Myia's Bunny Blog 2011

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Myia,

Haha I was coming in to peek and comment on all your pics and posts and then I got all jealous about all the cool bunnystuff you found at the store. Bah to you! Hehehe ;)No but seriously, I love your pets. I especially love seeing your chinchillas. Long ago, I thought of getting one but I really knew nothing about them at all. In fact, I don't think I know more now than I did back then :pThey are gorgeous though. What are they like? (No worries, not planning on getting one)

I love you comment about why you got a cat. Hehehe silly. I did the same when it came to Baloo really. ;)I'm sorry to hear about all you've been going through. Here's to hoping this year brings you lots of happiness and inner satisfaction. If that makes sense... :)'

I am making the transition to more greens with the buns myself. I got lucky with mine though as they've taken to it easily. I'm glad yours are appreciating them more and more as well. Can you plant any herbs at your place either inside or out? I know you'd need to plant a ton to really save much money so I don't think it would help in that departmentbut it could be fun to do... I have a big herb pot and Maybelle likes to munch from it freely. It's a tad pricier to do so many veggies but it does save a lot on pellet in the end. I admit, mine aren't getting their veggies twice a day though. :)

Well best of luck with everything! Looking forward to more pictures and news. :biggrin2:

Ps: my cat Houdina barely plays with anything made for cats. She much prefers bottle caps, straws, boxes, bags, etc. There's just no winning with them is there? :p
 
Hehehe :) Thank you!

Chinchillas..are interesting. Most chinchillas are very, extremely independent. They don't tolerate being held..and not always want to be pet (or scratches is what you give them) but they are a lot of fun and absolutely adorable for the right owner!

I can plant some outside and hopefully they hold up in the AZ heat..I have tried before and I think I left them outside too long. It is becoming really expensive...our $5 spring mix will be gone by tomorrow..it lasted literally 5 days. :p

But I can see the difference already...their eating habits, activity even.
 
So tonight is cleaning night/craft night. Two very contradictory things, right? ;)

I have a lot of little things to do here and there..dusting, picking up clothes in my closet (I have a walk in..and in the mornings I just end up tossing things around!) Basically odds and ends.

Then, I got some wood plaques and wooden letters that I am going to make name signs for the bunnies. I don't have the hangers for them just yet, but tonight I am painting them.

Then I am still working on my Beautrix Potter/Peter Cottontail scrapbook pieces..I bought some books and basically I cut out the pictures and make larger pictures. It usually has a cool turn out. I am keeping the first two I made. Now I am making ones for Etsy.

I posted a topic of Chewys and Anakins dislike to the new diet change. :p Of course I get picky buns.

Wyatt finally adventured out to the living room last night and this morning. I think he was afraid of Anakin, who on the first night Wyatt came home, freaked out and scared Wyatt. They both decided they were no big deals and were able to be around each other!

Chinchillas are good!

I got a rack for the African Fat Tail geckos..its ones of those sterilte carts. Usually the new ones don't work because the gaps are too big and they can escape. This one I found at goodwill and works perfectly. Good news too, because I was housing the females together, and they did NOT like sharing food together. They were pretty aggressive and I had to separate them.
 
I posted on my topic, but here is a comparative analysis of pellets:

Purina Rabbit Show Alfalfa (What I was feeding)
Crude Protein (Min) 16.00%
Crude Fat (Min) 3.50%
Crude Fiber (Min) 18.50%
Calcium (Min) .0.70%

Purina Rabbit Fiber3 Alfalfa
Crude Protien Min 15%
Crude Fat Min 2.00%
Crude Fiber Min 25.00%
Crude Calcium Min 0.80%


Oxbow Timothy
Crude Protein min 14.00%
Crude Fat min 2.00%
Crude Fiber min 25.00%
Calcium min 0.35%
 
My friend Sam and I made DIY houses and tunnels.

cage7.jpg

cage1.jpg

cage6.jpg


Decided to post some of the bunny items and houses.
cage2.jpg

cage4.jpg


Toy pictures: (I make most of my toys)
cage5.jpg

cage.jpg
 
I LOVE the houses and tunnels you made! So cool! Now that it's been a little less rainy, I'd love to make some of those for the outside play area for the buns. Very neat idea.
 
Thanks! They were all scraps so it was economical. Wyatt the kitty loves them too! The sisal dropping down is a lot of fun for them.

I bought ten bucks worth of greens and it only lasted ten days! So I bought seventeen dollars worth to try to stretch it to two weeks. The mix I am buying is a herb mix and has three new flavors for the buns they really enjoy. I also bought some green lettace and romaine to make it last longer.

Wyatt likes to try to steal the greens however. Yeah it sounds cute but is a pain in the butt!

Casanova (chinchilla) coat is amazingly plush right now. It's the thickest and sorest it has ever been. I don't know if I ever told casanovas story but he was a former show chin (badly treated) so his coat has always been better than valentines, but for some reason it is plush right now.

They still don't use those wheels...I hope they catch on :/
 
Awww I'm sure everyone had a blast. :biggrin2:A buck a day isn't too bad but I am sure it all adds up very quickly :)I wish I could reach through the screen and feel your chinchilla. Lol. I hope they try out their wheels too. A treat inside still doesn't get their attention? I guess they can just grab it and eat it outside the wheel anyway... :p
 
Well this morning I woke up to hear Casanova on the wheel for about 15 minutes straight. Which is fine! I think I might sell Valentine's Wheel and instead give him a chin spin, which is like a saucer. Some chins do better with those.

I rarely actually give my chins "treats" because they are very sugar sensitive. Sometimes they get rosehips, but that is it. I "Treat" then with an applewood stick everyday to make up for it ;P

But if I put it on the wheel, they just go and take it off and chew on it, lol.

So, I got a new gate to keep the two boy rabbits separate..and of course what happens? I didn't tighten the door enough (It swings open) and they got into a fight..another one of those "death fights" where they kick/scratch each other on the stomach. It was a two second fight, but still scared the crap out of me. I don't care if they want to hate each other..but I wish they didn't want to kill each other!

So, Chewy is getting spayed next week. For those who don't know, she had a on going on and off head tilt. We got xrays and it seems for the past couple months it has cleared up. Our vet said not to spay her until we knew she was stable, because the surgery might be too stressful on her body. Well she got the okay in late november/early december, and the rest has been me worrying and procrastinating. I am just really worried about putting her under. So much.

But it is scheduled (thursday) and I know it needs to happen.

I wasn't really anxious with the boys..but Chewy I am :(
 
You are doing the right thing.
 
I know. It is just nerve racking. This is my Chewy...I can't have anything happen to hear! But I have to say..I am soooooo excited for her to become potty trained after this...lol.

So, I am going to do a once monthly oxbow papaya tablet. I know that it is up in the air if they actually work, but as a treat who cares? They really aren't even more expensive than other store sold treats. So yeah :/

I got a really cool toy idea from online...you take a bird nest (for a canary, one that is covered) and stuff it with hay and other treats so they can rip it up. So I bought some (online, have to wait for them to get here) and I am excited to see how they work.

I also had to order some new bene bac.
 
For whatever reason, my post was cut in half and I can't edit it. :?

I bought some treats today. The buns got some Oxbow Oat hay. They love it. I gave a small handful, and they ate it pretty fast. It is just going to be a treat because I haven't found a feed store that carries it, so buying a small bag at $5 isn't economical at all! I gave some to the chinchillas as well and they were less than impressed :p

Has anyone seen the bags of Katyee hay with the "extra stuff" in it? At first I saw mint and marigolds, and I thought it was a good idea. Then I saw the papaya and apple ones! That much fruit can't be good! Teaspoon a day if that people! And heaven forbid they give it to chins...they are completely intolerant of sugar and that can be a nightmare for them.

I also got them some seagrass chews. I was going to buy some oxbow "treats" but honestly I just rather make them at home. I am short a couple ingredients, but I am excited.

I bought Wyatt some Pet Greens semi moist. I had bought him some of the hard ones and he likes them. He is iffish with the semi most ones.

Tomorrow I have to go and search for Oxbow hamster food...then I am going to pick up the papaya tablets, and a new litter box for kinobe.

Oh and that reminds me...I bought Wyatt some Avo derm wet food. For whatever reason it only comes in two flavors, deep sea and chicken. Well Wyatt doesn't like the chicken pretty much at all. I paid with a check, so I am not sure of the return policy, but I guess I will have to stick with the cans I have (A months worth supply, I like to buy in bulk) and then make a switch back to wellness canned. I just heard really good things about Avo derms wet food.
 
My guys get more treats than what is said so...

My guys have healthy poops, they maintain healthy weight so I feed them my way.
 
I use the Kaytee hay with marigolds for my rabbits and tortoise, and everyone loves it. I have gotten the ones with cranberry as well (it was for thanksgiving) to no ill effect, though I fed a very moderate ammount. I think as a treat it is probably fine. I just hope no one is buying it and feeding it as their rabbits' main source of hay.
 
Thanks Vircia! :)

Ren, that is my hope too. But a lot of people don't understand animals like Chinchillas can't have those things, so that is my biggest concern!

Well, I just finished my spreadsheet of animal spending..and needless to day, I am so amazed by it, I almost threw up :p

Roughly about $500 so far this YEAR. In two months!

I know it is high, because of Wyatt's adoption fee ($75) and his supplies (Food, litter, ect)

I also had to buy new heat cable ($72) for this year.

And the chinchillas get bulk toys in the beginning of the year too ($110)

So once you discount those costs, it isn't abnormal. But since those costs are apparent, I am sick to my stomach! I don't even know how I got that money. And it also makes me realize how much I have depleted from my savings. :(

Today I still have to buy a new litter box for kinobe and hamter food, but after that, the animals will have to do for awhile. Don't get me wrong; I bought a bunch of toys for them so far, I just need to rotate them. I also freshly bought bulk food, so I know that it will last (For the mammals) a good few months, and I bought over a months worth of cat food.

This semester I met another rabbit person, and her and I are like peas in a pod..so I think we are bad influences on each other because all we do is buy pet stuff :p

But wow..that is so much money! I only make roughly about $375 a week, if that puts it into perspective.

I had a lot of money in savings, and now I don't. Obviously. So I really was a bit irresponsible. Now to jump on the responsible wagon again :p

So, my brother is apart of the Hope Kids, and they have an event going on my Mother's birthday (March 12) and she really wanted me to go. I asked what it was..and she told me,

THE RODEO.

There is no way in heck I can go to that! I can't even see it on TV, the way they kick and abuse those poor animals! Even the horses they ride on aren't treated well. I was so upset because I felt obligated to go..correction..I was obligated to go, but thankfully James is going to go in my place.

He loves the Rodeo, and he has grown up in that "Cowboy" environment (He trains horses, ect). I was thanking my lucky stars!
 
So I have to order my oxbow hamster online..which is annoying. I can't find it at any feed stores, pet stores, and my exotic vet place carries it for a ridiculous price.

And I am going to ramble on about hamster food. Ready?

So, most hamster fourms say Mazuri is the best pellet. The often say that Hazel Hamster is the best mix however and can be mainly fed to dwarfs. Syrians get Mazuri pellet and Kaytee mix.

Okay, this is my problem for those who don't know. I have been making my own organic seed mix. I am not on my computer, so I don't have the exact list of what seeds I have. The reason I do this is because first of all, it is organic. Second, I know what my hamster is eating, and yes, my hamster eats the entire mix. I have never seen a need for a pellet, since most pellets are just a compound of those seeds.

Well, I decided finally to be safe than sorry. I rambled on in my previous post in my other blog that I don't want to feed soy to my hamster due to some research on soy being harmful.

Well what is the first ingredient in Mazuri? Soy. Look at these crap ingredients:

Mazuri:
dehulled soybean meal, ground corn, ground wheat, wheat middlings, sunflower seed, ground oats, cane molasses, soybean oil, dried beet pulp, dehydrated alfalfa meal, pumpkin seed, carrots

The second ingredient is even corn! Now, I guess corn is "okay" but I really don't want it to be the second ingredient in my food.

I think it was Ren who recommended another type of pellet, but I can't find it. I guess I'll just stick to oxbow.

Here is a list of oxbow:
Timothy Meal, Pearled Barley (Rolled), Oat Groats, Linseed (Flax) Meal, Canola Meal, Wheat Gluten, Millet, Ground Flax Seed, Canola Oil, Limestone, Salt, Dried Yeast Culture Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate

Now, by itself it is a poor diet choice. Hamsters need seeds and what not in their diet. But as a basic supplement it works. I also feed greens and organic dog treats for their protein (Since they decided they don't like mealworms anymore)

I am nervous about the hamster not eating the oxbow at all as well.

Well /endrant lol.
 
I personally think most commercial rodent pellets are basically crap. Actually, scratch that. I think most commercial pellets are basically crap, ingredients-wise. Really the only benefit at all is that they meet the required percentages of various nutrients, scientifically proven as integral to maintaining health. I just wish there was a way to balance that with ingredients that don't deviate radically from the natural diet, but unfortunately we heavily subsidize corn, soy, and wheat, so it's in absolutely everything.

You're right that the Oxbow hamster is a better than Mazuri, at any rate; I've fed both and I found that the Mazuri was better accepted, but the hamsters' coats seemed nicer and I saw less obesity on Oxbow. I don't have any hamsters anymore (my mom kept Penny Dreadful and Captain Paul Watson because they were both too old and frail for the move) and didn't keep my hamster food recipe anymore, but I'm sure yours is good with how much research you've done :)
 
Thanks Ren. So far it really works well with my current hamster. He was about 2 when we adopted him, and its been close to a year since we have had him. He had a rough start with serious mite problems (So much he has permanent hair loss) but continues to thrive. For awhile there it seems he was getting a little slow, but he is back at it. I would like to think it has something to do with my care :p

My Dwarf hamster lived for 5 years. So I guess I got a bit of an ego LOL.

It is too bad we have so many fillers. :/
 
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