Bunny Thankfulness

I asked the rabbits today what they were thankful for:

Calvin - "I'm thankful that my ear is better. I don't look like Caspian anymore, and I can wink my right eye again."

Julia - "I'm thankful for salads, treats, and long headrubs."

Caspian - "I'm thankful for Mama and all the love she gives me."

Conner - "I'm thankful that I didn't get eaten. I'm thankful that I got to have a great wife, Jenna, though I miss her."

Stew - "I'm thankful that I didn't get eaten, either, and I'm thankful that I'm in a nice big space where I can dance around and be my goofy self."

DeVille, Jake, and Heath - "We're glad we got our front teeth removed and got a great home with salads, hay, and other rabbits to watch."

Cadence - "I'm thankful that I got rescued from being outside, and I'm glad that I have a great Mama."

Napoleon and Debutante - "We're thankful for being able to live inside."

Mama - I'm thankful for all these great rabbits and a nice, quiet rental house for us to live in.

Mama

Update on Calvin

Well, Calvin has Horner's Syndrome, where pressure from an ear infection (that I didn't know he had) compresses the facial nerve. With antibiotics and massage (plus ear cleaning), we can hopefully reverse the pressure and have no lasting effects. The condition could get worse and lead to losing feeling in more of his face, so hopefully we can at least arrest the progression. We're doing a culture on some of the gunk that came from his ear, and hopefully that will tell us more. Cal's hanging with me at work right now and chillin' out. What a good bun!

Mama

Calvin - Stroke?

I noticed today that Calvin's right ear is drooping and he's not really moving it. It's not a Caspian lop sort of ear, but it's not an uppy ear anymore. Searching the Internet for info, the only thing that comes up is wry neck/head tilt, which could be from a stroke. He otherwise looks okay (well, his third eyelid has been more closed for a while, but he's not leaning or hopping in circles). I'm thinking he had a small stroke. He is over 8 years old, probably closer to 8 1/2 to 9, so a stroke wouldn't be out of the question.

Has anyone had an older bun with the same symptom?

Mama

He Said....

Wow! Julia is everything Mama said she was. I love her so much!! I grunted at her and danced around with joy. She was rather frigid with me, though, but I'm sure I can win her over. I gave her kisses around her face, showed her that I'd take good care of her by mounting her, and of course grunted at her to say "I love you" a lot of times. Julia seemed more interested in Mama than me. I've only ever loved one other woman, and Jenna would keep me on a tight leash. If I have to wear the pants in this new relationship, I hope Mama can help me figure out what I need to do. I even flopped down with happiness at one point on our date, though I was too excited and had to get right back up again. I'm trying to cover up the fact that I'm so shy, and I know I made some mistakes. But I can do better if Mama and Julia can give me a chance.

Conner

She Said....

Hmmm, I got put into a pen with this big, rude, fuzzy boy named Conner this afternoon. Talk about forward and crude! He even mounted me and talked nasty to me. I was not happy. I tried to hide behind Mama, and she'd put me back facing this oaf. She wanted me to assert myself, that Conner was a wuss and would be put in his place if I'd just smack him. I'm too much of a lady for that! I did put a damper on his running at me by lunging at him, and he at least listened to me (usually) when I put my head down for a grooming. He kept focusing on the area around my eyes, so that made me mad, too. Mama says we'll have other dates, and he had better learn some manners or else I'm going to turn him from an angora to a mini rex.

Julia

Mama Needs to Wake Up

I snuck onto the laptop today while Mama was at work. I see that she wrote two, TWO, posts about my horrible bath. Either Mama needs to take her ginko like Grampy does or else she needs to just get over this whole bath thing already and let me meet this Julia girl she keeps talking about.

Conner

One Bath Down....

...And one to go. Conner was a very good bunny during his first bath last week. The shampoo smells like coconut suntan lotion, so he was very delicious-smelling. I washed him in the kitchen sink because it was more contained and I have one of those sprayers beside the faucet. The sound of the sprayer freaked him out a bit, but he wasn't overly wiggly. I am glad I got the spray bottle of shampoo instead of trying to keep him still while I opened a regular bottle and poured shampoo into my hand. He'd have been gone in a flash if I'd have done that.

He'll have a touch-up trim and another bath either this weekend (supposed to warm up again into the 60s) or next week. Then he'll be ready to meet Julia.

Fingers are crossed!

Mama

Conner is Fine

Conner is adjusting to widowererhood pretty well. He got his first bath yesterday (no pics - he was just too pathetic looking), and the shampoo made him smell like coconut sunscreen. I have a few more places to trim on his fur to make the next bath go even better. Then he'll be all set to meet Julia. While I don't really think Conner was carrying anything on his fur from Jenna's illness, better safe than sorry.

Conner and I are going to cuddle for a while tonight, and hopefully I can trim those few spots. He looks so funny with such short fur on his sides and back, with his feet and belly still a bit long. He won't sit still well when I try to trim these areas, so it makes him look even odder.

Mama

Goodbye, Jenna

Yesterday and today, Jenna seemed worse - weak, not very active, and the sparkle had gone from her eye. I decided to make an appt. to have her euthanized tonight.

When I got home from work, Jenna had fallen onto her side at some point during the day and wasn't able to get up. So much like poor PJ had been. I set her upright, then gave her treats (carrots and craisins - she ate them, but still no "sparkle"). A few minutes later, I loaded her and Conner into the carrier and took them to the vet.

Jenna was very brave, and Conner was very supportive. He solicited attention while also staying near Jenna. Jenna went quietly, and she was peaceful. Conner lay with Jenna's body for a while after she had passed, and he went into the carrier when I offered it to him.

My vet has called with the necropsy results. It was a problem with Jenna's gut and liver, with a lot of fluid in her abdomen, the liver shrunken, and the intestines very swollen and stuff.

So far, Conner shows no signs of having caught anything from her, and I'll be scrubbing down their house this weekend to clean everything up. I'll clean the litterbox tomorrow and the extra hay etc. in the house, but the place will still smell like Jenna until I scrub it down. Hopefully that will help Conner cope with being alone again.

Jenna and PJ are together again. Hopefully they'll let Jessica hang out with them. Jenna was such a great wife and nurse to PJ, and she enjoyed being married to a young guy for a second husband. She loved using Conner as a pillow, draping herself over his middle, making a squished plus sign. She didn't need to intimidate Conner much - he fled from her glare alone. I'm glad I was able to give Jenna two loving husbands and (of course) a very loving Mama.

Mama

Jenna and Flannery Updates

Well, Jenna is still weak and very messy with her stool, but she's hanging in there. She's going to get a butt bath (sure to be annoying to both of us), and that should clean her up a bit. The vet is investigating what else to try. She's eating and drinking well, but so did PJ. Conner still seems well, so hopefully it won't pass to him. He had some medication to ward it off, but since it hasn't helped Jenna get back to normal, it might not be the right kind.

Flannery hasn't hit it off with Julia or Calvin, or even DeVille, so she's going back to Red Door and go to a foster home tomorrow. I feel bad, for Flan really wants to be with someone, and she's had a lot of changes in her life. At least she's been here for a month. Hopefully she can scale down her neediness, not be so possessive of what she sees as her human or so desperate when dealing with other buns.

Mama

Jenna Gained Weight :-)

Jenna gained .4 lbs since Tues, so I'm a little more optimistic. I thought her spine looked a little less pronounced. Now if her hips and muscles fill out, we'll really have a better outlook....

Mama

Jenna Update

Well, Jenna lost weight and is weak. She's anemic, too, so we're treating her for coccidiosis (again) and giving her some stuff for her blood. They're still doing a few tests (slides of her blood and a fecal exam - she left a big clumpy icky pile of stuff on the towel at the vet's office, so they have a nice sample size), but I'm sure they'll find coccidiosis at least. Liver values and stuff all looked fine, so we'll see if I can get weight on her. If not, then the decision will have to be made again. I'm glad to take two buns to the vet and come back with two (Conner came along for moral support - at least it wasn't a goodbye).

Mama

Sad Future for Jenna

Jenna, PJ's widow and wife of Conner, is showing signs of wasting away like PJ did. I've noticed over the last week to week and a half that she's getting a bit weak. Considering she caught the same coccidiosis that PJ had shortly after bonding to him, which I'm guessing was a hepatic strain, I don't hold much hope for this special girl.

We're going to the vet tomorrow to see if they could find out anything that might help. With my main vet on vacation and my secondary off tomorrow, I might wait until Sat. to make the choice to euthanize her. She's not suffering much yet, but she will, and it's a very hard decision to make to do it now. She fell once today onto her side, but was able to get back up. She also slipped or something when she and Conner were out while I was cleaning their house. (Conner wasn't near her, so it was all her.). I can't let her get so weak like PJ got, but I could wait a few days while the clinic did some research into what might help. Or I might ask that she be euthanized tomorrow, if my secondary is willing to come in to do it. He's the one who did PJ, and I'd feel more comfortable with him doing it. Like it's ever comfortable.

I had wanted to get some pictures of Jenna and Conner together, especially how Jenna will use Conner as a pillow, but now that I know time is short, I don't really want to take them, for I'll know when they were taken and how soon before the end that they came.

It will be hard to work with Flannery, the girl who is dating Calvin, for she looks a lot like Jenna. I know that one day, the time will come for each of them, but it's still so hard. It only hurts so much because I love so much, but I'm not about to change that.

Mama

Caspian's Doing Better :-)

It's so funny how bunny parents can get so excited when there's poop in the litterbox! Caspian passed some pretty small pellets, but it's a start. His butt is very wet, so he's peeing, too. He's fighting me more when I syringe feed him (yay!), and he's up on the shelf in his house. He's grooming, itching ears, and getting mad when I blow on his nose.

I'm hoping I don't have to take him to work with me tomorrow. Though I'd love to have him there (despite not having a good spot for him there - just moved cubes last week), I don't want to have to haul his heavy butt for the walk from and to the train station (about a mile total).

Mama

Need Healing Thoughts for Caspian

Caspian decided to go into GI stasis, and thus far is still being a lump. Sub-q fluids hasn't helped, and I forsee another trip to the vet tonight. His belly seemed pretty big, but he wasn't too gassy. He might have a touch o' sludge, too, but we need better films. He'll probably get knocked out later so we can get better pics. I have no idea what set this off. I noticed he wasn't up on his little shelf yesterday, and last night he didn't express any interest in his food (even pellets!), though he did eat a craisin. He ate a craisin this morning, too, but I still dragged him to the vet.

So, here's hoping he can get over this. He's my favorite kid, and I'd be so lost if he doesn't make it.

Mama

Cal and Flan Dating Update

The bunny dates between Calvin and Flannery are going pretty well. I do have to laugh, though. Flan will groom Cal's back and he looks so rumpled. After she groomed one of his ears tonight, he immediately groomed it himself. I can't figure out if that's like someone giving you a peck on the cheek and you immediately rub it off.

Mama

A New Resident

Julia's bunny date on Saturday went pretty well, I thought. We brought home Flannery, a Mini-Rex girl who was grooming Julia during the date (and mounting too, but Julia didn't protest). At home, Flannery eventually took over the pen I put her and Julia into, resulting in a few fights come daylight, and I'm not sure if it was Julia telling Flannery to go away or that the big litterbox was her territory and Flannery should stay away.

So, I tried Flannery with Calvin. Again, Flannery was aggressively grooming Cal on the neck and back, eventually making it to his ears. She mounted him a few times, with no reaction (well, Cal did eat some hay while it was occurring, which he'd do with Jessica and I took that as a good sign). They dated later in a pen outside, and Flannery wanted nothing to do with him.

So, Flannery and I had a talk Sunday night. She just lost her people last week (they lost their job and their house), so I thought to give her some time off from dating to settle down a bit. Last night, we were cuddling on the couch, and she peed on me and it. I was still smelling like all of the other bunnies (cleaned litterboxes), so that might have had something to do with it. She had gotten pretty relaxed at one point, so maybe she just lost control. With all the poor girl has been through, I can't be mad at her. (I mean, Caspian's peed on me and the couch several times to let me know he's litterally pi$$ed off, so it's not like it hasn't happened to me before.)

Flannery will be dating Julia and Calvin again tonight (she's more a prospect for Cal at this point), so we'll see how it goes. I think she's trying too hard to be liked. I can't keep her if she doesn't click with somebun here, but I'll feel bad to take her back to the rescue shelter.

Mama

Julia has a Date :-)

Julia and I are going to Red Door on Sat. to seek a partner for her. They have a ton of boys (IHRS only has 2 right now), so I figured that'd be the best place to start. I'm really hoping for love at first sight. I've seen it once (Jenna and PJ, at least on Jenna's part - PJ looked like a deer in headlights after she moved in LOL), and I'd love to see Cupid's arrow strike Julia and her prospective boy.

Mama

Actual Escapee and a Few Humorous Thoughts

This morning, Julia jumped out of her house. She hopped over to Cadence (who didn't try to rip her face off, which surprised me - I thought for sure Ms. Hormonal Evil Doe would want to eviserate any competition she'd see). Julia then checked out Jenna and Conner, who also just sniffed her. I put a little stuffed toy bun in Julia's house for the day so she'd have some company. Tonight, she and Calvin are going on a car ride together in a carrier to push things along. An 8 1/2 year old bun has to be pretty lonely to jump out of her house (24" off the ground or so) and go nosing around at the other buns near her. If nothing sparks tonight, I'll have to try her with DeVille again. If nothing there, seek to adopt somebunny for her.

I also either left Caspian's door open again on Friday or else I'm not securing it, making it easy for him to push open. He exhibited common sense again (I'm sure the third time will be the charm, so to speak) and stayed in his house.

Whenever I take Caspian out to the living room for a "couch cuddle", we pass Cadence's pen. I often wonder that if I accidently drop him in (or he jumps away from my hold and falls in), if Cadence will start singing "It's Raining Men." :-)

Enough rambling for a Monday morning.....

Mama

Exercise

I took Stew out this afternoon to stretch his legs for about an hour. He had fun, though he still won't go onto the top floor of the bunny vacation villa. I then took Jenna and Conner (the pellet marking maestro) out for an hour as well. Jenna seemed rather subdued, so I hope she's feeling okay. She has some matted fur around her butt from urine (not true urine scald). I have her on almost no pellets, so I'm sure that is messing her system up a bit. (She needs to lose weight again.) She ate weeds for most of playtime, so that was a good sign.

A neighbor walking by couldn't believe how fuzzy Conner was and took some pics of him with his cell phone. I picked Conner up so he could feel him. Conner looks like a hopping afro right now, so I need to give him a haircut tomorrow if the weather stays okay. Too windy today to do it. I end up eating way too much fuzz when I do it as it is without Mother Nature blowing more into my mouth.

Mama

Disappearing Stew

This morning, I was giving everyone their breakfast, leaving cage doors open until I'm done with each bun. I look over at Stew's house at one point, and I don't see him. Now, he's a big boy, so it's not like he can hide easily like one of the Lionheads can.

I thought, "Hmm, now if he'd have jumped out, I'd surely would have heard him hit the floor." His house is as high as Caspian's (see post below), but I still looked around on the floor to see if he was around. Nope. I walk over to his cage and I see that Stew is hiding beside his litterbox, keeping it between him and me. When we were visiting Grampy back in May, Stew would hide behind his litterbox, but he hasn't done it much at home here, and certainly hasn't done it in the middle of getting breakfast. I don't know what prompted his "I've gotta hide" instinct, but it sure gave me a scare for a second.

I think the buns are trying to "Gaslight" me, I swear!!

Mama

I'm Very Proud of Caspian

Yesterday it seems I forgot to close Caspian's cage door when giving everybun their breakfast. Amazingly, he was still in his house when I got home. Mind you, his house is on top of Calvin's two-story bunny condo, so it's quite far off the ground. (Caspian and I are at eye level when I'm standing in front of his house.) Still, Cass doesn't exactly have great common sense, so I was so happy that I didn't find a dead bunny boy on the floor after breaking his neck jumping out or after eating whatever the stuff is in Damp-Rid (which works well to get rid of humidity, by the way).

So, I'm very proud of Caspian. Maybe some lingering effects of wearing those glasses at the Spa Day are in play here....

Mama

Caspian in Wonderland

Photos from the Alice in Wonderland themed Spa Day at Red Door, a Chicago shelter that rescues rabbits and where I adopted Calvin and Jessica. Caspian is so attached to me that I had hoped he'd be a good sport about getting his pictures taken in costumes. His expression says it all, I think.






These two remind me of the Who song "I'm a Boy"




And yes, I told the wonderful ladies doing the photos to dress Cass up in drag, for I knew the pics would be priceless. And they certainly are.

Mama

Stew in Wonderland

Photos from the Alice in Wonderland themed Spa Day at Red Door, a Chicago shelter that rescues rabbits (and where I had adopted Calvin and Jessica). I had to take Stew since he's my white rabbit.

I love this big lug :-)

Mama

Cadence the Floozy

Poor little Cadence doesn't seem to realize that all the attractive boy buns in my warren are all neutered. When I get home, I let her out into a pen to get some exercise, and she is constantly flicking her tail up and down. It's not like when Jessica would wiggle her tail like a duck (when she was being mischievious) - it's more like when a mare "winks" at a stallion, a come-hither of her nether region. I tell her that none of my boys can help her out in that department (and I tell the boys to stay away from that crazy unspayed girl), but of course she can't understand.

She also likes to circle my feet and bite at my ankles when I enter the pen to put her back into her house. I guess when you're in the mood she's in, any attention is good attention.

Mama

Pics of Cadence

Finally, pictures of Cadence. (Pics of Heath, Jake, and DeVille coming soon - want to take them outside in the yard and the weather was spotty all weekend.)




She's 4.4 lbs., so too big to be a Polish. Her face/head doesn't look like those of any Havana buns I've seen, so she's probably a dwarf mix of some sort.




She takes photos really well, posing and holding her look until after the pic is taken.




She's quite the looker. Here's hoping I can find a home for her. If not, she'll join the rest of the crew. :-)

Mama

Cadence is Settling in Well

Cadence (pics coming soon) ate a baby carrot and a few craisins I gave her as a welcome treat last night. She folded the newspaper in her litterbox over the hay. I tried to fix it for her this morning, then got to see her EDS come out. (EDS, as my vet will tell you, stands for Evil Doe Syndrome. She half lunged at me and growled. Not intimidated, I started to pet her, where she started some moans and vocalizations like she was afraid. Poor thing.) She flipped the paper right back where it was, so I gave in and just gave her more hay on top of the paper, and she started munching away on the hay right away.

She learned two lessons today:

1. Mama isn't impressed with my inexperienced displays of EDS.
2. You can't eat hay if it's buried under newspaper, but Mama will give you more on top of the paper.

She was stretched out on top of her salad when I left for work this morning. She takes the phrase "A bed of lettuce" a bit literally. :-)

Mama

Hi, I'm Cadence

Hi. I'm a chocolate dwarf bunny girl who was dumped into someone's backyard garden. Harumph! I'm a sweet girl, and I don't know what I did wrong. Anyway, the guy who found me (I let him catch me pretty easily - I knew there were hawks in the area and didn't want to be anyone's snack) called Mama's landlady, who then called Mama. Mama promised me that she'll either find me a forever home who will value me for the gorgeous girl I am or will keep me herself. I'm letting her see a bit more of my personality, so she'd better polish the diva crown, for I'm gunning for it

Cadence

Sunday Play Time

Yesterday, the buns got play time outside. The weather was great, and I set up a double pen for twice the space for them to zip around in and sample the weeds. Only two buns were brave enough to go upstairs in the cardboard playhouse - Capsian and Stew. Neither went to the top floor, and both did jump out the window a few times. I was worried that Stew would weigh too much, but he was fine.

Calvin and Julia had another date yesterday. She solicited a groom from Calvin, and he obliged her for a lick or two, then groomed himself. Hmm, not overly friendly, and it certainly seemed narcissistic. Poor Julia was left "hanging" with her head down and thrust towards him for quite a while before she moved. Still, it showed some promise. Julia has been very lonely lately, and hopefully she and Calvin can finally work out their differences. She just wasn't that into DeVille, and Stew, Caspian, Heath and Jake don't like her. Poor girl.

The buns reacted to a very odd occurrence last night - the furnace kicked on around 10:30 last night! I had it set to 50-something, and it clearly read 72. The buns were thumping, so they knew something weird was going on, too. I had to turn the furnace off by a switch on the unit itself (and the gas, too). While I know I was safe at that point, the rest of me didn't, and I lay awake half the night unable to sleep. I installed a new thermostat today (works fine, and it has an off switch that works), so the buns and I should be able to spend a peaceful night.

Mama

RIP Carson

I found out today that a former foster bun, Carson, passed away unexpectedly last night in his forever home. Rest in peace, little one.

Mama

DeVille the Lockpicker

I came home last night, set my bag down, grabbed the bag of baby carrots, and went into the bunny room to give them their treats. And what did my eyes behold but DeVille's door wide open and no DeVille in his house.

He came out from his hiding place, then dove back in when I tried to grab him. He's small enough to fit between the other cages and the wall, so he can get into some very unreachable places. I managed to snag him and put him back in his house.

At least I don't have to worry about any cords being chewed, since he doesn't have his front teeth. Still, what a little troublemaker :-)

He was still in his house this morning, though he did dart out when I opened the door to give him his salad. I managed to catch him, and I put him in a carrier for a time out while I refilled his pellets and water and gave him more hay. I think I might have bumped his door yesterday morning and undid the latch. Or he's able to get it open on his own. I sure hope not. I've had escaping buns before, and it's hard to think of ways to outsmart them. Dumb bunny my foot!

Mama

Lionhead = Fraggle?

Yesterday, I had to catch DeVille (another lionhead that had to have his front teeth extracted) as he scooted out of his cage when I was giving him dinner. When I caught him, I noticed that his mane was waving in the breeze from the ceiling fan much like the feathers on a Fraggle or Muppet would.

I have a feeling the escape-from-Mama game will be a twice daily attraction in the bunny room. I wonder if it'll make me late for the train one of these days....

Mama

We Have Cohabitation :-)

Today was litterbox cleaning day. I did Jenna and Conner last, putting them in a small pen in the bunny room while I cleaned their houses. I did Jenna's house first, then let them out of the pen while I did Conner's cage. Well, Conner moved in. He was in her house a few weeks ago, and Jenna kicked him out. Today, they're getting along!!

I have Conner's cage attached to the door of Jenna's house, so she can kick him out if she wants to. They've already lay side by side with Conner grooming her, so I think we're gonna be okay. There has been a little bit of chasing, but Jenna has a hiding box to get away from Conner's attentions. Conner does listen to Jenna when she tells him to stop or that she doesn't like something (although he often forgets and does it again), so she's whipping him into shape, so to speak.

I thought back to when Jessica moved into Calvin's house. It had been on Mother's Day. Today being Father's Day, I think Jenna and Conner are going to do just fine :-)

Mama

Funniest Video of Binkies/Racing

I checked out a webpage of another bunny person this morning, and there was a hilarious video of a dwarf bun doing binkies and the Bunny 500:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HiO9rzU_aw&feature=player_embedded

I just had to pass it along. Enjoy :-)

Mama

Conner's Fetish?

I trimmed Conner's and Jenna's nails yesterday, then left them in a pen for another date. They're really doing well together, though I have one question. Can rabbits have a fetish?

Conner seems obsessed with grooming Jenna's ears. Jenna will tolerate it, but she sometimes groans, like Conner is too rough or she's just tired of it. I've never seen a rabbit mostly groom just one place on another rabbit. Calvin would groom Jessica all over her face, and Jenna would groom PJ the same way.

So maybe Conner has the same thing as men who are "leg men" or "breast men"?

Mama

PS When I was feeding everyone this morning, Jenna actually wanted to come out of her house (I usually leave the doors open until I'm done putting in everything). She went over to Conner's house to talk to him through the bars. I'm going to do another date today (hopefully outside if the rain that threatens holds off). They might be further along than I thought. It'd be nice to have one less house to clean!

The Lionheads are Back

Heath (chocolate lionhead) and Jake (black lionhead) are back in my care after their incisor removal surgery. A peg tooth still might grow back in either of them, so I have to keep watch. I guess Jake is a lot calmer than Heath and can actually take being handled. Heath has a wild gleam to his eye, so I'm thinking he's going to be an interesting boy.

I might try making a trio, trying to bond them with Julia (I don't think Calvin would mind) or even with one of the other boys in the warren. If it doesn't work, well, I'll stick with the current dating scene and have a bonded boy pair.

Pics coming soon. Heath had some of his mane trimmed because he was getting really messy when he was being fed Critical Care, so I might wait until he looks like what he should look like.

Mama

Back from Vacation

The buns and I spent a great vacation in NW PA. "Grampy" got to meet Stew and Conner, and I took Caspian out to meet a friend. Everyone thought he was cute. (He is my poster child for cuteness, and rotten-rabbitness - he's so stubborn!) It's a 6 1/2 hr. car ride to and from, so the kids were tired when we got there. Grampy got us some awesome hay, too (even better than what I've been able to get lately around here). I certainly had no room in the car to bring my own, so we really lucked out :-)

I did 2 bonding sessions, one with Calvin/Julia and the other with Conner/Jenna. Dad was surprised at how Cal and Jules fought. I'm telling you, rabbits can really fight! It wasn't a bad fight, but a big ol' chunk of fur was torn out of Julia.

On the way back, we got stuck on the Indiana Toll Road for a while because of President Obama's motorcade (he spoke at Notre Dame's graduation). I didn't even get to see it because he was way ahead of us.

I rearranged the bunny room a bit when we got home. There was a thumpathon that night as they adjusted to being in different places, with I guess different sounds and stuff. At least it was before I went to bed.

Mama

The Scary Ceiling Fan

With the warmer weather, I decided to turn on the ceiling fan in the bunny room. Conner, who is in a cage closest to the ceiling, practically had a heart attack when I turned it on. (He's not right under it, and he's not at eye level with it, either.) Strange thing moving on ceiling must mean that it's going to kill him. He eventually settled down after I spoke to him soothingly. He freaked a little bit yesterday, too, even when I turned it off - as the fan slowly spun to a halt, it must have looked scarier or something.

This morning, Conner didn't even flinch when I turned it on. None of the other rabbits even noticed the fan, I don't think, though they did stand at attention when Conner was thumping and freaking out, to see if there was something they should be concerned about.

Poor buns - Mama just wants them to stay cool, and Conner thinks I'm out to get him. In all fairness, he was sold as a meat rabbit, too, so maybe the ceiling fan brings him nightmares of being at a Beni Hannas or something.

Mama

Pet Expo

Well, the Pet Expo appearance was a bit of a bust. I got to talk to a few people about rabbits, but I didn't really get to pass out much information. No donations, either, so next year I'm thinking about doing a raffle for a gift certificate or something.

Stewbun and Caspian did really well. Caspian is still mad at me for some reason. Stew got a little spooked at times, but he was a brave bun. I put on the sign hanging on his pen that he was raised as a meat rabbit, and people were touched by that story. Some people didn't know that rabbits were raised for meat, and he helped put a face on the idea of eating rabbit meat. I had a few people say that they couldn't eat a cute bunny like him, so maybe a few seeds were planted that will help rabbit rescue in the future.

Mama

Special Appearance

Capsian, Stew and I are going to a pet expo tomorrow at the Porter Co. Fairgrounds in Valparaiso, IN. Since I don't have foster buns any more, I've decided to drag the two buns of mine that should be the least freaked out when they see dogs and things. I'll have a display set up to talk about the Indiana House Rabbit Society and rabbits in general.

I was there last year for the IHRS, and not having any rabbits there hurt us, I think. I'll have printouts of the rabbits in the foster system, and I'm hoping Stew can change the thinking that pink-eyed buns are evil looking. Stew's such a sweetie, and his curious nature should mean that he'll handle the crowd well. Caspian will just be happy to be with me all day.

While I didn't get to do a lot of stuff that I wanted to in preparation for this year's event (like creating a game or quiz that people could take for a prize), I think having the buns there will help.

If any of my readers are in the NW Indiana area, please stop on by :-)

Mama

The Boys Are Awaiting....

The little lionheads are at my vet's office, awaiting their surgery. Poor Heath has something going on with his right eye. Last night, it was red and looked like he had scratched it too hard or something. This morning, there was more white ooze.

So, the babies and I got into the car and went to my vet. I was going to take them in on Sat. for their evaluation on incisor extraction, but we did it today instead. My vet might keep them a week or two before doing the surgery, just to see how bad the teeth get. Even though rabbits can function okay without their incisors, removing them should only be an option when the alternative is a lifetime of getting them trimmed. Not fun for the bun, even if they get knocked out for it.

So, Jake and Heath's cage remains empty awaiting their return. I didn't even get to take pics of them yet.

Mama

New Boys Have Names

Well, I told myself that I wouldn't name the new boys until I saw if they survived their teeth extraction surgery or not, but then I thought that I had to name them something so my vets have something to call them. So, the little black one is Jake and the chocolate is Heath. They're going to the vet on Sat. to get an evaluation done on their incisors to doublecheck that they should be removed.

I can't believe how little these guys are! Lionheads are only a few pounds, and these guys are probably only 1 1/2 pounds. They'll probably get a little bigger (they're only 2 months old), but they won't compare to any of the other kids. It is nice to have a pair of buns living together, and they certainly comfort each other as they learn the ropes of a new warren and the routine of a new Mama. Jake is the more timid of the two. Heath is more adventurous, but both are a bit wary of me yet. They have eaten their salad finally, and I'll have to see if they like treats.

Once their incisors are gone, I'll have to chop up salad and treats for them, like I had to do for Jessica after hers were removed. Since these guys are so small, I'll have to practically shred their lettuce and carrots for them so it will all fit in their mouths.

Mama

Two New Boys

There are two new boys in the warren - both lionheads, one chocolate and one black. Both have incisor problems, and my vet is going to take a look at these teeth and probably remove them. Both she and my other vet needed practice buns, and hopefully these boys will be what they're looking for. They came from my landlady (she owns a rabbitry that breeds lionheads and some other breeds) and were born Feb. 5th. The chocolate one was supposed to be a girl, but the testicle fairy must have paid a visit. They don't have names yet (since one or both might not survive the surgery, I'm holding off naming them), but I'll post some pics when I take them. I've never had baby buns before, so having 2 two-month-olds should be interesting. They're living together, and hopefully will remain together after their surgery. Who knows? Maybe Julia or Jenna would like to have 2 bunny husbands....

Mama

Help Disapproving Rabbits Win Award!

The Disapproving Rabbits website (www.disapprovingrabbits.com) is nominated for best animal website. Please give them a vote and show the world that buns rule!!

http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/70207/?utm_source=bloggerschoiceawards&utm_medium=badge&utm_content=bestanimalblogger

Mama

Julia's Carrot

Julia lives in the top of a two-floor bunny condo (above Jenna). Whenever I give Julia a carrot, she grabs it and seems to want to hide someplace to eat it. She'll hop from her litterbox, to the other side of the cage, almost put the carrot down to eat it, then hops back the litterbox, etc. It's almost like giving a dog a treat and then watching him find a nice secret spot to enjoy the tidbit without any other critter stealing it from him. Julia doesn't have a roommate (going to try pairing her with Calvin again - been busy unpacking), so it's not like anybun can take it from her.

Jessica used to take her carrot and run downstairs with it, but she was in a two-level condo and was bonded to Calvin - she had somewhere to escape to and someone to hide from. Julia? Who knows what goes on in her head.

Mama

Hurray!

Stew's using his litterbox properly now! I guess his bunny feng shui said he had to eliminate in the west end of his house. Moving the box there worked, and he still lounges around in it.

Stew is pretty skittish when he's out for play time, but he does enjoy driving Caspian crazy by running around outside of Caspian's house. Stew also does a half-binky salad dance every morning when it's breakfast time, and he'll stand up on tippy toe for quite a while to be petted before getting his greens. Talk about buttering me up for food!

Mama

My Name is Stew...

How do you do? (If you actually know what song this lightly parodies, you get a gold star for the day :-)

Stew (alternately called Stewie, Stewbun, and Stew Pot) came from the group of meat rabbits my vet bought and was the bun left behind when I took Conner home a few weeks ago. He so charmed the staff at the clinic that they had to find a home for him. I've never had a pink-eyed bun before, and he is exotic to me. He's a friendly guy who's getting used to being spoiled. He sits very still when being held and petted, and I guess he's a very nosy guy, too. So far he has perfect litterbox habits. He hasn't pooped in it once! He likes lounging in it, but he does his business on the other side of the cage. When I clean his house out tonight, I'm going to move the litterbox into that end to see if he'll use it or just use the other end of the cage.

I have a total of 6 buns now. I miss getting to foster, but I'm hoping one of these new fellows will bond with Julia or Jenna. Jenna, especially, needs a friend. Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll let you know what happens.

Mama

Conner Pics

Here are some pictures of Conner. He'll be getting a haircut (harecut?) soon, so the sideburns aren't long for this world....

Mama

The New Boy's Name is.....

Conner! And yes, I'm a fan of the movie Highlander :-)

For some reason, I keep calling him Cooper by mistake, especially when I'm not looking at him. He looks like a Conner. I'm still toying with his middle name, though it'll reflect the fact that anything and everything sticks to his wool - hay, shredded bits of newspaper, etc. Velco is at the top of the list, though infringing on a trademark isn't my idea of a great middle name.

Mama

A New Addition

My vet's office called yesterday morning, asking if I could take in a homeless bun. He and some other boys were bought from a person raising them for meat and were used to practice new neutering and anesthesia techniques. I'm still trying to figure out his breed, and the best I can do is a Jersey Wooly cross - he's too big to be a full JW, and his coat is too wooly for him to be an angora. His color is hard, too, since his face is brown agouti (like a wild rabbit's), but his wool is gray. Opal, squirrel, or the British color brown-gray are my top guesses. His coat is all puffed out, so he looks like a big dust bunny. Photos soon - before I start brushing his coat and he likely lose it all like Squiggy did during his shed and end up looking nekkid!

No idea how old he is, either, but he doesn't seem too young. He certainly enjoyed his lettuce and parsley this morning. Being raised as a meat rabbit, he'll probably think he died and went to heaven in my place - salad, treats, tons of hay, a cage to himself, etc. I'm going to see if one of the ladies like him, with Julia getting first dibs on him.

Contenders for names include Clive, Clinger, Curry, and Caesar. Calvin, Caspian, Jenna, Julia - of course the new boy has to be a "K" sound. :-)

Mama

Cassandra Got Adopted!

The big, goofy girl Cassandra got adopted on Saturday. She's a bachelorette bun, having been runner up yet again on a bunny date. She'll have two humans all to herself to spoil her and give her all the attention she needs.

All four of the adoptable foster buns I had last month have been adopted now, with only Honey, the 12-year-old or so girl left. She's pretty much a sanctuary bunny, but she's in good hands.

Mama

RIP PJ, 8-4-2007 to 2-4-2009

PJ's health had been deteriorating for a while. He's been falling over onto his side and being unable to get back up. I got home last night to find him on his side again, and it looked like he'd been there since shortly after I left for work. His back legs had stopped working very well, and he'd more stumble in a general direction than hop anywhere.

I made the decision last night that it would be better for him to be euthanized than to die from being unable to get food or water all day from being stuck. I slept on the floor near his pen last night, and he fell 4 more times. I'd help him back up and he'd go on doing whatever he was doing before he fell.

This morning, I gave him lots of treats. When the time came to go to the vet, I loaded him and his wife Jenna into the carrier and we drove to the clinic. PJ weighed 3.2 pounds just last week, and today he was only 2.12 lbs. He never stopped eating, but I don't think he could get any energy from his food. He went very fast after the injection, with Jenna by his side.

Jenna spent some time beside PJ, grooming him a little bit, digging at the towel in anger, and actually asking me for headrubs. Of course I obliged. Jenna went into the carrier on her own, her goodbyes over. PJ will be cremated and his ashes put into the same urn that Jessica is in, with a plate on the side with his name and date of adoption and death.

PJ had a great year and a half with me, getting treats, a wife, and lots of loving. He wasn't just a number (his ear tattoo was MRB6, a remnant from his former life). His life prior to his rescue was a hard one, leaving him crippled up with arthritis and other problems. He was probably 8 or so but he could have been younger - a rough life aging him faster than it should have.

I'll miss my little PJ, and I hope Jessica isn't beating him up at the Rainbow Bridge.

Mama

Update

Well, the buns and I are moving. For some reason, the management company at my current place took exception to me having rabbits (which they knew about) and there being some hay on the floor, and we're parting ways at the end of Feb. I found a house to rent and, though it's smaller than my current place, is owned by a very bunny-friendly person.

All of the foster buns had to go back down to Indy (except for one, who is at another foster home around here). Hanna, Calvin's love interest, got adopted by a family, and Squiggy got adopted by a female bun to be her hubby. I'll be giving Calvin and Julia another chance to get together in the new place (since it's all neutral territory for them both).

Mama

Calvin is Smitten....

Since Calvin and Julia never really hit it off, I decided to get creative and play matchmaker for them with the other buns in the house. While Julia is still a lady-in-waiting, Calvin seems to have found his new girl in Hanna, the angora cross girl with Himalyan markings that I'm fostering.

Last night was their third date, and Hanna got Calvin all hot and bothered. He did a subdued version of his "I love you" dance, grunting at her and grooming her head. Hanna sat there, probably thinking, "What in the world is he doing?", but didn't complain. Hopefully things will keep moving along this well, and then I can officially adopt her. :-)

Mama