Lionhead = Fraggle?

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

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

Mama

We Have Cohabitation :-)

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

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

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

Mama

Funniest Video of Binkies/Racing

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

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

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

Mama

Conner's Fetish?

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

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

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

Mama

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

The Lionheads are Back

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

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

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

Mama

Back from Vacation

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

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

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

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

Mama

The Scary Ceiling Fan

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

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

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

Mama

Pet Expo

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

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

Mama

Special Appearance

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

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

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

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

Mama

The Boys Are Awaiting....

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

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

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

Mama

New Boys Have Names

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

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

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

Mama

Two New Boys

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

Mama

Help Disapproving Rabbits Win Award!

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

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

Mama

Julia's Carrot

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

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

Mama

Hurray!

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

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

Mama

My Name is Stew...

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

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

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

Mama

Conner Pics

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

Mama

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

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

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

Mama

A New Addition

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

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

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

Mama

Cassandra Got Adopted!

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

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

Mama