No more pancakes for Oolong

January 8, 2003 7:57 AM

Oolong, the rabbit well known for wearing items on his head, has died. Pour a 40oz of pancake syrup for respect.
posted by Katemonkey (80 comments total)

Every bad post on MetaFilter will be in his memory....

he....will be missed
posted by mkelley at 8:01 AM on January 8, 2003

Don't click on the first link if you are particularly sensitive or sentimental.
posted by konolia at 8:03 AM on January 8, 2003

posted by thomcatspike at 8:04 AM on January 8, 2003

Requiescant In Pannekoeken, Oolong.
posted by rory at 8:06 AM on January 8, 2003 [1 favorite]

What a sad litany of images. A heaven of clover awaits.
posted by four panels at 8:07 AM on January 8, 2003

Awwww man. That was one well loved rabbit.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:08 AM on January 8, 2003

English speakers: hovering over the pictures gives an alt text description of Oolong's last days. Sad as hell.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:17 AM on January 8, 2003

Oolong will be missed.

sidenote: Now I know where Dean gets his inspiration for daily Oliver pics. Compare: 2003 and 2003
posted by mathowie at 8:22 AM on January 8, 2003

that's pretty hard to look at near the end. so this is what technology has become, making me feel sad for dead rabbits someplace else in the world. excellent.
posted by cachilders at 8:22 AM on January 8, 2003

dang... i didn't care much when strummer died, but... this hits me.
posted by lotsofno at 8:23 AM on January 8, 2003

Jeez, that's awful.

thought those were his ears sticking out of the ground there for a minute...
posted by gottabefunky at 8:23 AM on January 8, 2003

Oh my, that's sad. Farewell to Oolong and sympathies to his owner from far, far away.
posted by yhbc at 8:24 AM on January 8, 2003

Those pancake pictures still make me smile. I am surprised at how sad I am about this.

Bye bye bunny.
posted by jennyb at 8:24 AM on January 8, 2003

No more ¡¡¡SUUPER HEADPERFORMANCE!!!

Farewell Oolong.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 8:30 AM on January 8, 2003

oh, poor bunny. still, 7 or 8 years old, and such a performance artist...
posted by dreamling at 8:34 AM on January 8, 2003

That series of images is devastating. I too am surprised by how sad I am about that little rabbit. My sympathies to his owner.

So long, Oolong!
posted by fletchmuy at 8:35 AM on January 8, 2003

R.I.P. Oolong.

Enjoy the Infinite Lettuce Patch in the Sky little buddy.
posted by thewittyname at 8:51 AM on January 8, 2003

[This is Sad]
posted by jazon at 8:53 AM on January 8, 2003

Oh, no, Oolong! Farewell, little rabbit, and thanks for all the smiles.
posted by swerve at 8:58 AM on January 8, 2003

I think Konolia means don't click on the last link -- i.e. the "died" link.
posted by britain at 9:04 AM on January 8, 2003

I had a rabbit as a pet for awhile. They can be very messy and thoroughly enjoy eating wooden baseboards (much to my chagrin since I was renting at the time). But despite all this, they are so cute and funny to watch. Especially fun times can be had when the rabbit decides to run around the house at full speed (quite fast actually) performing aerial leaps of acrobatic proportions. They evidently enjoy this as a form of practicing escape from predators.

I'll miss my Momo dearly.
posted by jsonic at 9:09 AM on January 8, 2003

Anyone else befuddled by the fact of the little Oolong .gif's ability to return the same amount of distance in one hop it takes him to advance in two?
posted by dong_resin at 9:13 AM on January 8, 2003

Pauvre lapin.

WTF with that last photo?

This reminds me of a former girlfriend's relationship with a guinea pig.
posted by ParisParamus at 9:13 AM on January 8, 2003

Perhaps we could ask Clonaid.......
Maybe his ghost will return to haunt us. heh.

(bye bunny)
posted by ginz at 9:14 AM on January 8, 2003

dong_resin: Study the turns. The turns are the key.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:17 AM on January 8, 2003

Ginz: very funny. I can just imagine an interview with Clonaid. The interviewer very seriously interviews the CEO for several hours about the scientific and ethical implications of their breakthrough. Then the interviewer says. "

You know, nothing you've said makes sense, or sounds legitimate, and I suspect you are a fraud. But just in case, here are some cells from my deceased pet bunny. Call me when you've brought him back."
posted by ParisParamus at 9:23 AM on January 8, 2003

rabbits are very delicate creatures, if they get sick they can die very quickly even with good vet care.

it's sad but interesting how you end up being close to your pets like they're members of the family, and you kind of mourn their passing like the passing of a relative who was dear to your heart

I bet right now Oolong in bunny heaven is balancing awesome amounts of warm pancakes on his furry cute head (and, like thomcat eloquently said, he's eating lots of carrots and hay and veggies in his free time)

What about a commemorative "Oolong" Mefi baseball shirt? He really was a honorary member of this community, wasn't he
posted by matteo at 9:33 AM on January 8, 2003

Yeah, it was the last link.

I don't think I could have taken that set of pics, myself.
posted by konolia at 9:47 AM on January 8, 2003

Why, Oh why didn't we plan ahead?
posted by blue_beetle at 9:48 AM on January 8, 2003

I will not cry over the pancake rabbit's death. I will not cry over the pancake rabbit's death. I will not cry over the pancake rabbit's death. I will not cry over the pancake rabbit's death.

Goodbye Oolong.
posted by KnitWit at 9:49 AM on January 8, 2003 [1 favorite]

*teary now*
posted by JoanArkham at 9:59 AM on January 8, 2003

That made me a lot sadder than I expected.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 10:11 AM on January 8, 2003

I don't look forward to dealing with this when my rabbit (now 12 and in good health) moves on.

Man, this is bothering me more than I'd like.

I hope that Oolong is running free with Hazel and El-ahrairah.
posted by tommasz at 10:11 AM on January 8, 2003

Damn. I was OK until I looked at the alt text over the series of pictures. Once you lose a pet, you're absolutely primed to react to something like this.

My sympathies to Oolong's owner.
posted by maudlin at 10:24 AM on January 8, 2003

Tough times for bunnies.
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:34 AM on January 8, 2003

The last photo is a grave marker made from carrots, for those who didn't catch that.

Goodnight, Oolong.
posted by blissbat at 10:36 AM on January 8, 2003

strange how things we thought were simple curiosities turn out to hold a surprising amount of sentimental value.

there is a lesson here. one about compassion and admiration, even in the most unlikely of places.

a fellow and his bunny. you and your neighbor.
posted by grabbingsand at 10:38 AM on January 8, 2003

7 years is a very elderly rabbit.

When a bunny gets that old, you might be called on to wipe the bunnies bum because they have trouble keeping clean.

So if you think the bunny hat pictures are somehow offensive, would you rather have his pictures of bunny cleaning?
posted by rough ashlar at 10:48 AM on January 8, 2003

The original thread came, quite literally, from gentler times.

Oddly affecting, the passing of rabbits. I was also touched by Robert Fripp's tale of the unnecessary death of Beaton Bunnerius Bun in his DGM diary.
posted by Grangousier at 10:56 AM on January 8, 2003

he is clearly balancing all of heaven upon his head. balance on oolong, balance on FOREVER
posted by fuq at 12:26 PM on January 8, 2003

Pauvre, pauvre lapin.
posted by ParisParamus at 12:49 PM on January 8, 2003

Remembering Oolong in better times.

That second picture is pretty sporty. Handsome rabbit, that Ooolong.

Oddly affecting, indeed, Grangousier.
posted by dglynn at 1:38 PM on January 8, 2003

Has anyone thought to send Oolong's owner a link to this thread yet?
posted by Cyrano at 1:39 PM on January 8, 2003

A single rabbit sized tear forms in my gland for the best litte patient internet rabbit ever.
posted by the_ill_gino at 2:04 PM on January 8, 2003

I ran into Zoey, who lives with Ken, former owner of Antennaradio. When I started drylongso, I didn't even have a computer and I'd go over to their aprtment to record each show.

They kept a lot of rabbits, some of their own and others they rescued or were placing. They're cute animals and adorable in thier own ways. Their lives are so short, though...

This made me cry--it reminded me of when Gabby, my last cat got cancer and I had to put him down. He was 17, I'd had him my whole life and I didn't get another cat for another 16 years. I'm glad I got Nevada, but this just reminds me of the whole part of having a cat I dread.

I did a lot of the same things as far as making a ceremony of it, not that it helped at all. I still miss him.

I sent a note.
posted by y2karl at 2:16 PM on January 8, 2003

The last photo is a grave marker made from carrots, for those who didn't catch that.

Thanks Blissbat. I thought I was going to go to hell for thinking "ears...he left the ears above ground...ears..."
posted by Ogre Lawless at 2:46 PM on January 8, 2003

Weep. Bye bye, Oolong.
posted by aine42 at 2:50 PM on January 8, 2003

More meta Oolong remembering.
posted by piskycritter at 2:57 PM on January 8, 2003

"for thinking "ears...he left the ears above ground...ears..."

Me too. Thanks.
posted by ParisParamus at 3:01 PM on January 8, 2003

In The Brothers Karamzov, Dostoyevsky wrote "Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you-alas, it is true of almost every one of us!"

Thanks to Oolong and his owner for forcing me to smile on some rotten days.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:02 PM on January 8, 2003

That was supposed to be I ran into Zoey... on the bus last week and told her about Oolong.

They'd just lost a couple themselves--I asked her how long rabbits lived. She told me that rabbits outside in a hutch live 2 or 3 years but that they can live as long as 9 to 12 indoors.

Outside of the monster size breeds like Great Danes and Wolfhounds, who top out at 12 years usually, dogs can live to be in their late teens and beyond, as can cats. I wonder how old Oolong was...
posted by y2karl at 3:10 PM on January 8, 2003

Thanks for that Curley
posted by KnitWit at 3:10 PM on January 8, 2003

Oolong had just turned 8
posted by KnitWit at 3:12 PM on January 8, 2003

this ruined my day. i actually found out about it RAW while looking for the hemp series:

hemp
posted by mantid at 3:30 PM on January 8, 2003

May his memory live on forever.

Rabbits don't come as good as Oolong these days..sigh.
posted by ac at 3:45 PM on January 8, 2003

Automatic translation:

The January seventh noon, suddenly, condition became the ‚í ‚é ‚­.
Power stops entering, the hand and foot is languidly so.
A little, it increased only the water, but appetite at zero, is painful, is.
And others so is, but coming out, it is possible only do.
And... 19:30, the À ‚Á ‚Ä you put away gently. The eye opens.
It was the last moment when it does not have pain. It seems like whether still you have lived of.
It is surrounded in the companions. It is the abrupt separation.
You just sleep, immediately it may occur be visible, can't help.
The saxifrage slag attaching also the leaf of the dandelion of the favorite, it is burial.
Way if, ƒE[ƒƒ“.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 3:57 PM on January 8, 2003

And of course, just one more game of this...
posted by Pretty_Generic at 4:06 PM on January 8, 2003

Power stops entering, the hand and foot is languidly so.

I wonder if Oolong had encephalitozoonosis.
posted by y2karl at 4:26 PM on January 8, 2003

More meta Oolong remembering.

Well, I watched the dance before--but never with the sound on. Yipes.
posted by y2karl at 4:37 PM on January 8, 2003

I wrote to Daisy's owner, expressed my sympathies, and asked whether he/she had other rabbits and/or intended to acquire a new one.
posted by ParisParamus at 8:00 PM on January 8, 2003

Outside of the monster size breeds like Great Danes and Wolfhounds, who top out at 12 years usually, dogs can live to be in their late teens and beyond, as can cats.

Actually, the giant breeds (including your beloved Bullies, which are considered giant) usually top out a whole lot younger than that, reaching 10 is unusual for a Dane (8 is average), and most giant breeds don't make it to 12. Average lifespan for most non-giant breeds is still less than 15 years (mutts and some small breeds can live longer, but average is still only around 15). Sorry :(.

I'm surprised at how badly I feel about Oolong. I don't even like rabbits much. I think some of it is that his owner so clearly loved him, that it's sad to see someone lose something they cared about so much, there's also the meme quality Oolong had...I mean who could possibly not be amused by a rabbit who balanced things on his head? Still, 8 is a good age for a bunny, fragile little critters that they are. I hope there's an Oolong II.
posted by biscotti at 8:56 PM on January 8, 2003

Oh my God. I just got back to work, and normally I'm a completely emotionless (killing) machine, but that really brought me down. Jeeze.
posted by mmcg at 9:06 PM on January 8, 2003

I hope there's an Oolong II.

Me too.

I knew I was over-estimating on the big dogs--but then there was a 10 year old Scottish Deerhound in my old neighborhood and I'm told there's a breeder of Great Danes hereabouts who's got them up to 12 year life spans, which is a selling point.. My folks separated for awhile and the dogs were given away--I don't know how long our bulldogs lived. Is this true for French Bulldogs, too? That's my current dog of choice--I want something my cat can beat up.
posted by y2karl at 9:12 PM on January 8, 2003

Pretty_Generic, thanks for that computer translation-- what a weirdly beautiful and poetic eulogy.
posted by gwint at 9:47 PM on January 8, 2003

Is this true for French Bulldogs, too?

Sadly, yes. 8-12 years with 10 being average. But they're lovely little dogs (even if they do have a "help! I'm choking!" bark), and regardless of breed their lifespans are shorter than ours, so you enjoy the time you get. Unless you get a parrot or a tortoise (or you're very old already), you're going to (hopefully) see the end of any pet you have, it's just part of the deal.

/derail

And what gwint said. "It is the abrupt separation" indeed.
posted by biscotti at 10:35 PM on January 8, 2003

Parrots... Hmmm. Reminds me of a story I just heard.

All things considered, I'd rather have a rabbit than a macaw, I think.
posted by y2karl at 11:17 PM on January 8, 2003

Some of you scare the hell out of me sometimes...you really do.

Carry on....
posted by rushmc at 11:36 PM on January 8, 2003

I actually found the pictures from last week to be more poignant and sad.

We had to say goodbye to our beloved Sara (a basset hound) last year. Deep down I knew she had a good life with us, but it still broke my heart.

Oolong had a wonderful life.
posted by O9scar at 8:25 AM on January 9, 2003

SO sad! What a sweet thread. I hope Oolong's dad will read this and know how much he was loved.
posted by sparky at 9:09 AM on January 9, 2003

WAIL *leaps onto grave*
posted by Summer at 9:28 AM on January 9, 2003

Why is this so depressing? :(
posted by trillion at 12:49 PM on January 9, 2003

I'm sorry for this sudden news, Oolong passed away on January 7th.
He was so well and cheerful as usual, but at 14:30 his condition changed suddenly, and he couldn't support himself less and less, seemed to feel dull.
Then at 19:30, he softly stopped breathing in the arms of his ownerand completed his eight years and five months and more several days life filled with various adventure.
Since opening this website, Oolong had gotten incredible lots of support from all over the world, not only in Japan, more than 25 countries.
Surely he seems to be the best fortunate rabbit in the world.
Thank you very much for your warmth.
There is still some stock of Oolong's photograph not released yet, so this site will be regularly updated so far. Here he can live for ever.
Wishing he can also live in hearts of you all, please.

P.S. I'm receiving so many emails about condolences from over the world,
please forgive me not to be able to send quick each reply. Thank you.

Was this there yesterday?
posted by y2karl at 1:02 PM on January 9, 2003

Condolences from me too.
posted by lucien at 1:21 PM on January 9, 2003

I would also submit the following Google searches:

Oolong the rabbit

Hironori-Akutagawa

Sample quote from sample link:

The happy days of Hironori Akutagawa and his rabbit
I don't know what the site is actually called.

The rabbit, Oolong, is a seven-year-old bunny from Hokkaido that has a knack for balancing objects on its head and likes hanging out in meadows. Hironori Akutagawa mostly stays behind the camera. Ninety percent of the site is in Japanese, and it doesn't matter. Just keep clicking on the list of pictures. There are more of them elsewhere on the site. Some are of Oolong (I quite liked this one); others are on other subjects: here, here, here, and here. I don't think I can explain why it cheers me up as much as it does.

My bold.
posted by y2karl at 1:35 PM on January 9, 2003

Why do I associate the surname "Daisy" with our furry friend?
posted by ParisParamus at 3:14 PM on January 9, 2003

I went to defective yeti today, where I found

"The rabbit of this day was observed this way."

And so begins each entry in Oolong's photo diary. But first let me explain.

I first discovered this website in June 2001. I had been searching for random images when I came across the photograph on the right.

Evidently this all began with syberpunk, a quirky Japanese collection

--with, best of all, the first three Oolong head balancing photographs.
posted by y2karl at 4:47 PM on January 10, 2003

I am sad, but I am also confused, as for exactly why I am so very sad for somebody's rabbit, and my head is spinning, because without the Internet, his headperformance would never have been known to me, and right now, I would not be sad. Uh... yeah.
posted by kevspace at 9:08 PM on January 10, 2003

I'm new-ish around here (been lurking a while) and I never knew the poor guy, but just the same, I'm sad, quite sad in fact. The more I go through the images, the sadder I become...I'll miss him, and I didn't even know the fellow... *sniff*
posted by thebabelfish at 4:37 PM on January 25, 2003

Got this in the email:

Hello,

Sorry for late reply. I'm quite cheered up and feel saved
by your condolences. But I still mistake if Oolong is here,
and sometimes call him unconsciously.

I've bred rabbits for 23 years, so near the future I will get a new rabbit, I think.

I'm going to let Oolong's homepage on if new update will be over. Since I'm a photographer, I wish to publish Oolong photo book if possible.

Thank you for loving my Oolong so much!

---
Hironori Akutagawa
http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sokaisha/rabbit/rabbit.htm
posted by y2karl at 12:01 AM on January 28, 2003

Yep, the alt text got me. I sit here in tears, and if I tried to explain why to my co-workers, well, they'd think me mad.

Goodbye Oolong; I'm glad you were loved by so many.
posted by tr33hggr at 1:41 PM on January 28, 2003