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The Carrot Chronicle is brought to you by the North West Rabbit Welfare Project, 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.
Issue # 2, March 2003. Dear Friends, We have more details this month on the ‘Beautiful Bunnies Photo Show’ being run to raise funds for the Tutfyfund and us. Don’t forget too that there will be a bunny photo show at the sanctuary’s Open Day on the 12th April – so bring your photos along! Also, if you have any bunny related gifts that you don’t want and think would make good prizes for the show then we would be delighted to receive them. As always, if you would like to get in touch with us either call the sanctuary on 0161 9735318 or you can email me at carrot.chronicle@btopenworld.com. Best wishes, Susie. Well we may not have rehomed that many bunnies this month but we have had a lot more visitors wanting to look at bunnies. Interestingly enough we have had a number of requests for bonded pairs so it looks like more people are doing their research about keeping bunny’s outdoors.
The only other two to find homes also found love – yes, with each other. I’m talking about our long-stay resident Hazel and that little Houdini aka Diddy. It all came about one day not long after Diddy had been moved into the Bunny Barn from Isolation. Hazel was out in one run and Diddy in the other and the little man jumped over the 4ft high run. Now this little fella is not called Diddy for no reason, and he was always a nuisance in Isolation where he quickly learnt how to open the cage he was in! So when we found him playing happily with Hazel we thought what a fab couple they make. So bonding was done gradually over a two week period and then they started to live together and just became such snuggle buns and were snapped up by a lovely family with a fab outdoor set up. Take a look at the furries together.
New Arrivals in FebruaryHave you met Harriet and Harvey yet? Well, little Harvey makes us girlies squeal with delight and we just kissy him all over every chance we get. You must look at him and his lady on http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk , he is a darling. The two buns were rescued by RSPCA Inspectors and taken to the Stapley Grange Wildlife Hospital in Sandwich. You may remember Marvin & Martini came from them too. Well we have set up an agreement to take in buns from them as the hospital neuters and vaccinates them prior to coming into our care. We know nothing else about their background than this. Harriet is a stunning white up-eared bunny with markings of a Himalayan, whilst little Harvey is an adult Netherlands Dwarf - YUM! Bless him, he is very tolerant of us all mauling him but you can see in his eyes sometimes that he is saying, "I am an adult you know. I may look like a baby but I'm not!" He also has spring fever on him at the moment and has the odd half-hearted 'hump' but just slides off Harriet! You must come and see these two - they are wonderful. Sebastian, how handsome is he! His fur is like a silver fox type fur but he is actually a lop. He was allegedly found as a stray in Oldham and was brought in a week later to us, after his rescuer had tried keeping him as a house rabbit but says she was allergic to him. Sebby is not yet neutered and is full of the joys of spring and does have a touch of the 'black lop syndrome', i.e. he is a mentalist and very jelly headed - he is so friendly and adorable and seems in great health. I think once neutered he we will have little trouble bonding him with a friend. "LAMBERT AND BUTLER, SORRY I MEAN HUGHIE!!!!" by Gilly Prime On the evening of Sunday 23rd February, Karen Scott (my partner in bunny crime!) and myself had just finished a home visit for Hazel and Diddy and were then on our way to pick up one of two bunnies as we had space at the sanctuary. The woman who wanted to rehome her bunnies had recently had a baby and 'claimed' that it was allergic to her house bunnies....... all very convenient! Both bunnies were separate from each other as are unneutered males. They lived in those plastic top and bottom indoor cages with just wee'd-up wood shavings to sit on and a small amount of excel, no exercise - that was their 'I know how to look after my rabbits' life they had been living. Anyway, I knew full well that if I took Karen with me we'd take both buns away, and after examining their incisors I was really grateful I had taken Karen as we gave each other our 'lets take em both and run' look and loaded them up in my car to start a better life being fostered. Both buns are underweight, were obviously not used to food, stimulation or freedom. I have Lambert (Denise called him this as he looks like a lamb and Bert is his masculine counter-part!) at my house, he's a white lop with brown eyes, grey ears and grey smudgey nose and is a real mummies/anybody's bunny. He has to lie and snuggle next to you for tickles all the time, and yes he licks and is sooooooooo gorgeous I'm hoping one of my own buns will fall for him........... He has had to have his incisors and numerous molar spurs removed and so we are currently battling with getting him to eat and having fun with medication and force-feeds (Helena will vouch that I have come to work with splattered dried baby food on my top and not noticed!). Hughie is a golden lop living with Karen, again he had very bad teeth and has had to have numerous spurs removed from his molars. He 'likes' Karen very much...... to the point where he clings to her leg whilst she is moving about in a very 'affectionate' bunny manner - oh how we love unneutered males!!! Karen is battling with feeding and encouraging him to eat too. His fur was in a very poor state also. We will keep CC updated as to their progress and get some piccies done too! I just want to say a massive thank you to Karen for helping with Hughie when she already has loads of her own buns and foster buns coming out of her ears!!!! A BIG thank you also to Karen for her all the pet portraits she does to raise money for the rabbits. Karen gave us another £20 donation this month. We all appreciate your unbelievable hard work. New arrivals named by Bunny Birthday Club and Sponsored Hutch membersRufus the rabbit has been named by Frank Schofield as part of the Bunny Birthday Club. He chose the name because he liked it! We think it really suits this handsome chap. Here is an update on Rufus by his foster carer Karen Scott Rufus is an absolutely stunning fawn and white Dutch bunny, with the most gorgeous big brown eyes any girlie bunny would die for! We reckon this cheeky chappie is around two years old.
Rufus is a very loving and good-natured bunny. He will tolerate being picked up and loves to be stroked. He is still a little bit nervous at present and unfortunately because he is un-neutered hormones are taking over, and he is rampant! Once he has been neutered and stopped spraying he will make an ideal companion rabbit and would make a lovely house rabbit. Keegan has been named by hutch sponsorer Maysie Tucker. In our 'Furry Features' item Maysie explains the origin and significance of the name. RED NOSE DAY HAIR SCRUNCHIES WITHDRAWN FROM SALEThanks to Julie Hay, Carrot Chronicle reader and member of the UK Pet Rabbits Yahoo chat group. If ever I am going to convince you all of the 'power of protest' this is the story to do it with. Members of the UKPR chat group followed Julie's discoveries and updates this month with great interest. Here is how the story went. Julie purchased a Red Nose Day 'hair scrunchy' sold in aid of Comic Relief from her local Sainsbury's supermarket for her daughter. When she got it home and examined it she thought that some of the material it was made from looked like rabbit skin and fur and dyed red. Understandably she was alarmed at the thought and so Julie phoned the distributors, Titan Toys, and was told that the man who knows where they were imported from was out of the office for a few days. However they phoned her back the same day to say that they'd asked around the office and wanted to assure her that the company had a policy of never using real fur in their products, but they wouldn't know if the item had 'slipped' through undetected until the man 'in the know' was back in. So in the meantime Julie contacted the manager of the Sainsbury's store where she had purchased the item and was told that Sainsbury's was against animal testing etc and would make further enquiries. In the meantime Julie did some tests herself, such as singeing the fur and the roll test and became quite convinced that it wasn't synthetic fur. The Buying Manager at Titan Toys duly responded to Julie's enquiry and had a sample of the scrunchies sent by courier to a London laboratory for tests. The next day the results were in and indeed Julie was right all along they were made from real fur - most likely rabbit fur. Consequently Julie triumphed in having all the Comic Relief Hair Scrunchies withdrawn from sale as the Comic Relief team responded to this horror immediately. The Titan Toys also did further investigations and discovered that the feathers on the 'deeley boppers' being sold in aid of Comic Relief had been made from real chicken feathers too - these have also been withdrawn from sale. The importers of these fundraising items were told that the fur and feathers were synthetic. Julie was also informed that Comic Relief are pursuing the suppliers fro their money back. Julie says that although she is happy that the items have been withdrawn from sale, she still has mixed feelings. Her reaction is understandable given that at the end of the day thousands of rabbits are bred in appalling conditions and then slaughtered for their fur. But please note that Julie wanted no bad publicity for Comic Relief she simply wanted to know if the scrunchy was made from rabbit fur. Having them withdrawn from sale is a huge relief but should you find any in shops please inform the shop manager they are made from rabbit fur and are supposed to be withdrawn from sale. At the end of the day this should not have happened and I am sure we all agree that Comic Relief is a worthwhile cause. On behalf of all of us rabbit lovers I would like to say a huge thank you to Julie for not only spotting this but for acting on her instincts - well done. Appeals and IdeasEASTER OPEN DAY - SATURDAY 12th APRIL 2003Don't forget we need your help! We need volunteers on the day and donations- anything from bric-a-brac, plants, cakes, Easter eggs, booze, crafts, cds, videos, cuddly toys, jams, gifts - essentially anything and everything. It will be held at the sanctuary so no excuses for not finding the place. We desperately need to raise a lot of cash and need all the publicity and support we can get so if you can help in anyway please let us know! Perhaps you could display posters, lend pasting tables or help with preparations. Get in touch - we need you! A REMINDER - at the Open Day we will stage a Bunny Photo Show Competition. Entries will be 50p each and this will also pay for returning the photos (and any prizes you might win). There will be 3 categories with 1st, 2nd & 3rd prizes for each one, but you can only enter a photo in one category due to displaying arrangements. There are beautiful rosettes for all the winners and prizes include hand-crafted bunny notebooks made specially for the occasion, stationary produced from your winning photo and participation in the Sponsored Hutch Scheme. ADDITIONAL PLEA - will anyone be travelling from the Birmingham/West Midlands area for the Open Day? 'Auntie Barbara' has been slaving away growing lots of plants and herbs for us and has volunteered to run the plant stall too but she doesn't drive. Can anyone give her a lift? Please email Barbara at: b_peters84@hotmail.com she lives in Dudley and cannot get up here any other way. ISOLATION UNIT UPDATEProgress is good and we now have the front door on, have made alterations to the electrics, the perspex ceiling is half way to completion and the metal work for the runs is under-way. Unfortunately we do have a shortfall of approximately £600 and until we can raise the cash we have no idea when the buns will be able to move in. The money is needed to purchase the heavy-duty perspex that will create the walls to the runs. It is very expensive stuff but very durable plus with it being clear the buns will be able to see one another and we will be able to see where they have been wee-ing! The unit will have cost approximately £5000 in total, which is fantastic given that it is a completely new building being kitted out with the best interior for rabbit rescue care. The runs are 7ft by 4ft and the buns will live in this area rather than be locked away in a cage or hutch. It is also good news for the larger bunnies that come into our care because we won't struggle to find them large enough accommodation. And with the runs being filled with lots of toys they'll be able to play all day and night. The unit will have been paid for by all the fundraising everyone has done, but with the second lot of white-water rafters never getting the chance to drown we are not going to meet our target. So perhaps you will be inspired by volunteer Matthew Ashton's bid to run the Wilmslow half marathon on Sunday 26th March. You may recall Beth Ashton's piece on Harriet and Harvey last month in 'Where are they now?' Well Matthew is Beth's husband. Anne Johnstone (see 'Bunny Heaven') is also running to raise money for us. So if anybody would be generous enough to sponsor our friends then please email Beth at: beth_ashton@hotmail.com or contact Gilly at the sanctuary and she will pass on your pledge. SOCIAL EVENTSChinese meal was a great success though I don't think I would be far off the mark by saying we all ate more than our fair share of the buffet and just wanted to go home afterwards! Sunday 6th April meal in Rusholme has been cancelled due to poor response. We will reschedule for another night out some time in May. WEST MIDLANDS / MIDLANDS HOPPER GROUP APPEALI am interested in meeting up will some like minded others across the midlands who would be interesting in meeting together on a regular basis and discuss our passion of rabbits and also have some fun and nights out. If you are at all interested, please contact: Heather Wallace on 0121 241 8767 or email: hutchmate@yahoo.co.uk. Beautiful Bunnies Photo ShowHi again Carrot Chronicle readers. Last month, Susie very kindly let us feature an article in CC about the bunny photo show that we are holding, in aid of the Northwest Rabbit Welfare Project and the Tuftyfund. As promised, in this month's edition, we have included a full Beautiful Bunnies Photo Show schedule. The schedule includes all of the information you need to enter the show, including photo show classes, entrance fees and of course, prizes. This means that you have no excuse for not entering now, so please make sure you send in some photos of your fluffy bunnies and help us raise some funds for these great bunny organisations. Since, last month, we have made some changes to the photo show. Firstly, we have changed one of the photo show classes. Class 12 has been changed from 'special effects bunnies' to 'bad hare day'. We thought that this would this be more fun and apt, we know that our bunnies often have 'bad hare days' so hopefully this class would generate a lot of entries. This does mean however that no digitally enhanced or manipulated photos are permitted in the show at all. Secondly, we have recently received some excellent news about photo show prizes. Jane McInnes has very kindly offered to donate 20 children's t-shirts (up to age 12) with their own choice of photo on the t-shirt. We will be holding an additional raffle for this prize. If you know of a child under 12 who would be interested in winning a t-shirt or are aged under 12 years yourself and would like to win one of these t-shirts, please let us know when you enter the photo show. All you have to do is to send us a note saying that you wish to be entered into the t-shirt draw and enclose it along with your photos, cheque, stamps and SAE. There will be no extra charge for this draw, and you do not need to buy separate raffle tickets for this draw. All entrants who let us know that they would like to be entered into the t-shirt draw, will receive one raffle ticket free of charge. Only one raffle ticket per entrant is permitted for the t-shirt draw. If you are a lucky winner, we will put you in touch with Jane McInnes and you can let her know the t-shirt size you want and the photo you would like to appear on the t-shirt. Due to a lack of space in CC the schedules will be sent out to you all separately and will be available in the Bunny Barn.
COLD BLACK TEA: Wiped over the eye with cotton wool, will clear weeping eyes (and conjunctivitis if caught early enough). It will not sting or hurt the eye in anyway and can be used as often as you like. This is an old remedy and can be used on "two foots", cats and dogs too. A LITTLE BOOK …… A few years ago when I took my first rabbit to the vets for her Mixy jab I was presented with an article on rabbit keeping, called Grass, grass and more grass. Although I did find it informative, being country lass I knew that wild rabbits ate a darn sight more than just trimming the edges of meadows. In my endeavours to find out more I came across a small book by Virginnia Richardson called Rabbit Nutrition. Now as well as a few chapters on, general diet, vegetables and sticky bottoms, it also contains photographs and descriptions of wild plants or weeds. Most of these weeds have medicinal properties and are to be found in your back gardens. Laugh you may, but all my rabbits much prefer these "weeds" to those expensive packaged vegetables from the supermarkets, apart from carrot tops that is. So before you go out in your garden constructing compost bins and laying out new herb gardens, might I suggest that you invest in buying this little book and preserving this free food? The book costs £6.50 and can be purchased over the 'phone from Orchard Veterinary Surgery in Romsey. Call 01794 830288 Ps: You can also buy seed packets of "wildflower plants" containing some of the weeds mentioned in the book along with several types of grass. Ideal for those buns who have a purpose built run in the garden. You will have to pick out the buttercups and ox-eye daisies though.
This month's Cyber Bunnies is an absolute must for all of you with internet access. It made my day when I looked at the latest updates on Neroli the rabbit and baby-slave Charlie in the Jan & Feb sections of 2003. Do yourself a favour and give yourself a huge smile at: http://www.bunnymad.co.uk
This month's Furry Feature is dedicated to Keegan. Maysie, his bunny slave, sponsors a hutch at the sanctuary and part of the package was to name a rescue bunny. We found a very worthy recipient of the name this month and many of you have already met the 'new' Keegan. Maysie explains here in her own words why the name 'Keegan' had to live on, in memory of her very special bunny boy. 'Keegan, My Shining Star' by Maysie Tucker
This little lop dwarf was a boisterous little man, bright eyed and inquisitive. I loved the colour of him and his cheeky little face, he was so full of energy and he was looking at me as if to say "Take me home, if you dare". But I didn't take him home, but I did think about him all week and I just had to rescue him. The following Saturday we decided to go and bring the little boy home. By now we had become familiar with the pet shop owners and I had told them how much I had liked the blue-grey lop and how we wanted to buy him but he was no longer there and I assumed he had been sold. "Oh no" they said, "He wasn't sold, we decided to keep him ourselves and we shall use him to breed from. We've called him Keegan, would you like to see him?" Oh please" I said, and I was led to a back door in the shop which took you to a very tiny yard in which there was an old shed. In the shed there were hutches with does and bucks that I gathered were used for breeding from. "There he is", said the owner, and my heart sank. The cheeky little blue-grey lop, once so boisterous, so full of life, sat in a corner of his hutch in a smelly, dark and dismal old shed. The zest of life had gone from his eyes, and he simply sat very still looking very sad. I just couldn't wait to get out of the shed and out of the shop. All I wanted to do was cry. The following week my husband and I went back to the pet shop to look at the other baby bunnies. (I just couldn't pass the shop, and I tried not to think about Keegan in the shed as it hurt too much knowing the life he could have had, and the life he actually got.) My husband and I were bent down looking at the bunnies when the owner came up and said, "Would you like Keegan as he has turned nasty and is attacking the other rabbits, and he has bitten us. We don't want anything for him." I said "Yes please" and we drove home with one free of charge, beautiful, but seemingly naughty blue-grey lop whose life was about to change…for the better!
Keegan was a very special rabbit to us, from 5 months old to the day he died he suffered with many illnesses. He endured so very much and it wasn't fair because he was such a gentle and loving character. Everyone loved him, not just us. He had severe dental problems that later led to malocclusion and trips to the vets every three weeks for front teeth trimming and then eventually they had to be removed. Unlike most rabbits his body could barely tolerate calcium, so we had to check everything he ate - from rabbit food, veg to treats, and he also had his calcium levels checked now and then by the vet too. He also had recurring cystitis, also serious digestive problems and had to have his kidneys flushed and placed on a drip too. In addition Keegan had an ongoing ear infection, which we had to treat every other day with ear gel. He had even been due to be put to sleep one time when he fell into GI stasis, but we did everything within our power to get him to eat and it paid off and he found the strength to fight and he won. On top of all of this he also had an abscess on his jaw that burst internally, which occurred due to the bone infection 'Osteomyelititis that was locate din his jaw. Towards the end of his life he would sneeze continuously but it wasn't 'Snuffles', it was a bug that was living in the infected part of jaw and because of its location it couldn't be successfully treated. On the 24th September 2002 Keegan collapsed on the floor. My husband Mike rang the vet to say we were rushing him in, whilst all the while I was massaging his heart. All of a sudden Keegan let out a horrific scream, and I knew it was all over. The vet thinks the constant sneezing caused him to have a heart attack. He was 6 years old.
Through all the charity photo shows I did over the years he had become quite popular and famous. I have lots and lots of rosettes, medals and silver salvers that he won. He had been in various rabbit magazines too including 'Golden Days' newsletter, which is a postal support group for the owners of elderly rabbits. In fact he is on the cover of the latest issue and I have also written an account of 'Life Without Keegan'. He was by far the best rabbit I have ever had and he will always remain in my heart as my shining star.
For me Keegan will always be near me and I hope he will help me watch over my new bunnies and keep them safe and well for me. Keegan will never be forgot. Lumpy says….guess who's been staying in my house?……….Pinky & Perky
Bunny Boarding has raised £50 for the rabbit project in Feb and next month will be a fab update on P&P in 'Where are they now?'.
SPECIAL FEATUREwww.rabbitrehome.org.uk - it really does work!Reader Abbie Norbury shares her experience of rehoming through the website Camille's StoryI've always had a love of rabbits, and have wanted to keep a house rabbit for as long as I can remember. For three years I hinted continually to my partner, and eventually in November 2001, it paid off!! One bleak Tuesday evening he came home from work with a box and got me to look inside…. I squealed so loudly, I was beyond happy, I was ecstatic!! From the minute I saw my little dutch boy I fell in love, and the more time I spent with him the more I realised how special these wonderful creatures are.
Around the time I had decided to find Lewie a girlfriend I came across www.rabbitrehome.org.uk , through a discussion group on Yahoo. I decided to take a look and was struck with a mixture of emotions at what I saw. On the one hand I was upset at how many rabbits needed good homes, especially those on the appeals page. But on the other hand I was so happy to see such a professionally run website with helping buns as its aim. I cannot compliment the site enough, its brilliant and caters for everyone. No matter what sex/age/breed you're after, you'll find what you want. All you have to do is click on the boxes to indicate the specifics you're after (if you're a fussy hunter that is!). People always seem to think the only buns you can rescue are the oldies, but there were plenty of baby buns on the site, so there really is no excuse to fill the pockets of the pet shop owner any longer!!
Please look at the rehoming website to see some of our current residents looking for a home. Simply choose 'Greater Manchester' as the location in the search engine and up pop our love-bunnies!
BARNABY by Michelle St John
The Yellow Pages provided the address of the Society for Abandoned Animals (aka Peggy Henderson Animal Sanctuary). On my arrival I made myself known to the office and duly gave them the food and a money donation. My business done, it was time to go - but somehow I couldn't. There was a "Bunny Barn" beckoning and I felt intense need just to stroke a darling bun. The trap was set! As the barn door opened tears filled my eyes as the host of cute bunnies and I was overcome with great pain and sadness at the memory of my dearest Rabs. I decided I must be some sort of masochist who needed therapy. Suffering from acute "bunny deprivation" I tentatively reached out and began to systematically tickle all the residents in the barn….the rest is history.
Barnaby immediately stood out as a cheeky, confident and affectionate bun. Our hearts were pulled in a number of directions, especially towards Covonia (god bless!), and competition for our affections was fierce - but it was Barnaby who finally won the day.
Just like Rabs, he has taken up his position sitting next to all 'the family' on the settee and is first in line demanding kisses and tickles. I often close my eyes in horror as he suddenly decides to launch himself like a missile from the furthest point in the lounge and onto the sofa - usually landing on Bonnie's head! Thankfully she has the patience of a saint Still, Barnaby has his own cross to bear, as Bonnie often delights in gently licking him all over leaving him smell like 'dog breath' - not pleasant! I'd have to say Barnaby dominates Eric the cat a little and very occasionally will charge at him as if to confirm his male dominance in the household. Otherwise, they get on really well and only the other day I caught them drinking together from the same water bowl. Must be a man thing! Incidentally, Barnaby is no longer his name, he very quickly became known as 'Barny (Rubble - rhyming with trouble!). Well, the wallpaper was due for redecorating and who needs to listen to the stereo anyway! At his most mischievous he is referred to "Atilla the Bun" or "Bin" - given his terrorist like activities. Needless to say he fills our hearts with love and happiness and we would not be without him. Many thanks to the project, especially Gilly, Susie and Jill who kindly offer their time and advice whenever I call. Keep up the good work everyone, you bring so much joy into the lives of Bunny-masters and their human slaves - we are all eternally grateful.
Little Jack - Our Precious Little Manby Jay & John at Ebony Eyes Retirement Home
On 24th September 2002 we travelled to Liverpool to collect Nici and Sparkles (both beautiful bunnies) - Lynne who looks after the bunnies showed us the sick bunny that they had named Colin. That was you Little Jack - there you where looking absolutely awful - half your fur was gone, you where drooling everywhere, you could not close your little mouth properly even though you had had a dental - you where dirty and bedraggled and you stank like mad - what did we do? Fell instantly in love with you. We couldn't leave you there - you needed constant care and love and warmth - we took you there and then. When we lifted you out of the birdcage that you where in(!) you looked up at me (Jay) with such trust in your eyes that my heart melted. I did not feel sorry for you, I did not feel pity for you, and I just totally and utterly loved you immediately. We brought you home and installed you in a tris in the back room - we took you to the vet the next day and you where so underweight that the vet would not operate on you until some weight had been gained. We understood and so we loved and pampered you and fed you up :-) Oh Little Jack, within a few days the happiness shone out of you - you binkied, you played, you got carried around like a baby and loved it, you ate like mad, you loved the comfort of your tris with it's duvet in and you snuggled us like mad. Over the next few weeks you made a remarkable recovery and your fur grew back, your eyes shone and you gained weight. You then had to have another dental as your teeth where in a bad way - you got neutered at the same time. You where most displeased to have your bits taken off and ran around for a few days with your bum right in the air :-)
You developed more spurs :-( You needed another operation as you could not eat properly, we gave you painkiller to keep your little mouth working but we knew we had no choice but to have the dental done. You went to the vets on Monday 24th February and you had your operation - all went well with the dental and two spurs where taken away - you then suffered a heart attack and even though the vet fought and fought, you could not come back - our precious little man had gone to our field over Rainbow Bridge :-( When the 'phone call came mum would not believe it - she ran down the garden and tried not to listen to your dad telling her you had gone - then we both broke down and we thought that our hearts would break - we could not believe that you had gone - our Little Jack, our lovely little man - gone? Why? Why? Why?
You had been with us for exactly 5 months when you left us yet it seemed so much longer than that to us. We pray that it seemed longer for you too and that we took away all those nasty memories of the abuse that you suffered for a long time in your life. We so hope that we made you happy - that is so important to us. We love you Little Jack and we know that when you passed over that Ebony held your paw as you held on to Joey hamster's paw - then Ebony led you to our field. You will be binkying and playing - there is no pain, no danger, no horrors - there is safety, there is love and the best thing of all - time has no meaning so you don't even realise that when we join you that we have been missing for however many years - so you won't be sad, you won't be hurting and you won't be wondering where we are - that comforts us a great deal. Thank you for choosing us Little Jack to be your mummy and daddy - to us that was a great honour - we will never ever forget you, we will always love you and we will join you in the blink of an eyelid. Run free Little Jack, we love you forever. Love from Mummy and Daddy and the hairy mob Felix PetersOur very own 'Auntie Barbara' has also suffered the loss of a precious furry and in tribute to him Jay from Ebony Eyes reflects on his happy life with Barbara.
Felix loved life - he enjoyed every second of his new life with his mum and his partner Zippy-Zoo. He really helped to bring Zippy round and because he loved having fusses made of him, Zippy had to find out what was going on and decided that fusses and nose rubs where quite nice :-) Felix was always getting into trouble when he had his "Wallpaper Teeth" in - he would tell them to stop being naughty but they wouldn't take any notice at all - his mum knew that it wasn't the fault of Felix but of his teeth instead. Felix passed away suddenly on Sunday 23rd February - he had been out playing in the garden and had been munching on the grass - he was fine and nothing seemed amiss at all - at 3pm he was found floppy and cold in th front room and even though Barbara did all she could for him, Felix passed away in her arms an hour later :-( Barbara is devastated and says that the house feels dead without him - she misses his binkies and his mountaineering - she misses his cheeky face and his naughty teeth - she misses giving Felix nose rubs first thing of a morning and she misses picking him up to "munch" him.
Felix will be in a lovely apple orchard now with Hazelmay - he will still be binkying and will be running up and down the hill driving everyone else crazy :-) When it's time to join him he will not even realise that he has been gone - that's how time is in bunny heaven. Take care Felix - snuggle Hazelmay when you take five minutes for a rest! Your mummy misses you terribly but in the blink of an eye she will be with you again. Kiss Hazelmay for mummy too - you will both never, ever be forgotten. Night night Fee-fee - we all miss and love you so much. CuthbertI'm sure many of you will remember the litter of babies we cared for last year after their mummy died when they were just 4 weeks old. In fact you may recall that one of the litter, Pugh Pugh, returned to our care with Charlotte late last year. Pugh Pugh, or Pudge as we affectionately call him, is awaiting a smashing new home in the Bunny Barn after several failed attempts at bonding him with a new lady friend.
Anne was very distraught by finding Cuthbert dead but things are gradually settling down in the house and Barney has had a full health check and is fit and well. Barney benefited from spending time with his brother so he could acknowledge and accept his loss and consequently he is as perky as ever, though he does sit in Cuthbert's 'spot' from time to time. Anne is not alone in her grief for Cuthbert's loss and many of us are deeply saddened by his untimely departure. R.I.P. Cuthbert - we loved you very much. |
So
whom have we rehomed? Well our two darlings Pepsi & Cola who were babies
fostered by Jacqui McGuire until they had been neutered and fully vaccinated
have finally found a home. The two cheeky boys have gone to live with a lovely
family as house rabbits and have settled in really quickly and spend their
days nosing around the place and generally being the two delightful bunny
boys that they are. The family had found out about us via the Rabbit Welfare
Association’s help line – so thank you for putting them in touch with us RWA.
He belonged to a 13 year old girl who had lost interest in him and he was not getting the love and attention he deserves. Although he was housed in a double hutch, it was quite small and he was not getting any daily exercise or stimulation. His diet was reasonable and varied, although he was being fed on a cheap rabbit mix. He arrived with horrendously overgrown claws and fur mites. His foster carer clipped his claws straight away and treated him with a homeopathic spray for his mites. He ran around binkying and doing the 'Bunny 500' on his newly clipped claws; he could actually walk properly again! Otherwise he is in seemingly good health and booked in for neutering.
Keegan was essentially rescued by two of our volunteers. He lived with another bunny outdoors and they were allowed to play out all day long unsupervised. Our two volunteers felt that the buns were not being properly cared for and asked us to take them in - if only we had had space for both of them at the time. One day in late January their schoolboy carer put them out to play in the snow and went off to school. Several hours later it was discovered that Keegan's mate had been eaten (presumably by a fox) and part of the remains were left behind. Infuriated by this event and the owners general lack of due care, the volunteers got them to hand over Keegan as we had space for one bunny at the time. The rest as they say, is history. This fella is everyone's favourite (next to Harvey). He is so unbelievable friendly and he seems so much happier now that he is somewhere safe and well cared for. He is such a softy and adores attention. His head looks unfeasibly large but in fact it is just really fluffy. Keegan is nothing short of beautiful and we love him very much. Let's hope we can find a fantastic new home for him, he well deserves it and would make a fab house bunny. (Keegan is pictured playing with Helena's walking boot - she took him home to try spruce up his coarse, wee-stain fur.)
It was August 1996 and I had a break from keeping rabbits for two years….that was until I spotted a beautiful little blue-grey lop dwarf in a local pet shop. I'd much rather pet shops didn't sell animals, but some do. Whenever I learn that one is selling rabbits I am compelled to go and check up on them.
We kept the name Keegan, somehow it suited him. We litter trained him as a house rabbit and eventually he had access to the whole of the house along with supervised playtime in the garden. Keegan wasn't a nasty rabbit, he was a happy and content rabbit, and we gave him our home and all our love and attention, and we certainly got it back from him.
What made him special was that despite his ailments he never failed to make us laugh with the funny things he would do. He gave long wet kisses and he would lick your hand forever, he was a great part of our life and we never ever imagined what life would be like without him. Even in April 2002 when I started with serious lower back pain (I had six days in hospital and I was off work for several months and couldn't do anything and barely walk), Keegan never left me even though he wasn't well himself. If I struggled into the kitchen, Keegan was there behind me, and he would sit and watch everything I tried to do. During those months I slept downstairs on the settee as it was less hassle than trying to get up the stairs to bed. It was Keegan and me together all day and all night long. I was deeply depressed and the bond between us at that time was so strong, I knew without him I would die as he kept me going. Unfortunately he did die, and I was devastated, but in his short life he had left me with so much.
I found that I could not cope without a rabbit around me so on the 14th December 2002 we rehomed two bunnies from a rabbit sanctuary. I got a Marten Sable buck that we have called Bodkin (left) and a black crossbreed doe we have called Hetty (right). My babies are now 4 months old and I love them to bits, though I have not forgotten Keegan. In fact I can see a little bit of him on Bodkin's character.
Billybob & Davey 
Having done lots of internet research and read all the bunny books under the sun, I realised that Lewie needed a companion (see left, looking lonely!), so last October we decided to start looking. I'm ashamed to say that Lewie came from a pet shop, although to be fair neither my partner nor myself knew any better back then. Having made the mistake once, and become 'bunwise' since, we knew the only thing to do would be to get a rescue bunny. There are so many bunny's that desperately need homes, so what better excuse to bring another bunny home!
Anyway, the only specifics I searched for were a female bunny in the London area, so I was pretty open to any bun. The list that popped up was sadly quite long. The first rabbit on the list was called Camille (pictured right, very similar to the image on the website), so I decided to take a look at her story. There was a brief background to her and a little bit about her personality, enough to gage my interest. And as for the photo, well…..one look and I was hooked! I didn't even make it through the list of other buns, I knew Camille was the bun for us the moment I saw her! I emailed her fosterer straight away and received a swift response. A few days later I went to visit Camille, and within moments of being in her company I loved her. She came out of her box to sniff me and let me stroke her straight away. But the biggest compliment was that I made her do the happy teeth grind thing with my second stroke! Brilliant or what!!! Even though she seemed slightly timid (that's in comparison to my bolshy dutch boy at home) I knew she was friendly. Anna (her foster mummy) had done a brilliant job of socialising her, especially considering she had come from a breeding background. The poor thing had been taken to the Mayhew in a box with her babies, immediately after she'd given birth, with the buck she'd been bred with her also in the box mounting her!! It's unbelievable to think of the ignorance!
Anyway, three weeks after our initial visit to see Camille we had her home with us! For the two days after picking her up from Anna's she had to go to Bobtails for bonding with Lewie (no neutral territory in our house), but that's another story (see Camille's story part 2 in next CC!). But all in all, our search for a companion bun for Lewie was as easy and stress free as I could have hoped for.
The North West Rabbit Welfare Project came to my rescue at a very sad point in my life. My beloved house-bun Rabs had died suddenly aged 2 years. I was totally devastated by grief. Rather than throw away his food supplies I decided to donate them to an animal sanctuary. The idea of homing another bun seemed impossible. Those furry little monsters can worm their way into your heart and completely take over your emotions before you've had time to blink! All those who have fallen foul of their bunny's charms universally understand the expression 'bunny slave'.
My husband Tony, a fellow bunny slave, actively encouraged me to bring another bun into our family circle. Rabs had lived harmoniously with our other pets - Bonnie the dog and Eric the cat (see picture above) and I was worried whether another bunny could adapt to living with such strange bedfellows.
Barnaby has settled in well and acts as if he owns the place. He is a very quirky little soul and never ceases to amaze us. We often watch dumbfounded as from a position of calm he manically starts to bounce and scurry around the lounge as if possessed by demons! Just as suddenly he will skid to a stop, flop over onto his side and instantly fall asleep (what a picture!). The first time he did this we thought he had either died or was epileptic! We are gradually getting used to his funny fluffy ways. 
We had a 'phone call in September 2002 from Freshfields Animal Rescue in Liverpool asking if we could take on a couple of bonded bunnies - Nici and Sparkles - whilst on the 'phone the lady mentioned that a little white buck had been collected after being found living wild - he was in a bad way and would we consider taking him on once he had been brought "back to life" - so to speak.
You bonded with Jemima (our British Giant) and you adored each other. Whatever Little Jack wanted, Little Jack got :-) So many other people loved you too, they sent you presents and letters - they where all rooting for you son.
We miss you so much and we are so sad that you never got to have a spring and a summer with us - it would have been so lovely to see you binkying around the garden with Jemima on nice sunny days - it was not to be, your time had come :-( We knew that you where an old Little Jack, we didn't know how old though - we put you over 5 years.
Felix had a bad start in life - he was kept in a plastic cage at the top of the stairs and got no exercise and not much food - he was taken to Trelogan Animal Rescue and after only being there a week or so his mum reserved him. His proper mum was Barbara Peters (known to us all as Auntie Barbara) - she took him from North Wales all the way to Dudley!
Felix is with Hazelmay now - he only had 8 months with Barbara but he filled every moment with fun, laughter and love - his passion for life made him so very special and it's as if he knew he had to cram all he could into those 8 months. He was such a joy to have around and such a character to boot - he certainly lived up to his name.
Pudge's brothers, Barney and Cuthbert were rehomed as a bonded pair to live as house rabbits with a lovely lady near Stone in Stoke. Both boys have lived a very happy life with Anne and she has showered them with love and affection and spoilt them rotten with lots of bunny toys. Volunteer Beth went to visit the boys this month and was delighted to see how the boys had blossomed into very handsome and healthy young men. Sadly one week later came the devastating news that Cuthbert had been found laid out on his side upon Anne's return from work - he was dead. That morning he'd been scoffing his breakfast down in competition with Barney as usual and all his 'vital signs' were exactly as you'd expect.