My (Long) Introduction!

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juliemaye

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
50
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Location
British Columbia
Hello everyone!

My name is Julie! I have joined this forum to share my bunny experiences, learn more, and socialize with others who clearly share a common interest as me!

I am 18 years old, and aspire to one day be a: Veterinary Assistant (for my Boyfriend who is going to school to become a Vet!), A Pet Groomer, and A Pet Trainer! I also hope to own a hobby farm with all rescues: chickens (for organic eggs,) and cows and goats (for organic milk, and I would love to learn to make cheese!) On my farm, I would love to run a Doggy Daycare, as well as a Rabbit-Oriented Sanctuary/Shelter! (Although I will never say no to another type of animal if it really needs me!) My rule will be: no kill. In order to maintain that I am going to re-home rabbits that are friendly enough in disposition to be rehomed, re-train those who have potential, and be a sanctuary for those who are just too much for anyone to handle/no one seems to want! And then of course: I have my own personal fur-babies that will live permanently with me!

I will give you a quick rundown of my personal pets in the house, but just so you know, there are also 2 other cats (one 19 we've had since before I was born!), 4 dogs, 1 bird, and that's all! :)

Now brief bio's on my babies!

ONYX
- Nickname: "Nyx"
- Breed: Domestic Short-hair Kitten
- Primary Color: Black
- Secondary Color: None
- Age: 13-14 weeks old
Nyx came to me from a gentleman who adopted her when she was a young 5 weeks old (way too young.) When a household member had a baby, however, he had to rehome her, as she was too rambunctious and tore through the crib, they worried she would harm the newborn.
So, at a young 10 weeks of age, she came home to me. She prefers my boyfriend, and I strongly feel that is due to her being adopted at 5 weeks by a man. She is likely more comfortable with them, as I think my boyfriend probably reminds her of her previous owner, who seemed to love her very much and was very upset about having to let her go.

BUSTER
-Nickname: B-Star, Stuster, Ster, Baby
-Breed: Lop X Dwarf Rabbit
-Primary Color: White
-Secondary Color: Dark Grey
-Age: 3 years 1 month

Buster is my only "pet store" pet, and was purchased to fill the gap from losing my beloved rabbit, Jerusha (a New Zealand X.) Buster was a purchase made by my ex boyfriend and I, and he is incredibly amazing. Since day one, he has had an attachment to me more than anyone else. Unfortunately, my exboyfriend used to hit him when I was at work (he would try and pick the bunny up, and would hit him fairly hard if he didn't co-operate.) I hadn't witnessed this behavior before, because generally I was the one to reach in and pick him up, and he'd come nicely. The first time I saw this happen, I immediately intervened, and quite soon after that boyfriend and I broke up (as you can possibly assume, he exerted the same abuse on me shortly after, for the first and last time, EVER!) Luckily, my current boyfriend (Toby) is much nicer, and has actually helped Buster "bust" his dislike towards men. He is getting a lot better with me again (it's been over a year since the ex incident, unfortunately it happened from the time he was 3 months until the time he was about 4.5 months.) Luckily we are training it back out of him, and he is getting friendlier. He is a neutered buck. He doesn't like to be picked up very much, and tenses up when you pet him in his cage, or runs from you when you pet him on the floor...or try to at least. But when you manage to pick him up, he nuzzles into your neck and loves to be pet!

CHLOE
-Nickname: None
-Breed: Lionhead X Lop
-Primary Color: Dirty White
-Secondary Color: Grey and Very Light Brown (think exotic beach sand...)
-Age: 6.5 Years

Despite being the oldest, Chloe is my newest addition. I "rescued" her from a farm, where the owner had lost interest in her. She literally came home yesterday, February 8th, 2014. The previous owner spayed her when she was much younger. They claim she was very nippy, and doesn't like to be held/pet/cuddled/brushed... so far I've done all of the above AND bathed her. LOL. She didn't like the bath. I had to bum-bath her to remove some built-up poo (long hair, outdoor rabbit, too much fresh food in the diet...it happens, no big deal. Just glad I noticed it so I could help her clean it up.) She let me brush her before (now I have to brush her after because her fur dried a little bit hard,) she lets me pick her up much easier than Buster does, she loves when I reach in and pet she puts her nose up and nuzzles my hand.

I am not saying her previous owner was bad or a liar, by any means. I have witnessed animals react differently under different circumstances, and granted the change of environment and everything, I know some animals will with-hold their personalities due to being nervous. As far as I am concerned, she doesn't squat down, tense up, or freeze when I pet her, so she's obviously not too nervous, maybe just a little confused. Also, various people operate on various "animal vibes". I find a lot of people forget that rabbits are animals of prey, and require swift, confident, and calm handling. You can't freeze, go slow, or lurch, as they will feel as though they are being hunted. Some people are naturally better with predator-pets (dogs, cats, etc.), and some are better with prey-pets (rabbits, rats, etc.) and even further, some are better with all of the above!

On top of that, I have my fish tank! (Getting bored yet? LOL!)

My fish tank is a 10 Gallon community tank (my first, I must add!) It is limited because the main attraction is my beta fish, Kitty. He's purple. I really wanted a cat, I came home with a fish named "Kitty" as a way to...see how my parents react when I told them I bought "Kitty". They were not impressed LOL. (They adore my animal addiction...just not in their house hahaha.)
I have a common pleco named Plex (unique, right?) and 3 minnows. 2 live in the tank, one was considerably smaller and it's tail was sought after as beta food, so I pulled him. He's been living in an un-filtered quarantine tank ever since. Everyone told me he'd die from lack of oxygen, so I've changed the tank water every 2-3 days (75% changes) and kept him under a lamp. He seems to be surviving quite well. It's been a month, I think?

Anyway! That is my personal zoo! Each of them has a unique little story as to how they came to be mine, and I really adore all of my babies! I know they won't be the last, and I generally find myself getting new babies every few months to a year (LOL). When they really need me, I'm there. :)

Thanks for reading such a long-winded introduction! How about some of you share your stories, now? LOL :) Nice to meet you, by the way! I look forward to getting to know everyone! :)

Cheers
Julie
 
Hi Julie..Sounds like you are heading in a good direction :)
Lots of animals out there need help from caring people that are willing to stick it out till the end.
You sound like you have a houseful already as well but the animals seem happy.
I have also rescued animals most of my life...I ran a pretty successful dog rescue about 4 years back for about 8 years.
They were dogs that were classified as red tagged which meant not adoptable..Most were American pitbull Terriers..Most found homes there were only 2 that couldn't be rehibiliated :( but it happens and out of 86 dogs that's not so bad...Recently i have adopted 2 buns Meadow and Stewie.
Meadow has recently passed on due to complications from kindling and i lost all the kits within 4 days as well but Stewie is still here and a pile of energy he is.He is a Mini Lop/Mini Rex mix so i was told but who knows he's adorable and his pedigree doesn't matter to me in any case.His pic is below not a great one as i can't seem to get him to stay still on anything to get a pic LOL.

Sounds like you are doing a great job and hope we get a chance to talk more ...Welcome to RO there are alot of very knowledgeable people on here and lots of good info to help you out or if ya just want to chat ..Nice to meet you :)

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Welcome Julie and your personal zoo! In all of your story, I am struck most by the fact that you got rid of the abusive boyfriend. Some women just seem to get stuck in a cycle of abuse, but congratulations to you for getting out of that situation and finding a nicer boyfriend. You have terrific goals and I wish you the best of luck attaining them!
 
Welcome to RO!

Sounds like you know where you are headed in life. Congrats o0n that!

It sounds like you have a wonderful critter family. RO is a wonderful place for learning and sharing. Everyone here is friendly and helpful.

I have a pitbull, great dane, hound mix. Four cats as hubby brought home a cat after we lost our oldest. It tuned out the cat was pregnant and had five kittens. We found good homes for three of them but couldn't for the other two so they will remain part of our family. Three bunnies, one flemmish giant I got from a breeder and then two small female mix rabbits my neighbor had and after a year wanted rid of. He asked if we wanted them and said otherwise he would just let them loose so we had to take them in.

Three girls and a hubby.
 
Wow, awesome responses everyone! So cool to hear everybody's stories!

1) Tammy! Pleasure to meet you! I always love meeting people who have run personal rescues, and had success (or failed! always good to learn about failed attempts, to understand why!) I am so eager to start, but my boyfriend says, for the time being, my animal addiction is capped. Until we can afford to buy a house (which is like a 10 year span, but eventually I will have my dream!) I have always had a major passion for animals, and love the challenge of "doomed" pets. Many people just don't have the right animal vibes! Hope we get a chance to speak more, as well! :)

2) BVille! It was a very hard night, the night that it happened. I did not leave that night, admittedly, I left the next morning. But - I had known he was controlling, and he had previously threatened to hit me. When he made the threats - I brushed it off as anger, but did an internet search of what to do in the event, should it happen. He tried to choke me out in my truck right in front of his house. I didn't take all of the right steps during the process, but I did the most important - leave. I should've done some stuff differently, but I am a firm believer in karma, and I know he will get his served to him. I just wish I could let other women understand how important it is to leave at the very first sign and not brush it off. Nice to meet you and thanks for your support :)

3) PaGal: Thank you! My family means the world to me. :) I am looking forward to learning as much as I can over the next 5-10 years so that when I can start my rescue, I have the knowledge necessary to do so! That's a lovely sounding bunch you have there! It saddens me when people want to let their rabbits free. :( Dad tried to let one of mine go in the past, I screamed bloody murder, so he didn't. It makes me so angry! My parents are so mean sometimes - their dogs and 2 cats are like freakin' royalty, but my rabbits don't matter because they're "just rabbits"! Yeah right! They're my babies! One day I'll be out of here. :)

I look forward to learning more about everyone in the future and developing friendships with all of you! Cheers and thanks for such a warm welcome
 
You will always get the people that just think if they are not a cat or a dog they are not pets..Unbelievable i know but rabbits are starting to become more and more popular as pets as the years have gone on...My grandad used to raise rabbits for meat...I had alot more in my rescue than just dogs ...there were cats,ferrets,goats and rabbits but the rabbits and the ferrets were only temporary few days mainly till they moved on to a more rabbit knowledgeable foster and i never got to know them or their personality very well ..I hope something comes up for you soon..maybe like a miracle lol cause the animals of this world need more people that care ..Unfortuanately there are more anumals than there are places for them to go...I can no longer do it as my health will not let me yet but a few here and there that i can help in the meantime i will for sure :)

As for the ex bf i had one of those too many moons ago and you are right it is very hard for most women to leave..Sometimes they feel they can't....It took me 4 years to leave him but like you i did it..Awesome for you Julie ..Hope you get everything you desire very soon :)
 
Thank you Tammy! Your kind words are very inspiring and warm!

I am fortunate that, at this time, I am able to help another lady with her own personal rescue. She runs it out of her home at the moment, but we are trying to fundraise $20 000, and she will match it, to put a down-payment on a building where she can operate more functionally. She has even gone to the extent of stating that after putting the down-payment on the building, she will live in a trailer next to it, or build a loft in the building to live in! She is very animal-oriented. She currently has a variety of reptiles, turtles, snakes, rats, and rabbits in her care. :) They are all so cute and many are extremely friendly!

She inspires me every day to continue plugging away and work towards my goal.

Saturday the 15th will be my first time volunteering with a place in Richmond called "Rabitat Rescue" as they are hosting a table at the Tradex in Abbotsford, near where I live. I will be helping find homes for bunnies that they rescue, whether they be domestics that were let go of near the Automall (they catch the ones they can, that are friendly and clearly house bunnies) and ones that come into their care. If all goes well, I will be continuing to help them with shows. :)
 
sounds awesome Julie..nothing better than trying to help animals find a forever home...i think you will enjoy every minute of it..i did knowing that even me just 1 loney person was making a difference in an animals life :)

i am very thankful for Stewie and that he is still with me...he still has a very sketchy past and probably some health issues that are still bound to show up eventually as he was very poorly cared for and i don't know alot about rabbits buit i know a neglected animal when i see one.

i really am still pretty tore up about Meadow and her babies and if i would have known more about rabbits and their behavior i might have caught what was going on with her before she got as sick as she did but everything is a learning curve and like some of the wonderful people on this site pointed out that sometimes things just happen,but i hate to see any animal suffer and i get really emotional when they don't make it but i guess that's what makes us all human huh.

i am so glad to hear that you will have the oppurtunity to get some real hands on experience with a rescue they will give you the experience you need to run your own and hopefully be a resource for you in the future.i hope she reaches her goal fast and is able to get herself set us asap :)
 
I definitely agree about when animals pass, not wanting to see them suffer and getting emotional. I just knew something along the lines of saving animals would be in my future, when I was a child. My Mom and I always set up little shoe boxes and saved birds that would fall out of their nests in the trees above our back yard in Surrey. When I moved to Hope, we had cats, and one bit a hole through a birds stomach. I brought the Chickadee inside, applied polysporine to his wound, and wrapped him up in towels. Unfortunately out of possible illness, I had to keep him outside so as not to infect our other animals. I syringe-fed him for the three days he lived. I cried a lot, but I took comfort in knowing that it was 3 days longer than he probably would have, and he didn't suffer - he died being loved and cared for.
As for the crying portion - I recently started my first community fish tank, just a small 10 gallon. I was informed that fish are very soothing for anxiety and anger issues, and I purchased a Betta about a year and a half ago. Many times I sat propped over, talking to him, and watching him swim around so care-free. It has really helped my mind. Recently I thought his tank looked a little boring so I added a couple of plants, a decoration, some minnows and a pleco. The stress of all the new additions in his life caused for him to get ick, and I cried for an hour thinking my fish was going to die, because he had it so bad he was shedding scales. Fortunately I have cleared the ick up and my buddy will be staying with me. I get really attached to my pets - of all sorts - I just love all of them so much, it upsets me when I think they are feeling less than miraculous, because they each are such miracles in my life. They have helped pull me through a lot of scenarios.

I can't wait to be able to do a rescue on my own. Since my boyfriend will be a vet, and I hope to learn about animal naturopathy, I know we can brighten a large amount of animals' lives. I just can't wait to be able to do it, so I do everything I can now to achieve such measures for each animal in need that crosses my path. Whether it be adopting them, bringing them home for a few weeks until I can find them a new home, or helping others' learn more about their care, I just always have to be helping.

I hope we can get Amber into her place soon, too. It would be so wonderful to see her have her dream come true :)
 
Hey there and welcome to the forum. It certainly sounds like you plan to have your hands full in the future with all those rescues, good on you :) Nice to meet you and read about all your animals.
 
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