Time for Torvill's Tummy Top-Up

Bobstruction

My set-up at home is not the best, especially as it requires (thanks to some poor planning on my part) that anyone wishing to enter the shed must climb into the run and shimmy through like a member of the SAS, the aviary attachment is shorter than I am and the additional puppy-panel enclosure that they can be allowed out into with supervision is so tall my mother can hardly get her legs over it.

That aside, I seem to have a new challenge. Next to my shed I have an old hutch I use for storage and, seeing an opportunity to fundraise in the upcoming sunnier and warmer weather, I planned to retrieve some old plant pots and grow flowers and herbs. My plan was thwarted in moments when I found that Mr and Mrs Bob had other ideas.

Yes, I now have (I believe) four Boblings right next to my door latch on the shed. After carefully sneaking around them and periodically scaring Mrs Bob out of the nest as she was incubating, I now have to suffer from barrages of melodic aggression like machine gun fire every time I even think of going near my own rabbits.

Thanks guys, what a great place to raise a family! Only another week or so to go... right?

Cuba

For a long time we knew we were fated to lose little Cuba, an outgoing and adventurous little rabbit with terminal cancer. She never let it get her down, always rushing around, escaping out of her door in the mornings and enjoying her grass area like there was nothing wrong. Her appetite remained right to the end, but she had lost an extraordinary amount of weight and in the last couple of weeks her decline was rapid and obvious. Yesterday we decided with deep regret that it was in her best interests to be helped on her way before she crossed the line into complete unhappiness.

One thing that makes me very emotional is that her husbun Mallow- a rabbit not known for suffering humans gladly- had become very protective of her, often putting himself between Cuba and the approaching meds volunteer with great vigilance (and, on one occasion, with teeth). Yesterday, however, he sat in the doorway to the bedroom where she was settled and just let me fuss him before allowing me to take her away, like he knew it was time.

Kisses in the sun.

Goodbye little Cuba. I hope wherever you are now, you have a huge grass area that will forever be your own.

Shifty

Occasionally when walking around the rescue you disturb the rabbits doing whatever it is bunnies do when left to their own devices. Sometimes you catch a glimpse of a rabbit looking like it has been caught red handed doing something it wasn't supposed to do...

I'll find out, Bounty... I'll find out.

Earl Meets His Countess?

"So you are telling me that I have to travel a hundred miles away in order to meet some blind woman who keeps beating up men? Oh, they asked for me specifically? Well sure, I'm absolutely gorgeous, it'll be love at first sight. Wait..."

Hair Today... Gone Tomorrow

With the unexpected hot weather this past week, spare a thought for my dear little Mattie with his big ginger afro...

"Humph."

With a maximum floof length of about six inches, most of it thick wool, I felt that the time was ripe to bring out the final weapon in a long-haired bunny owner's toolbox, a pair of fur scissors...

"Next time I spot you sneaking up on me in warm weather, you won't see me for dust."

Doses Are Read

In the weeks since Caroline left we have been running a properly organised rota to make sure all the daily tasks are covered. There are slots each day for breakfast, morning meds, water, afternoon meds, dinner and cleaning, plus the vet run several days each week. This ensures nothing ever gets missed and we always know in advance which days we might need to rustle up extra help. All the volunteers have been absolutely amazing, rallying round to make sure everything gets done.

Depending on the different skills in each days team, covering everything can sometimes require us to switch around, so for example now instead of my usual opening of the Rescue and breakfast tasks I might be moved to one of the meds slots. On days that there are no injections to give I'm fine with this (I don't mind needles, I've had training and experience with giving injections, but if I've not done it for a while I get paranoid I'll incorrectly stab bunnies or my fingers) but there are so many bunnies to medicate and different things you need to know it can be quite complicated. Sometimes you might even need to work out how much of a medicine to give based on weight, concentration and dose prescribed by the vet.

If you need help with the maths, you can of course ask the bunnies to work it out for you. I gave Twizzel all the relevant numbers for his meds a few minutes ago, he's just crunching them in his head for me right now, he's going to give us the answer...

..any second now...

...maybe I'll just go get the calculator.