them in the air.”
Another favorite activity of Poe’s is eating, so like many other pets he is always on the lookout for food. He eats alfalfa and hay, with supplemented fruits and vegetables as treats. “His favorite food is apples. If given the chance, he would absolutely eat a whole one in a single sitting. I don’t let him though because apples are very high in sugar – something a rabbit doesn’t need a lot of,” says Harris.
In warmer months, Harris will put a harness on Poe and bring him out to the Residential Quad to let him run around. “He loves being out in the sunlight and eating the grass. I’m always a little afraid that a hawk will come down and snatch him up though.” The rabbit has met many people, including Jose Bowen. With winter having officially set in though, he is no longer allowed outside. Even Sondheim gets too chilly for the rabbit sometimes. “He hasn’t been as active lately since he really dislikes the cold on his paws. That’s the only thing that bothers him, really. Other than the fire alarms, which has luckily only gone off once.”
Sadly, though, this will be Poe’s last semester at Goucher. Harris will be transferring to another school, so she will be unable to care of Poe any longer. But don’t fret! Poe is to be given to Mikaela Smith (’19), who owns Poe’s friend, Rascal the rabbit, before becoming the class pet for a class of third graders.
