RaspberrySwirl
Well-Known Member
Buck, I've seen you refer to Maxie in a few threads and I can tell he holds a special place in your heart. Someday will you tell me about him?
Raspberry
Raspberry
Buck and Maxie
- Thread starter RaspberrySwirl
- Start date
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Did you see Maxie's picture on the front page of this month's Rabbits Only online magazine?
Go to http://www.rabbits.com and scroll down til you see the guy holding two rabbits in front of him. The Dutch is Maxie.
Great great rabbit, he was!
-Carolyn
Go to http://www.rabbits.com and scroll down til you see the guy holding two rabbits in front of him. The Dutch is Maxie.
Great great rabbit, he was!
-Carolyn
Buck Jones
Well-Known Member
Raspberry,I know you asked, and it was awfully kind of you to do so,but I hope the length of these posts doesn't make you wish youhadn't. Itend to get wound upsoabout him because he was such a special rabbit.
Maxwell came to us September of 2001. Our doe, Mitzie, hadbeen widowed by our first rabbit, Montie'sdeath. I placed an add for an adult Dutch buck on anotherforum. A breeder contacted me and indicated she had such abuck, who was three years old.
The buck had won two show legs initially, after which he developedseveral small "freckles" on his nose, therefore disqualifying him fromever showing again.He was quite well marked andhandsome, consequently, hehad been used for studfor much of the time since then.
As perher past practice, however, she should have been wellrid of him by the age of three, but he was such a lovablebunny, she said she kept him on well beyond the point he was earninghis keep. She had just resolved to send him to auction, wherehe probably would've ended up as meat, when she saw myrequest. She thought all three of us might be accommodated byour making a deal. She'd lose an economic drain on herresources, we'd get the buck we were looking for, and the bun wouldmost definitely survive.
She was from Maryland and we're from New Jersey, so we met at a reststop on I95 in Delaware and consummated what must have almost appearedas a drug deal in the lobby of the food court! The rabbit,with pedigree and legs(awards) was ours.
We named him Maxwell, or Maxie, because all of our rabbits customarilyhave or have had names beginning with an "M" and ending with"ie,"(other than Calbert, another story) as in Montie, Millie, Mollie,Moolie, Maizie, Mitzie, Mickie, Missy(my wife insisted the "y" beslipped in).
Maxie was exactly as his breeder described him. He was anabsolute love right from the git-go! He couldn't dispenseenough kisses, no matter what I was doing to him, and that is even withhim being "a momma's boy, " when it came to him loving mywife. Not a mean bone in his body. Bonded with thewidow Mitzie, yet, loved us just as much.
I sometimes carry a bun or two around in a "front pack" to fleamarkets, craft fairs, yard sales, antique shoppes and thelike. Maxie would spend hours perched there, with his littlehead peeking out and front pawshooked over theedge. I made him his own little straw fedora hat with leatherhat band because people worried about him in the sun.Mrs.Buck would sometimes lose patience with us because Maxie andI rarely could walk more than 20 feet without somone stoppingus and oohing and ahhing over the "beautiful bunny!" Hebecame a spokesbunny for rabbit fancying and elicited so much nostalgiafrom so many people who had owned their own rabbits at one time oranother. He even became a hail fellow well met at the localVFW post, where he was a welcomed guestandwomenvied to hold and pet him.
He was all that! I never feared he would bitesomeone. He just accepted and basked in the attention and wasalways ready for more. He rode up on the engine cover hump ofour full sized van that I carpeted for him and I always carried acomfort station cage in the back for him equipped with food, hay,water, and litter box. He was a travelling class act!
He was, and remains, the BEST bunny we have ever had. I gotso used to telling people, when they stopped Maxie and me, that rabbitslived to be 5-10 years old on the average,that Maxie trulysurprised us by crossing the Rainbow Bridge at the short side of thatstatistic at the age of six.
Afterward, I posted the following on another forum I frequented in aneffort to process exactly what had happened.I havetaken the liberty to copy it and post it here because I don't think Ican go through it properly to edit it down without rekindlingsomeupsetting memories.
For some reason, I could not post it here and I had to duplicate it as another post below....
Buck Jones
Well-Known Member
April 16, 2004
We lost one of our most favorite buns this week, Maxwell. As best as wecan tell he succumbed to an urinary infection, which developed into anabscess, and may have resulted in a fatal pulmonary infection.
Like most of us pet owners who lose a rabbit, there is a tendency tobeat ourselves up with a lot of, "could've, would've, should've's" and20/20 hindsight, and I'm really not going to do that. Events enfoldedthe way they did, when they did, and for whatever reason(s), but nowthat I've had a couple of days to consider what happened, I thought I'djust post some conclusions I have drawn in order to prevent someoneelse from missing the signals that I may have misread and/or ignored.
We had two neutered, heterosexual pairs of outside rabbits, each pairof which alternatively free ranged daily in our fenced-in back yard.Maxie, a pure bred black Dutch buck, was bonded with Mitzie, aHimalayan Netherland Dwarf doe. Maxie and Mizie were alternately freeranged with the other remaining pair in order to preclude anyterritorial fights and/or injuries.
It is part of my regimen to monthly weigh, manicure, groom, inspect,and record health data on each of our buns. Customarily, this processtakes place out in the back yard on a picnic table because of the messmanicuring and grooming can entail, but due to the long extraordinarylength of inclement weather this winter, the interval between sessionswas extended. When I went to work on Maxie this recent Wednesday, ithad been six weeks since I had last inspected him, and I noticed majorswelling in his genital area for the first time.
How long did this condition exist, I do not know. Had I been adheringto my established monthly routine, I might have caught the problem twoweeks earlier. Maybe, maybe not, for the problem might not have existedthen.
I have tended to view these sessions as more of a nail cuttingsituation, and not focusing equally as much, perhaps, on the otherhealth aspects as I should have. That may not have been such a goodpractice to slip into for it permitted me to procrastinate just thatmuch longer, as my rationale was that their nails could wait a bitlonger until the weather warmed up some.
With keeping rabbits in multiples, there is less of a tendency on ourpart to pick them up individually to love, caress them, and,coincidentally,identify potential health problems before they becomemore serious. Maxie and Mitzie were so enamored of one another, andthey were so heart warming to watch interacting, that we did not liketo insert ourselves too much in their relationship. With only onerabbit as a pet, there is a higher probability one will interactphysically more closely and frequently.
Due to the inclement weather this winter, the outside buns were keptinside our basement in a two-storied rabbit "condo" I had configuredfrom a 4'L x 3'W x 3'H dog crate. Each pair's "floor" was equipped withits own newspaper lined tray, raised 1/2" x 1/2" hardwarecloth(wire)floor, and large corner litter box. Both pairs were litterbox trained, although, the occasional and incidental poops were likelyto be found to have gone through the wire to rest on the tray.
Of late, I noticed that Maxie's and Mitzie's tray evidenced more urinestains around these poop deposits, which confused me a trifle, but Ishrugged it off as "wet" poop soaking the surrounding newspaper liningand/or the buns just getting sloppy with their potty training afteralmost four months of confined basement living.
In retrospect, these "changes" may have been symptomatic of Maxiehaving an urinary infection, and I may have missed that, especiallywith the two rabbits in the same cage. One doesn't easily know to whomto attribute which symptom under these conditions.
Of late, Maxie's and Mitzie's water consumption had increased. Iattributed it to winter, when consumption can go up, but they were niceand warm at optimum temperatures in the basement, so that assumptionreally did not compute if I had thought it through properly. Inretrospect it, also, may have been a warning sign and anotherindication of an incipient urinary infection.
In truth, I thought Mitzie was the thirsty one, and it occurred to methat she might have some kind of diabetic condition, for I saw herdrink more often than I would see Maxie. Now, with Maxie gone, itappears I might have mistakenly applied that symptom to the wrongrabbit, too.
I guess my lessons learned here are: (1)establish a scheduled healthregimen and stick to it, because it is not only the obvious things thatwill get your bunny; (2)inspect your bunny visually and physicallyfrequently; (3)ANY change(s)in behavior from the norm are reason forcircumspection; (4)keeping pet multiple bunnies tends to reduce theneed for personal attention, which may be detrimental to their health;and(5) keeping multiple bunnies leaves one susceptible to makingincorrect assumptions and judgments connecting adverse medicalsymptomsto the inappropriate individual.
Thank you for being so patient, those of you who have stayed with mefor this rather long diatribe, but in addition to potentially helpingsomeone else avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls I may have made, Ineeded to systematically analyze and process in my own mind exactlywhat it was that happened to Maxie and us, in what seemed like such ashort amount of time.
Some, or all of this, may not necessarily be new information to you,but if it serves only bring it home more clearly , or I prevent anotherbun from departing from its owner and this earth a single day earlierthan its appointed time, I will have considered my efforts hereimminently successful.
God bless and God speed, you and your wonderful bun(s).
Maxwell Goodbunny RIP 4/8/04
Buck
We lost one of our most favorite buns this week, Maxwell. As best as wecan tell he succumbed to an urinary infection, which developed into anabscess, and may have resulted in a fatal pulmonary infection.
Like most of us pet owners who lose a rabbit, there is a tendency tobeat ourselves up with a lot of, "could've, would've, should've's" and20/20 hindsight, and I'm really not going to do that. Events enfoldedthe way they did, when they did, and for whatever reason(s), but nowthat I've had a couple of days to consider what happened, I thought I'djust post some conclusions I have drawn in order to prevent someoneelse from missing the signals that I may have misread and/or ignored.
We had two neutered, heterosexual pairs of outside rabbits, each pairof which alternatively free ranged daily in our fenced-in back yard.Maxie, a pure bred black Dutch buck, was bonded with Mitzie, aHimalayan Netherland Dwarf doe. Maxie and Mizie were alternately freeranged with the other remaining pair in order to preclude anyterritorial fights and/or injuries.
It is part of my regimen to monthly weigh, manicure, groom, inspect,and record health data on each of our buns. Customarily, this processtakes place out in the back yard on a picnic table because of the messmanicuring and grooming can entail, but due to the long extraordinarylength of inclement weather this winter, the interval between sessionswas extended. When I went to work on Maxie this recent Wednesday, ithad been six weeks since I had last inspected him, and I noticed majorswelling in his genital area for the first time.
How long did this condition exist, I do not know. Had I been adheringto my established monthly routine, I might have caught the problem twoweeks earlier. Maybe, maybe not, for the problem might not have existedthen.
I have tended to view these sessions as more of a nail cuttingsituation, and not focusing equally as much, perhaps, on the otherhealth aspects as I should have. That may not have been such a goodpractice to slip into for it permitted me to procrastinate just thatmuch longer, as my rationale was that their nails could wait a bitlonger until the weather warmed up some.
With keeping rabbits in multiples, there is less of a tendency on ourpart to pick them up individually to love, caress them, and,coincidentally,identify potential health problems before they becomemore serious. Maxie and Mitzie were so enamored of one another, andthey were so heart warming to watch interacting, that we did not liketo insert ourselves too much in their relationship. With only onerabbit as a pet, there is a higher probability one will interactphysically more closely and frequently.
Due to the inclement weather this winter, the outside buns were keptinside our basement in a two-storied rabbit "condo" I had configuredfrom a 4'L x 3'W x 3'H dog crate. Each pair's "floor" was equipped withits own newspaper lined tray, raised 1/2" x 1/2" hardwarecloth(wire)floor, and large corner litter box. Both pairs were litterbox trained, although, the occasional and incidental poops were likelyto be found to have gone through the wire to rest on the tray.
Of late, I noticed that Maxie's and Mitzie's tray evidenced more urinestains around these poop deposits, which confused me a trifle, but Ishrugged it off as "wet" poop soaking the surrounding newspaper liningand/or the buns just getting sloppy with their potty training afteralmost four months of confined basement living.
In retrospect, these "changes" may have been symptomatic of Maxiehaving an urinary infection, and I may have missed that, especiallywith the two rabbits in the same cage. One doesn't easily know to whomto attribute which symptom under these conditions.
Of late, Maxie's and Mitzie's water consumption had increased. Iattributed it to winter, when consumption can go up, but they were niceand warm at optimum temperatures in the basement, so that assumptionreally did not compute if I had thought it through properly. Inretrospect it, also, may have been a warning sign and anotherindication of an incipient urinary infection.
In truth, I thought Mitzie was the thirsty one, and it occurred to methat she might have some kind of diabetic condition, for I saw herdrink more often than I would see Maxie. Now, with Maxie gone, itappears I might have mistakenly applied that symptom to the wrongrabbit, too.
I guess my lessons learned here are: (1)establish a scheduled healthregimen and stick to it, because it is not only the obvious things thatwill get your bunny; (2)inspect your bunny visually and physicallyfrequently; (3)ANY change(s)in behavior from the norm are reason forcircumspection; (4)keeping pet multiple bunnies tends to reduce theneed for personal attention, which may be detrimental to their health;and(5) keeping multiple bunnies leaves one susceptible to makingincorrect assumptions and judgments connecting adverse medicalsymptomsto the inappropriate individual.
Thank you for being so patient, those of you who have stayed with mefor this rather long diatribe, but in addition to potentially helpingsomeone else avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls I may have made, Ineeded to systematically analyze and process in my own mind exactlywhat it was that happened to Maxie and us, in what seemed like such ashort amount of time.
Some, or all of this, may not necessarily be new information to you,but if it serves only bring it home more clearly , or I prevent anotherbun from departing from its owner and this earth a single day earlierthan its appointed time, I will have considered my efforts hereimminently successful.
God bless and God speed, you and your wonderful bun(s).
Maxwell Goodbunny RIP 4/8/04
Buck
BunnyMommy
Well-Known Member
Buck, thank you so much for sharing both thestory of our beloved Maxie and the wisdom that you've gained from yourexperience. Rest assured that length was in no way aproblem; on the contrary, the detail that you've given tothis post is much appreciated.
I'll be printing out a copy of this thread to add to the "Sherman book".
Whenever you describe your buns I can almost "see" them. It'sas if I too have had the opportunity to get to know and to lovethem. Thank you once again for all that you share with us.
I'll be printing out a copy of this thread to add to the "Sherman book".
Whenever you describe your buns I can almost "see" them. It'sas if I too have had the opportunity to get to know and to lovethem. Thank you once again for all that you share with us.
Buck, what a wonderful post this was to read.Maxie sounds such a wonderful little character and I can just picturehim being carried around in your converted backpack - you gave him sucha wonderful life. I have also taken to heart the lessons you havelearned, though I don't think you could have done anything different.Bless you for this post, long live the memory of Maxie - Jan
BunnyMommy
Well-Known Member
LuvaBun wrote:
Buck, I hope you take some measure of comfort in the fact that you andMrs. Buck gave our beloved Maxie the best life that he could havehad. He went over the Rainbow Bridge binkying and twirlingand I know that you both still remain in his heart and mind.
Yes, yes, Jan!! Thank you for saying this. I meantto add this thought also. There's no doubt in my mind thatBuck was the best bunny daddy in the world. There are justsome things, though, that are out of our control in life.
Buck, I hope you take some measure of comfort in the fact that you andMrs. Buck gave our beloved Maxie the best life that he could havehad. He went over the Rainbow Bridge binkying and twirlingand I know that you both still remain in his heart and mind.
RaspberrySwirl
Well-Known Member
Buck, thank you somuch for sharing that with me. It is a very special story andit sounds like he was a very special bunny.
Raspberry
Raspberry
Cher
Well-Known Member
That was such a wonderful story Buck, thank youso much for sharing it with us,from both the personal side ofthe story to the informative.You are a jewel amongstus
<------me,thinking.....thinking....
ya'll know what might be a good idea
xo Cher, Jezebel and Jade
<------me,thinking.....thinking....ya'll know what might be a good idea
xo Cher, Jezebel and Jade
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Two (spay and neutered) Rabbits, approx. 3 years old and in good health. Salem, Oregon- Latest: TreasuredFriend
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