Happy Feet Bunny Blog

The Terrible Ceiling Fan!!

2010-04-02T10:02:00.002-05:00

Well, it's finally warm enough in the house to have to turn on the ceiling fans to help get the air moving.

Stewbun, in the addition, didn't even notice when I turned the one out there on. The gang in the bunny room, however, practically had a fit!

Cadence, the one with the best view of the scary fan, dashed around and ended up cowering in the corner of her house. A few failing dashes and thumps from the other buns, but they calmed down a lot quicker. Cade was still cowering when I left. She'll figure out that the fan won't attack her....I hope.

Mama

RIP Calvin Parsley 9-20-2003 to 3-1-2010

2010-03-01T22:29:00.004-06:00

Calvin passed away tonight at home. He had an irregular heartbeat and problems breathing, and he likely had cancer. (A few people told me of a connection between Horner's and sarcoma in dogs, so given Cal's age, it might hold true for rabbits as well.) I knew his time was close, and we spent time on the couch tonight with me petting him and giving him some dried blueberries for a treat.

My very first rabbit, Calvin taught me the importance of rabbit proofing after he got out of his pen and chewed my TV power cord and several other cords. He was adept at moving pens to be able to get into forbidden areas.

One time I was calling his name and looking all over for him, growing really worried that he got into something and got hurt (for he wasn't even coming when I rattled the treat bag, which he'd come to even if he didn't come to his name). Well he poked his head out from under the dining room table - he was up on a chair that was pushed under the table. I was looking on the floor for him, and he was watching me and probably laughing at the joke he was playing on me.

He's now with Jessica at the Rainbow Bridge. I hope she shares her treats with him.

Mama

Bunny Thankfulness

2009-11-26T21:39:00.002-06:00

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

2009-10-20T12:52:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-10-18T18:58:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-10-18T14:38:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-10-18T14:32:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-14T14:04:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-10-13T14:44:00.003-05:00

...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

2009-10-06T09:54:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-29T20:19:00.004-05:00

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

2009-09-25T19:09:00.003-05:00

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 :-)

2009-09-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-08T18:51:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-07T21:05:00.003-05:00

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 :-)

2009-09-07T09:35:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-06T14:18:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-04T19:33:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-01T13:28:00.003-05:00

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 :-)

2009-08-27T09:56:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-24T10:21:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-22T15:25:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-18T13:58:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-18T10:11:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-06T11:08:00.005-05:00

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

2009-08-06T11:04:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-28T16:13:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-20T12:18:00.005-05:00

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

2009-07-16T14:36:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-15T21:31:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-13T19:18:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-09T12:01:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-01T11:39:00.004-05:00

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?

2009-06-28T09:07:00.002-05:00

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 :-)

2009-06-21T16:22:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-21T08:43:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-06-07T08:25:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-19T16:33:00.004-05:00

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

2009-05-19T16:26:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-27T13:44:00.004-05:00

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

2009-04-27T13:38:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-24T12:50:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-04-07T15:31:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-06T14:28:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-04T16:43:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-03-27T13:42:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-23T14:20:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-03-23T14:16:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-03-10T11:34:00.009-05:00

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

2009-03-10T11:33:00.004-05:00

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.....

2009-02-16T11:06:00.003-06:00

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

2009-02-13T10:18:00.003-06:00

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!

2009-02-11T15:57:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-04T12:26:00.005-06:00

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

2009-02-04T12:23:00.003-06:00

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....

2009-01-06T11:05:00.002-06:00

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

Rose the Drug Addict

2008-12-15T13:56:00.002-06:00

Rose, the bun I'm fostering for Porter Co., was spayed on Friday. She finally perked up a little bit yesterday, and she didn't fight me when I gave her the metacam. She was too out of it Sat. to protest too much.

This morning, she hopped over to the end of her cage and looked up at me, probably expecting a raisin. On a whim, I thought, "Oh, let's just see if she'll take the metacam through the syringe without me forcing her." And she did! She practically ripped it out of my hands as I slowly pushed the plunger for her to lick up the meds.

I never thought I'd have another bun so thrilled to have medicine as PJ is, but I guess I do. :-)

Mama

Caspian the Stain Stick

2008-12-13T22:44:00.003-06:00

I drove down to Indy today with two buns - a bunny date and a family looking to adopt a rabbit. On the way down, I stopped for a Peanut Buster Parfait at a DQ. Of course, I get a nice glob of hot fudge on my white IHRS T-shirt that I had to parade around in all day. I get home and get out Caspian aka Monkey Boy aka Fuzzy Monster, and I lie down on the couch to cuddle with him. He often licks my shirt, sometimes my arm, always the couch cushions. Tonight, he immediately gets to work licking the hot fudge stain. I would push him away, but he'd go right back to licking it. He even nibbled it a bit but didn't make a hole in the shirt. I told him that I didn't need Caspian Stain Stick, and he eventually got the message and stopped licking the stain. If I could get him to actually do the laundry instead of just, well, pre-treating stains, then I'd really be impressed! :-)

Mama

Big Update!

2008-12-07T17:54:00.004-06:00

Long time, no write. I was briefly down to 10 buns, but I'm back up to 11. I have one new bun, Hanna, who took Kendall's spot when he went into the Highland Petco store. Kendall just got adopted, so that was fast (he was in the store a little over a month).

The buns all survived Grampy taking care of them when I was in the hospital for surgery. I was only supposed to be in for 2 days (in Thurs., out Sat.) but I kept getting a fever at night, so I was stuck until Monday. Grampy gave carrots as treats, so that helped grease the wheels of bunny love.

Caspian stayed with my vet while I recovered enough to be able to cuddle with him. Cass gets so mad when he's not being held or getting attention from me. He's been pretty spoiled the last month or so - I've been working from home, so he's gotten to see me more. This is my last week (hopefully) of working from home, and I'm hoping he doesn't get depressed that I won't be home during the day. He's been getting long cuddle sessions on the couch each night, and I've been getting "Wet Caspians" (instead of "Wet Willies") when he stands on the back of the couch and grooms my ear.

PJ's health hasn't been the best. Last Sat., I heard what I thought was Jenna mounting him (she's been picking on him a little bit), but it was actually PJ on his side and unable to get up. I honestly thought he was going to die, because he also peed and, well, buns that are dying will do that. I helped him back up, and he acted fine. Tonight he was on his side again and got a push from Mama to get up. I don't know whether he was down and able to get up or if he had fallen and had given up. Last week he was panicky, but he wasn't like that tonight, so I don't know which it is.

I "adopted" a Webkinz rabbit for my birthday last week. That website is actually pretty fun, playing games to get Kinzcash to buy clothes, food, furniture, etc., for the pet and its home. So I'm 38 and play on Webkinz - hey, I'm a sociologist who studies the human-animal bond, so why not cyberpets? Any excuse to play, man! :-)

Mama

Caspian's Stupid Move

2008-10-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

Last night, I had Caspian out for play time. Since Carson's pen is close to the play area, I put a sheet over the side of his pen so he and whatever rabbit is out to play won't fight. Caspian kept digging at the sheet, and he eventually got an area open enough for him and Carson to box at each other.

Being the good bunny mom that I am, I put one of the 36" high gates up to block Caspian from Carson's area, and I went back to reading my book. I was stretched out on the floor with my feet towards Carson's area, and I hear what sounded like the gate being knocked down. But no gate hit my feet, so I turn around. No Caspian. I then hear a fight from inside Carson's pen. Caspian had leapt over the gate and landed in Carson's pen. Carson, not one to take guff from anyone, was spinning around and the two of them looked like a fuzzy yin-yang.

Fur was flying, and I was able to grab Caspian's butt and lift him out of Carson's pen. Caspian immediately cuddled up to me, like "What happened? That was very scary." I couldn't really feel too sympathetic for he was the one dumb enough to leap into another rabbit's pen. I didn't see any bites, though one chunk of fur was pulled out that made a mark on his butt. Carson seemed to be fine.

I mean, wouldn't you fight if you were a rabbit hanging out in your pen and some strange rabbit comes falling out of the sky? In college, my Roomie and I would always say "Brain the size of a what?" (answer: mustard seed) whenever Wellington the resident rabbit would do something silly or stupid, and I have to ask that question of Caspian's antics.

Mama

One Adoption, and Three New Arrivals

2008-09-29T10:49:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm up to my eyeballs in buns again. Japser went to his forever home on Sunday, and we've been scrambling to find a good rabbit to take his place at the Petco.

Saturday, I went to a local shelter and pulled a little 3 lb. Dutch mix who I'm calling Kendall. He's a pretty quiet guy, and he'd been at the shelter since January after his people no longer wanted him. He'll be neutered soon and then wait his turn at Petco.

While I was only supposed to pull one rabbit, there was another rabbit there who just had to get out of there, a little black Jersey Wooly. He had some matting and tangles in his hair, and I couldn't leave him there. He was only in the shelter for about 2 weeks, but he really needed some attention. My vet cut/shaved some of the worst mats, and I've been working on brushing out the others. He's quite a pistol - he's already sprayed me once and he's really enjoyed the brushing and grooming he's been getting. He even kicked his feet out to the side to relax even further while I was grooming him last night, chattering his teeth in bliss. I've started calling him Squiggy because he reminds me of that character from Laverne and Shirley.

On Sunday, I drove down to Indy to get a rabbit from one of our adoption partners. His name is Sammy (which might change since we have several other Sam-like names in our system), and he looks a lot like Julia. He was found outside in Michigan during the winter, along with another rabbit. How cruel can someone be? He'll go into Petco on Saturday, once we get his diet switched over to what he'll get at the store.

Even with neutered rabbits in my house, they still multiply!

Mama

Adoptions!

2008-09-22T16:59:00.004-05:00

Greta, my shy little Dutch girl, got adopted on Sat. She's going to be bonded to a cute little lop boy. She's settling into her new home pretty well right now, after a bit of a shaky start. (She was on a hunger strike. But she's eating and pooping, so she's doing good. Funny how excited bunny parents can get over good ol' #1 and #2....) I really miss Greta, and it was really great to see her gain some confidence while under my care.

Jodi, the lop girl I rescued from a local shelter, went to her forever home on Sat. as well. I didn't get to interact much with her new family at all. I was facilitating the bunny dates, so that kept me busy. I'm sure she'll settle in fine. Jodi actually likes to be held and loves attention, and her new family has a daughter that will probably spoil her rotten.

Kristie took Jodi's spot at another foster mom's house, so I'm down in the single digits again - I only have 9 buns at my place. Wow, huh?

I'm going to get down to 7 in a few weeks, I think. I'm getting surgery at the end of Oct., so the fewer mouths for "Grampy" to feed and care for while I'm in the hospital and recovering, the better :-)

Mama

Five Years :-)

2008-09-22T16:57:00.002-05:00

Sat. was the fifth anniversary of me bringing home my very first rabbit, Calvin Parsley. I didn't get to spend much time with him, though, for I drove down to Indy to try to get a few other rabbits adopted out. I can't believe it's been five years, yet it also seems like Cal and I have been together forever.

Mama

Caspian Out and About

2008-09-08T07:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I took Caspian out on a harness and lead. I'll have to take pics next time - he was looking so handsome. He did very well and only flipped out once when a heineously loud motorcycle went by. He didn't eat grass, but he did run around quite a bit.

At first, he wasn't sure what to do. The wind was rippling his fur, and he sat looking around like "What is this place?" He didn't appreciate one low flying single engine plane, either, and hid under a bush. I told him that Mama wouldn't let anything get him, and he actually hid under me as I squatted there.

He's such a cuddle bug that he didn't freak out when I put the harness on or took it off, though I think he was pretty tired when I put him back into his house. Now that the weather is cooler, I might have to take him out a lot more. He liked it more than Calvin usually likes it, so I think Calvin is off the hook.

Mama

Calvin Need a Hearing Aid?

2008-09-08T07:39:00.002-05:00

Saturday night, the local PBS station was airing The Who Live at Kilburn concert. I thought, "Huh, too bad I won't get to watch much of it" because Calvin hates The Who. He'll start thumping and thumping and looking rather disturbed whenever I play their music.

Well, I watch and watch the concert, and no thumps. I know Calvin can hear, for he heard the crinkle of the Critterberries bag earlier that night and also came when I called his name.

Maybe his taste in music finally expanded, or else he just gave up. He never thumps at the neighbor kid's "music" (screaming, heavy bass and guitar - I'm still under 40, but I do see the difference between just noise and actual music), so I always wondered what made The Who so special.

Mama

Attention All Humans

2008-08-20T10:37:00.003-05:00

This is Greta, the foster rabbit, with an important message for all human parents of rabbits. We hate, I repeat, HATE, to have our shedding tufts of fur plucked off our butts, backs, or anywhere else. As primates, I know that these tufts must really bug you. I even understand your misguided sense of trying to help us not ingest this fur when we groom ourselves. However, this fur plucking must cease.

My fur looked like a badly mowed lawn the other night, when Mama started plucking my butt. She had tried brushing me first, but so much came off that she just gave in and started yanking away. After conferring with the other rabbits, I decided to sneak into the study today and post this on the blog. While I can't quite call it a No Plucking Manifesto, I can say that you can all consider yourself warned. Further plucking will be undertaken with the understanding that blood or appendage loss may be involved.

Greta

Photos of Jodi

2008-08-15T12:32:00.005-05:00

Hi. I took some pics of Jodi, Jasper's former girlfriend. The lighting at my place is just awful, so sorry for the yellowness.

She's a sweet girl, and I know she'll do great at her new foster mom's house.

Mama

Jasper is in Petco

2008-08-15T07:06:00.003-05:00

Taking Carson's place at the Merrillville Petco is Jasper, the lop mix boy who I rescued from the local shelter:

I never saw his ears so low - usually they're more like 1:55 or 2:50 than 3:45 or 4:40 like they were at the store.

He seemed to settle in fine, and hopefuly he'll get a new home soon. I'm taking one of the big foster girls from another foster mom's house down to Indy tomorrow to go to her forever home, and Jodi will be going to that mom's house in her foster slot.

If it wasn't for Carson coming back, I'd be down to 10 buns again. Still, I'll have 11, which is one less than I've had for a while.

Mama

Carson's Back

2008-08-13T16:06:00.002-05:00

Well, Carson is back at my place. Tuesday night, I met a family interested in adopting him, and I saw that he had some white bunny snot he'd sneeze out of his nose, as well as a slightly sticky/wet butt. So, he came home with me and saw the vet on Wed.

Carson is doing well, less than happy at having to take Baytril, but otherwise his old self.

I swear, they have it so good my house that they put their little bunny brains to work plotting ways to come back here. I have a few people to call who are interested in adopting (probably him, but not sure), so hopefully he'll be on his way to his forever home soon.

Mama

Bad Bunny Karma Today

2008-08-04T14:28:00.002-05:00

What a morning! I go downstairs to get the salad for everybun, and Julia (Calvin's girlfriend) somehow got out of her pen and was loose. She went back in on her own with some parsley for a bribe. Then when I'm putting the water/pellet bowl in Rose's house (she's the unspayed female I'm fostering for the local shelter), Rose attacks me, boxing and nipping. I had a small cut on the palm of my hand and a tiny scratch. When getting Kristie's water/pellet bowl out of her house (she buried it under hay), she attacked me. She didn't have her heart in it like Rose did, and I have no cuts or anything.

What the heck did I do to deserve this treatment today? I wonder if tonight will be the boys' turn.

Mama

2 New Members of the Warren

2008-07-21T09:42:00.002-05:00

I went to the Porter Co. Animal Shelter on Saturday and pulled 2 rabbits that are very good candidates for our Petco program. It was a male and female living together in one cage and neither neutered (sigh).

The boy is Jasper, about 7 pounds and with some lop in him from the way his ears are droopy (much like Harrison's). He's white with gray rings around his eyes, gray ears, and brownish gray markings on his back and butt. He's quite a charmer, with his dark eyes and manly jaw.

The girl is Jodi, about 4 pounds and either a full mini lop or mostly mini lop. She's white with gray Himmy markings (sooty nose, gray ears) and very light markings on her back. She has dark eyes and so far loved getting newspaper to shred.

I felt bad breaking them up but my vet thinks Jodi is pregnant (as do I - they've been living together since 6/25, so I'm sure Jasper took care of things on his end). Jodi is getting spayed now (for her health, too, since Jasper is twice her size, and she could have complications if she tried to give birth), and Japser will get neutered hopefully in the next week or two.

So I'm back up to an even dozen. Time to light the "NO Vacancy" sign again :-)

Mama

Two Adoptions and Carson is in Petco!

2008-07-15T13:09:00.003-05:00

Nadia, my second foster bunny to graduate to living at Petco, was adopted on Sunday. There were two approved adopters meeting the 8 rabbits we have available up here. Nadia went home with a young woman who doesn't have kids (a quieter home was best for Nad). The other approved adopter was a family with a 10-year-old or so daughter.

The daughter met everybun (except for Cassandra), and it was down to Greta and Joshua (Josh being one bun I brought back from Indy on 7/3). The girl picked Joshua!! They're getting him tonight. I had a vet visit scheduled to get a handle on Joshua's sneezing and stuff, to see if there was anything I should be doing for him, and they're going to be there for the exam, too. He and the girl really hit it off, and he just loved being petted. I think she'll have a great confidant and snuggler in Joshua.

Since Nadia had been living in the Merrillville Petco, her being adopted left an empty hexi. I had mentioned Carson to the chapter head before, and she felt it'd be fine to enroll him into the IHRS system. It was hard leaving him at the Petco, but I'll know he'll do great there. He's such a sweet guy, and he'll love everyone who comes to see him. I'm trying not to think about my "empty cage" syndrome, and I know it's for the best that he's at the Petco. A lot of people will get to see him and fall in love with him. Hopefully his forever home will find him soon.

Mama

Caspian at Work

2008-07-09T15:29:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, we were getting out of work early to get a jump start on the holiday. I asked my boss if I could bring in Caspian to "cute-n up the office" - she said yes. So, Caspian got to come to work. I should have brought my camera.

Everyone loved him, especially when I put him down on the floor and he went hopping around, entering other peoples' cubicles and offices at whim. (I work in publishing.) The production group really loved seeing him hop around, especially since his lop ears bounce and he moves along. He even did a few binkies, though mostly out of sight of his adoring fans. He stretched out on the floor in the hallway, too, for a little bit. He stayed that way until I brought some of the gang over to check it out and one touched his big fuzzy feet and made him sit back up again.

I think Caspian liked being here with me, and it was nice to have somebun cuddly here at work.

Mama

Bunny Swap

2008-07-09T12:24:00.001-05:00

Well, all sorts of things have been going on in the warren in the last few weeks. Kristie, my first foster bunny "graduate" who went to live in Petco, is back with me. She was getting stressed out at the store (she'd been there for 6 mos., I think).

Greta, Kristie, and I went down to Indy on June 22nd for bunny dates. Harrison came along, too, and he went to a different foster home and I got Cinnabun to keep my big bun slot filled. Kristie was pretty cranky on the first date, so she was left alone for the 2nd date and the meeting with a potential adopter of a single bun. Greta did okay on the dates, but the first boy bun didn't really hit it off with the girl buns there. The adopter of a single bun, though, did pick her. I was going to hand her off to her new Mama that following Saturday. Kristie, Cinnabun, Greta, Jazmine (a bun for another woman in NW Indiana to foster), and I all came back home.

That following week, Greta stopped eating. We were at the vet every day getting X-rays and other tests done to see what the problem was. Unfortunately, her new Mama (a first time bunny owner) decided that she should probably choose another bun instead - Greta has a few other issues that might cause problems in the future. Poor Greta. She's pretty much back to normal now. I did get to learn how to give subcutaneous fluids, though, which was a goal of mine.

Then after work on July 3rd, I drove down to Indy to trade Cinnabun for Cassandra, another former foster bun of mine who has gotten into some trouble. She had bit a few of the volunteers at the Petco store where she was, and this last one nicked a blood vessel. So the decision was made to pull her from the store, and I brought her back home to live with me. She is a lot sweeter than she used to be, but she did nip me on my wrist when I was putting the refilled pellet bowl back into her pen. It didn't bleed, but it bruised right away.

I also took in 2 short-term foster buns because their old foster Mama had to take in a relative who needs surgery and there are allergies. Honey, a gray-ish agouti Dutch, is 11-12 years old, and I feel very honored to be caring for this matriarch of IHRS. She's finally starting to warm up to me - dried fruit treats really help, as do great butt scratches I give her. Joshua is the other bun I took in. He's a brown agouti and has upper respiratory issues at times. He's pretty sweet.

I certainly have no more room at the Bunny Inn!!!

Mama

Caspian, the Explorer

2008-06-18T23:13:00.002-05:00

I had Caspian out tonight a couple of times - the first, in a snuggle session on the couch when I got home from work; the second, upstairs while I lay on the floor reading. Well, after ump-teen million times of him, um, getting frisky, with various parts of me (shoulders, legs, head, etc.), he will stretch out to rest for a few seconds (30, tops), then be back grunting, circling, and showing his misplaced lust. Tonight, I lay reading undisturbed for 45 seconds, then turned to see where Caspian was. He was down three stairs! With me chaperoning/spotting him, he went down to the last step, where I scooped him up and said that if he got too close to Harrison, Harry would eat him. I mean, Harry is twice Caspian's size, easily.

What a quick learner! I guess if he can't get me interested in what's he's selling, he'll go find someone who is :-)

Mama

Caspian, the Cuddle Bunny

2008-06-14T09:43:00.002-05:00

Finally, Caspian's amorous advances are slowing down. He still jumps from one end of his house to the other when he sees me, and I've finally figured out why. He wants to be held! Is he the oddest bun or what? When I hold him, he just nestles his head under my chin or on my shoulder and just laps up the attention. The first night I held him, he was licking my face and neck. He will give the occasional grooming nip, and sometimes his love switches to the kind that shouldn't be shown by a boy to his Mama, but otherwise he's the quintessential lap rabbit.

I finally got a cuddler!! :-)

Mama

Am I a Bad Mama....

2008-06-05T14:07:00.002-05:00

To be laughing at Caspian's, um, problem? He's still very randy, and he's been launching himself at me if I have the top door to his house open. He'll then try to attach himself to my arm and molest me. Well last night, I was bent over and talking to him while standing near the short side of his cage. No door or anything nearby - just the bars between us. He flings himself at me and I hear "clunk" as he hits the metal bars of his cage. I couldn't help but laugh. I could almost hear him thinking "WO-MAN! WO-MAN!" like he was a cave-bun or something. The incident didn't even slow him down.

So am I a bad bunny Mom to laugh at this?

Mama

Caspian - Doing Well

2008-06-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

Caspian has calmed down a tiny bit from his surgery. He's definitly eating more (though not lettuce), and there is no swelling or redness or anything from the incision or empty spots. I do still have to pin him to the floor of his house with one hand so my other hand can handle the pellet and water bowls (literally) unmolested. I'm going to take him in on Sat. to get him microchipped.

Mama

"Shop for Hop" is Now Open

2008-06-04T13:56:00.004-05:00

In an effort to raise some money for rabbit rescue-related causes, I am crafting items to sell on Etsy.com:

WhiteStix's Shop for Hop

People who order from me can choose where the donation (listed for each item) will go - Red Door (no-kill shelter/foster system), the Indiana House Rabbit Society (rescue/foster system), or an emergency fund that I'll send to help with costs entailed from big seizures of rabbits anywhere in the US.

I'll be making several other kinds of afghans (including a doll-sized version of the one there now), heavy and warm winter scarves, and (if I can figure the patterns out) stuffed rabbits. I'm hoping to come up with some bunny-safe crocheted toys to make, so I'll keep everyone posted. My kids (foster and otherwise) don't play with the stuffed carrot I have now, but other buns might love to toss a carrot-shaped toy with jingles in it.

Mama

New Member of the Warren

2008-06-01T12:16:00.005-05:00

Okay, so yesterday I go to the Porter County shelter to help with the five rabbits they had. I was going to sex them and take some photos for their website. I go in and see four of the rabbits in the cages they usually use for them, and I look for the fifth bun. (They usually use a Tommy cage or something similiar for the "overflow".) I go around the corner behind the one small wall, and come face to face with this face:

If Calvin and Jessica would have been able to have kids, I'm sure they would have looked like him! So, I had him briefly checked at my vet (along with Rose), then we swung back to the shelter for me to fill out adoption forms on him. He was surrendered to the shelter on 5/27 (they thought he was a girl). And I was able to see why he was surrendered after interacting with him at the vet's office. If you looked up "randy" in the dictionary, you'd see a pic of his fuzzy face! If it moves, he wants to mount it - my leg, my hand, my chest if I'm holding him. Needless to say, he's getting neutered Monday.

His name is Caspian Peter. And yes, I'm a long-time Narnian!

More updates and pics later. The boy barely sits still and hasn't eaten much. As soon as he sees me, he goes nuts trying bust out and have his way with me. Hopefully the surgery will put a stop to his Oedipal complex.

Mama

News

2008-06-01T12:08:00.002-05:00

Hi, everyone. A quick update before announcing a new permanent member of the warren.

Harrison escaped again yesterday, somehow getting the sheet that's covering his pen off enough to see the ceiling and know he could jump/climb out. I don't think he was out long (I was out doing errands) before I caught him in the kitchen and put him back into his house. He didn't seem any the worse for wear. He's finally off kennel rest, too, and he got to explore the upstairs play area Friday night. He mastered the stairs as quickly as Cassandra did!

Speaking of Cassandra, I guess she's trying to bite the Petco employees when they go into her hexiglass cage to clean and refresh her pellets, etc. She was cage possessive here, too, so hopefully she'll either calm down or the Petco employees will learn a few tricks. I hope she's not requested to leave the store.

I have a new foster rabbit, who I have named Rose. She's from the Porter County animal shelter. She's over 6 1/2 lbs., white with black spots/blotches, and possibly pregnant. I'm fostering her for the shelter and not the IHRS. She was brought in with another girl (who looked less fat, so either not as far along in her preg. or not preg. at all) and a young male. They were all together in the same carrier or box when they were brought to the shelter, hence the guess that they're pregnant. Rose was pulling some of her fur out yesterday, so I said I'd foster her so she'd be somewhere less stressful if she does deliver. I'll keep the blog posted on what's happening with her, and post some photos when I can.

Mama

Harrison's Boo Boo

2008-05-14T15:45:00.002-05:00

Well, I came home Friday night and guess who wasn't in his pen? Yep, Harrison either scaled the wall of his prison or did the high jump. I think he made his escape shortly after I left for work, judging from how much salad was left in his pen.

Anyway, I was able to grab him pretty easily and put him back into his pen. (He's unneutered, and I was thankful he didn't get into Julia's pen and, well, have his way with her - she's neutered, but I don't want to deal with a false pregnancy.)

I noticed that he was limping, holding his left front foot up. We made the bunny ER trip (after hours call to my vet), and after a few really cool digital X-rays, it was determined that he had 2 hairline fractures of his radius and ulna near his elbow. And he has pasteurella, for his nose was oozing some green stuff and his forearms were icky from him wiping his nose with them.

Now I get to wrestle him to give him his antibiotics and pain meds while not putting too much pressure on him so I don't aggravate the leg. I've asked the head of the IHRS chapter if he could go to a different foster home, one with at least two sets of hands to restrain him better than I can by myself.

I so wish you could get them to understand that they have to take the medicine and that it's for their own good.

Mama

Harrison, aka "Spider Bun"

2008-05-07T23:09:00.002-05:00

Okay, I know I should be happy that Harrison is feeling better and a lot more energetic. However, I finally got to see what all the noise is about when I'm in bed at night. Harrison stood on the second "rung" of the pen he lives in, putting his front paws over the top edge and resting his chin on the top as he looked around.

Now, has anyone out there had a rabbit that can scale a pen?! I haven't taken any precautions to keep him from leaping out, for I'm at a loss here. I can put some cardboard over the top of the pen to make a sort of roof, but I'd rather not do that.

I have seen kittens scale the bars at a shelter before, but I never thought a rabbit could do it. Harrison is definitely a special boy!

Mama

Carson, a.k.a. "Hare-y Houdini"

2008-04-24T12:45:00.003-05:00

This morning, I awoke to the sound of thumping. It sounded like it was coming from a bun on carpet. Well, I figured that Jenna or PJ must just be in their house in a way that just made it sound like that, since no buns are out when I'm sleeping and the only bun living in a pen close enough for me to hear is Harrison, and he's on newspaper-covered vinyl flooring.

Then I hear something that sounded like PJ and Jenna fighting. It happens again about 30 secs. later, so I say, "Guys, come on. Stop it." Then I hear more thumping.

So, thinking that I have 20 mins. or so before I have to get up anyway, I wander over to PJ and Jenna's house and can see they're just sitting there. I hear thumping, and squint towards the hallway. Hmm, why is there a blur that looks like Carson in the hallway? I wander back to put my glasses on and look into the hall again. There is Carson sitting there looking at me and thumping.

"How in the world did you get out?" I asked him, then wondering if he chewed any cords whilst on the lam. He freaks out and runs back into the study, behind his cage.

The cage he's in has doors on the side and on the top. I always lock the side cage, since he could push on it and open it, but I only secure the top door lightly. Well, the top door is wide open, so he had to have some how gotten that door open, jumped out of it, and jumped onto the floor. He was then unable to get back into his house. His water bottle was knocked off, too.

I moved his house out and opened the side door, eventually getting him shooed inside. I gave him a headrub, and he immediately relaxed. His breathing was still fast and shallow, like hyperventilating. He started to eat his salad right away when I gave it to him, and he seemed to have calmed down when it was time for me to leave for work.

Needless to say, I fasted the side locks on the top door, and if he gets out again, he'll have had help. I've never had a rabbit escape from his house since Calvin did it way back in 2003, so the title "Hare-y Houdini" gets passed to Carson.

Mama

PS Carson was thumping all during playtime last night. I don't know whether he was freaked out that there was a huge white rabbit downstairs, that we were getting another earthquake, or what. Maybe he was giving me some sort of ultimatum and I failed his test so he "escaped."

New Foster - Harrison

2008-04-23T20:24:00.003-05:00

I drove down to Ft. Wayne last night to take in one of the 4 rabbits the IHRS pulled from a kill shelter there. All are big buns - 10+ lbs. - and I took the guy who seems a bit down on his luck. Harrison is a big, white guy, who is very underweight and has rough fur and some weepy eye discharge. He's got pink eyes - the first pink-eyed bun I've had at my place, and he has a very "old soul" look to him. I think he was kept in tough circumstances, crowded with other buns, and that they weren't given enough food and water. I think he was lower on the totem pole dominance-wise, so he probably got the least of everything.

He doesn't seem very perky or very aggressive, though hopefully he'll start showing some spunk when he fills out a little more. He's going to the vet on Friday, and he'll get a good going-over. We think he's a Flemish Giant (his ears are big and either floppy because of their size/his not able to control them well because of being week or (I think) that he's crossed with a lop and is sort of helicopter-lop-eared). I'm sure his personality will come out as he settles into foster care and realizes that he's on easy street.

Anyway, he's the poorer off of the 4 rescued (they were all in one hutch at the shelter), so he'll be able to relax and recover in my nice, quiet home, where the pellet bowl never empties and water is plentiful. Here's hoping there's not much wrong that clean conditions, good food, fresh water, and a little lovin' can't fix
:-)

Mama

Empty Nest

2008-04-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

I drove down to Indianapolis this morning with Marja and Greta, who were going on a date with a guy-bun named George. I had Cassandra with me, too, for she was going to move into the Greenwood Petco.

Marja and George hit it off really well. She was the first girl he dated, and when Greta, Mae, and Arwin didn't hit it off as well as she did, Marja went on a second date. George's Mom and Dad picked Marja, and I'm really happy. Marja really made great strides this last week or two, actually kicking her feet out and relaxing fully when getting a head/cheek rub. George's parents are thrilled, especially since you can actually pick Marja up without too much fuss (while the same can't be said about George). I feel horrible that I never got pics of her, but anyone interested can see her pics on the IHRS website:
http://www.indianahrs.org/adoption-details.aspx?id=356

All three of Marja's babies had already been adopted, so I'm so glad that she finally got a home, skipping the Petco digs altogether. It was really funny when it was time for George and Marja to leave. Since George doesn't like being picked up, I put the carrier in and we hoped he'd hop in. Well, Marja went inside of it instead, so George got to ride home in the cardboard carrier that had Marja's pellets, some hay, and salad in it. I know Marja is really happy with George, and this just goes to show it.

I drove Cassandra to the Greenwood store after leaving the Speedway store where the date was. (I'm going to make a list of all the Petco stores I've been in and see if I can visit all of the ones where we have buns up for adoption.) Her hexi that she'll be living in might not be as much square footage as she's used to, but at least the top is high enough that I don't think she'll hit her head if she stands up. It was harder leaving Cassandra at the store than watching Marja go home. Marja is my first foster bun to be adopted, with Kristie and Nadia still in Petco awaiting those special bunny parents. I hope Cass doesn't think I abandonned her or that she did something wrong.

So now I'm down to 6 buns from an all-time-high of 9 (Mario transferring to Robin's house a few weeks ago). I'll actually have time for my own rabbits now. Wow, now there's a thought! :-)

Mama

Pics of Cassandra

2008-04-07T13:04:00.005-05:00

Here are some photos of Cassandra, the big (7+lbs) girl. She's so goofy, and you just have to love those ears!

The last one isn't well lit, but I loved her getting tired of having her picture taken and trying to hide under my book.

Mama

Pics of Mario

2008-04-07T13:01:00.004-05:00

Here are a few photos of Mario, another foster bun. He's now at another foster home, freeing up some time for me to work with Greta, the new foster bun who is still really shy.

I'll miss this little guy. He has such energy, and he'll be sure to entertain whomever adopts him with his antics.

Mama

Pic of Lil' Miss

2008-04-07T12:53:00.006-05:00

Here's a photo of Lil' Miss, the foster bun that I took back to her old foster home.

She'll await her forever home in foster care instead of a Petco store. She just wasn't settled or calm enough to do well in a store, so hopefully someone will fall in love with her through the IHRS website.

Mama

Cassanda - Big, Bold Girl

2008-03-30T12:42:00.003-05:00

Cassandra mastered going up and down stairs last night. It took Nadia several days to get the hang of them. I guess Cassandra's size helped. Cass even went back into her house on her own, going down the stairs and into her pen (not far from the bottom of the stairs). I'm going to see if she'll go up the stairs for play time on her own, too.

She was dancing all over and even flopping in bliss when she was out last night. She's such a joyful rabbit. Someone is going to get a great bun when they adopt her.

Mama

Bunny Swap

2008-03-30T12:36:00.003-05:00

Well, Lil' Miss went back to her old foster home yesterday. She's going to be a regular foster rabbit instead of a Petco rabbit. She'd do much better in regular foster care, and I don't think she'd do well in the store when space became available.

So, now I have Greta. Greta is the most scared of all the rabbits from the big rescue of Dutches that the IHRS did (basement breeder, so the rabbits weren't socialized at all). Nadia came from that group, and she's doing great at Petco.

Greta freaks out when you walk into the room, so she's going to need some special TLC to bring her around. She has a box to hide in, and she dragged her salad into it last night. She opted not to come out for play time, but hopefully tonight I can entice her out.

I put Greta in Marja's old cage and moved Marja to the "big girl cage" - it's above PJ and Jenna's cage, so I have to pick Marja up to bring her out for play time, hence the "big girl" (ie, mentally and emotionally ready for being picked up) part of the name :-) Marja is being bolder, and she likes being up higher. Plus she puts her head down as I walk by, asking for a headrub, so I indulge her. Hopefully I can get her to demand headrubs (rip book out of my hands so I pay attention to her instead, etc.).

Mama

Carson is Pasteurella Positive

2008-03-30T12:34:00.003-05:00

But it looks like the vet tech at my clinic is going to adopt Carson, which would be great since he'd be the only rabbit. He is such a sweet rabbit, and he doesn't even fight me when I give him the medicine.

He's doing a lot better, so the TMS is helping. Hopefully he'll go to his new home next week or the week after. Until then, he's getting spoiled at my house :-)

Mama

Carson Update

2008-03-25T18:51:00.007-05:00

Carson went to the vet today. He'd been sneezing and wheezing a bit since I met him last Wed. We did a culture for Pasteurella, and hopefully he won't have it. He has to stay away from the other buns, including a separate play area, and it might mess up his chances to get into Red Door to await adoption. A tech at the hospital liked him, and she's going to work on her hubby and hopefully get his okay and give Carson a home :-)

I did get some pics at him while we were at the vet. He was very good for the doc and the techs, by the way.

He did get his nails trimmed while we were there, too. His teeth are a little wavy, but he'll be eating a lot more hay than he used to so it should take care of itself. I guess he's overweight, too - 6.4 lbs. He didn't look bigger than Calvin, but he's about about half a pound on my Chinchilla Boy.

One pic from him at home:

Who wouldn't love a face like this?

Mama

Bunny Layover

2008-03-20T15:10:00.003-05:00

A co-worker had a friend who needed to find a rabbit a new home. So, there's another little guy in my place. He's a neutered male mini-lop, white with orangy-brown and black spots. I've named him Carson for now, and I'm hoping he can get into Red Door's foster program.

The IHRS doesn't take owner surrenders, so I took Carson in as a private individual, letting his former caretaker know that. He's adorable, so he'll go fast once his name and story are in front of prospective new parents. Photos will be taken and posted soon.

(I should just do a huge photo spread on the blog with everybun's name and story. Lord knows I almost need something like that, since I keep calling some of the kids by the wrong names.)

I think it's time I take the "Bunnies are Always Welcome" sign that my parents got me down off my wall, huh? He makes the 9th bun currently in residence!

I hope adoptions pick up soon so my foster buns can go into Petco and work their magic on prospective adopters, especially before the shelters get flooded with ex-Easter bunnies.

Mama

Two New Fosters....

2008-03-18T15:11:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago, I went to the county animal shelter and pulled a cute bun for the IHRS foster program. She was "Mulan" and after flipping her, I saw she wasn't a girl at all. The name "Tabitha" I had picked out for the bun had to be tossed, and I decided on Mario. He's a Tan rabbit, a breed with orange on the belly, neck, feet, tail, inner ears, and nostrils. He's really handsome. He was given up because the owner had allergies, and he's about a year old. He was neutered last Friday, so he's still a little sore. You can tell that his last owner was a little girl, both from his former name and from how much he loves attention.

One week ago, I went back to the shelter to pull the big girl that was given up by her owner because they couldn't care for her any more. I had promised her that I would get her out of there, and I did feel a bit guilty picking Mario over her. She's 7.7 lbs and a Rex mix. Her fur is short like a Rex, but the texture is more like a regular rabbit's coat. She's a lovely brown. She was spayed yesterday, but she's recovering well. I'm really tempted to adopt her, for she's such a great rabbit. She loves attention, and is always begging for headrubs when I walk by. She's getting spoiled, for I usually indulge her, even if for just a quick few rubs.

Pics will be coming soon. For being spayed and neutered, the number of buns at my house sure seems to multiply! :-)

Mama

Calvin and Julia Bonding Update

2008-03-16T16:59:00.003-05:00

Love must be in the air. Calvin and Julia had a really great bonding session tonight. I think part of the reason was that I changed the layout of the bonding space, and I also lay on the floor reading for a good part of it. Julia wasn't able to hide behind me and wasn't able to climb up me like a tree. She did hop on my back a few times, but it wasn't a hinderance to the session.

I got Calvin to groom her for a while, and Julia actually sat near him for quite some time, not running away. She didn't thump at all today, and I think that me being stretched out on the floor helped put her at ease.

I can't wait until she and Calvin can "shack up."

Mama

PJ is on His Honeymoon....

2008-03-16T16:51:00.003-05:00

With Jenna

She's about 3 years old, and she's 3.5 lbs., about a half pound smaller than PJ.

She doesn't have a middle name yet. She and PJ hit it off so well yesterday that she was his first, last, and only bunny date! She's currently whipping him into shape so he knows that she'll groom him but also expects to be groomed.

At one point during their date, they both sat in the litterbox. Jenna actually gave him a little kiss before hopping out of the box. She sat for a few seconds on the floor, then hopped right back in!

They got along so well that they're "shacking up" already. There have been several chases through the cage, with Jenna doing the chasing, but she always kisses him and makes up. They are well matched, too, and photos of the happy couple will be along shortly. There has been some mounting behavior as they sort out who wears the pants in the family, but it doesn't seem to be hurting PJ's back when it happens (she's been mounting him more than t'other way around).

When it was play time yesterday, they didn't come out of the cage. I guess the honeymooners didn't want to leave their hotel room ;-)

The only problem that there might be is that she's eating all of his food! I hope PJ can keep up with her so he gets to eat, too.

Mama

PJ - Looking for Love

2008-03-11T16:40:00.002-05:00

PJ and I are going down to Indy on Sat. to see if any of the girls in the IHRS system who seem to want a partner strike his fancy. I know he'd really love a girl to lick and love, and I hope we find somebun.

She'll have to be pretty special. With PJ's back and general fraility, I couldn't put him through bonding sessions like Calvin and Julia are doing, so he and his bunny bride would basically have to fall in love at first sight.

Keep your fingers crossed, everyone, and let's hope my boy PJ can find the girl of his dreams. :-)

Mama

Julia is Bonding....

2008-03-11T16:32:00.004-05:00

But with me! Julia is terrified of Calvin for some reason. She will approach him, groan, then run away, thumping as she comes to stop behind me.

Last night, I got to play "tree" to Julia's "squirrel." I usually sit with my back against the wall, in the corner beside my bedroom door, during bonding sessions. Julia likes to hide behind me, even if she has to squeeze herself between me and the door to get away from that "evil" boy, Calvin. She finally got the hint that I won't let her squish into that spot any more. (I will usually move and set her back out in the open when she hides.)

So, Julia decided to get on my lap, climb up the front of me, and get on to my shoulders, groaning and obviously upset at Calvin for *GASP* sniffing at her gently. As I sat there with a rabbit around my neck, trying not to laugh myself silly, I did feel bad for Julia. I mean, that must be one desperate rabbit to go hiding behind someone's head.

I might stir things up a little bit and put Julia and Calvin into the same carrier (a bigger one that neither have been in before) and take them on a car ride. That's supposed to get rabbits to join together against the horrible sensation of car travel. I'm going to wait a week or two to see if Squirrel Girl will relax any more with Calvin.

But at least she knows I won't let Calvin hurt her, so that's something, I guess.

Mama

My New Home

2008-02-18T22:58:00.003-06:00

Tonight, I sat in a pen with Calvin and the woman who wants me to call her Mama. While Calvin was relaxed, I was a bit apprehensive. I asked him several times to groom me, but he didn't. I got a little upset, but I held my temper and didn't vent my frustration. I mostly just sat there, getting some good headrubs from the human and keeping my eye on Calvin.

Calvin is handsome, but it's going to take me some time to trust him and "Mama" - I miss my old home and people. The hay here is tasty, as is the salad. I'm content to stay here for now and see what happens. "Mama" said that even if I decide that I wouldn't be with Calvin if he was the last bunny boy on Earth, I can stay here. I've gone into homes before and ended up back in foster care, and I'm glad that "Mama" realizes I have reason to think everything is too good to be true - me, an older bunny girl, getting wooed by a handsome gentlebun and receiving lavish attention from the resident human. Don't pinch me yet, for if it's a dream, I want to enjoy it while I can.

Julia