Cassandra Got Adopted!

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

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

Mama

Rose the Drug Addict

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

Big Update!

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

One Adoption, and Three New Arrivals

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

Attention All Humans

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Bunny Swap

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

News

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

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"

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

New Foster - Harrison

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

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

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

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

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