BunTastic!

[Fancy77]

Great to hear that Bert is doing better!!!

 

[Torchster]

My bunnies are doing ok, I guess. I guess that I worry about them a lot. I feel a real sense of duty towards them, if that is the right word. They are totally dependent on me for everything. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming at times. Every night the first thing I do when I get home is give them some pellets for dinner, then I go get myself something to eat. After I eat the bunnies have play time. Usually, when I open the cage to let them out, I go out into the living room and bribe them with part of a wheat thin to get them to come out. Both my babies came out to get their treats. After awhile I was wondering what Bert was up to so I went to find them. It isn't uncommon for them to go back into their pen after they run around for bit. So I see Bert lying all spread out on the floor and I think that he was clicking his teeth (I have never really been able to pick up well on this behavior). I begin to wonder if its because he has a full tummy from the pellets and is just chillin'. Or, is it something else. Perhaps his tounge isn't healing all that well, and how on earth would I even tell??? I check to see if he is drooling or anything like that. He past the treat test-so he must be OK, I guess. Maybe to reassure me, he picks at a few pellets left over from dinner. I guess that he is OK. I hope that he is.

I guess the one thing that I was not prepared for was the emotional investment I have in these two, and especially Bert. Its not that I don't love Petunia, but there is something special between Bert and I. It is kind of nice to just lieonhe floor with him while he licks my shirt, and I pluck bits of hair from his latest molt.

I see the posts on the rainbow thread, all too often. Bunny owners with years more experience than me loseing their bunnies. I feel bad for them, I really do. I see these truely heroic struggles to keep their bunnies, and to do the right thing. I wonder if I measure up to that for my Bert and Petunia. They really don't ask for much, but the deserve the best that I can give.

 

[hln917]

Oh I completely know how you feel! Baci got his first round of being sick in Sept, that's how I found this great site with all the wonderful help. I remember at the time reading the Rainbow Bridge and crying at every post!For all the sleepness night, worrying and money spent I wouldn't trade it for the world,our reward is the bunny kisses!!

 

[Fancy77]

From what I have read the you will know something is wrong when your bunnies stop eating.

Isnt that something how the feelings just sneak sneak up on u some times and boom u r over whelmed with love for them. Bert is your heart bunny and there is nothing wrong with having stronger feelings for one than the other. You connect more with Bert b/c he is more extroverted than Petunia.

I dont think it matters how many years of experience u have as a bunny owner you are giving your buns so much love and good care which makes up for years of experience...and wisdom comes with time. I am sure a lot of the "experienced" rabbit owners still are learning new things.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

Fancy77 wrote:

I dont think it matters how many years of experience u have as a bunny owner you are giving your buns so much love and good care which makes up for years of experience...and wisdom comes with time. I am sure a lot of the "experienced" rabbit owners still are learning new things.

You never stop learning and loving these furry masters of us.

 

[Torchster]

Bert was being a naughty boy last night! I have been changing the layout of my living room lately, because I am getting some new furniture. Anyway, I used to have a couple of long lamp boxes taped together behind a couch for my bunnies to use. The back of this couch was not straight up and down, but at an angle. So even if I put right up to the wall, there was still a space at floor level for them get behind that couch. Perhaps not a big deal, but I have a couch that is part recliner - because of that, they way it was made...the back of the couch isn't a solid piece of fabric. Actually, where it reclines on either end of the couch, there are gaps for when you have it in recliner mode. Because of that, the bunnies can actually get inside my couch. I really don't want bunnies inside my couch. The can get ON the couch, but inside is a no no. Not to mention that if I were to accidently recline the couch with them in there...god knows what could happen with all the mechanics in there! So with these boxes in place behind the couch, the can get back there, but they have to stay inside the boxes, where they are safe. Plus, inside the box, they can't chew at carpet or the couch itself. Win Win.

Anyway, the new couch has a straight back to it...so i just put it up against a wall, and it is good to go. I moved the old couch to a temporary location until I get some new chairs that I ordered 237 years ago (another story). I still use the old couch, for now, so I had just moved it to a temporary location. Sure enough, Bert saw his chance. I'm sitting there minding my own business watching TV and I feel this funny vibration in the couch...Hmmm...then it dawns on me. I see Petunia eating hay in their box in the living looking at me, so innocently. But no Bert. Yep, he is in the couch. So I coax him out and thankfully I had kept their old tube, in case I needed it.

So Bert takes his bribe for getting out of the couch, and I go to work moving the couch so I could position this box tunnel behind the couch and while I am trying to get everything in place...Bert takes one look at me...one look at the couch which isn't quite in place...makes a bee line for the inside of the couch. So I bribe him out again.

I got mad at Bert and tried to shoo him out of the way. But now that I think about, it was really probably Petunia who put him up to this. She was probably telling Bert, the trusting sole that he is, that there was cool stuff in the couch. In order to get Bert out of the couch, I had to bribe him with part of a Wheat Thin. They hear my hand rustling around inside a box, and they come running from where ever they are. Of course I can't give Bert a bribe, without giving Petunia some too. So she gets Bert in trouble, she looks like an angel and still get treats. She is a sneaky one that Petunia.

Anyway, finally got mad enough a Bert that he got locked in his cage until I could finish my little project and keep him out of the couch. Some left over card board...duct tape...and one tunnel for the bunnies, one couch they can't get into, for now. They can sit on it all they want to, just don't want him in it.

 

[hln917]

Just like a girl to get the guys in trouble! :biggrin2:

 

[Torchster]

Da kids were pretty good last night, until Bert decided that we wanted some face time. My old couch has these side coushins (sp?) that flip over to reveal a compartment to put stuff, like remotes. Bert jumped up to say hi. I knew what was going to happen, and I tried really hard to get the side coushin before it flipped over (with him on it), but too late and over he went. He wasn't hurt, but he wasn't happy about it either. He was looking at me like, dude, I was just coming by to say Hi and this is the thanks I get??? I had to put down my computer and give him some quality time before bed. He just wanted to say.

 

[Torchster]

Now it is to the point where I wonder if I should be a bunny owner at all. Now it is Petunia's turn. She doesn't appear to be eating. I have been trying to give her some symethicone (sp?). She just freezes and lets stuff run our of her mouth.

This is really getting old, really freaking #@@#$@#$ old. I am failing at rabbit husbandry, badly. I am trying so freaking hard and getting no where, freaking no where. I've tried so hard, I've spent so much money, I've done so much research, I've worked on bunny proofing my home, I made them a cage by hand...what do I have to do??? WHAT FREAKING MORE DO I HAVE TO DO?

I'm pretty much getting to the end of my rope.

 

[Myia09]

I am sorry you feel that way.
I have noticed even with the best care, things happen.
I hope Petunia gets better.

Best Wishes.

 

[Torchster]

I am a little worried about my Petunia. She hasn't been feeling well this weekend. I think it is a diet issue. Seems to be fine in the mornings, but in the evenings she doesn't seem to be up to her old self. They have seen some pretty big changes in their diet recently. I had been giving them lots of carrot in the mornings, and lots of pellets in the evening. I believe that this diet helped contribute to Bert molar spurs. They were not eating as much hay as they should have been because of all the other stuff that they got. I have really cut down on the carrots and pellets and they have been eating more hay. Bert seems to adjusting just fine. I think that Petunia might be getting an upset tummy as I struggle to change their breakfast greens. I have swtiched to breakfast greens being romain lettuce, flat parsley, and cliantro. They never got much cliantro before and I am wondering if that doesn't agree with Petunia? I had to separate them, so I could monitor Pentunia more closely (I hate to do this). She had a full litter box, had eaten all her pellets and some hay this morning; so I put them back together. Tonight if she isn't feeling well again, I guess I will have to go back to square one with breakfast.

I really need to get a scale to monitor my bunnies weight!

And, I must say that the holiday banner makes me kind of sad. I have to give Jade all the credit in the world for helping her bunny with head tilt, but it does make me kind of sad to see. I'm torn between seeing that bunny with head tilt, which makes me sad, and knowing that Jade is doing such a wonderful job taking care of her bunny and that bunny has a truely wonderful home and a loving family.

I checked on getting my buns some of the 3rd cut from Oregon. I think that is Kleenmama (name?) Wow, the shipping to DC is more expensive than the hay. As much as I love my bunnies, after almost a $1000.00 for Berts molar thing (not to mention tounge ulcers), I have to find a different source. I still have a fair amount of the 50 pounds of Oxbow that I got this summer, so it isn't too big of deal yet.

 

[Fancy77]

WOW lots going on by you, maybe going back to square one with Petunia would be the best maybe just hay and pellets.

Do u have a local feed store?? I get my hay from there. It is less expensive that the online stuff, I cant justify when shipping is more that the product myself.

 

[Torchster]

I don't know if there are feed stores near DC - I can plenty of crap from around here, but no feed.

I sent an e-mail to a local rescue about getting a third bun. I contacted this rescue before about their agency and never heard from them, I don't think that I will hear much back, but ya never know? I don't hold out much hope for getting a third to bond with my two, but ya never know.

 

[Torchster]

Well now, that was unexpected. I got a pretty high and mighty response from the rescue that I sent an inquiry too. I tried to give them some information about my bunnies, and to give them a heads up on Bert. I didn't sugar coat things. Bert doesn't always play well with other bunnies and I that I thought Bert would be a tough bond. And I made it clear that I was not in any way attempting to force a bond...just trying to find someone that Bert might get along with. As a matter of fact I stated that I was not interested in attempting to force a bond and spent a paragraph talking about Bert. To sum up their answer, (I was going to insert a quote here - but that is unfair, I don't think that the writer of this e-mail intended it to be published), go somewhere else.

That wasn't all that they had to say, to be fair-but it really doesn't get any better. Actually I am very offended by their e-mail in gerenal. I had heard that the rescues in the greater DC area are pretty fragmented, and it is a real tragedy that the individuals involved can't get past their petty personal differences for the greater good of these little fuzzy little bundles of love.

I dunno now, I guess that a 3rd bunny is out of the question. That is too bad. All I was attempting to do, was give a third bunny a good home.

 

[Fancy77]

It seems like that is what u want tho (a 3rd bunny) What if they could not get a bond?? would u still want another bun even if it is in a separate cage??

 

[Torchster]

It would be nice to have a third...but ONLY if they are bonded trio. My bunnies only get out time from their room from about 7:30-11:00 on week nights, and I don't want to divide that time amongst various bunnies. I know that various others here do it amongst the many bunnies that they have (more power to them), but for me, I just wouldn't feel comfortable. Everyone has to get along, or I will just stick with my Bert and Petunia.

Not that anyone else has to do things this way, but this is the way I want to do things.

 

[Fancy77]

Nothing wrong with how u want things set up. We all have are own way of doing things that make things easier, nothing wrong with that

 

[Torchster]

Christmas came early for my babies!!! I got my shipment from the Busy Bunny.

Here are some pics.

I put a new chew ball in Berts dinner ball on top of his pellets...I don't think that he was thrilled.

Petunia wasn't too thrilled with her ball...hmmm

Bert and his new shoe

Bert tossing around his new wicker carrot.

Another one with his carrot. You can also see some of the other stuff I got home. I got him a giant ball to have fun with.

THIS WICKER CARROT MUST DIE.

Merry Christmas my little babies...Merry Christmas.

 

[Fancy77]

OMG did u rob Michael's Craft Store or what that looks like bunny heven

 

[Torchster]

The people at the Busy Bunny love it when I call, lets just put it that way.