Home again

Over Christmas, Skyla went back to Anna Hull at The Warren Bunny Boarding. 

Yesterday, she went off to what we hope will be her final forever home.

Skyla'd

Every Time

"I know, I know, I'm sweet and innocent looking and so awfully cute... so this is how it's going to go..."

"... You are going to get lulled into a false sense of security, leave the aviary door open just a crack and then spend the next ten minutes walking around the Rescue to find out where I've gone while I cackle maniacally. Sound like a plan?"

Life's Revolving Door

On the same day that one of my favourites left us forever, another one came back.

Having beaten up her potential suitors at the Warren Bunny Boarding, my dearest Skyla ended up as part of an exchange, allowing Sherman to take her place with a home lined up for him, provided he can court a woman and behave himself.

Having lost her husbun, actively resisted having a second one and then had to endure what turned out to be a three hour journey back to my house, it was not surprising that Skyla wasn't in the best of moods when she arrived.

"Grrrrrrr!"

The Exodus

April at the Rescue has been one of great changes and sudden departures.

Most notable and unexpected was the stepping down of Caroline Collings, the manager and founder of Rabbit Residence, as she moved on to pastures new after two decades. This has preceded a wave of change at the Rescue as Caroline's role passes on to others and future plans are made. One long-standing desire has been to reduce our numbers in the best ways possible so that we can be more efficient and attentive to those we care for.

With a large number of rabbits at the Rescue, many with great health problems or advanced in years, it has become somewhat of a sad consequence that we have our losses. Since Caroline left, we have said goodbye to four rabbits, including chronic abscess rabbit Snugs after his condition grew very severe; newly bonded Crystal after a short and terminal illness and elderly Maylin, whose passing aged nine and a half surprised us all greatly. She had been very happy and healthy until the end.

But those leaving us have not all been so unfortunate!

As well as the new homes of Stilton and Meadow and of rex boy Slipper, the Committee have relocated some of our healthy singles, of which we had many, to other Rescues to increase their chances of a new home elsewhere.

To the Warren Bunny Boarding in Sussex, my dearest Skyla, Socks the rex boy, McLaren and his toothless brother Tipex, new widow Arrietty (who was quickly bonded to a rabbit not entirely unlike Snugs and has a new home already!), Topaz the widow of Jake, and little Olive, who captured the hearts of the staff at the Warren and also is having the time of her life bossing around her two new husbuns as the head of an all fluffy trio.

To Wood Green the Animals Charity in Heydon, Magda, Ellen, big girl Raina, Toyah and Maureen. They also were happy to take the Rescue's guinea-pigs, four of whom were elderly holiday boarders who never left again after their owner was unable to take them back.



While it was sad to see them all go, one must remember that saying goodbye is very much a part of being a Rescue centre and that particularly in the case of the Warren we have remained updated on their progress. The majority of those rabbits are already much in demand if their affections can be won! With their moving on, we have managed to clear out one of our large barns on site, known as the "singles barn" because of its smaller indoor accommodation, and plans are already afoot to turn it into a properly thought out hospital area. We can't wait!

A Little Grief

After the recent passing of our oldest resident Tally at 10 years 8 months, his widow Skyla has been expressing her displeasure at finding herself single again.

"If you stick your face in here, I might nibble your nose just a little..."

Don Skyla

I don't know why... but even though she's a real sweetie, the looks I manage to get on Skyla's face sometimes just always seem to remind me...

"You just get me the parsley, capiche?"

Big Things in Small Packages

One rabbit who was a big hit with me as soon as I saw her was little Skyla, a six year old doe who came in recently. My first introduction was finding her in the reception barn and shoving my arm in with her to give her a fuss, which she enjoyed, and then being treated to a somewhat shocked double-take from Caroline when she walked past.

The reason for this was eventually relayed to me- poor little Skyla had been living in a tiny hutch all her life and on the rare occasions she had been allowed to free range the garden, the owner's method of getting her back in was to set the family dog on her. It is somewhat understandable then that upon being given up, Skyla's response to her rescuer's loving embrace was to give a battle cry and decide that one sleeve would benefit from added ventilation. The words “fear aggressive” on her new-arrivals sign should have been a give-away but for my distraction at the sight of her, as I am a major sucker for Netherland Dwarfs.

We seem to have an understanding though, she and I... I often give her headrubs with immunity and can pick her up with no issues. She's certainly a little lady who knows her own mind though!

“Every time you go past you call me “Skyla-Pants” … Really, do I look like I'm wearing clothes to you?!”

Sorry Skyla... I'll try to stop the silly names... but I'm afraid the squeeing is going nowhere.