RIP Carson

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

Mama

Caspian's Stupid Move

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

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

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

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."

Carson is Pasteurella Positive

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

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

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