King Kirby's Rabbit Nation

[kirbyultra]

Myia09 wrote:

Aw not sore hocks! What about her lip? It looks awful!
I would be scared like crazy!

Imagine MY spookedness when I was looking for a picture of a sore toe and found a BLOODY LIP! :shock::shock::shock: I started to wonder whether someone thought it was some sick joke to photoshop my picture of Penny.

I've been checking on the lips and it looks like it's healed up and no issues. Whew!

Sore toes have all gotten ointment put on them. Hoping for the best. Also put 2 foam plat mats under their blanket in the rabbit room. Hopefully some soft surface + towel for traction will help.

 

[Myia09]

Yeah. It is so odd when bunnies get sore hocks when they are solid floor bunnies!

Well I am glad it healed ok! Phew!

 

[kirbyultra]

Myia09 wrote:

Yeah. It is so odd when bunnies get sore hocks when they are solid floor bunnies!

Well I am glad it healed ok! Phew!

Yah, I have no idea how/why. My bunnies live in as cushy as a place gets, ya know? Sheesh.

 

[kirbyultra]

Ugh... the heat is just too much. 106 degrees out... and I chose today to go out and buy rabbit pellets and greens... well, I suppose it's as hot a day as any this week. Supposedly today's the hottest one of the bunch. :coolness:

Good summer day to eat a hot dog for lunch. This spot is in Brooklyn called Bark Hot Dogs. I saw 'em on Cooking Channel (this channel is like crack for foodies... avoid at all costs if on diet. It is possibly WORSE than Food Network). I was nearby buying greens so I thought I might as well take the opportunity.

They do have a veggie dog, but not sure how it is. Their dogs are custom ground by a place in Rochester, NY. More importantly, the condiments are all homemade except for the ketchup, mustard and mayo. The whole place is really pretty green. The dining tables are made of pine that was recovered from local buildings (the local area is going through a pretty significant transformation over the last few years). They compost stuff that is compostable. They sell locally produced and bottled soda. The flour is organic. The veg, chicken and meat and eggs are from local farms. Very little that they use is not organic and/or local (ok so the hot dog buns are Pepperidge Farm). The forks and knives are bio-friendly types. I was pretty impressed, for a small hot dog joint in Brooklyn, it was pretty nice.

Oh yeah, it tastes great!!! :biggrin: That up there, is the frank and beans. The baked beans are slow baked for 18 hours in spices, sugar, and a big hunk of pork... what could be better?

Hmm so despite it being an insanely hot day with everyone heated and bothered and me driving around the city, I kept my cool, didn't lose my mind on anything, and had a pretty good time.

I bought a little Busy Bunny basket and Toby's favorite thing to tear up: Grass Mat! I promised I'd get him something so I did. He is sound asleep right now though, so I'll give it to him later. He's my sleepy baby...

I think Toby is starting to shed again. FML. Kirby just finished. I think Penny has gotten over the hump. And now Toby is starting up. I am actually really dreading this because the last time Toby shed, he didn't stop for 8 months. UGH!

 

[hln917]

kirbyultra wrote:

Ms. Reba is the big white floofball right?

I read this post before seeing Kitty's. I was wondering why you called Ms. Reba a big white floofball, didn't realize she was a rabbit!!:roflmao:

 

[kirbyultra]

hln917 wrote:

kirbyultra wrote:

 Ms. Reba is the big white floofball right?

I read this post before seeing Kitty's.  I was wondering why you called Ms. Reba a big white floofball, didn't realize she was a rabbit!!:roflmao:

LOL you're so silly!

 

[kirbyultra]

My husband keeps getting courted by a dept in the firm out in Tokyo to move there full time. I kept telling him that I have no desire to live in Tokyo (though it makes a great vacation) and what's more is I don't want my rabbits to endure a 15 hour flight there and another one back, plus live in quarantine for god knows how many days

So I finally googled it... the process on the website makes it seem pretty easy, but there IS quarantine time

You guys NEED to look at this though. Not only does it have a whole section for rabbits but they made cartoony pictures too. LOL It's *hysterical*!

To Japan: http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/im_rabbit.html
From Japan: ("Yipee!") LMAO http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/ex_rabbit.html

I also read the FAQs on the Japan site and they don't need reservations. You just need to show up at one of the incoming ports with a quarantine service onsite and they'll inspect my buns, 3 days later if all goes well they get a certificate to enter. Upon leaving they have to go through the same thing. On the USA export side, apparently USA doesn't care if I take my pet rabbit out or bring it in. There are no regulations on rabbits, hamsters, GPs, or rodents. I am pretty shocked at this, but I suppose the word "pet" goes a long way. Cats and dogs are a different story. No regulations on "fish, reptiles, lions, tigers, bears, mink, rabbits, sugar gliders, foxes, monkeys, endangered species, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, chinchillas, squirrels, mongoose, chimpmunks, ferrets, or other rodents". But they recommend that you don't bring them in with any hay, dirty paws or anything like that.

My real fear is if they "find" something "abnormal" and don't let my buns in or out of any of country. Then they're forced to be deported or ... "destroyed"... I have no reason to believe my buns are anything less than healthy but you just never know what'll happen after a 15 hour plane ride, you know? It's terrifying.

 

[Myia09]

Helen! So I went to Home Depot to get some flowers, but they had NONE of them, and niether did my nursury. So I decided to kinda just give up for this year (Since its so late)

As I am walking out empty handed, I saw the concete tubes and totally bought one!

Then they had to use a power saw to cut it in half LOL!

But so far, none of them like it too much, although Anakin has gone in and out of it a couple times! I owe the credit to you!

 

[Myia09]

LMAO I love Japan and thier illustrations!

But the quarentine would scare the heck out of me. I hope you can do it, if it comes to it!

 

[usawan]

kirbyultra wrote:

My husband keeps getting courted by a dept in the firm out in Tokyo to move there full time. I kept telling him that I have no desire to live in Tokyo (though it makes a great vacation) and what's more is I don't want my rabbits to endure a 15 hour flight there and another one back, plus live in quarantine for god knows how many days

So I finally googled it... the process on the website makes it seem pretty easy, but there IS quarantine time

You guys NEED to look at this though. Not only does it have a whole section for rabbits but they made cartoony pictures too. LOL It's *hysterical*!

To Japan: http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/im_rabbit.html
From Japan: ("Yipee!") LMAO http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/ex_rabbit.html

I also read the FAQs on the Japan site and they don't need reservations. You just need to show up at one of the incoming ports with a quarantine service onsite and they'll inspect my buns, 3 days later if all goes well they get a certificate to enter. Upon leaving they have to go through the same thing. On the USA export side, apparently USA doesn't care if I take my pet rabbit out or bring it in. There are no regulations on rabbits, hamsters, GPs, or rodents. I am pretty shocked at this, but I suppose the word "pet" goes a long way. Cats and dogs are a different story. No regulations on "fish, reptiles, lions, tigers, bears, mink, rabbits, sugar gliders, foxes, monkeys, endangered species, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, chinchillas, squirrels, mongoose, chimpmunks, ferrets, or other rodents". But they recommend that you don't bring them in with any hay, dirty paws or anything like that.

My real fear is if they "find" something "abnormal" and don't let my buns in or out of any of country. Then they're forced to be deported or ... "destroyed"... I have no reason to believe my buns are anything less than healthy but you just never know what'll happen after a 15 hour plane ride, you know? It's terrifying.

something of equal importance you also have to consider is that if you move your bunnies here, depending on where you live there may not be a vet nearby that can help you if they get sick. many vets here don't even admit bunnies (cats and dogs only, usually), and if they will accept them as a patient, there is no guarantee that their vet has any experience. i know that kojima (my main pet store) has hospitals around japan, and their vets will deal with bunnies at some (maybe all) locations, but again, they are not guranteed to be close. my nearest one is still a long train ride away and i live in the center of tokyo. so if there is any recurring medical issue with your buns, or if an emergency happens, it might be hard to get help. i keep my fingers and toes crossed that nothing will go wrong with my girls. do you know where you would have to be relocated to ? i could do some legwork on kojima's hospitals for you if you like, so if you have to seriously consider it later on, you'll have the info.

and as far as living in tokyo...it really isn't for everybody ! i know some people (like me and my close friend) who will probably die and get buried here, but i know some people who hated every second and left after a few months. there is really no way to tell until you get past the 'honeymoon' phase of living here...being a tourist for a few weeks or a month is so totally different than committing to live here long term ! i would definitely listen to your gut if you don't want to move here, because it would be awful to regret your choice later on and be miserable. is there a way your husband would work here for a year and then go back to the states ? i knew a man at my school who was here for a year and then was going back to his family once the job was done.

/serious business end

 

[kirbyultra]

Thank you so, so much in advance!!! It would be awesome if you could help me understand the rabbit vet situation there. It was on my list of what-ifs, definitely. It's no surprise that rabbit vets are less common than, say, dog vets. I thought bunnies were more common though and therefore health care would be accessible. 

He would be working in Roppongi so I assume if it was 1-6 months the firm would provide housing. Anything more permanent would be up to us to find our own home, presumably nearby Roppongi or accessible by train within about 20-30 minutes. 

I am totally in agreement about Tokyo life. I liked it a lot the first week, liked it when I returned another week, but by my third trip to Tokyo I felt like it was already "done". It's like NYC density but in some ways even worse, and I don't speak a lick of the language! The crowded life is not for me. I may live in NYC but I grew up here and I know how to most efficiently get around and avoid crowds and people lol! If I lived in any other major city I may just decide not to deal with it at all and become a hermit -- it wouldn't make me happy.

My husband has kind of closed the door on the offer but they keep reopening it every couple weeks. He doesn't want to go without me long term. I won't go if it means endangering my bunnies, who are essentially my life now. 

It's a tough decision and then again in some ways its totally an easy decision, you know?

No matter where life takes us, though, US or otherwise, there needs to be an accessible rabbit vet with good credentials. I've read enough Infirmary threads of poor souls without rabbit vets and a sick rabbit -- I think I'd pass out if I were in their shoes.

 

[usawan]

no problem ! i am glad that i can help :biggrin:　

yeah it's hard to go anywhere that there are no people, unless you want to go out into the countryside...it's just unavoidable here in tokyo ! the language barrier gets to you after a while also, my mother came for a week to visit me and she loved tokyo, but said that she hated not knowing how to communicate, and that it put her in a really vulnerable place because if she needed help she couldn't even ask for it.

if you guys wound up having to find a place on your own, you might not even have space for the bunnies (at least not big NIC cages), so that's something to consider too !

although it would be nice having someone on this side of the pond to talk bunnies with

 

[kherrmann3]

Love the illustrations! My favorite is the bunny in the middle with the peace sign! Yipee! :laughsmiley:

kirbyultra wrote:

No matter where life takes us, though, US or otherwise, there needs to be an accessible rabbit vet with good credentials. I've read enough Infirmary threads of poor souls without rabbit vets and a sick rabbit -- I think I'd pass out if I were in their shoes.

I have had that happen twice! I took Toby to the emergency vet for possible stasis (which it was), and the exotics vet wasn't in for the night. His understudy was there, so we went with her. Once she got in the room and was doing the triage questions, she asked if Toby had thrown up or had diarrhea. I looked at her somewhat shocked, and she asked what was wrong. I replied with, "Rabbits don't vomit..." Then, she got upset with me when I wouldn't let them take Toby with them into the back room for an exam. I told them he had to stay with me, or I had to go with them. Moral of the story, try not to let the bun-bun out of your sight and stick to it. Also, know your bunnehs and bunneh medicine!

 

[MILU]

Oh my, is Penny ok? I hope she is!
You have a nice view there, I didn't know they have fireworks at the Hudson river, I'd think they'd have them at the Central Park. Pretty nice pic!

 

[kirbyultra]

usawan wrote:

...and that it put her in a really vulnerable place because if she needed help she couldn't even ask for it.

if you guys wound up having to find a place on your own, you might not even have space for the bunnies (at least not big NIC cages), so that's something to consider too !

although it would be nice having someone on this side of the pond to talk bunnies with

So true. You hit on so many excellent points on this topic as I'm sure you've given it some thought too. I studied Chinese for about 3 years in college and Japanese for half a year (of which I barely remember the "alphabet" lol) -- so as a result I know some super basic stuff and I have a "foundation" I guess you could say. I also am familiar enough with kanji from the Chinese to sort of guess some things. But grammar-wise, I couldn't form a sentence at this point if it meant my life It was not as hard to travel around because I could make my way with the written language and reading signs, but without knowing how to speak Japanese, I imagine that actually living there would be a pain eventually. I'd have to sumimasen my way through life lol...:rollseyes

Space for my bunnies WOULD be a problem in the home, certainly. Right now they get the equivalent of, gosh, the great plains of America. They roam around in about 650 sq ft of NYC prime real estate to their hearts' content. I am CERTAIN that in Tokyo we'd be lucky if the total area of an apartment were 650 sq ft and from that, we'd have to carve out the bedroom as off-limits for bunbuns because of our allergies. It would be *cramped* and they wouldn't like it as much. But... what can you do...

For a while I was contemplating moving out to California too because I had had it with the city, and my job, and I just wanted to drop everything and start over. My own psychological fear was that I'd be so lonely in CA because I wouldn't know any bunny folk and have no one to talk to. I mean, I am a loner by any measure right here in my hometown, but I keep like 3 really close friends and I have my bunny shelter people to talk to. Out in CA I'd have to literally start over and in Tokyo it'd be the same thing. Except in Japan I'd literally be unable to speak to anyone LOL It would be of great comfort to have a friend to talk bunny to

Ugh, last night I just had like nightmare after nightmare about moving to new places and being bunny-less. I woke up repeatedly feeling totally disturbed and unsettled. :grumpy

 

[kirbyultra]

kherrmann3 wrote:

Love the illustrations! My favorite is the bunny in the middle with the peace sign! Yipee! :laughsmiley:

kirbyultra wrote:

No matter where life takes us, though, US or otherwise, there needs to be an accessible rabbit vet with good credentials. I've read enough Infirmary threads of poor souls without rabbit vets and a sick rabbit -- I think I'd pass out if I were in their shoes.

I have had that happen twice! I took Toby to the emergency vet for possible stasis (which it was), and the exotics vet wasn't in for the night. His understudy was there, so we went with her. Once she got in the room and was doing the triage questions, she asked if Toby had thrown up or had diarrhea. I looked at her somewhat shocked, and she asked what was wrong. I replied with, "Rabbits don't vomit..." Then, she got upset with me when I wouldn't let them take Toby with them into the back room for an exam. I told them he had to stay with me, or I had to go with them. Moral of the story, try not to let the bun-bun out of your sight and stick to it. Also, know your bunnehs and bunneh medicine!

My gosh, wasn't the peace sign just hysterical? They did the little paw-dots too. Too cute!

Kelly, that's so scary! That's the last thing you want right, your bunny is in need of emergency care and a vet who doesn't know what's going on... eep! I don't think I could handle it. At that point I would sooner call my shelter people in the middle of the night and beg for help, before I take them to an emergency vet and the exotic vet isn't on duty... it's yet another option I don't think I'd have unless I lived right here in NYC

 

[kirbyultra]

hotmaildeal wrote:

Oh my, is Penny ok? I hope she is!
You have a nice view there, I didn't know they have fireworks at the Hudson river, I'd think they'd have them at the Central Park. Pretty nice pic!

Penny is no worse off than usual LOL She doesn't act like she's in any pain. I put some play mats under the towel now. I have to say, it is so comfy that even I want to stand and sit in their pen, on the towel now.

I emailed the pics to some bunny veterans at my shelter and they think that it's just a bit of irritation that HealX can take care of. It's a super absorbent antibiotic that some folks swear by. As long as the bumps don't become open wounds they don't think that the buns would be very bothered by it, nor will it get any worse. I don't have HealX and buying online is insanely expensive so I will ask around here if the vets carry it. ($19 for 1oz tube, $11 for shipping!!!) Neosporin should take care of it, if a bit more slowly, if it really is a swollen infection.

The fireworks are always done in the river. It's safer than doing it over land. The amount of smoke generated from the Macy's fireworks is insane (I was smelling itin my apt for hours), so I think that the park wouldn't be a great place to do it, poor wildlife. It used to be in the East River but they changed it to the west side, Hudson River. Maybe for security reasons? The United Nations is on the East River.

 

[kirbyultra]

So yesterday I bought a new bag of 10 lb pellets for the buns. All my bunnies are in this shedding mode so everybun is getting some extra pellets these days. Most of all Penny, because she's really going through a tough molt. I don't see the bag I bought in June lasting more than 1.5 weeks more. I can't believe 3 buns go through 10 lbs of pellets in 5-6 weeks...

I also bought Toby the lil mini basket and the grass mat. He sorta diddled with it a while but then quickly lost interest. Penny finished off the last of the rolled oats I've been supplementing her with, so I peeled off the label and took the cap off, and threw it in Toby's cage. Toby's been battling the oats tube since. I thought about taking the bottom off to make it an open tube but he seems to be having enough fun rolling it around with his paws and so on... I spent $9 on toys and get nothin'. Kid likes free cardboard oats container. Whaddya gonna do. *shrug* He wasn't playing with the paper bag of hay and carrot treats either so I threw that in for Penny. Penny doesn't know how to say no to food. Oh, and I have to buy more oats. I forgot to buy oats yesterday. Somewhere between hot dogs and brain bake yesterday, it slipped my mind lol

Myia, I'm glad you bought that concrete tubing! Did the Home Depot people think it was weird that you needed cut in half? LOL

 

[kirbyultra]

This is the hay bag that I gave to Toby... and he didn't care for it so I gave it to Penny. Toby ate so daintily from it.

And... look what Penny did.

 

[Dragonrain]

Cute pictures!

My bunnies have those toe things too! Or if not the same thing, something very similar - little pink bald spots on their toes. I asked the vet about Berry's before actually, one of the times I had Berry in for something else. The vet wasn't really concerned about them. She kind of compared them to callouses that humans can get on their hands or feet and said that as long as they don't get red and irritated or bleed that they weren't really a problem.