Sunday 31 July 2016

Bugsy and Sprat At The Weekend

Well it's the end of another stressful week at home. Bugsy's appetite wasn't improving as the temperatures became more reasonable so she had a dental on Thursday. Thankfully that did the trick, her appetite is back to normal and most of her medicines are due to stop this week which she will be happy about. Unfortunately she now has a snotty nose for me to worry about.

Sprat is mostly being Sprat, but he has a lumpy face again and is booked for another abscess surgery next week.

At least they are mostly enjoying themselves this weekend, not including yesterdays vet trip (yes, another one). New shenanigans include Bugsy raiding the herb garden, Sprat trying repeatedly (and very nearly successfully) to get his head stuck in the watering can and both of them adventuring around parts of the house they are not exactly supposed to be in (or so Anouska tells me). So pretty much a normal life with rabbits.

"Remind me why I'd want to go play in the garden when all the treats are in the house? All there is out there is grass! Who would want to eat that?!"

"[schlurrrrp]"

Saturday 30 July 2016

Tansley

Tansley was a wild-cross rabbit who lived at the Rescue for more than 6 years. His mother was a pet who escaped into the wild, only to return pregnant and her owners did not want the unplanned offspring. The wild rabbit part of Tansley made him practically un-homeable as it made him naturally cautious of people, which tends to put people off. So despite his handsome looks and trendy white nose stripe we knew from the moment he came in that he would most likely stay with us his whole life.

Despite the cautiousness, Tansley was more curious about people than his brother Thistle and would run to the front of his new-arrivals hutch to see what you were doing through the mesh. We couldn't keep them in those hutches too long though - apart from anything else, they channelled their wild energies into destroying the hutches in record time. We arrived at the Rescue one morning to discover one of them had chewed a semicircular hole around the catch that was holding the door closed. Not just mischievous but clever too!

So Tansley and his brother were kept together and moved to a much bigger space where they could burn off their energy. Over time they became more confident, certainly around the volunteers, and you would always see them come racing over for breakfast, though sometimes the racing would be followed by a quick chase and squabble!

All was good with the boys until poor Thistle became sick and suffered recurring head-tilt and other issues. Seeing the constant handling of his brother for medicines made Tansley more wary of people again, though you could generally just about bribe him out with a little parsley!

After Thistle passed away earlier this year it became more difficult to tempt Tansley out, but he did love playing on and eating the grass in their area and it was always a pleasure when you did see him out. Sadly though, very recently his health began to deteriorate and on Thursday we had to say goodbye to him as he left to join his brother at Rainbow Bridge.

You were a very special and individual boy, Tansley, and we loved you for it. Binky free.

Friday 29 July 2016

Carpentry In Motion


"Wait... so let me get this straight... Those people who came to see us are interested in adopting us... and those people who came to see us before are interested in adopting us... and that other strange person... but they all need to make a good house for us first? I can't wait!"

"Let me speed things up by dismantling this one first!"

Thursday 28 July 2016

The Uninvited Guest


When at the rescue one of the morning tasks is to walk around the rescue to survey that all is well and that each enclosure contains the same number of rabbits as usual, preferably the same rabbits that were there the previous evening. Occasionally we get the odd wren or robin that manages to make its way through a small gap into an aviary but this must be the first time I've given this big of a double take to an unexpected visitor.


Anyone want a close up of this??


Not only was I left with the impression I'd missed a night of heavy partying in Wondar and Marcel's house but bafflingly this chap must have slipped his way through a gap in the top of the old run, through a doorway, all the way through the shed, down the plastic tunnel and then went to sleep in his own little nook in the hutch attached outside.

Honestly, the things they get up to when your back is turned...

(PS some eagle-eyed readers might notice that this was a racing pigeon... His owner did send an expensive courier to come and pick him up after he'd been mooching off us at the rescue for a few days. Turned out he was pretty far off course!)

Wednesday 27 July 2016

King Size


Fans of the mighty Archimedes will be pleased to hear that he is still making progress. His wounds have taken longer to heal than everyone would have liked and he has now had two skin grafts to deal with the issue. The good news is that he has now been able to move out of his restrictive plastic cage and into one of our 6x4ft hutches and furthermore now has a kindly donated little bed for enrichment. This turned out to be a good choice as he can often be found making full and appropriate use of it.

"Yes, I know you've been trying to get photos of me while I've been flat out asleep... don't you think that's a bit... creepy?"

Archi, you should see yourself, it's adorable. No doubt if I ever did get a decent photograph, you'd want paying for it...

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Ru-jected


Rabbits react to the presence of my camera in different ways. Getting a photograph of probable-deafblind Angel wasn't complicated as she was asleep and likely didn't even know I was there, but her grumpy husbun Ruben didn't seem so keen...

"I'll just close my eyes... and she'll go away in three... two... one..."

Monday 25 July 2016

Tanned


Last week began a short spell of British Summer, during which we had many upside down rabbits and I strutted around slightly red-cheeked and covered in a wet towel.

As you can imagine, not many of the residents were too impressed by the change.

"Can you turn that thing down? My wife has turned even darker than usual!"

Sunday 24 July 2016

Copycat


Now that I've been working at the Rescue full time for a few months, Saturday mornings are considered precious time in which to be a complete slob. Please allow me to present Bramley copying me first thing at the weekend.


Saturday 23 July 2016

The Fun of the Fosters

Today's post is exceptionally late because firstly I broke a long standing tradition and actually went out on a Friday night (to see one of my favourite bands, Martha, play in London) and secondly because I was punished for trying to have a social life with yet another emergency trip across counties to the vets this morning. However, this is just the life of living with rabbits that we expect, I'm not actually grumbling. I should also say though that, this being vet appointment number four in just three weeks (and we already have two more arranged for the next two weeks, even without any more emergencies), these are not turning out to be the low-maintenance foster bunnies that I was hoping for this summer.

Bugsy has had many of her molars removed from multiple jaw bone abscesses as well as having a hole in the side of her head that needs cleaning twice a day. The hole is from a persistent ear abscess and has been deliberately left open to allow it to drain and be cleaned, along with the gunk that oozes into her ear that needs clearing. It is not a pleasant process for either of us. Here is the hole post yucky cleaning process:

As well as being yucky, the cleaning process is also slightly painful to her as the abscess site is very sore. She is also on four different medicines as of today (it was one when she arrived at my house, then two...) and needing to be groomed of moulting fur twice a day. Bugsy is also not coping well with the heat wave we are having here in the south of England this week. She blames me for everything. So when not cleaning her up, I mostly see her from this side:

Sprat has no incisors and has had 6 rear molars removed due to abscesses, so like Bugsy needs soft/grated food. He also suffered mysterious weight loss just before he came to stay with me so he has had some veterinary poking and has tests due soon, but regardless he is having a delightful holiday. He doesn't much care what goes on as long as he gets to eat as much as he wants (for the weight gain) and race round the garden at insane speeds with mega-binkies (photos to follow if I can get any). He loves attention and just seeing Sprat coming racing towards me every time he sees me is enough to cheer me up from any of the other stuff. That doesn't mean he is always easy to photograph though - even after three weeks here he is more interested in exploring and entertaining himself than he is in sitting still for picture time:

"Woo-hoo! I think I've found somewhere else to play!"

So there you go. Fostering bunnies can be hard work, but it is not without its rewards.

A lot of butts on this blog recently - I'll see if we can't 'turn that around' from tomorrow...

Thursday 21 July 2016

Pinned It

"This is the Shaolin Bun-Fu foot lock. It paralyses all but the snack-giving hand. I'd 'portion up' if you ever want to see the outside of this enclosure again."

Wednesday 20 July 2016

The Fresh Princess of Hot Air

We could really do with a jumbo solar powered fridge (is that a thing?) at the Rescue so we could keep the veg fresh from day to day during the summer. It's a good job bunnies aren't fussy about such things...

"Is that the good carrots?"

"Cos if you give me yesterday's I WILL be making a complaint to the catering manager..."

Monday 18 July 2016

Head on a Blob

Oh no! Fonzie has melted in the heat! He's lost all shape below the neck!

Will anyone volunteer to mould him back into bunny-shape before he cools off and sets??!!

Sunday 17 July 2016

The Wicker Plan

"Since humans seem to think they are in charge of saying who goes where round here, would YOU tell Indiana it's MY turn in the wicker tent??!!"

Saturday 16 July 2016

Just a Butt

I've just realised that I'd prepared nothing for this morning's post. So here is a photo of either Clarabel or (more likely) Cruiz's fuzzy butt. You're welcome.

Friday 15 July 2016

Not Now...

"Did it grow yet?"

"Hmmm...maybe I'll give it another couple of minutes..."

Thursday 14 July 2016

Parasold Out

I think the high temperatures may be getting a bit too much for some of our residents this week. Some of them are acting right out of sorts...

"I'm pleased you've come but this dratted heat is just too much. Fetch us a parasol and some carottinis on ice and we shall discuss the news of the day together on the veranda."

Wednesday 13 July 2016

Treat Feet

"You know in some cultures it is rude to point the soles of your feet at someone."

"In bunny culture, it's only rude if you didn't bring treats...?"

Tuesday 12 July 2016

Archimedes Wants Out

"You do realise that blocking my free-roaming access to the snack barrow is a breach of my basic human rights?"

Sorry Archimedes, you still need a little more healing time for that skin graft! Not long now! Besides, although you sometimes act like you're 'people', I'm not entirely sure your Grand Royal Fluffiness is covered by that particular bill...

Monday 11 July 2016

The Giant Relaxathon

"Right. That's the grass all nommed. Time to take a nap while it all grows back."

Saturday 9 July 2016

Begging For Trouble

About a week ago I received a message from our fundraising team asking for help. They wanted to run a campaign this week to try and generate more donations and they wanted me to come up with a poster or something they could use to promote it.

Incidentally, the main reason we need more donations at the moment is because Archimedes' foot surgeries and subsequent care have helped push our outstanding vet bill to... well I don't have the latest figure, but it's a big number. In fact, think of a big number....you got one? OK, well it's probably more than that. It is quite a few thousands. And then a few more.

Well anyway, I could only think of one idea in the short space of time they gave me. My idea was a photograph of Archimedes behind an upturned hat next to sign asking for donations, along with some text that would say something like:

"Archimedes is taking the direct approach to try and raise donations to pay off his foot surgery. If you have a better way to help (sponsored walk, bake sale...) please get in touch!"
I mean that, but, you know, better.

And it sort of came out OK. You can see this photo on our Twitter and Facebook pages. But when I took it, Archimedes looked a little too grumpy and it was the only near-useable shot I'd gotten so I thought I'd better try drafting in help from some other bunnies too.

I tried a couple of different ways of encouraging the bunnies onto the blanket for the photo. Many involved treats of course. The most successful way to get natural looking shots was to put the blanket on the floor near their house, put some pellets behind the hat and just let them out. Sooner or later they'd wander over and just stand there right in the correct spot chomping away. I tried a few bunnies, it was going really well, and then I tried tiny Tibby. She raced over, pooed all over the blanket, scoffed all the snacks in one go and topped it off by doing a massive wee, ruining any chance of using the blanket again. Basically, typical Tibby (and yes, I should have known better).

"Really? You didn't like that? Well in that case, I think you're going to like what I did in your hat even less."

So that was that.

Oh and by the way, if as you were reading this you've thought of a way you yourself can help us to raise money, please contact us via our website or Facebook page, we really would love to hear from you. As always we also accept direct one-off donations too as well as our monthly sponsorship scheme where people can sponsor dear little permanent bunnies like Tibby, so do please point your friends in our direction if you encounter any looking to help a good cause!

Thank you everyone!

Friday 8 July 2016

The Snooze Button

Roscoe: Press it for me would you?  The snooze button?
BHV: Err... Roscoe, you don't have an alarm clock!
Roscoe: Well whatever is making that annoying noise, make it stop!
BHV: But the only other thing here is ...me? OK, point taken, I'll leave you to it.

"zzzzzzzzzz"

Thursday 7 July 2016

Variostricted

Most bunnies at the Rescue have a regular diet of hay, grass, Readigrass, vegetables (greens, broccoli, kale, herbs, carrot pieces) and good quality pellets. A small but significant number have their own specific diet to fit their individual health or digestive issues, for example low calcium, higher fibre, no veg, ... Then there are the ones in between, who on a good day can pretty much take the regular diet, but need to be monitored and every now and again restricted to certain things. This involves checking for any signs of digestive upset before handing over the food and adjusting accordingly when it happens.

Not surprisingly, when one was expecting a tasty piece of carrot but one is handed a far-less-appetising fiber stick or extra handful of timothy hay instead, one is not necessarily impressed.

"Bring me the chef. I have some feedback I would like to bestow on his or her shoes."

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Monday 4 July 2016

Nomeds

When they hoped you were there with breakfast but they realise it's medicines and nebulising time...

Sunday 3 July 2016

Stowed

BHV: Well, that was a tough day at the Rescue. I guess I'd better unpack my camera bag and see if I got any good shots... Hang on, what's this in the pocket..?

"Are we home? What's for dinner?"

BHV: ARRGGGHH!!! Sprat, you scared the life out of me. [sigh] OK, fine, you can stay. But ONLY FOR THE SUMMER!

"Is it true you serve grated carrot topping on pellets here? Can I have them delivered to me in this moult and bolt box with a double carrotini?"

BHV: I think I might need to go lie down...

Friday 1 July 2016

Aim High

NB: He didn't. He looked at me. He told me to give him the snack. I gave him the snack.