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The Bunny Camp Newsletter is brought to you by Leeds & Bradford Hopper Group in support of The Bunny Camp Sanctuary, who kindy let it feature on Rabbit Rehome. If you have any queries regarding the newsletter, appeals or rabbits in it please contact them directly not Rabbit Rehome.
Bunny Camp NewsVolume 2 Number 3 March 2004Contents:-
Ø Bunny Camp News is produced by the Leeds & Bradford Hopper Group Ø In support of The Bunny Camp Sanctuary. All The Latest from The Bunny CampLots of news from the Bunny Camp this month, first of all, how’s this for a picture to make you go aaahhhhh…. 
A week ago we were handed a litter of 5 wild baby rabbits whose nest had been disturbed by a JCB digger. The mother was nowhere to be found. The rabbits are now 3.5 weeks old and are being hand reared. They are thriving and will be up for re-homing when they are 12 weeks old. (Due to the hand rearing they will be far too tame to be released back into the wild). One baby has been reserved already. It's too early to say what sex the babies are. As they are of "wild” origin, they need experienced owners who will give them masses of exercise and attention, preferably to owners who will be at home most of the day. Some other news
Noel has been reserved. His home check passed today and will be going to live in Rawdon. Willow arrived at the sanctuary on 15.02.04. He came from a good loving home where he was kept in a flat as a house-bunny. He was forced to be given up for genuine reasons. He likes being petted and is a pretty Harlequin rabbit. Willow is very energetic like most adolescent bunnies! Willow is also used to dogs, as his previous owners had a dog. Willow has been reserved-hopefully as a companion for Dot who sadly lost Chancy 2 weeks ago. The bonding will take place tomorrow! 
On a separate note we've had some success with rabbit publicity. The RWA press release was shown in the Wharfedale Observer and Wharfe Valley Times and a Bradford paper. Hopefully it'll lead to more re-homing for rescue rabbits locally. Just some of our other buns who are still looking for homes...
PennyPenny was a very special bunny who spent two years here at the sanctuary, the most of which with her sister Pippa. Pippa died about three months ago leaving Penny very lonely however Penny secured herself a home the beginning of March and here is an e mail from her new mum letting us know how she has settled. Well I think you will agree.  Dear Sonya and Jim: Just a short e-mail to let you know that Penny is doing really really well in her new home. She was obviously a little unsure at first, after the journey home (Sweep fell asleep in the carry case!) and was doing a little of that 'grunting' sound that she does. I let her have a little sniff round before putting her in the cage. I thought at least that way, she would know where her 'Safe place' was. My other train of thought was that once she was used to the sounds and smells of the house, the cage could be left open all the time. I needn't have worried, as when I let her out later that day, she made it quite clear that she was now in charge! I got mugged for some parsley... she decided to re-arrange the toy box (all over the dining room floor)... and then, after a good old run around (kicking her legs out to the side), she decided to have a little kip under the dining room table. She has also learned that the side door of the cage does not lock properly... and yesterday decided she wanted her freedom early and let herself out... one good tug with the teeth opens the door... then another tug and flip, and she can sneak out! She is such a character! Her and Sweep are getting along very well... and when she thinks I'm not looking, she gives him a little wash. (and vice versa) She also sat on my knee last night and watched a bit of telly...clicking away quite happily while I stroked her cheeks. I have taken a couple of days off work. and at the moment, I can hear her throwing her toys around downstairs (probably because she's not the centre of attention at the moment!). Both Penny and Sweep LOVE their bunny hideout...Penny (being the cleverest) discovered the upstairs first, and loves to jump out of the top window opening and run through the tunnel. She is very affectionate and I just know she is going to fit in...I'm so glad I found her! Anyway... as promised, I will write something for the newsletter. I thought I would leave it for a couple of days until I really get a feel for her personality, as I plan for Penny to write it herself, but I just wanted you to know that she is well and happy. So, take care for now... and you'll be hearing from Penny very soon. Kind Regards Karen, Penny and Sweep. As you can see she has settled well and if you wish to read more about Penny she has her own website: http://mysite.freeserve.com/penny_and_sweep The Barbara Peters PageHERBS FOR BUNNIESWith two more bank holidays coming up in May, and these two are the most popular for garden centre visitors I thought I would just list the various herbs that have medicinal properties that help our rabbits keep in tip top condition. For the new readers I will go through the list in more detail over the coming editions on The Bunny Camp News.
And don’t forget, a couple of Achillea millefolium (posh yarrow) wouldn’t go amiss either. Vegetable seeds: Perpetual Spinach, Rocket, radish, chives, beans, carrots, All these can be grown in pots if you feel you don’t have enough room for a veg. plot. OFF TO THE GARDEN CENTREIf, like me, you cannot resist trips out to your local garden centre or other such shops I have constructed a list of rabbit friendly flowers and a list of what not to buy. If you would like to deter your fluffs from demolishing your favourites, try growing them through tall stick plants such as Phlox, adding hurdles, or like me tempting them away by edging boarders with Geranium “endressii”. They enjoy the leaf of this plant so much that they just sit and stuff them selves and venture no further, unless of course you’ve got a “digging” doe. Plants to grow: Asters, Borage, Calendula, Galega, Geranium, Geum (this plant is the “posh” version of the Aven weed and full of fibre), Helenium, Hollyhock (from the Mallow family) Honesty, Lupins (not the seed pods), Marguerites, Marigolds, Michaelmas Daisies, Nasturtium, Rose, Stocks, Sunflowers and Wallflowers. Do avoid: Acacia, Aconite, Antirrhinum, Arum Lily, Anemone, Columbine, Daffodil, Dahlia, Delphinium, Feverfew, Gypsophelia, Hellebores, Hyacinth, Iris, Larkspur, Lilly of the Valley, Linarias, Lobelia, Love in a Mist, Monkshood, Poppies, Snowdrop, Tulips and all bulbous plants. Happy gardening. SPRING HAS SPRUNGVenturing out this week I’ve noticed that suddenly spring has arrived, new leaf has appeared on the brambles, and the wild strawberry plants have grown and were well worth picking. Added to this I found that the wild vetch had new growth tips and low and behold the small plantains are pushing through. So my rabbits have had a feast day each and every day. Now Dandy pointed out earlier in the month that many of you may not know what these plants look like! Ooops I’ve been doing this for so long now that I have forgotten that we probably have many new readers! For those of you who have the time to walk around (and you can refrigerate the greenstuffs) I first became hooked on the idea of natural feeding whilst reading a booklet Rabbit Nutrition by the vet Virginia Richardson of Orchard Vet in Romsey Hants. You can I believe still buy this book over the ‘phone via credit or debit card, just phone 01794 830288. The cost was a couple of years ago £6 plus postage. The book is very informative with plant habitats, uses and Pictures. For those very busy people here are a few ideas. You can buy a pack of 30 seeds of Vicia (posh vetch) at £1.25 from Mr Fothergills, either on line at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk or telephone 0845 1662522. Whilst on line why not also order a packet of his Italian and French Salad mixes which contain such bunny delights as Chervil, Rocket, Celery Leaf and Radicchio. You must, must, must get a blackberry or bramble bush. If you don’t want the prickly job of digging a wild one up, go buy a thorn less plant from www.jparkers.co.uk or ‘phone 0161.848.1100. They also stock raspberry canes and strawberry plants. And last but certainly not least. www.barwinnock.com (tele: 01465 821338) sell a wide range of herbs and plants including coltsfoot and Achillea (posh yarrow, with pink flowers I might add) and its well worth asking for a copy of their catalogue. Prices are excellent, and as the nursery is based in Scotland, the plants will or should grow well in any part of the UK. The Story of Smudge & Barley
If you have been reading Bunny Camp News since the very beginning, then you will remember the story of Smudge. Smudge was a seven year old house bun who lived up in the north-east. He was much loved by his pet 2-foots, but they were forced to move away to a place where they could not take him, so a new special home had to be found for him. A couple of self confessed rabbit nutters – Jay & John Evans in Wales offered to take him to live with them at the Ebony Eyes rabbit retirement home, but how was he going to get there? Smudge’s 2-foots did not drive, and Jay & John could spend much time away from their house full of rabbits… The answer came when an appeal for help went out on the UK Pet Rabbits internet discussion group. Paul & Chris Hutchinson volunteered to collect Smudge from his home and take him part of the way, and then Jackie McGuire 
...Meanwhile... At the Bunny Camp... Sonya received a phone call from some people who were looking for someone to take on their bun. They claimed to be moving house, and were not in a position to take their bun with them. Something told Sonya that she should agree to take this bun, so she agreed to see his 2-foots. These 2-foots however were not nice people. When they arrived, they let slip that they were not actually moving house, but they were going on holiday, and wanted to offload a pet they had become tired of. When they gave Barley to Sonya she was appalled. He was wet, dirty, and was suffering from urine scald, and yet it vas obvious that all he wanted was for someone to make a fuss of him. Sonya took him in, and got him round to the vet as quickly as possible. He was neutered, cleaned up, tested for E.C. and given a VHD jab. One huge vet bill later, he was snug and warm back at Bunny Camp. A few days later, he was put up on the Barley is still learning about his new surroundings, there are lots of things that he does not yet know how to do. He likes to be cuddled, and he likes to lick John’s nose, but he does not seem to know how to play. Hopefully, in time he will realise that he is in a fantastic new home where he can do anything he wants to, until then, lets all keep our fingers (or paws) crossed for him. 
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agreed to meet them near Leeds, and take him on to Manchester so that Jay & John could collect him from there. Smudge settled in really well at Ebony Eyes, and soon he fell in love with Maple. He had never had a companion of his own species before, and he sent all of his time with her. They would groom each other incessantly and sometimes Smudge would do…. 
Well.. what rabbits are most famous for really, but as Maple had been spayed, there was to be no patter of tiny paws. Smudge was no youngster when he came to Ebony Eyes, so although it was distressing, it was not too surprising when he began to show signs of his advancing years. He developed arthritis, and then had a stroke, but being the bun he was, he fought back, and learned to get about again. However, more strokes followed, and eventually He became completely disabled Jay had to hand feed him, and he took to wearing socks to keep his feet warm, but throughout all of this time, he remained a happy bun, and Maple never left his side. When it was time to go, it was Smudge who made the decision. He refused his food and water & died with dignity, he left a huge hole in Jay & John’s life, how would they cope without him being there and needing all that attention…..
Rabbit Re-home site at 
End column By Dandy
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