Bunny Blab

[Cove]

I had seen her on Kijiji as a free to good home and felt we were meant for each other so I answered it. The day before picking her up I asked the partner what he thought of me getting a rabbit. Now you must understand he really is a good guy and does love animals, his mother is VP of the humane society in the city. But after living in a house with more then 2 dozen cats and having had a rabbit himself who used to chase his cats around and bite their bums he saw them as evil little critters. Well when asked he said no, when asked why it was that we had too many animals. I didn't think this was the real reason and decided to ask if a hedgehog would be OK then as he adores them. He was all ready to go out and get one! So anyways I slept on it after concsulting with some people on another forum and decided to do it anyways, its not like he's going to take care of it. If we had gotten the hedgehog I would have done all the work so I may as well get an animal I want.

So at 4:00pm today I went and picked her up. She was a little boy's first pet, but his parents felt the rabbit was distracting him from his schoolwork and decided she must go. I felt awful for the young boy he clearly loved the rabbit, as soon as he showed me into he garage where she was being kept he told me all about her, that her first owner had put a collar on her too tight and it had rubbed all the hair off her neck and was very sensitive now and she didn't like it touched. He told me she had had two other owners beside him, that she liked to have the lid of her cage to run around when she liked and then would hop back in when she wanted to rest or nibble at some food. He actually told me to make sure I left the lid off her cage to allow her free roam. His father and younger brother helped me put all the gear into the car, a picture was taken of him snuggling her before she was put in the carrier and then I got in and left.

She was not a fan of the carrier and kept charging the door for a few minutes after we left and finally she settled down at the back, balled up the blanket I had in there and watched me through the side slits on the carrier. I set up her cage, once home and the cats aren't sure what to think. Chase was the first to check things out, going up to her and sniffing but the moment she moved he would puff up and go running keeping his distance for a few moments and then trying again. Reyna sat and just stared, her head tilted to one sideand would reach over to sniff only when bunkins was at the other end of her cage. Kutner and Wilson both gave a few looks froma distance and then ran while Bosco lays down infront of the cage and just watches with great interest.

The partner isn't pleased and keeps cracking little things like "can we have rabbit for dinner?" I ignore him for the most part, he'll come around in awhile, though he may not like her he'll learn to tolerate her and stop with these childish antics of the silent treatmentand food jokes.

She's 3 years old and spayed, her breed is unknown to me and it didn't evencome to meask them if they knew her breed. She has a tattoo in her ear, wonder whats that about? And for sure needs to go on a diet, I just need to figure out how to go about it as I've never put an animal on a diet before, I assume its just to give her measured amounts of food instead of letting her free feed. Which is what would be done to a cat or dog. She also needs her nails trimmed but I'll probably bring her into a vet clinic or groomers for that to be done once she settles down some.

I'm still working on a new name for her. She was previously known as "Pebbles". So far I've found several I like but nothing is final yet. And now some pictures, not the best I've ever taken by far but I wanted to let her calm down so good pictures will have to wait.

 

[Cove]

[align=center]Well she's only been in the house since 6:00pm and despite how the partner claims he dislikes rabbits due to that childhood rabbit and wants her out he has gone upstairs several times, at one point he was petting her when I was up there and couldn't believe how soft she was, he then touched her neck and she had a little hissy fit which sent him downstairs. I told him about her neck, how it seems to be sensitive and how it happened and he felt really bad for her. Told him about where I got her from and he felt even worse for her. He then asked if I wanted to go upstairs with him to visit her. So we went up and sat on the floor. He was constantly petting her, saying how soft she was, that she wasn't mean at all and kept calling her Floof.
[/align]
[align=center]I asked why he was calling her that, he said because she was so soft yet didn't have a long coat at all. I mentioned that since we were only going to rehome her why bother naming her and he just looked at me and kept stroking her ears calling her Floof. I told him she was probably bred in someones home, possibly shown due to the tattoo in her ear and he gave me this surprised look. "Someone bred her? So she's a nice rabbit?" He didn't know before that people actually breed rabbits for pets and shows, not all come from the outside. So he really seems to like her, perhaps she has some special power... I hope so. I already adore her and it looks as if her name is going to be Floof, as no matter what I name her now he's going to constantly call her that. He already does it with my tripod kitty, Reyna. He constantly calls her Stumpy from when she used to have a stump for a leg.
[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]
[align=center][/align]

 

[Cove]

[align=center]Well today went smoothly. Partner says he likes the rabbit, thinks she cute but still doesn't want her in the house. -sigh- But on the plus side he can pick her up and I can't. Any time I attempt to she kicks out at me and runs off, he'll do it the same way and she's fine with it unless she's a little worked up and then gives him a kick but at least he can pick her up... I think partner might have a new lady in his life. :shock:[/align]
[align=center]I was on the lookout for craisens(sp?) today when me, partner and his mom went to the farmers market. We found several places that were selling them but they were either $14 for a pound or at their cheapest $7 for a pound. I wasn't fond of either price so I decided to try out the local grocery store to see what their prices were. Instead partner's mom picked up some lettace as a treat for Floof. She adored it! But would only eat it if she was on the bed, the floor simply wouldn't do... diva anyone?[/align]
[align=center]Went to the pet store I used to work at and was looking for some sort of chew for her. Picked up some apple branches and looked over some of there food asI recently found out (thanks to angieluvand Hazel-Mom) that alfalfa is higher in fat so it probably won't help much with the whole loosing weight thing. I figure I'll finish this bag off and then grab a bag of pellets thats made from timothy hay after from the same brand. Also got a good review about the food (Martins Less Active) from Spring. So hopefully the switch will go over well and we can help diva Floof loose some of that "fluff".[/align]
[align=center]Also plan on looking up some safe treats for Floof to help her come around a little more. She's still a little wary and skittish if one moves too fast. I'm hoping its just because we're new to her and not her everyday personality. Though if it is I can accept it.[/align]
[align=center]Well I guess it's time to put the diva to bed so I'll end this with a picture from today of her enjoying her treat from the farmer's market.[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]

 

[tonyshuman]

Floof is a very pretty bunny and I'm glad you got her! It sounds like her life before you hasn't been that great, so I hope she'll be very happy with you and your man. Guys are funny about rabbits--mine was a bit hesitant at first, not sure why anyone would want a rabbit over a cat or dog, but just a few months after meeting me he decided he needed his own rabbit and now he has this precious little netherland dwarf that is even cuter than my guys!

The tattoo is something most breeders use to identify their rabbits. It doesn't neccessarily mean that she is a "show" rabbit--even backyard breeders (who breed to sell rabbits as pets, not necessarily well-respected in this community, don't care about mixing breeds) and meat breeders will tattoo their rabbits. Show rabbits are usually bred to improve the breed and come closer to the ARBA standards or perfection for a breed, or to develop new colors and breeds. That's the kind of breeder we have on this forum. I guess it would be obvious what meat breeders breed for, but I don't think Floof was a meat rabbit due to her size and the fact that she's spent most of her life in pet homes. My Muffin and bf's Benjamin have tats. Muffin is a mix-breed Holland lop who was used in a backyard breeding setup, and we think Benjamin may be a purebred former show bunny that ended up at a shelter for some reason.

I think Floof may be a mini-rex (or standard rex depending on her size). Minis are a common pet around here because they have such beautiful soft fur. They're also popular with show breeders because there are so many beautiful colors. I would estimate that Floof's color is called Broken Castor. Broken means that she has spots, and I think she may be a "Charlie," meaning that she has two copies of the broken gene and as such has very few spots. Charlies aren't showable, but are very pretty, IMO. A lot of breeders will sell their Charlies as pets because they aren't showable.

Castor is the equivalent of "wild bunny color," and is called many different things depending on the breed. For most breeds it's called agouti (Petbunny's Pebbles) and for dutches it's called gray (Tundrakatiebean's Wash). Fot rexes it's called castor (BoBBunny's Bo). In general mini rex are smaller than standard (duh) but I'm not sure what the weight range is for them.

It does look like she's a bit overweight, but the non-alfalfa pellets will help. You can also eventually go to a mostly vegetable or hay diet instead of feeding a lot of pellets as well. Rexes tend to look a bit fatter than others because their coat texture doesn't hide anything, but she def. looks overweight. I'm glad she found you to take care of her! You can also put some antibiotic ointment like neosporin on her neck (make sure it's the neosporin without painkiller in it--the painkiller is toxic to rabbits!) to make it heal faster. You also might want to check her feet for sores, as rexes are prone to those due to their softer fur.

Long comments, but I wanted to say hi and welcome, and I'm so glad you got Floof. It sounds like she has been loved by previous owners, but they didn't know how to take care of her well (hence overweight, collar, having a child as the primary caretaker). Also, having so many homes in her life has got to have been difficult, and just giving her some stability will be great for her. Best of luck!

 

[Cove]

Thanks for all the info and about the tattoo. Someone mentioned on another thread that they did that to show rabbits.

Thanks for the idea of the neosporin, however I can't touch her neck without her lunging at me. I don't know if she's just being protective of the area now or if it is actually really sensitive to touch.

[line]

After tucking Floof to bed for the night I went to bed myself and as I curled up in the nice warm blankets smelt a little something funny. Floof had free roam of the room all day, she pooped a little on the floor but for the most part it was all in her cage. No other damage made which I was excited about. Well I never checked the bed for damage and guess what... she'd peed on it, on my side to. So I tore all the bedding off, and chucked it in the corner as there was no way I was doing anything tonight. Flipped the mattress over, put an extra top sheet on it and then grabbed my quilt (that had been folded and put on the edge of the bed where she chose to sleep everytime I checked on her) and went to bed. So today is laundry day. Guess she's not very litter trained. Might have to work on that but first I want to look up some diets for her, veggies that are safe for her to have etc.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

tonyshuman wrote:

I think Floof may be a mini-rex (or standard rex depending on her size). Minis are a common pet around here because they have such beautiful soft fur. They're also popular with show breeders because there are so many beautiful colors. I would estimate that Floof's color is called Broken Castor.

Welcome to the forum!

Yep, looks like a mini rex to me, could be standard rex by size as they're about 6-9 lbs full grown and minis are about 4lbs. I had a broken mini rex who was the sweetest thing ever, I loved her.

Floof is just adorable! Just gorgeous, I need more pictures!

 

[Jess_sully]

Floof is gorgeous
I agree with the mini rex guesses- I have a mini rex and he's the little love of my life

 

[Cove]

Thanks everyone.



Well this is going to be mainly a picture thread, not really much to say other then my little business of dog walking and pet sitting is taking off finally. I'll be bunny sitting two Netherland(?) Dwarves I believe they are from late Nov. to early Dec. Then I may have a weekly weekend gig walking two dogs and if all goes well with them I'll be pet sitting them in late Nov. And may possibly be walking another dog weekly on Thursdays. I'm so pleased, just wish it would get a little more busyotherwise I'll be forced to find a part time job along with having this one. So if you know of anyone who needs a dog walker or pet sitter in the GTA area of Ontario Canada you know who to call. :biggrin2:

So now for Floof pictures....


[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center]

[/align]

[align=center][/align]

 

[Jess_sully]

She's just beautiful. I love her dewlap
And I wish I could dog walk... I did it when I was younger.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Oh my! She reminds so much of my Angel, a broken Mini Rex as well.

Gorgeous!

another good indication is this pic!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I love those little curly whiskers of the mini-rex! Hers show up so well in the pictures!

Floof peeing on your side of the bed could be her marking "you" or (more likely since Bo does this to my hubby's side of the bed).... she's marking HER side of the bed next to your partner's! LOL!

Hubby and I even switched sides recently and immediately, Bo went in and "took care of" hubby's new side!!

I think Floof loves you, but her true love is the partner......since he can handle her and stuff more.

So, is she staying for sure? She needs to! My hubby told me no bunnies in the house. I have 3.

 

[Cove]

Oh she's sticking around for sure despite his little rabbit stew jokes. He adores her, and she obviously adores him even his mother has said so.



[line]





Took a couple snapshots today of her running about. I think she's lost some weight which is good. Whats not good is that she ate some chocolate. I let her out of her cage and she made a beeline to the bag of chocolate covered almonds on the floor that partner had left there. She grabbed one and hid under the coffee table eating a large chunk before I could stop her. Argh. So now its bunny watch for the next 24 hours.

[line]




In other none bunny news... I found out today a close friend I've had since middle school lost her mother. We aren't close friends anymore but we do talk every now and then. I'm not sure how to react, what to do for her... she's the same age as me, she's never had it easy and now she gets a call while she's away at college saying she needs to come her her mother was found dead in her home. I've said the I'm sorry's, told her I'm here for her as are my parents as they adore her, but I don't feel like it's much. I'm at loss on how to deal with this and hope my words as well as her other friends words help her through this time.

 

[wabbitmom12]

So sorry to hear about your friend's mom. That's awful! Just be there for her, let talk and cry. Sometimes people are in too much shock at first, but need to let it out later-days, weeks, or even months later, in some cases.

BTW - I love that Floof! She is beautiful! Those rexes are doll-babies; we have one and they have such sweet personalities. And what's up with those curly whiskers? I don't know, but they do give the rexes more character.

 

[Cove]

[align=center]I love her curly little whiskers they remind me of twizzlers candy.[/align]
[align=center]As I'm sure most of you know by now Princess Floof has been forced to steal food because I've not been feeding her enough apprently (of course I'm kidding). Now she has an addiction from living off the streets of the living room. She's being a chocoholic. Guess I better enlist her into some Chocoholic Rabbits Anonymous eh? or else she may end up like this..[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]
[align=center]And we can't have that![/align]
[align=center]In other blabber Princess Floof has a new litter box, there is a grate that seperates her from her litter which I really like as she likes to sit and sleep in her litter box. I wanted the larger one but it wouldn't fit her in her current home so I got the smaller one. I also need to find some of this NIC's. Found something like it at Wallmart the other day, but they wereover $20. I thought they were cheaper?[/align]

 

[Wabbitdad12]

You might find the NIC cubescheaper at a Target store. Watch the new ones, though, the panels themselves are the same size, but the wire openings are larger and a bunny could get its head caught in one.

 

[kherrmann3]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Floof peeing on your side of the bed could be her marking "you" or (more likely since Bo does this to my hubby's side of the bed).... she's marking HER side of the bed next to your partner's! LOL!

Hubby and I even switched sides recently and immediately, Bo went in and "took care of" hubby's new side!!

I think Floof loves you, but her true love is the partner......since he can handle her and stuff more.

Same thing here. Toby wee's on my boyfriend's side of the bed, almost NEVER mine. He will wee on my side if Will sleeps there for a nap or something. Toby makes sure that Will knows that I am his (Toby's). Bunnies have an odd sense of ownership (humor ).

I love your Floof, by the way. If you haven't noticed, I've been captioning pictures of Floof in "Mini-Rex Madness" lol

 

[Jess_sully]

I found NIC's in a box of 23 grids on sale for only $14.99 at Target. I used just over two boxes for Flynn's new NIC cage (you can see it on his blog)