TinysMom
Well-Known Member
July 4, 2005 - Art & I drive across Texas to get to Beaumont to visit Bob Whitman since he is selling out of his lionheads. We wind up getting there late and having to meet him the next day - so we spend the night in a motel we later learn is used for drug buys.....
When we get to his rabbitry the next day - I'm so excited because I'm buying Blue Boy (a rabbit that was on a LOT of pedigrees at that point in time since he was one of the first ones brought over).
But as a new breeder - I'm all excited about getting new rabbits. Mind you - I know almost nothing about breeding - but I figure I'm adding "new blood" to my rabbitry - and certainly - that is a good thing!
So I pick up several rabbits - and because I have Harry - a chinchilla buck - I decide I would like a chinchilla doe. I think it is so neat that Bob has chinchilla lionheads from ENGLAND. WOW...I'm getting into the "big times" now with imported rabbits.
Harry
So...to go with Harry...I get this doe which I name "Hyacinth" after the main character in the show "Keeping Up Appearances" from the UK.
So Hyacinth came here to live - and while I tried to breed her several times -once having her live with Harry for over a month....she only had one baby that she successfully raised to adulthood. Now I regret giving that baby to someone who fell in love with it.
But Hyacinth was special - as I grew to know more about lionheads - I realized NO breeder would ever want her....she had nothing to offer my lines as far as genetics (at least nothing that I wanted).
So I kept her more as a pet - and called her my "potbelly pig" since she was not shaped like most lionheads - she was almost like a little pig.
Finding out she was sick a couple of weeks ago was hard - many may remember I posted a thread in the infirmary because I couldn't seem to stop her from rolling. I'd had other rabbits fight wry neck - even get as bad - but she was older (I am guessing she was about 5) and she was having a harder time of it.
For the last two weeks she'd slept in my arms at least 9 nights and some other nights that were partial nights she'd sleep in my arms. I spent hours every day with her - even if it was only sitting with her in my lap or arms so she wouldn't roll.
I came to the realization on Thursday that if she made it through this - she would always be an invalid...and I really struggled with it a lot. On Saturday I realized she really wasn't doing well -and this morning when she wouldn't eat and was not alert and didn't want much affection - I knew I was losing her.
I lost her about an hour ago now...and I'm still reeling from it. I knew it was coming - but it still was a shock and hard at the end.
Yesterday though - something happened and I want to share it here because it really touched me. I think in my heart of hearts - I knew then I was going to lose her soon - but I didn't expect it to be this soon. So I went ahead and took pictures..
Robin was napping on the bed with Hyacinth to keep her from rolling and I went in to check on them and Hyacinth was laying on her back with her feet in the air - and a big grin on her face. You can't see the grin well in the pictures...but here goes..
You have to look closely to see her grin...here it is a bit better:
After I snapped the photos - she woke up and did this..
I'll always remember Hyacinth for that grin though - because the last two weeks - as she'd sleep in my arms - you could see her relax and that grin come over her face.
I'd say RIP Hyacinth - but I think instead I'll say "Binky free my girl...binky free".
When we get to his rabbitry the next day - I'm so excited because I'm buying Blue Boy (a rabbit that was on a LOT of pedigrees at that point in time since he was one of the first ones brought over).
But as a new breeder - I'm all excited about getting new rabbits. Mind you - I know almost nothing about breeding - but I figure I'm adding "new blood" to my rabbitry - and certainly - that is a good thing!
So I pick up several rabbits - and because I have Harry - a chinchilla buck - I decide I would like a chinchilla doe. I think it is so neat that Bob has chinchilla lionheads from ENGLAND. WOW...I'm getting into the "big times" now with imported rabbits.
Harry
So...to go with Harry...I get this doe which I name "Hyacinth" after the main character in the show "Keeping Up Appearances" from the UK.
So Hyacinth came here to live - and while I tried to breed her several times -once having her live with Harry for over a month....she only had one baby that she successfully raised to adulthood. Now I regret giving that baby to someone who fell in love with it.
But Hyacinth was special - as I grew to know more about lionheads - I realized NO breeder would ever want her....she had nothing to offer my lines as far as genetics (at least nothing that I wanted).
So I kept her more as a pet - and called her my "potbelly pig" since she was not shaped like most lionheads - she was almost like a little pig.
Finding out she was sick a couple of weeks ago was hard - many may remember I posted a thread in the infirmary because I couldn't seem to stop her from rolling. I'd had other rabbits fight wry neck - even get as bad - but she was older (I am guessing she was about 5) and she was having a harder time of it.
For the last two weeks she'd slept in my arms at least 9 nights and some other nights that were partial nights she'd sleep in my arms. I spent hours every day with her - even if it was only sitting with her in my lap or arms so she wouldn't roll.
I came to the realization on Thursday that if she made it through this - she would always be an invalid...and I really struggled with it a lot. On Saturday I realized she really wasn't doing well -and this morning when she wouldn't eat and was not alert and didn't want much affection - I knew I was losing her.
I lost her about an hour ago now...and I'm still reeling from it. I knew it was coming - but it still was a shock and hard at the end.
Yesterday though - something happened and I want to share it here because it really touched me. I think in my heart of hearts - I knew then I was going to lose her soon - but I didn't expect it to be this soon. So I went ahead and took pictures..
Robin was napping on the bed with Hyacinth to keep her from rolling and I went in to check on them and Hyacinth was laying on her back with her feet in the air - and a big grin on her face. You can't see the grin well in the pictures...but here goes..
You have to look closely to see her grin...here it is a bit better:
After I snapped the photos - she woke up and did this..
I'll always remember Hyacinth for that grin though - because the last two weeks - as she'd sleep in my arms - you could see her relax and that grin come over her face.
I'd say RIP Hyacinth - but I think instead I'll say "Binky free my girl...binky free".
ray::rainbow:
