tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25562335429550604182024-03-13T08:10:37.906-07:00Mrs. Brighton's Busy LifeMrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-41972921151193360862023-03-24T12:51:00.000-07:002023-03-24T12:51:23.436-07:00Otto's Bladder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUkE1i_fp_rmP4LvFTuET7I-1fatMmsW9phSEdnJ-phaoaDsysoWYyLgJ8_Y62_Uo0IgqHr6-aOzvefdwEXnRo0oG39mlugEeUPTKL96lMDXuQy3qhNnaQLREDx8GPCMZ-gz_cuvhFaFM2M-8LP0ML66JppUeQ8HOyhSNThl_c2BQeA7eP0I_Z6ZuVA/s4032/A21BEFBA-5419-4E2D-8CE6-541A962CF525_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUkE1i_fp_rmP4LvFTuET7I-1fatMmsW9phSEdnJ-phaoaDsysoWYyLgJ8_Y62_Uo0IgqHr6-aOzvefdwEXnRo0oG39mlugEeUPTKL96lMDXuQy3qhNnaQLREDx8GPCMZ-gz_cuvhFaFM2M-8LP0ML66JppUeQ8HOyhSNThl_c2BQeA7eP0I_Z6ZuVA/w300-h400/A21BEFBA-5419-4E2D-8CE6-541A962CF525_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Hi Everybunny! Cookie here! This blog post was supposed to be about my dainty feet, but instead it's about Otto's bladder.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">My secretary spent last weekend fussing about Otto, and she insists that I tell you the story because she says its very important that all bunny people know about Otto's bladder. She says it's more important than my dainty feet right now. Seriously, his BLADDER is more important than my FEET?! How dare she! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Anyway, I'm going to cooperate because our secretary is under a lot of pressure lately and I don't want to risk her losing her mind and forgetting to order my Flower Power Berry Boost treats. I hope you all like bladder stories. I'll try to make it short.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarDDniYyXzIVCtcbEzBFJvbxBHfGtgUO7BpXHDXfdXYsJaEzcgYsYbjfOwZskEp_DrjA0f2uof0qr18DZopDQB2ASVZ_zSnx7pQE_UFqdwMBZy1ypARAT6m-fED0xOhIbjr92kqHbqCRLokxDu5WwM29LS3jlS8U5qDbjbUpETkWzExMesKF2F7Ciug/s3056/3CA56755-998A-4E2C-A6E3-CD31173DF4E8_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarDDniYyXzIVCtcbEzBFJvbxBHfGtgUO7BpXHDXfdXYsJaEzcgYsYbjfOwZskEp_DrjA0f2uof0qr18DZopDQB2ASVZ_zSnx7pQE_UFqdwMBZy1ypARAT6m-fED0xOhIbjr92kqHbqCRLokxDu5WwM29LS3jlS8U5qDbjbUpETkWzExMesKF2F7Ciug/w396-h400/3CA56755-998A-4E2C-A6E3-CD31173DF4E8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="396" /></a></div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">This is Otto. I have to admit that Otto, though dour, is very cute and very sweet. He's also blind and as old as Methuselah. He's had problems with bladder sludge in the past, but we thought it was under control.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">What is bladder sludge? According to the Royal Veterinary College (<a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/Beaumont%20Sainsbury%20Animal%20Hospital/documents/Rabbit-Sludgy-Bladder-RVC-factsheet-published-062021.pdf" target="_blank">Click here for a link</a>)</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #06430d; font-family: Architects Daughter;">"Sludgy bladder syndrome occurs when the normal calcium crystals in rabbit urine are retained in the bladder. This can lead to a build up of a gritty sediment which can irritate the lining of the bladder and lead to inflammation." </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);"><span style="font-family: courier;">Thank you RVC!! </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);"><span style="font-family: courier;">If you go to that link there is a nice, short article about bladder sludge, what causes it and how to prevent it. There's also another one <a href="https://smallpetselect.com/stones-sludge-rabbit-bladder-kidney/" target="_blank">Here from Small Pet Select.</a> And here's one from the <a href="https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-bladder-problems/" target="_blank">Rabbit Welfare Association!</a></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Poor Otto wasn't eating last friday night, and our secretary assumed that he had some GI stasis brewing. So she gave him fluids, put him on a hot water bottle, gave him Meloxicam and Enulose and all those other good GI stasis things and he spent the night next to her bed. When she saw him eating parsley at 3 am she assumed he was back to normal...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">...and then the next morning she realized he hadn't peed all night! The light finally dawned - Otto's sludge was back, his urethra was probably blocked and all those fluids she gave him could be putting a lot of stress on his already stressed out bladder. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Luckily our wonderful rabbit-savvy vet was able to see him on a Saturday morning for which we are so grateful. Because this is what she found when she looked at his x rays!</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgrX1QMUHZyJJBukubeR_qcO89iQjaEpGB7UzRNugxR4CIUCGrfJNWqSm5q3aSoizFfyujDHW4FxmTjr8b6cHi14bJ9rs2IbLITB7yhoNNz4-C37cY7nubpeJ18IjgWOjfgQr75TQrr51C6aIa0dKCgUSAsjmo2gn8SA1prvMxfxYwLy3_nXq_KgcLg/s3024/25E5156E-7F83-4947-B1C0-933C406C3F57.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1776" data-original-width="3024" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgrX1QMUHZyJJBukubeR_qcO89iQjaEpGB7UzRNugxR4CIUCGrfJNWqSm5q3aSoizFfyujDHW4FxmTjr8b6cHi14bJ9rs2IbLITB7yhoNNz4-C37cY7nubpeJ18IjgWOjfgQr75TQrr51C6aIa0dKCgUSAsjmo2gn8SA1prvMxfxYwLy3_nXq_KgcLg/w400-h235/25E5156E-7F83-4947-B1C0-933C406C3F57.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Ouch!! See those big white areas near his rear end? That's all bladder </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">sludge! </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQhpqArbzOT-wIMNs5I1KlU367qzItxX7na07MdTHluKNICok6if0sYy0B0YsGPAK9VFIKb8GlwTd_F4d6vrRZ5Du3yrYssk4T1sSDwvEXhr_evHeN7mgV7V01lmRPIpt_pJcNHTlTIZ-ciX-NTgcR2t9ED_EQKpYo_M96Tc1qojTHlx_bE_k_hOzwg/s3266/7CEF8E02-70CF-426C-8C87-B1111BE27247.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3266" data-original-width="2450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQhpqArbzOT-wIMNs5I1KlU367qzItxX7na07MdTHluKNICok6if0sYy0B0YsGPAK9VFIKb8GlwTd_F4d6vrRZ5Du3yrYssk4T1sSDwvEXhr_evHeN7mgV7V01lmRPIpt_pJcNHTlTIZ-ciX-NTgcR2t9ED_EQKpYo_M96Tc1qojTHlx_bE_k_hOzwg/w300-h400/7CEF8E02-70CF-426C-8C87-B1111BE27247.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Otto spent the weekend there and had a catheter inserted to drain his bladder and then had sub-cutaneous fluids to help flush the rest of the sludge out. He came home on Monday, as dour but cute as ever, and is now on cranberry supplements, twice weekly sub-q fluids, a diet of low calcium veggies, and a brief course of antibiotics in case of infection. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">So what is the moral of this story? If your bunny is acting poorly, don't assume it's GI stasis! So often rabbit people focus on their bunny's poo, but honestly monitoring their pee is just as important. If you notice your bunny is having lots of crystals in her urine (those articles I linked to have some good photos!), seems to be straining to urinate, isn't producing a good amount of urine, has blood in her urine, or generally seems hunchy and unwell please get her to your rabbit-savvy vet ASAP.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">And now, I'm going to go back to my pen and work on the article about my dainty feet. As Mrs. Brighton would say: "BYEEEEEEEE!!!"</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Love, </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);">Cookie</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36);"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-45948721841715645282021-07-13T12:47:00.002-07:002021-07-13T12:51:08.544-07:00Make Sure Your Vet Is "Rabbit Savvy"!<div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDLygL9xQkX7IvYGdIyMr6rf6SBSJOGEBvCUDQVykSa-gNxqSOruxNL6BDSQ3PEp1bWuN6mHhb_B3shVCkKsQVeM38Qn-f7-VHQQ3oXbuOOVO9wS1owaVshvWO5lTfgscWqgg4U_YJERk/s2048/9CED898F-11D2-4409-9F53-126411733DFD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDLygL9xQkX7IvYGdIyMr6rf6SBSJOGEBvCUDQVykSa-gNxqSOruxNL6BDSQ3PEp1bWuN6mHhb_B3shVCkKsQVeM38Qn-f7-VHQQ3oXbuOOVO9wS1owaVshvWO5lTfgscWqgg4U_YJERk/w640-h426/9CED898F-11D2-4409-9F53-126411733DFD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Señor Spaghetti, Minister of Health here, writing another post for Mrs. Brighton about health issues. It's come to my attention that some of you are confused about one of the most important people in your life - your veterinarian! A great rabbit-savvy vet is worth their weight in craisins!</span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">When we refer to a rabbit savvy veterinarian, we mean a vet who has the specialized knowledge it takes to care for rabbits. Most vets have little training with bunnies, and quite honestly ignorance is not bliss for us. I don't want to be melodramatic here, but a vet who doesn't know what they are doing can kill us - literally! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Rabbits are so different from dogs and cats in so many ways. In fact, several bunny vets have told me we are closer to horses! We're herbivores, prey animals, and...we're just built different! We have problems such as GI stasis that you hardly ever see in cats and dogs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">We also can't have many of the medications cats and dogs have. In fact some of their medications are deadly to us! Anesthesia, antibiotics and flea medications are especially problematic. And when it comes to spay and neuter - you really don't want to take a chance with a veterinarian who isn't well-versed in doing surgery on a bunny!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">So how do you find a veterinarian who's rabbit-savvy? May I emphasize that <u style="font-style: italic;">you need to find one now, before you have an emergency!!</u> The time to find a veterinarian is not when your bunny has stopped eating, or has eaten something she shouldn't have. You need to find a vet <i><u>now</u></i> and have a get-acquainted visit and general check up, so they have a record of your bunny if she gets sick. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Here's some tips for checking out vets:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">1. Rabbit groups like The House Rabbit Society have lists of rabbit savvy vets recommended by members. You can find <a href="https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/" target="_blank">the HRS main list here.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">2. Contact your local rabbit rescue group (you can find them by googling rabbit rescue and your location.) Ask who they take their foster bunnies to.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">3. You could call the veterinarian that you take your dog or cat to and ask who they would recommend, but be extremely wary if they say something like "Oh, I can see your rabbit! They aren't that different!" Yes, yes - we are! Very different! You are looking for a referral to a specialist, and if you have a good cat/dog vet they'll know their limits and refer rabbits out.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">4. Check Google for "exotics vets" in your area (yes, bunnies are classified as "exotic pets"), and read the reviews.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Think you've found a good rabbit vet? You still need to interview your candidate(s) to make sure they really do know bunnies. Don't take some one else's word for it - some one else may not care about their bunny as much as you care about yours! Don't just take the closest vet to you, or the cheapest one either. You really want to make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing with bunnies!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Also, please remember, a veterinarian's time is precious - these are really busy people! When you call their office to ask these things make sure it's not a busy time. If it is, ask when you can call back. And don't underestimate the vet techs and front desk people - often they can answer these questions, too. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">So here are some things to ask:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> 1. </span>Does this vet see bunnies as pets, or are they more of a livestock veterinarian? This is an important thing to know, because a vet who sees rabbits in the context of farms, 4H groups, or certain breeders may see them differently. The emphasis may not be on quality of care because many rabbits in these situations are just euthanized if a problem arises. In fact we recently spoke to a breeder who said her "farm vet" recommended euthanizing a bunny for ringworm, and sadly, not knowing any better she took his advice. Ringworm is a pain - but not something to euthanize a bunny for! So please find out your potential vet's perspective on their bunny patients.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> 2. </span>Find out their track record on surgeries, especially spay and neuter. Do they often lose bunnies during surgery? What do they use for anesthesia - injectables (a big no no!) or gas (isoflorane or sevoflorane)? Do they give pain medication after surgery? Do they keep bunnies overnight to make sure they are recovering well?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>3. Here is the biggest question - do they recommend withholding food the night before a surgery? If the answer is yes, you really need to say "thank you so much for your time" and keep looking! Rabbits cannot vomit, and need to keep their intestinal tracts moving, so withholding food before surgery is not necessary and can cause GI issues. Fasting overnight before surgery is truly the hallmark of a vet who doesn't know rabbits!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>4. Other good questions:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span><span> <span> *W</span></span>hat antibiotics would they consider as safe for <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>rabbits (penicillin, unless injected, is a no go. Amoxycillin, clindomycin and lincomycin are also deal breakers!)? </div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> *</span></span>What flea medications would they consider safe (Frontline is NOT safe!)? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> *</span></span>Do they routinely check for parasites like mites and coccidia? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> *</span></span>What would they consider a good diet for bunnies, and do they have a preferred pellet that they would recommend? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> *</span></span>What would they consider a good treatment for GI stasis? Heck, do they even know what GI stasis is?!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> *</span></span>How many bunnies do they see a week? Are bunnies a routine part of the practice? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> <span> *</span></span><span style="font-family: courier;">Do they routinely see bunnies with issues like pasteurella, abcesses and e. cuniculli?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>5. And finally, do they stay up to date? Do they go to conferences and take classes about rabbit health issues? And do they belong to groups like the <a href="https://aemv.org" target="_blank">Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians</a> and the <a href="https://www.avma.org" target="_blank">American Veterinary Medical Association?</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF9B28RqciAbrp1OUJbwf3bQ8GkXfEJhQkPehLmQAkhnpg67VNSMlqwdUwLs5ChODu1fXZcM8FX2_KOI9x00mU5PbY3aahvwcTeI9id8YFUwal9NuLVKAUQZxx_nuCxaiGXrOgDsjtLjY/s2048/C57B9776-8D5A-4E12-9CD4-F7257C6F0C84.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF9B28RqciAbrp1OUJbwf3bQ8GkXfEJhQkPehLmQAkhnpg67VNSMlqwdUwLs5ChODu1fXZcM8FX2_KOI9x00mU5PbY3aahvwcTeI9id8YFUwal9NuLVKAUQZxx_nuCxaiGXrOgDsjtLjY/w640-h480/C57B9776-8D5A-4E12-9CD4-F7257C6F0C84.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">We love that our veterinarian has this bunny dental poster in her exam room! It makes it easy for her to explain our dental issues to her patient's people!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Something to think about: Many times we hear people who don't have much money say they don't want to go to the vet because of the expense. We know vets can be expensive, but there is a reason for that, and that reason is that the training they have, and must continue to update, plus the cost of actually running a vet clinic are <u><i>not</i></u> cheap. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">If your bunny is sick - please, go to a rabbit savvy vet! Don't ask the lady down the street who has bunnies what she would do, don't call a rescue and ask what they would recommend, don't try and cut costs by putting off treatment until it's too late! We can't emphasize this enough - if your bunny is sick, go to your vet!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">If you think money may be an issue, start saving up now. We recommend to our adopters that they have $500 in a savings account for emergencies. If you put even a few dollars away each month it will add up, and you'll have peace of mind knowing you can take care of your friend if problems arise.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">There is health insurance for bunnies but we've heard mixed reviews on how good it is and how much it covers. The general consensus seems to be that it is just as effective to have a savings account, but if you think it might be helpful it's worth investigating.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Ok, I'm going to end here - there's some tasty parsley next to my water dish and my litter box is calling! I hope this information helps - do you have any questions about finding a vet? You can leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Love, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Señor Spaghetti</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Minister of Health, Huntsville Friends of Rabbits</span></div><div><br /></div>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-36559221947333626482021-06-29T14:26:00.001-07:002021-06-30T09:35:16.700-07:00Is It Time You Got Speutered?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7TUuWEHnBxUfiO_jzj9zEW3wuFR2Um31pqPKJSbvIqy64wCtkZ6PgwO2uZCVFJvXde6qSfjZ4CNKGOyEeH_I9YNEtIGuCevs5ZONLqn_eEQBbK1aK_qM8_FghC9PIY81wwOF_lnxkfQz/s576/693721D7-A5FA-40BD-84FE-EA0DA020FE67_1_105_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7TUuWEHnBxUfiO_jzj9zEW3wuFR2Um31pqPKJSbvIqy64wCtkZ6PgwO2uZCVFJvXde6qSfjZ4CNKGOyEeH_I9YNEtIGuCevs5ZONLqn_eEQBbK1aK_qM8_FghC9PIY81wwOF_lnxkfQz/w640-h426/693721D7-A5FA-40BD-84FE-EA0DA020FE67_1_105_c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Hi there! I'm Señor Spaghetti! I'm one of the sanctuary bunnies here at HFR. Mrs. Brighton's off polishing her tiaras, so I decided to take over her blog for this month and talk to you about your bunny's health. We're going to start with speutering - that's short for spaying and neutering!</span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">You see, I know some of you got yourself a cute little baby bunny at Easter and now that little cutie is starting to act more like a Tasmanian Devil. In fact, this is the time of year that rabbit rescues dread - when the cute little babies become hormonal nut jobs and their people decide to dump them. Please don't dump your bunny - I have the solution: speutering!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Let's talk about this, shall we? Here are a few reasons that spaying or neutering is a good thing to do:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">1. Not fond of your Tasmanian Devil? Most of the behaviors that are driving you crazy (lunging, spraying, not using the litter box, mounting your feet, biting, etc, etc, etc) are the result of bunny hormones. What's the answer? Get rid of the hormones! It can take a few weeks, but after speutering the hormones will dissipate and your little fluff ball will be much better behaved.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">2. The C-word. Sadly, unspeutered bunnies are <u>very</u> prone to reproductive cancers. Not spaying or neutering is almost like inviting cancer into your bunny's life. Seriously.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">3. We're less stinky! That litter box smell? So much better after speutering!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">4. No, we won't get fat and lazy! Plus we'll be a whole lot calmer, and can focus on playing with you instead of looking for a mate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">5. Bunnies are very social, and speutering makes it easier for you to have two (or more!) Unspeutered rabbits tend to want to guard their territory and will fight - even if they are siblings. If your bunnies are male and female, they'll reproduce. You may not see this as a problem, but please think about this: rabbits are the third most often euthanized animals at shelters across the country! By letting your bunnies have bunnies, you are contributing to this serious problem.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Please don't think you can just get one of your pair done. Nope. It doesn't work that way. The intact bunny will still act out their hormonal behaviors, and fighting is still a strong possibility. Plus if you get your male neutered and leave your female unspayed, he is still able to father baby bunnies for several months after surgery. You could still wind up with a litter of bouncing baby bunnies!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">6. You may think getting your rabbit speutered isn't "natural". Well, no, it isn't - but neither is keeping a rabbit as a pet either. Remember that we've only been domesticated a few hundred years, and we have many of our wild behaviors still. Getting us spayed/neutered is definitely a good way of helping us adjust to this "unnatural" situation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">7. If you do let your rabbits reproduce, things tend to get out of control fast. This is where I need to tell you my story!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">This is me and my siblings when we were just three days old:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigBRYqYW5XbU5YG6Nhyzgl_M1MD8iRjgHWZy536Z_EbyDlKPRwkNvDlo5KyPd0JtEP-hANaVjHiu6BUYsmfOYbPyMo68sMXjietV2iPQLtu3KshKX66nDg81p-XzntH0V0xn1-fE53DoU/s2048/4725FEA8-4C3A-47F0-8A8C-117E10292142.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigBRYqYW5XbU5YG6Nhyzgl_M1MD8iRjgHWZy536Z_EbyDlKPRwkNvDlo5KyPd0JtEP-hANaVjHiu6BUYsmfOYbPyMo68sMXjietV2iPQLtu3KshKX66nDg81p-XzntH0V0xn1-fE53DoU/w400-h400/4725FEA8-4C3A-47F0-8A8C-117E10292142.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgCLw_g31debrIHjcrUDczMPzD3zVGglADxBBI9f2R1PV-q9jYp_LsohYGXqWL28fGrEISav8VqtY-ET4aOf2VFk7tRc57GjaxrV9bXF9rd1KmW0rbNofoQxUXjdEwzDV_o8fsE1wVp3g/s2048/E8FB773E-67C0-4249-B23B-2950FA4D8618_1_101_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgCLw_g31debrIHjcrUDczMPzD3zVGglADxBBI9f2R1PV-q9jYp_LsohYGXqWL28fGrEISav8VqtY-ET4aOf2VFk7tRc57GjaxrV9bXF9rd1KmW0rbNofoQxUXjdEwzDV_o8fsE1wVp3g/w400-h400/E8FB773E-67C0-4249-B23B-2950FA4D8618_1_101_a.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">I know, we're adorable! Don't you want to kiss us?<br /><br />Our original person got our parents from someone who raised rabbits for meat, and occasionally sold them as pets. He swore to my parents' person that even though my parents were only 6 weeks old he could tell their sex, and they were both girls. Absolutely, positively two girls. </span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">A couple of months later, one of the two "girls" gave birth to three adorable babies! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Lesson #1: It's very hard to sex young rabbits. Very, very hard!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Lesson #2: Rabbits can get pregnant as early as three months old!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Our person was wonderful, but didn't know much about bunnies and didn't realize she needed to separate my parents immediately. She didn't figure that out until a couple of days later, but by then it was too late. About a month after the first litter, my mom had eleven more babies!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Lesson #3: Rabbits can get pregnant the day they give birth, and their gestation period is only about 30 days. And bunny litters can be large - lots and lots of babies!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">My secretary has seen situations where two bunnies turned into 60 or 70 in less than four months. It's crazy, right?! In my case, my parents were lucky, because our person knew she was in over her head. She got help from my secretary's rescue and we all got speutered before any more babies happened!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">The costs of taking care of 14 babies and two parents were over $4000 - money that the rescue had to raise because our person couldn't afford it. Plus, since we were New Zealands, very few people wanted to adopt us, and five years later three of us are still here in sanctuary. My secretary says we were worth it, but still - if you have the chance to get your bunny taken care of, why bring extra bunnies into the world? Especially when there are some real benefits to spay and neuter!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">I feel like I'm the poster child for why you should get your bunny speutered! Have I convinced you? I hope so! I know bunny people have lots of concerns about their rabbit having surgery, so that's why my next posts are going to be on how to find a great rabbit-savvy vet, and aftercare for spay/neuter surgery. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Want more information on spay and neuter? Here's some great links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">*The wonderful Dana Krempels wrote <a href="http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html" target="_blank">this piece</a> on spay and neuter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">*The Rabbit Welfare Association has <a href="https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/medical/neutering/" target="_blank">a good article here.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">*We love Best Friends Animal Sanctuary! <a href="https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/rabbit-neutering-or-spaying" target="_blank">Here's their article.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Until next time!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Señor Spaghetti, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Huntsville Friends of Rabbits Minister of Health</span></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-40633425499936803022021-06-04T11:51:00.001-07:002021-06-04T11:51:59.536-07:00What's Bugging Your Bunny?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgimMruyQLYd4sOLh6UvA95Qh_hyphenhyphenpX5-x5CmgndpXpkATuiIUuf38YvUaGUcwZg5DvZTxpGpDnykEXJl64aWwSur4sc92_mFeTP4eUwM2ZL2Xtz2xWubX0LGP4LOaFq5I6mvdLSNdTNoZ/s2048/E58EAA86-3BD1-42C1-B0D2-E35AE17139D7_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgimMruyQLYd4sOLh6UvA95Qh_hyphenhyphenpX5-x5CmgndpXpkATuiIUuf38YvUaGUcwZg5DvZTxpGpDnykEXJl64aWwSur4sc92_mFeTP4eUwM2ZL2Xtz2xWubX0LGP4LOaFq5I6mvdLSNdTNoZ/w640-h640/E58EAA86-3BD1-42C1-B0D2-E35AE17139D7_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Summer's here and the time is right for....parasites!! Brace yourselves, because today your friendly neighborhood Education Bunny is going to show you some disgusting characters who want to make a meal of your sweet little fur baby!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Seriously, brace yourself. This is disgusting!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">First - some dandruff you won't need Head And Shoulders for! What prompted this post is that one of my friends, Alanis, got "Walking Dandruff". Our vet noticed it on her last check up. </span><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">Here's a picture of what "Walking Dandruff" looks like:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWzcFAnGqNvCdqt2LGay3QLJzwym3Yu3L3pLYflr7x1DM7zKPteO6wkOJM94MZ2JKwXyfws2aVCTP8ewQfQ9FgzxaCPEOeK9MmUH5SywI8CyZ0B1HYAzDzlmOF8wuWDgXF59pXoaGCKtn/s2048/96AFEAEC-1611-4672-BBC3-6C9ED46F1621_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWzcFAnGqNvCdqt2LGay3QLJzwym3Yu3L3pLYflr7x1DM7zKPteO6wkOJM94MZ2JKwXyfws2aVCTP8ewQfQ9FgzxaCPEOeK9MmUH5SywI8CyZ0B1HYAzDzlmOF8wuWDgXF59pXoaGCKtn/w400-h300/96AFEAEC-1611-4672-BBC3-6C9ED46F1621_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">No, it isn't really dandruff. It's a mite called Cheyletiellosis. It looks like dandruff at first glance, so you might think your bunny just has dry skin. But under the microscope it looks like this:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iyDT25jr1oXtQj85AsMOr-tSskTC0asmEfasohWtuLhMj2dm4EtXBYgqRo2l3ArDiwGL0iMzJO5DsJxgr9-zjnLP86FarbU3-AKKnm33f9vS1w4ts8p7t-q3gQjLeSc36qtHL1WmVJRk/s677/6DC46C98-90BF-4632-A3BE-FA16DBB2FAB8_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iyDT25jr1oXtQj85AsMOr-tSskTC0asmEfasohWtuLhMj2dm4EtXBYgqRo2l3ArDiwGL0iMzJO5DsJxgr9-zjnLP86FarbU3-AKKnm33f9vS1w4ts8p7t-q3gQjLeSc36qtHL1WmVJRk/w379-h400/6DC46C98-90BF-4632-A3BE-FA16DBB2FAB8_1_201_a.jpeg" width="379" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Our vet gave Alanis medication and she's fine. But how did she get them? And what do you look for when checking your own bunny? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Mites live in the environment, so they can get tracked in on your shoes, on hay, with other animals in your home. They tend to dig in and multiply on very young or older bunnies who aren't able to groom as well. Alanis is quite arthritic, so she just couldn't get to the area between her shoulder blades where these guys like to hang out. So when you check your bunny, make sure you look between her shoulder blades - it's prime real estate for parasites!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Want to know what's even more disgusting than "Walking Dandruff"? Ear mites!! Also known as "bloody cornflakes" - EWWWWWWW!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Warning: This next picture is of a sweet foster bunny named Buttons, who was rescued after someone dumped him in the woods. He was very infested when he came to us, but don't worry - he got better, got adopted and had a fabulous happy ever after!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">We'll make this picture small so it isn't totally in your face. This is why I told you to brace yourself:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl9RgPv9CK26oMbqfG8Udex5pEDJyD5cMoMmzgeV089YbA7ik8twQoHuznDdUPnBd4kBx4eqcL6ZcD9RlOMgPfgObczrumz8TTzQigE0tphyphenhyphenNq45EeeIBRrIDIKQFHAO_KbZN8gaFIObv/s640/A4D0BAF2-2CFD-402F-82BA-96CFC358FEA6_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="478" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl9RgPv9CK26oMbqfG8Udex5pEDJyD5cMoMmzgeV089YbA7ik8twQoHuznDdUPnBd4kBx4eqcL6ZcD9RlOMgPfgObczrumz8TTzQigE0tphyphenhyphenNq45EeeIBRrIDIKQFHAO_KbZN8gaFIObv/w299-h400/A4D0BAF2-2CFD-402F-82BA-96CFC358FEA6_1_201_a.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">You can find the best article about ear mites <a href="https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1185/" target="_blank">here</a>. Please ignore the treatment section of this article, and instead go to your veterinarian. She can give you the latest treatments and the proper doses. Also, in our experience the crustiness doesn't take 10-14 days to come off. It usually starts to fall off the next day, and just a couple of days later it's miraculously gone!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Here's Buttons all fixed up and ear mite free! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTDIv4Sn35Q6Czsf4ugcwbQ-S7VyXV-TQhyphenhyphenBbCgBgLfHP4PaJf7jsDidaRPOY8XD-aGlwATyETuxp-AEge7p1kKhKjqWDPH7q0NsVW4-e62AGWC7vc_mQxDw67J2xpthPAJRZtihmwcjP/s1796/5D80C6B8-5990-4AA1-978F-E96FEFAFABA7_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="1796" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTDIv4Sn35Q6Czsf4ugcwbQ-S7VyXV-TQhyphenhyphenBbCgBgLfHP4PaJf7jsDidaRPOY8XD-aGlwATyETuxp-AEge7p1kKhKjqWDPH7q0NsVW4-e62AGWC7vc_mQxDw67J2xpthPAJRZtihmwcjP/w640-h560/5D80C6B8-5990-4AA1-978F-E96FEFAFABA7_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Finally, we're going to talk about my friend here, Fanny Flea. Fanny was a promotion for a flea medication, but her living counterparts can make your rabbit miserable.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LQjxwQ44bM5fT9GhwjK7zaIp9GR9Zuqv_gbv9K3le5iFC6VxeJt_ehBQ1QjpOG_RLxTzjFH8B1hbANajEF4ooApWInn-44iAasQqkXRmda1PhsWZHI3hlaYL_WMjnAH-9LwQBjnXvx9S/s2048/ED292592-4D33-4413-BF25-CB8EBA3CF010.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LQjxwQ44bM5fT9GhwjK7zaIp9GR9Zuqv_gbv9K3le5iFC6VxeJt_ehBQ1QjpOG_RLxTzjFH8B1hbANajEF4ooApWInn-44iAasQqkXRmda1PhsWZHI3hlaYL_WMjnAH-9LwQBjnXvx9S/w640-h480/ED292592-4D33-4413-BF25-CB8EBA3CF010.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">Rabbits get fleas just like other animals. Again, look between your bunny's shoulder blades, and also around her tail and lower back. You may not see the actual fleas, but there could be "flea dirt" (aka: flea poop!) which looks like small specks of dirt that disintegrate into bloody red when they get wet. I know - it's GROSS! You might also notice tiny clear specks, which are flea eggs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">Fleas are very treatable. They can be combed off using a flea comb, but probably the best thing to do is ask your veterinarian for medication. Please do <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><u>NOT</u></b> </span>give your bunny any medication that is meant for a cat or dog, without checking with your rabbit-savvy vet! Especially not Frontline, which can be fatal to rabbits. Check with your vet! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">No matter what kind of parasites your bunny has -<b><u><span style="color: #cc0000;"> DO NOT GIVE HER A BATH!! </span></u></b>This is so important - do not ever give bath your bunny! Rabbits are prone to hypothermia, and we personally know someone who lost their bunny this way. DON'T DO IT! Go to your vet and get the proper treatment which will break the parasite's life cycle, and then give your house a good cleaning. You can defeat these tiny things!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">And if you find any bugs, don't feel like you are dirty or that you did something wrong. Parasites are in the environment, they're everywhere. It's one of the reasons we recommend rabbits be kept indoors - they are much more likely to get bugs if they live outside. So keep your bunny indoors and check her frequently.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">I hope you enjoyed this post! Maybe enjoy isn't the right word. Now go check your bunny for bugs! Look between her shoulder blades and in her ears! You got this!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">Byeeeee! Love,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKEOvBxeV89IlFJjTFfbRyAwsGn95JIsQwOc0HR4si_Rh4sUKoKu4ImdvPNrXxGAFDVvL3W-tcxMMy-Iy7IPm7Yu9okKev2VaXGYnORIlCj7G_7r95TWRQ6KTZJEl-9a4JozywOe8eK3T/s2048/1CD5A63D-B248-4105-A6C9-C15C103F2A7B_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKEOvBxeV89IlFJjTFfbRyAwsGn95JIsQwOc0HR4si_Rh4sUKoKu4ImdvPNrXxGAFDVvL3W-tcxMMy-Iy7IPm7Yu9okKev2VaXGYnORIlCj7G_7r95TWRQ6KTZJEl-9a4JozywOe8eK3T/w640-h640/1CD5A63D-B248-4105-A6C9-C15C103F2A7B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-74485584877119105942021-05-19T08:30:00.033-07:002021-05-19T10:47:00.913-07:00Part Two: Bunny Language - Unhappy Behaviors <p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif27jyR4DX-6qwLPlVrq8g2H5540ITv-EyDbRQYQ99ChsgHpD7ayFdfaOerOQCk80kqeb3mhWO3mksaLf9yP6nvIUiCE8nol8HDZH62uxD7cY8szd9WsbnL2I1WFDmSYIeWw6-3Nq8a5Sp/s2048/7B7293C8-327A-428F-A1E0-EBD69253CA7E_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif27jyR4DX-6qwLPlVrq8g2H5540ITv-EyDbRQYQ99ChsgHpD7ayFdfaOerOQCk80kqeb3mhWO3mksaLf9yP6nvIUiCE8nol8HDZH62uxD7cY8szd9WsbnL2I1WFDmSYIeWw6-3Nq8a5Sp/w640-h640/7B7293C8-327A-428F-A1E0-EBD69253CA7E_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello Everybunny! Here I am again with my little book on Bunny Behavior!** This week I'm going to talk about Unhappy Bunny Behaviors - things your bunny might do to tell you she is unhappy, fearful or just plain hopping mad! Ready? Let's jump right in!</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Thumping:</b> This is the number one sign of an unhappy bunny! Remember that rabbits haven't been domesticated for very long, and in the wild thumping with their hind feet is meant to signal other rabbits that danger is near. Because their back feet are so powerful these thumps can be heard over quite a distance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Domestic bunnies still use thumping as a means of signaling danger, but they also use it to communicate anger or sometimes just to get attention. My companion, Spooky, used to thump at 3 am to try and get my secretary to play with him - he learned she would fuss over him if he thumped! If your bunny is thumping you need to investigate, no matter what the reason is. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are also rabbits we call "weather bunnies". They are very sensitive to changes in air pressure, particularly ones associated with tornadic air systems which we have a few times a year here in the Southeast. We've had several bunnies here at the Sanctuary House who would start thumping even before the tornado sirens went off. If you have a "weather bunny" please be sensitive to how stressful these events can be for them!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Boxing:</b> Has your bunny ever jumped up on her hind feet and boxed at you?! Your bunny has either just had it with your behavior, or...you touched her blind spot! Rabbit's eyes are on the sides of their head so that they get a great panoramic view and can see predators coming from all angles. This is great, except that it gives them a blind spot right at the end of their nose. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you ever see two rabbits in a territory tussle, you'll notice they try to bite each other's noses to take advantage of this blind spot. So if you accidentally touch the end of your bunny's nose you better brace yourself - you'll probably get boxed!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Nipping:</b> Bunnies don't nip or bite because they're mean, but instead because there is something they're trying to communicate and they can't do it any other way. Nipping can mean "Put me down", "Stop brushing me", "Please move", or "Don't touch me like that". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Something that often helps with nipping behaviors is to make a very short, high pitched squealing noise. This mimics the rabbit's distress call and lets her know you've been hurt. In the future though, try to avoid doing those things that prompt your bunny to nip. Remember, she's trying to tell you something and you really ought to listen!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bp35-xd0xGZYwyW6Uqv2SEj4csZO1K-QG-OPStCr2EimVxKmKFOUkMuNQxBneasTgh4Bcz5uyT2PtwcZrQd5aYLPr7kfUDVEQbxBfEcxiNXgHe0vFFkwgNgiYqBTSIMYAUGJeMx0SB88/s2048/9F7BF524-6FC7-4E93-8D9D-C12F58AD85B9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1756" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bp35-xd0xGZYwyW6Uqv2SEj4csZO1K-QG-OPStCr2EimVxKmKFOUkMuNQxBneasTgh4Bcz5uyT2PtwcZrQd5aYLPr7kfUDVEQbxBfEcxiNXgHe0vFFkwgNgiYqBTSIMYAUGJeMx0SB88/w548-h640/9F7BF524-6FC7-4E93-8D9D-C12F58AD85B9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="548" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hmmm....this bunny looks like my friend, Slinky!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial;">Lunging: </b><span style="font-family: arial;">Rabbits tend to use lunging as a way to protect their territory or really emphasize that they don't like what you're up to. It's often seen when you're cleaning your rabbit's pen. Some bunnies have their stuff arranged just so, and how dare you come and clean it up?! Back off, Jack! </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Lunging can also be associated with cage possessiveness, which tends to happen when a bunny is in too small an enclosure. I'm going to talk about housing in a few weeks but if your bunny does a lot of lunging, please make sure she's in a roomy pen and not a small cage!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And finally...lunging behaviors can be hormonal! Has your bunny been spayed/neutered? We'll be talking about that next week!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Ears Back: </b>You can tell so much about a bunny from her ears! Ears back and an overall tense affect means your rabbit is unhappy about something, and you need to figure out what it is. Is she feeling afraid? Threatened? Angry? Is there another animal around that she feels threatened by?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Foot Flick: </b>(I've also heard this called "The Bunny Finger", but we're trying to be family-friendly here!) Have you ever been interacting with your bunny and she turns around and scampers off, but as she's leaving she kind of flicks her back feet at you? She finds you a tiny bit annoying, or maybe she's just being a little sassy! </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It's not that big a deal, but do try to be a better Bun Servant in the future, ok?!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOwP7l1eFYu7lNbi4dXTFiSPaqwUT2hkQWc3_gTX4ZB68Whu9fDL7tLFqqDu-DaxVO_el-vbGAOziXVbcl1tvcCYCklLMF22gQEIBXUSuaphMVMFrJ90FO8J0eun-zQPW_4AMC-HkC6ou/s2048/3E21FA9B-1CDE-4A10-B1ED-63BED23463D3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2044" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOwP7l1eFYu7lNbi4dXTFiSPaqwUT2hkQWc3_gTX4ZB68Whu9fDL7tLFqqDu-DaxVO_el-vbGAOziXVbcl1tvcCYCklLMF22gQEIBXUSuaphMVMFrJ90FO8J0eun-zQPW_4AMC-HkC6ou/w638-h640/3E21FA9B-1CDE-4A10-B1ED-63BED23463D3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="638" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Looks like it's time to close the book on this little intro to Unhappy Bunny Language! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Of course, this is just skimming the surface of this fascinating subject! In the next few weeks we'll dip into hormonal behaviors when we talk about spay and neuter issues, and sick bunny behaviors when we talk about why you need to find a rabbit-savvy veterinarian. In the mean time, if you want to delve further into communicating with your rabbit, I recommend these very good articles </span><a href="http://rabbitwise.org/behavior.html" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;" target="_blank">from Rabbitwise</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><a href="http://language.rabbitspeak.com" target="_blank">From Rabbitspeak</a> !! Some great information - go read them right now!!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Byeeeeee for now!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Love, Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">**And again, if you like my fun little Bunny Behavior book by artist Lyndsey Green, you can find it at her store -<a href="http://www.lyndseygreen.co.uk/shop" target="_blank"> check it out here!</a></span></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-78314753886421782252021-05-12T11:51:00.005-07:002021-05-12T13:55:49.344-07:00Do You Speak Rabbit?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho42F1JEPEU3nZT1BwnaQTQg0pZ93EMJuj7zhKPK1ctLeqU1WH0-ohN72QP0hpiBtiuDhTCyNGvPVKvSYMG3mdV2WUtmzX-gQURNdMUmOkDNJKOX8BLBj19V6Y8DIBzFEgcql_PIWQM44I/s2048/E237C3A5-625C-46FC-917F-EDFE67165E09_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho42F1JEPEU3nZT1BwnaQTQg0pZ93EMJuj7zhKPK1ctLeqU1WH0-ohN72QP0hpiBtiuDhTCyNGvPVKvSYMG3mdV2WUtmzX-gQURNdMUmOkDNJKOX8BLBj19V6Y8DIBzFEgcql_PIWQM44I/w640-h640/E237C3A5-625C-46FC-917F-EDFE67165E09_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out this adorable little book by Lyndsey Green! Here's a <a href="http://www.lyndseygreen.co.uk/shop" target="_blank">link to her store</a> - go look at her awesome rabbit art!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My secretary has been studying French for about a year now. I'm quite confused about this. She's already fluent in Rabbit, so why on earth would she want to learn another human language? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What's that you say? You aren't fluent in Rabbit? In fact, you don't have a clue what your rabbit is trying to tell you? Well, my goodness, we need to give you a crash course in Beginner Bunny!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bear in mind this is just the Beginner level. I'm going to do this in two parts - Happy Behaviors and Unhappy Behaviors - and I'll post some great links to more advanced courses at the end of Part Two. There is so much to learn!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So the first thing we're going to do is give you a history lesson. What many people don't realize is that, while dogs and cats have been domesticated for a hundred zillion years**, rabbits have only been domestic animals for 500-600 years. That isn't very long! We are descended from European wild rabbits, and some of the first domesticated rabbits were bred as lap pets for Dutch royalty. (So you can call me "Countess Kitty"!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">European rabbits are very different from American wild rabbits, who are solitary and nest in shallow holes. European bunnies live in large family groups called "warrens" and dig incredible networks of tunnels under the ground, where they live with their extended family groups. They have complex friendships and bond for life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So what does this mean for you, as you are trying to learn our language? It means that we still have many of our wild instincts and behaviors, and many of those behaviors stem from being a prey animal in the outdoors. It's amazing that we've adapted to living with people so well, when our instincts are to run away from anyone bigger than we are!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The second thing you need to understand is that rabbits don't vocalize hardly at all. As prey animals, we know that if we get noisy we could attract predators. So we communicate through body language. Think of it as sign language, but instead of just hands, we use our whole bodies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Of course, there's always an exception - that bunny who just can't shut up! Check out my friend Bee, or as we call him "Grunty Gus"! I think this grunting can safely be interpreted as "Don't mess with me while I'm eating!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='478' height='398' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyZBfectvk3A0Jgs4kpc0vRSp_20hT0bJqm1g5MY_dFHrjEg_y8Dy-_-Zl1Xai7IEXnu2-BWi4qu7ve9va6mw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What was my secretary thinking? Can't a big guy eat in peace?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So what are the top behaviors you need to know when learning Beginner Bunny? Let's get into the nitty gritty:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. <b>The Binky!</b> This is hands down the most fun thing your bunny does, and it's a sure sign she's happy. What is a binky? It's crazy leaping in the air, twisting about, shaking our booty, flinging our heads from side to side, and generally acting quite nutty. The first time my secretary saw her first bunny do one, she thought he was having a seizure! We do this when we're incredibly happy. Seriously, what other non-human animal dances with joy?!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Binkies can be combined with The Bunny 500 (running madly around the room) and often end with The DNR Flop (see below). If you live in New England, binkies are referred to as "bees in the head" (as in "That rabbit's got bees in his head!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. <b>The DNR Flop:</b> DNR = Do Not Resuscitate! It's called this because so many bunny people have thought their rabbit was dead when they first saw this behavior. Basically, when rabbits feel safe and relaxed, they flop out on the floor and can be somewhat hard to wake up....so some tense "is he ok?" type moments can ensue. Let's let Bee show you:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ai1Yq2F7FBqGRb_kyjpNJOqydGu1G_QTKePlGWha6zxzgASlz_NGWq2E8mSYDLgUxvethQavHIgt72n8TiW68K8W6ndl9rEO3P3pmkYARNvIogBOTkKIRMycq5vO94MGmAdzKvpaBFbx/s2048/E09FD2FA-8D71-4E4B-9E16-E28F989325FE_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1798" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ai1Yq2F7FBqGRb_kyjpNJOqydGu1G_QTKePlGWha6zxzgASlz_NGWq2E8mSYDLgUxvethQavHIgt72n8TiW68K8W6ndl9rEO3P3pmkYARNvIogBOTkKIRMycq5vO94MGmAdzKvpaBFbx/w562-h640/E09FD2FA-8D71-4E4B-9E16-E28F989325FE_1_201_a.jpeg" width="562" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3. <b>Nose Bonks: </b>You're petting your bunny, and stop for a minute. She bonks you with her nose. She was enjoying her pets, and you stopped, and she'd like you to continue. Nose bonks are a request for more attention, please, or sometimes they're more like "Great job! Good work! Keep going!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">4. <b>Tooth Purring:</b> Not to be confused with loud tooth grinding! Tooth purring is a very light grinding of the teeth, barely audible, and it means your bunny is just....so...happy...and relaxed.....It often happens during long petting sessions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">5. <b>Circling: </b>Essentially a mating behavior, in spayed and neutered bunnies it means "Gosh, I just really like you!" Bunnies often circle their people's feet to show affection, leading to humans developing "the Bunny Shuffle" so as not to trip over their furry friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">6. <b>Presenting: </b>This one is a little hard to explain, but basically your bunny comes to you, and puts her head down on the floor, kind of stretched out towards you. She's basically asking you to groom her. Some bunnies are demanding about this, and if you don't start petting pronto, you can expect some rather pointed nose bonks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">7. <b>Chinning: </b>Rabbits have scent glands under their chins, and they rub things to claim them. Your bunny might even claim you! Think of it as the rabbit equivalent of "Mine!! Mine!! IT'S ALL MINE!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtThdImXL-XZUwpchBCNjwXpu7XcTHh3X8JpT425Tjd1StIiKvTUuEoiZHbsvuboiv3sGjp178Mw1EmCagKpuxytvHZS2bIWrSbDR6p9K_68dTZLk09fcrwN4lrPXWN-6q4pxd8b1NO2f/s2048/DE07375C-8DD2-4D8A-B714-93E527295E49_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtThdImXL-XZUwpchBCNjwXpu7XcTHh3X8JpT425Tjd1StIiKvTUuEoiZHbsvuboiv3sGjp178Mw1EmCagKpuxytvHZS2bIWrSbDR6p9K_68dTZLk09fcrwN4lrPXWN-6q4pxd8b1NO2f/w640-h640/DE07375C-8DD2-4D8A-B714-93E527295E49_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, that's exactly what I look like when I chin things!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is just such a brief introduction! In Part Two I'm going to give you some behaviors that aren't so happy but that you really need to know. And I'm going to put links to some great articles that go into much more detail than I have here. You'll love them - they'll really help you understand your bunny!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And one more thing - if you love my little Bunny Behavior book, you really must check out the artist, Lyndsey Green. She has some incredible bunny art in her shop, which you can find here:<a href="https://lyndsey-green-illustration.myshopify.com">https://lyndsey-green-illustration.myshopify.com</a> Nose </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">bonks to Lyndsey for letting me use her work in this post - I really appreciate it! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Byeeeee! Love,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">** Give or take a few hundred years!</span></div></div><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-5734718117594571922021-05-06T06:00:00.002-07:002021-05-06T07:45:36.176-07:00Tula Appreciation Week - Part Two!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zKprMsAJVrXsUWXx66555dvIE_xScIT1gcHC8tIUkPTGgEPi-2lTj_8M0IeToZvYspjSonV7I7HhDBXThPjxwMk2G2d2id5uYzaIGLVndFOyZ4RsXpzRpkcC7Kc9GYWV_JqyH_xDjZq-/s2048/6EA0D592-E1AC-4252-B822-D5B54D944580.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zKprMsAJVrXsUWXx66555dvIE_xScIT1gcHC8tIUkPTGgEPi-2lTj_8M0IeToZvYspjSonV7I7HhDBXThPjxwMk2G2d2id5uYzaIGLVndFOyZ4RsXpzRpkcC7Kc9GYWV_JqyH_xDjZq-/w640-h640/6EA0D592-E1AC-4252-B822-D5B54D944580.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As you can see, Tula and I have been having a lot of fun!! Now it's time for part two of our interview! As we told you in Part One,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tula works with her people a</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">t </span><span style="text-align: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smallanimalresources" target="_blank">Small Animal Resources</a> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="text-align: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/empoweredanimalsbehaviorandtraining" target="_blank">Empowered Animals Behavior and Training, LLC </a></span><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); white-space: pre-wrap;">to help rabbits with all kinds of behavior issues. In this segment, we're going to get into the real nitty gritty of clicker training! </span></span></span></span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You know a lot about clicker training, and I've noticed that your people work with you using clicker training techniques. Can you tell us a little about why clicker training is so good for bunnies? How does it help form a bond with your people?</span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I DO know a lot about clicker training! I have so much fun doing this with my people! Like most bunnies (although I would consider myself a little exceptional), I am really smart, and I enjoy learning new things. Clicker training helps my human communicate to me EXACTLY when I've earned a treat. When I hear the click, I know I did the right thing and am going to get a treat! My human teaches my behaviors by breaking them down into small steps. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For example, to learn to spin a circle, she first taught me to bend my head, then to spin 1/4 of the way, then 1/2 way, then 3/4, then the full circle. When she breaks it down, it makes it easier for me to go from one step to the next. Clicker training is amazing for building a relationship with your human because it really is all about communication. You have to work really hard to figure out what your human is trying to teach you, and your human has to work hard to figure out what you're thinking and how to help you understand. Your human learns how to keep the training session going by keeping it fun and interesting for you! </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">At the end of the day, treats only get your human so far. Treats are a great way to get us to invest initially in interacting with our human, but team work is a great social activity, and we bunnies are quite social! The teamwork, mental stimulation, and treats all build your bond with your human!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="381" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ox0_VyU7PeQ" width="458" youtube-src-id="Ox0_VyU7PeQ"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Think clicker training is silly? Check out this video about crate training! </div><div style="text-align: center;">You'll never struggle to get your bunny into a carrier again!! </div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" />Clicker training also can help bunnies feel brave! The great thing about positive reinforcement is that your human REINFORCES (increases the frequency of) behaviors that of you try. As you know, we bunnies can be reserved when it comes to trying things out. After all, when our wild ancestors got too bold, they got into trouble! So, we've inherited some of that "bunny street smarts," but, once you start trying new things with your human and getting reinforced for making choices, you realize that we really don't have to worry about anything in our homes. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It encourages us to explore new things, be bolder, feel more comfortable in our homes, and be more adaptable to changes in our environment. Clicker training also helps our humans be creative! If we get into something we aren't supposed to, for example, our humans can use clicker training to get us to come back to a safe spot!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What is your favorite clicker training trick?</span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My favorite trick is the "shell game!" This is one where my human switches around a bunch of overturned cups and wants me to find the one with the leaves on the bottom. She swaps them all around, and I have to put my paws on the right one! I really love this trick because I LOVE using my nose to find things, and that's the secret to winning the shell game!</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='436' height='362' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzV_9nLCLHFZKIRPy9SFnVmVzHduCuwP0qlcFu9V0y3d9XGFG5ZZ9TAykBCx4wp1IJTnNyJBRfPNVZLtj3MPw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is me playing the shell game! Notice how I go back to my "station" in between each round!</span></div><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;">What is your most useful clicker trick (from your human's point of view!)</i></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My human probably would argue that my most useful clicker trick is my hand target. This is where I touch my nose to her palm. We use this behavior for lots of different things: she uses it to get me into a position when we are going to work on nail trims or brushing, when she needs me to face a certain way to set me up to succeed when I'm learning a new trick, to move me away when she spills something (she always does this!), or to help me start to feel comfortable again when I'm unsure. We do this one all of the time!</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='463' height='385' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwTnmJGulmrcl653mlJI0NEdDXZqZHjTU58LWo15ViIptPYjwOqoFi_nP-vrkl4aKwarA5K7yjZiDf6yMFRJA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Here I am doing bar jumps! You can my person's hand cues and that I go back to my "station" in between these jumps as well. I love working with my people!</span></div><div style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold;">People seem to think clicker training takes gigantic amounts of time - does it take a lot of time or can it be done in short sessions?</i></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My human has started to set time limits for our sessions because we both get too excited and try to go for too long, then get a little lost! Usually, our best sessions are just about 1-2 minutes long! We usually train later in the evening, because that's when I like to be awake! This works great for her work schedule because she works all day, I sleep all day, and then we play at night! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It really doesn't take very long, so sometimes, when she's really tired, I cut her some slack and we just do 30 second sessions and work on the essentials. I've scheduled my weekly weigh-in for her Fridays so that we can do that short and easy session for 30 seconds and then we snuggle! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='465' height='386' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyaHlCrfNtYU_Nf4NFpXqcJEw6PKZKI8a3nAmNU23wO8HR9rZSE4pz58Ov8zuhrB1wJR9XvvBxGHm45irW0yg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In the time it takes for you to watch my barrel roll, you and your bunny could have a training session of your own!</span></div></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Wow! One or two minute sessions would be easy for anyone to fit into their schedule! What kinds of bunny problems can you and your people help with?</span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We help with just about everything! My people are really good with bunny "aggression," which we put in quotes because aggression is just a manifestation of fear. My human spent a lot of time watching bunnies in shelters and learned how to work around some really tough cases. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We really work hard to teach people how to figure out what their bunny is afraid of, and then they work with the human to be able to take care of their bunny in a way that the bunny is comfortable with. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We usually start out with identifying the "Relationship Account" which is an exercise to help people see things from their bunny's perspective and figure out how to make deposits! My people also work with litter box issues, unusual behaviors, and cases where people just want to improve their relationship! They also do private coaching for bunnies who want to do more clicker training, and offer group classes by Zoom and Facebook! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">They also work with many different species, including cats, guinea pigs and other small mammals, pigs, fish, and even, recently, with my cousin Bernard, a Bearded Dragon!</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='475' height='395' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUORecMtI37w8VeW9kVlcpD4IlxI7xNIfGWMXqUR8GO8DUptWo5lwKT5sgbTh8wlqR9OF0RkuaPPLSZnpK_Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My people make sure I have lots of fun toys for enrichment, like this awesome ball...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='460' height='383' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdJ3Lj82hZ1j8pFAMLYIj9lXPKQPVRRetVKwHgzApJQil1v5pVugYvpNRsChnxz4eZY-e8SJfIWjONpx29xA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">...and this Trixie Mad Scientist Treat Dispenser!!!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span><br /></span></i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><i>Well, you did a great job helping with my friend Bee, and he was a really tough case! (I'll talk more about Bee in another post!)</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><i>Tula, if someone would like a consult with your people, how do they get in touch?</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our email address is <a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="mailto:empoweredbehaviorandtraining@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">empoweredbehaviorandtraining@gmail.com</a>. We are also on Facebook as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/empoweredanimalsbehaviorandtraining" target="_blank">Empowered Animals Behavior and Training</a> and on Instagram at @empoweredanimals. </span></span><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">We also run <a href="https://www.facebook.com/smallanimalresources/" target="_blank">Small Animal Resources </a>(on FB and Instagram!), which is a free educational resource for people who love bunnies and other small mammals! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">As you know, there is so much misinformation out there regarding small mammal care, and we are so glad to be able to send people to your wonderful blog for quality bunny care info!! Thanks for interviewing me, Mrs. Brighton! I'm so honored! Tell my friend Bee that I say hi!!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><b><i>We sure will, Tula!! This has been a great interview, and I hope we meet up again soon!</i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNTpxAeqLN9RCWEUQemgFLNq2Ta1LhscGMa7yAK_eNNVCw95arzG114a_SjPe78AB80w6fdD1wVTCVjstYobrkxwTxzeGtssRA2njSpOy5arpWXFinUIJCz5ApMQ2-EfXcOhZTpstMPNF/s1079/65D26853-7D96-4709-A8A1-EE8A1FA5B6D6_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1034" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNTpxAeqLN9RCWEUQemgFLNq2Ta1LhscGMa7yAK_eNNVCw95arzG114a_SjPe78AB80w6fdD1wVTCVjstYobrkxwTxzeGtssRA2njSpOy5arpWXFinUIJCz5ApMQ2-EfXcOhZTpstMPNF/w614-h640/65D26853-7D96-4709-A8A1-EE8A1FA5B6D6_1_201_a.jpeg" width="614" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tula was the first bunny to have earned this title!!! <span face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; text-align: left;">These trick titles are awarded by Do More with Your Dog! and are designed for dogs. Tula had to perform 5 tricks that are determined to be of the highest-difficulty level in the program to earn her title. Congratulations, Tula!!</span></span></div></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>If you and your bunny are having "issues", please don't hesitate to give Tula and her people a call! You'll be so happy you did!</i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>Love, Mrs. Kitty Brighton,</i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>Education Bunny</i></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-6436045542966232382021-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:002021-05-04T07:00:00.186-07:00It's Tula Appreciation Week!!! <div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We've declared this to be Tula Appreciation Week!! </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Who is Tula? Why, just the cutest and smartest bunny we know! Tula works with her people at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/smallanimalresources" target="_blank"><div class="nc684nl6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--accent); cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;">Small Animal Resources</div> </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/empoweredanimalsbehaviorandtraining" target="_blank"><div class="nc684nl6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--accent); cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;">Empowered Animals Behavior and Training, LLC</div> </a>to help rabbits with all kinds of behavior issues. This week I'm posting a two part interview with Tula that I think you'll really enjoy. We're talking rabbit-to-rabbit about behavior, clicker training, and what rabbits really want from their people! I hope you enjoy it - we had so much fun! Love, Mrs. Brighton, Education Bunny!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='432' height='359' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx_a2TJ-xefRXClaUciFHirbuhU4EGoyuB6BxEhgDMORnD0QN2JZArFoe-GEgPXROI6vRFaI6IfNrecNBOupA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; white-space: normal;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; white-space: normal;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Every rabbit has a story! Tula, could you tell us your story? Where are you from and how did you find your humans?</span></i></b></div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; white-space: normal;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, my early days were a little fuzzy, but I remember living outside. I used to frequent a garden and help myself to the veggies there. Eventually, a rescue came and rounded me up. It ended up being a good thing, because I was able to give birth to 5 kits in a safe place, but, sadly, they didn't make it. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn't know it at the time, but my human, Emily, had contacted the rescue looking for a bunny that could help her educate people about taking good care of rabbits. She was originally thinking one of my babies could be good at that job, but she wanted to help me get healthy and find a good home by fostering me. I was pretty scared when she picked me up and took me to her house. We were slowly getting to know each other, and she gave me a lot of treats! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After adjusting to the house for a few days, I got to explore outside on a patio a bit. I really loved being back outside, and my human came with me this time. I only knew her for 6 days, but I felt like I could trust her, and I asked her to pet me by lowering my head under her hand. Later, I learned that that had sealed the deal for me-I had found my forever home! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I understand your people are animal behavior consultants. Can you tell me about them and how they help rabbits?</span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, it's not just my people-I do a lot of the work, too! WE work together to help other bunnies! Really, our work is about helping people connect with and communicate with their bunnies. We value both sides of the relationship-the human and the bunny, and my people have combined their skills in those areas! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: #201f1e; font-size: large; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="369" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-0WU4H1G3wU" width="444" youtube-src-id="-0WU4H1G3wU"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30);"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out my YouTube video of how we got ready for my spay surgery! You can do this with your bunny, too!</span></span></div></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My human trains a lot of different animals. She works in a zoo and always comes home smelling like a lot of different animals: birds, tigers, gibbons, and, mostly, orangutans! Those are smells I never thought I'd encounter! She used to work a lot with dogs, too, but, to be honest, I'm really glad she doesn't anymore - I don't mind the smells of other animals, but I DON'T like dogs at all! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My human's sister has a Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, which is the science of behavior. She helps human parents and teachers be more effective at teaching kids by using behavior science. I have a cousin named Hank who lives with her. He is a pig, and he works with us, too! Many people have misconceptions about pigs, just like they do with bunnies, so he helps us teach people how to take good care of pigs! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My humans use something called "Zoom" to talk to other bunny parents who need help connecting with their bunnies. They ask them about what their goals are for their bunnies, and they work on helping them communicate those goals to the bunnies. They do that with positive reinforcement training, which us bunnies really love! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most of the time, the behaviors that are a "problem" for humans are not a problem to us bunnies at all! We love to dig, chew, and burrow, and treats are a great way to encourage us to do what the humans would like instead. It's a fair compromise, right? </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My main job is demonstrating for people how smart bunnies are, and how we definitely enjoy and prefer when our humans give us choices and empower us. Many people don't understand how to build trust with bunnies, and my human takes a lot of video of me talking to her with my body language, then she explains what I'm trying to say, and we share that so other people can learn what their bunnies are trying to tell them!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='428' height='356' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaL4zyi5oqQ4re1DlcIU62q9fSqZhFbk8B14a_R5sofkla5NE2r_GoZ64go7zYwRpgnGYtW7yGwf12n1x6OA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">This video is of us building our friendship. Notice how Emily is just sitting with me and giving me treats when I approach! See how happy I am?! At about 46 seconds in I'm chinning her feet, and at the end of the video I'm doing some sky high binkies. (Warning: Cuteness Alert!) This is the start of a great relationship!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You and your people have a great relationship! It's really enviable! Can you tell us how this came about?</span></i></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I love my people a lot!! I think that the basis of our good relationship has to do with the fact that my human really gives me the ability to choose what I want to do all of the time. If she wants me to do something, she always offers me a reward for doing that, and she always tries to make it a positive experience for me. She pays attention to me when I get a bit nervous, and she pauses with whatever is worrying me and helps me feel more comfortable with it. Usually, it ends up being no big deal! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: #201f1e; font-size: large; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><br /></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When I first came home, she gave me some space to calm down, and she offered me a treat any time she came by me. I learned to perk up when she came around very quickly!! She slowly gave me more space, and I realized that she was still going to give me treats, and that it was safe to be around her. Gradually, we began to learn things together. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='433' height='360' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhL8YaLDZIZSQ1s-6lzwtM62nPIlYvXOT4Ak_2FH_SJSr3QGofwuMv1-hy0yLaDaUVQMTWQh7cZplPI0Ut7g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">This was my first day home! Emily was feeding me through a barrier, which helped me feel safe</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our clicker training time is my favorite: I know a lot of things! It's great because I get treats, but also because we work together to figure out how to communicate and work towards a goal. I'm pretty smart, so it's really fun for me to try to figure out what she's trying to teach me!</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What do most people do wrong when trying to make friends with a bunny?</span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></i></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are really two answers that we see on this one: The first is that many people have misunderstandings about what bunnies like. We typically don't enjoy being picked up or held. There are some exceptions, but they are just that: exceptions! Most of us have, unfortunately, learned that being touched by hands often leads to being picked up, grabbed, or restrained in some way, so they make us nervous. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: black;"><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We also take a while to warm up, and don't necessarily want to be touched right away. </span></span><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">Sometimes, bunnies need to be trained to learn that petting is okay. That training can take some time, but that's because trust takes a while to build! </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The second big mistake people make often happens when they try to move too quickly in the relationship. Often, people take the good advice of just sitting with their bunny and reading or otherwise ignoring them so that they can come up in their own time. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: #201f1e; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: #201f1e; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='406' height='337' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxi6infdTKJBgFSERTsmfblOr7l95fvk3BI75DommVL0NlrZAiYAz7DwoFJ87VI39jCLm4CaJrNn1FgTOzUMw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This was a day or two after I got spayed. You can see Emily is just hanging out with me, not trying to pick me up but just gently patting me. This is the way to make friends! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); clear: both; color: #201f1e; text-align: justify; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; text-align: left;">This is all great, and then when the bunny starts to get close,</span><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; text-align: left;"> the person reaches out to touch them. When a bunny finally decides to come up and check out a person, it's because they are comfortable with what the human is doing in</span><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; text-align: left;"> </span><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; text-align: left;">that moment</i><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; text-align: left;">! When the human suddenly reaches out, the bunny often gets startled and leaves! </span></span></div></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">The rabbit approaches when the human is in a comfortable position for the rabbit, and if the human changes their position (especially suddenly and when the bunny has decided to get closer), it often</span><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> </span><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">punishes</i><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> the behavior of coming closer. </span><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">In behavior science terms, punishment means decreasing behavior. That means that if the bunny views that experience as punishing, they are less likely to approach in the future. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The best thing people can do when trying to build a relationship with their bunny is to take a BIG step backwards, sit down in the room or area with them, have treats nearby, and take a good book! For bunnies, relationships begin with safety first. We have to feel safe in order to even take treats, so the best thing the human can do is to create a safe space for a bunny. </span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now that I know a bit about living with people, I know that it can be hard for them to resist touching us! I promise that if you are patient, your bunny will begin to feel safe!</span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>This is some great information for humans about making friends with rabbits! After you've become the best of buddies, your person can go even further by clicker training with you! We're ending Part One of Tula's interview here, but join us for Part Two on Thursday when we'll be talking with Tula about what this involves, and how it can be great for your relationship with your person!</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Want a preview? Check out this awesome video of Tula doing a bar jump!!!</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #201f1e; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='450' height='375' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyjMS3cz6EzwQHn0k27IzvPtmxrX5NwcP3oc2RPh9xvBC9Jueemd9ZlzuZ6d1ow-woQDiDregOPgUr9cuI1tg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #201f1e; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(32, 31, 30); color: #201f1e; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">We love you, Tula!! See you Thursday!!!</span></b></div><b style="font-size: large;"><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-88163610742908665002021-04-27T12:23:00.003-07:002021-04-27T12:23:25.379-07:00Bunny Money!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxCqoMg0AsnCwNvsazY1m8acHJjsA67ti-GauN4X3Scsp3dAGQhn28jfTxbyeqeGjoWCdbEY6UQE8RXZgUuWvwXVFwJWfpmrLCPXiN6T9tmnHxFbXASUeQIFwpyA7B2HJzryDb0docRdZ/s2048/03C3AB95-E429-45CB-837F-913FF6297B99_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxCqoMg0AsnCwNvsazY1m8acHJjsA67ti-GauN4X3Scsp3dAGQhn28jfTxbyeqeGjoWCdbEY6UQE8RXZgUuWvwXVFwJWfpmrLCPXiN6T9tmnHxFbXASUeQIFwpyA7B2HJzryDb0docRdZ/w480-h640/03C3AB95-E429-45CB-837F-913FF6297B99_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You know, to be honest, although I'm an Education Bunny, there's one subject I really know nothing about. And that subject is Money! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My secretary and chauffeur take care of all that, and they often get asked how much a bunny actually costs. People considering getting one of us for a pet want to know how much they can expect to spend on a rabbit's care. This is so fiscally responsible - good job, potential rabbit people!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So I've decided to do some research this week and write a blog post on how much a bunny will cost. I've asked all my human friends how much they spend on their bunnies, and I've been looking up the cost of commonly needed bunny items. It was a lot of work, but now I'm ready to present to you - your Bunny Budget!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Please note, some of these costs will vary - your veterinary costs, food costs if your bunny is big (or just a big eater!). And there are incidental costs that I didn't figure in. For example, we have to change our air filters more often during shedding seasons, and I need special fleece blankets because I have trouble with sores on my feet (it's a Rex thing!). But this will give you a good idea of the basics.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1SOSo77oC7EWyZI6e7mjff-Njvn-D7Vf3ZXFofFGgccuVlEKFaseBD27e0dQ7v4_dEkdMcIgzs1BX6PCmc17e1gMx_QSX8gBOYF96RVJeoB5sVCVSFCfVUmvlR9CzF3WrFZ1eXn_HvZT/s2048/3F58B221-C0AC-42FB-B75D-CB66BA7AD684_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1SOSo77oC7EWyZI6e7mjff-Njvn-D7Vf3ZXFofFGgccuVlEKFaseBD27e0dQ7v4_dEkdMcIgzs1BX6PCmc17e1gMx_QSX8gBOYF96RVJeoB5sVCVSFCfVUmvlR9CzF3WrFZ1eXn_HvZT/w546-h640/3F58B221-C0AC-42FB-B75D-CB66BA7AD684_1_201_a.jpeg" width="546" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First we'll start with the One Time Expenses - the things you need when you first get your bunny:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For Housing: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> <span> 1. Pen: $55. (We like<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OCWML4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank"> this one here.</a>)</span></span></span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 2. Extension for pen: $22 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GXMHR54/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">These are wonderful!</a>)</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 3. Carrier: $20 - $45 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0062JFGM0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">This is my favorite!</a>)</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 4. Litter Box: $10 - $30 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087Y5NKS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">How about this one?</a> Roomy!)</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> 5. Water/Food Dishes/Wobbly Ball: $25 (A wobbly ball is a toy that makes eating pellets fun! You can find one <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B3PH22D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0796TPZW7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1" target="_blank">here!</a> The first one is my favorite!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>So far those costs add up to around $110 to $177. You may decide not to get a pen extender, or you may get a cheaper carrier or litter box. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Now let's talk about one time Veterinary Expenses:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <span> <span> <span> 1. First Time Check Up: $60</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> 2. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Bloodwork: $75 (yes, you need to get baseline bloodwork unless you are adopting from a rescue that has already done this!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> <span> <span> 3. Microchip: $45</span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> <span> <span> 4. Spay/Neuter: $200 - $250 (Please do not skimp on your bunny's spay/neuter with a non-rabbit vet! Please go to a rabbit-savvy vet!!)</span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So these costs are about $380 to $430. So with the housing costs that's about $490 to $607 total.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBwnrLqPJ-3c2EPo5zoDGJK_N_oH-np-15QHFsIUesBQaXcjD0r99Ak65JM8ZIp5h43fLTAyRDdP4w0Bouq6jl_SzJDjucbLdEsExfsoeqJg1VIFb63TNiBrRWO_BaXe9dCeQDFpoz7i2/s2048/0992303F-478A-43A0-970E-A5379428145C_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBwnrLqPJ-3c2EPo5zoDGJK_N_oH-np-15QHFsIUesBQaXcjD0r99Ak65JM8ZIp5h43fLTAyRDdP4w0Bouq6jl_SzJDjucbLdEsExfsoeqJg1VIFb63TNiBrRWO_BaXe9dCeQDFpoz7i2/w557-h640/0992303F-478A-43A0-970E-A5379428145C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="557" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Next there are the Annual Expenses, but these are pretty easy:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span> <span> <span> <span> 1. Annual Vet Check Up: $60</span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> 2. Annual Blood Work (if needed): $75</span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> 3. Bunny Sitter (for when you go on vacation, unless a friend wants to love on your bunny for free!)</span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Please note that younger bunnies might not need blood work, but older bunnies might need more frequent check ups. Also please note that bunnies don't need rabies vaccines, but if you live in an area which has RHDV2, your bunny will definitely need to be vaccinated for that. Vaccine costs vary widely, so please check with your own rabbit savvy vet!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And finally - the real nitty gritty! What are the monthly costs of a bunny?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Most of our bunny friends agreed that they spend around $75 to $100 a month on their bunnies. We broke it down as best we could, but please bear in mind that some of these food costs depend on how big your bunny is and how much she eats. I'm not going to name any names, but we have two French Lops in sanctuary here who eat literally twice as much each as I do. Just sayin'.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>So here are the Monthly Expenses:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 1. Fresh Veggies: $25 - $35</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 2. Hay: $15 - $30</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 3. Pellets: $8 - $12</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 4. Litter: $5 - $12</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 5. Vet Fund: $20 - $50</span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> 6. Toys and Treats: Varies. </span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGf_M6yVQ6BzpwkWITqd2Cpb4STfxevIpM3qXnXOIcelU1AhBZfnpem0LsM1Ern3SsZ9385OPV0WhWI1EfRrdTWmMzPKRXSzxey5fliCAR0eru9G6MF6s3b_ZR8B1oYE7mr7_Pi2jIOfTe/s2048/12A45DA1-4F08-4090-878A-DFB8E41BC627_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGf_M6yVQ6BzpwkWITqd2Cpb4STfxevIpM3qXnXOIcelU1AhBZfnpem0LsM1Ern3SsZ9385OPV0WhWI1EfRrdTWmMzPKRXSzxey5fliCAR0eru9G6MF6s3b_ZR8B1oYE7mr7_Pi2jIOfTe/w480-h640/12A45DA1-4F08-4090-878A-DFB8E41BC627_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Some of these monthly costs can vary, of course, and when I talk about food and litter in future blog posts I can give you some ideas on how to save money. Please don't get cheap food though - honestly, you'll make up for it in future vet costs as a consequence of bad nutrition!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And one expense on this list might make you wonder - why a vet fund? Honestly, this is your most important monthly expense!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>It's safe to say that all bunnies will, at some point, have an unexpected vet expense. GI stasis happens! And so do injuries and illnesses....I could go on and on! Sure you can pay for it with a credit card if you have one, but why not just start saving for the inevitable right now? You'll have some peace of mind - trust me! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Even saving $20 a month will come to $240 in a year. If you can put aside $50 a month - even better! That will be $600 a year, which will be a great start to a vet fund! If your bunny hasn't had vet issues you can always use some of it for her annual check up. I really recommend this!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I think that's it. Did I forget anything? You can let me know in the comments!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Byeeeeeee!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Love, Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny<br /><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-50728233552678652152021-04-21T10:57:00.004-07:002021-04-21T11:06:48.380-07:00It's Earth Day!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X3ag9XnM9OsS1DubL4KEhwYeRpsYeAO7JUnJpcVWDicQvLj6lREHnaAdmjDb5BVL-UbKCLqS5EY__3WhyUm1severicorxvy029cnckwOjnQl-tJ7goSLe3oOozkmKwbfjMNnZfsJeZJ/s2048/68EE03D6-FCB0-4CCE-8EFC-E311EE8602E0_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X3ag9XnM9OsS1DubL4KEhwYeRpsYeAO7JUnJpcVWDicQvLj6lREHnaAdmjDb5BVL-UbKCLqS5EY__3WhyUm1severicorxvy029cnckwOjnQl-tJ7goSLe3oOozkmKwbfjMNnZfsJeZJ/w480-h640/68EE03D6-FCB0-4CCE-8EFC-E311EE8602E0_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's Earth Day, and I'm so excited! When it comes to ecology and being good to the earth, rabbits really shine!</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What makes us such ecological pets? So many things! First of all, we're vegan! That means that we eat only plants. Studies have shown that a vegan diet can have a lighter impact on the planet. You can read an article about that <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/vegan-diet-environmental-carbon-impact" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Not only that, but if you are a gardener, our poop is gold!! Rabbit poop (or "manure" as gardeners say) is full of nutrients, but it isn't as strong as other manures and it breaks down quickly, so there's little risk of burning your plant's roots. You can even use it in houseplants!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">See - here's my secretary's garden! It's full of bunny poop, and just gorgeous!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsO3IDYYwOS9J_SCFdF3HAU4zB7sWLiF3DVsTFGY_DegQYuV_cvY2DAdazHh09jxvGNn9cmjk-wQLosXzpKC4pFwSIkxbrlk6q2MOnAwfvhhUlrJhhNB-1g5c7PBwMgI4YjhtLJVE6r69/s640/D9A092B2-EA96-4A8C-AA17-523E959AB008.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="640" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsO3IDYYwOS9J_SCFdF3HAU4zB7sWLiF3DVsTFGY_DegQYuV_cvY2DAdazHh09jxvGNn9cmjk-wQLosXzpKC4pFwSIkxbrlk6q2MOnAwfvhhUlrJhhNB-1g5c7PBwMgI4YjhtLJVE6r69/w400-h341/D9A092B2-EA96-4A8C-AA17-523E959AB008.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And finally, so many bunny toys can be made out of discarded household items. Your bunny will help you recycle! In fact, to celebrate Earth Day, let's make fun bunny toys out of a paper towel tube.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For this toy you'll need a tube from a roll of paper towels, a small piece of paper and some treats like craisins.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IFYzAl_T7T_2ZGXGhU5UkYLl3pQWHKZmGhMNY9Ztlfq39vaKrM8cSHWwCxUhqb_VZt4BSi9PYVbGQWZrPG7HnJCkRnopLm6qZU2kTAoD918FzELfvoX3SIdlP1WzNIVjqj_fZVOHF6Up/s2048/6F187A60-EE9F-4420-A4DB-C3DC12815509_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IFYzAl_T7T_2ZGXGhU5UkYLl3pQWHKZmGhMNY9Ztlfq39vaKrM8cSHWwCxUhqb_VZt4BSi9PYVbGQWZrPG7HnJCkRnopLm6qZU2kTAoD918FzELfvoX3SIdlP1WzNIVjqj_fZVOHF6Up/w300-h400/6F187A60-EE9F-4420-A4DB-C3DC12815509_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To start, wrap the treats up in your small piece of paper. My secretary used a couple of craisins and some <a href="https://shop.smallpetselect.com/products/belindas-blend" target="_blank">Small Pet Select Belinda's Blend forage mix</a> (I can't resist it!). </span></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxUvCiABfpGd7zHC0q9utg7-BGeg245FApYgE28xpLVyqoC1QiEsZ3P14Fl2SbnZA0l4YkJO9JRBJCBrkuug-33fjkc-A5gZZ_u9AIzJIgwqhWEYZarLPKeji-5d5RnetZZ-OK1_pWMRm/s2048/BB38771D-D5B2-498D-BF61-54EBD3851A4C_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxUvCiABfpGd7zHC0q9utg7-BGeg245FApYgE28xpLVyqoC1QiEsZ3P14Fl2SbnZA0l4YkJO9JRBJCBrkuug-33fjkc-A5gZZ_u9AIzJIgwqhWEYZarLPKeji-5d5RnetZZ-OK1_pWMRm/w300-h400/BB38771D-D5B2-498D-BF61-54EBD3851A4C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a> </div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next, cut the paper towel tube into small circles, about 1/2 inch wide.You'll need about 5 of these circles for each toy.</span></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNir-J7mQWKkINRNIyy1cvg0Hiehk9Fx0v69IDwjMofp1rim_R2PwDo7QDZafEN1jKO8hsVdSmZId2bwX2HNb2wef_TZBxH3PzuILLJIq-FE6gETMjGWGzVoesYYk2lMzsnsNcVfGkfUl_/s2048/D8312B29-0A1F-4639-B217-D66956A66D5E_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNir-J7mQWKkINRNIyy1cvg0Hiehk9Fx0v69IDwjMofp1rim_R2PwDo7QDZafEN1jKO8hsVdSmZId2bwX2HNb2wef_TZBxH3PzuILLJIq-FE6gETMjGWGzVoesYYk2lMzsnsNcVfGkfUl_/w300-h400/D8312B29-0A1F-4639-B217-D66956A66D5E_1_201_a.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Next, put one circle inside the other, and make them kind of kitty corner to each other. Put the paper with the treats in it in the middle. Like this:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHWppy6Y11j5VvYiWdxy1q0pRJyWXaAJP32I-PktAGxcK56DV0Fiimnf_w0MhXkBdzWuL2PQDXpP1A93RtJXQOTPCFimfCnGqXwHEXoggDgOffbig6qwy55E4O6ybh1zXOE9_34XyexIW/s2048/5002F4BD-A2BE-4FB4-B043-0B5770328387_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2041" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHWppy6Y11j5VvYiWdxy1q0pRJyWXaAJP32I-PktAGxcK56DV0Fiimnf_w0MhXkBdzWuL2PQDXpP1A93RtJXQOTPCFimfCnGqXwHEXoggDgOffbig6qwy55E4O6ybh1zXOE9_34XyexIW/w399-h400/5002F4BD-A2BE-4FB4-B043-0B5770328387_1_201_a.jpeg" width="399" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then keep layering the circles until the paper is covered with cardboard circles. About five circles will completely cover the paper, without being too frustrating for you bunny to get to the treats.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJY77YAEPNCJbr0DaPtPzd0aoqzZYXl7W_YWZg5z1NLbiWOcR1Ja44tJWiKNUmoCnOcJLceRibdFmeHwDeOH_0DRdRgjL0oI7RGuVNja8x26Y5UFurCuCykiLlKSuy8tJSM-ZxZI5oB3xJ/s2048/7FF74CE3-F93E-4308-969E-DBA1233826FA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2033" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJY77YAEPNCJbr0DaPtPzd0aoqzZYXl7W_YWZg5z1NLbiWOcR1Ja44tJWiKNUmoCnOcJLceRibdFmeHwDeOH_0DRdRgjL0oI7RGuVNja8x26Y5UFurCuCykiLlKSuy8tJSM-ZxZI5oB3xJ/w398-h400/7FF74CE3-F93E-4308-969E-DBA1233826FA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When it's done, give it to your bunny!! Record a video of her playing with it so all your friends can enjoy watching her have fun!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyR9EzqSmk-J-NeKR0Hg71x9_s06boI0tMpID3VAysYZS7YA55uILoTPIN3mVo0fbGMvBAvP7hTIKrMRM8JPA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Want to know more ways that bunnies are eco-friendly pets? Check out this article from <a href="https://myhouserabbit.com/new-to-rabbits/7-ways-rabbits-are-eco-friendly-pets/" target="_blank">My House Rabbit!!</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><u><b>HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERY BUNNY!!!</b></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><u><b>Love, Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny!</b></u></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-13466676355427447182021-04-13T10:08:00.000-07:002021-04-13T10:08:40.330-07:00The Future Looks Bright!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrzudlbcMGb33SDCkGEh9aL5SqFyMcOb3yG5JgHNm6B-auvJeQP7Dqcy3APAPR7guYJK-DvsdjYfKatPZY38wbRfLCtT0LhrMLK_-r90tXMZ2ihjPpM9Hk0ynIrc7XYEMmTh1Qvg6upKG/s2048/26254074-D8D5-46AC-A4D9-3AD73BFA01A3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrzudlbcMGb33SDCkGEh9aL5SqFyMcOb3yG5JgHNm6B-auvJeQP7Dqcy3APAPR7guYJK-DvsdjYfKatPZY38wbRfLCtT0LhrMLK_-r90tXMZ2ihjPpM9Hk0ynIrc7XYEMmTh1Qvg6upKG/w480-h640/26254074-D8D5-46AC-A4D9-3AD73BFA01A3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Why hello every one! I bet you didn't know that I'm able to see the future. I'm a bun of many talents! Let me look into my crystal ball for you. It will be fun!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hmmm, there seems to be a rabbit in your life...maybe two! I can't tell from what I'm seeing if you have a new bunny, or if you've had your bunny for years, but either way I'm sure my forecast will be appropriate. Are you ready?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Gazing into my crystal....what's this I see? You're looking in your wallet....and it's empty! My, my, bunnies can be expensive, can't they? But wait....now you've got some paper and....hmmmm....I think you're making a budget. You're planning for your bunny's expenses! That's just awesome! To help you out, I'll be doing a blog post next week about the actual costs of having a bunny. I predict I'll be mentioning a few things you may not have thought of!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now, what's this? I see something wonderful! It's you, sitting quietly on the floor with your bunny! When she approaches you, you give her a sprig of parsley or a small treat. You're making friends! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What's that you say? You're having trouble making friends with your bunny, and you think maybe she doesn't like you? Well, I predict that will change soon, because I'm planning to write some blog posts this month about this very subject! I'll give you tips on how to build trust between yourself and your bunny. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm also going to introduce you to someone very special...oh, I see her in the crystal now! It's Tula, my lion head friend from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/smallanimalresources/posts/1706116852923768?comment_id=1706167392918714&reply_comment_id=1706197906248996&notif_id=1618328624202247&notif_t=comment_mention&ref=notif" target="_blank">Small Animal Resources</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/empoweredanimalsbehaviorandtraining" target="_blank">Empowered Animals</a>! I'll be interviewing Tula in a few weeks about her special relationship with her people, and how you can have a special relationship with your bunny, too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now let me take some deep breaths and focus. There's something next to Tula...what is this? It's purple...it has a little button....oh, it's a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057H1HZI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">clicker!!!</a> Tula is going to help us understand how clicker training can be great for you and your bunny. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">That's right - clicker training isn't just for dogs, it can be a fun and useful activity for rabbits and their people, too! I see your bunny happily jumping into her carrier for a trip to her vet, coming to a target stick, going into her pen when asked...all kinds of things can be clicker trained. I predict when you read about it you'll be very excited to get started!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Our session has almost ended, but there's just one more thing...hmmm....it's very hazy. I see a New Zealand bunny...he's very serious...and he's telling you about why vet visits are important for bunnies. Oh, it's my friend, Señor Spaghetti! He's going to write some guest posts for me next month on why bunnies need vet check ups, and how to find a good rabbit-savvy vet. I can see in your future that when you read what he has to say you'll be making a vet appointment for your bunny, too!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The images are fading, and I think our session is over! I hope you enjoyed this look into the next couple of months. My fortune: lots of wonderful things for you and your bunny!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">See you soon!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Love, Mrs. Kitty Brighton, Education Bunny and Fortune Teller</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">PS: Do you like my rabbit tarot cards?! I love them! They are The Rabbit Tarot, by Nakisha VanderHoeven. You can get your rabbit some <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/RabbitTarot?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=812617548" target="_blank">at her shop on Etsy!</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1gRTxrTuxoEhStS-ZVxKxTGWAdCNyCCZzIV4WI5G7aCCIB9pfDS25cpnBB_xHqpYooaRFKdheOS63vXqT61r8JTbi2aW-MRAgLLxSdTENO5eftBgInRu9uyr2gZ7rNzdF3RPcw__5X4i/s2048/D80648F4-9F4E-494B-AC8D-50FA05E1A7B3_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1gRTxrTuxoEhStS-ZVxKxTGWAdCNyCCZzIV4WI5G7aCCIB9pfDS25cpnBB_xHqpYooaRFKdheOS63vXqT61r8JTbi2aW-MRAgLLxSdTENO5eftBgInRu9uyr2gZ7rNzdF3RPcw__5X4i/w480-h640/D80648F4-9F4E-494B-AC8D-50FA05E1A7B3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-28418566497483974842021-04-02T14:06:00.004-07:002021-04-02T14:16:34.785-07:00PLEASE READ! UPDATE ON RHDV2!!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5y1OmiR-KDMpP0v8HLueSpuEKfx1rX5zRLVC4W-9CMG2xWVjxxjcc42JNmFUJdy2iltPeDeV6w-v5KnkhTNnGNv8oOLBOKUKNNx4G9fKNCJb5WJgEsK7zxYO0tOCczrndgpnMIqDi4JhL/s2048/BC181724-5401-4456-910B-77B277AD5640_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1696" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5y1OmiR-KDMpP0v8HLueSpuEKfx1rX5zRLVC4W-9CMG2xWVjxxjcc42JNmFUJdy2iltPeDeV6w-v5KnkhTNnGNv8oOLBOKUKNNx4G9fKNCJb5WJgEsK7zxYO0tOCczrndgpnMIqDi4JhL/w331-h400/BC181724-5401-4456-910B-77B277AD5640_1_201_a.jpeg" width="331" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Bunny folks, please read this post!!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">As many of you are aware, the RHDV2 virus is now in America. RHDV2 is an extremely serious disease - it has been described as "the ebola of the rabbit world". It is nearly 100% fatal, and spreads rapidly throughout both wild and domestic rabbit populations. <a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/RHDV.htm" target="_blank">You can find out more about it here.</a> There is another good <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fs-rhdv2.pdf" target="_blank">fact sheet here.</a> While for many years this was a disease we didn't have to worry about, we do now. It's here, and it's spreading.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I got a call from our veterinarian today. She's been speaking with rabbit experts at UT Knoxville, as well as doing research about RHDV2. She's asked us to make the Huntsville Friends of Rabbits community aware of some issues with this disease as it affects us in the Southeast right now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This week there has been a confirmed case in Arkansas of a domestic indoor rabbit with RHDV2. This rabbit was apparently from a breeder in South Carolina, was sold at a rabbit show in Georgia, and died after being brought into Arkansas. We cannot be sure where or how this rabbit contracted the disease. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately this is the case with many of the cases of RHDV2 in the US now. Dr. Moore told me that her contacts seem to feel that RHDV2 may be spreading at least in part through hay, but this disease has so many vectors that it's difficult to tell. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">As for a vaccine, at the current time we cannot get it in Alabama until there is actually a case here. It's a complicated story, but boils down to the fact that RHDV2 is not considered a domestic disease of rabbits and the vaccine has to be imported from Europe by permission. I talked with our Alabama State Veterinarian today and he promised me he will be speaking with the USDA to see if there's any way of speeding up access to the vaccine. There is apparently an American company working on a vaccine with the USDA, but we don't know how quickly it will be out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">What does this mean for you and your bunnies? The bottom line is that you need to take precautions <u><i>now</i></u>, even though there has not been an official case of RHDV2 in Alabama. It''s very possible that it's already here and just hasn't been reported, and it is definitely going to be here soon. It really is only a matter of time. These are some things that our veterinarian feels are necessary until we have a vaccine and this disease is under control:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">1. <b style="text-decoration: underline;">Please do not let your bunny outside. </b> We all like to bring our rabbits out for a jaunt in the sunshine, but this is not a good idea now. Especially if you have wild rabbits in your yard, please don't bring your pet bunny out to play.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">2. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Check out where your hay is coming from.</u> Especially if you buy your hay online, make sure it isn't from an area where RHDV2 has been prevalent. <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?fbclid=IwAR1SJK7MrfGP9cSSe5RF5OWyelfa9icrnqjQQ-TkV9MMW6W-E1GkgkbqyGM&mid=1OPrtnwm1Bk-CmjW3pPCpzEw1sv2S_OPC&ll=36.080489365258586%2C-99.4919267&z=4" target="_blank">This map </a>**can give you an idea of where the disease is. Remember, just because you buy hay from a reputable company it doesn't mean the hay isn't from an affected area and hasn't been exposed to wild bunnies with RHDV2. If you can buy local Alabama hay you *might* be better off (but again, we just don't know). Timothy is hard to find here, but Bermuda and orchard grass are available from our local farmers. Just across the state line in lower TN you can sometimes find Timothy. Your bunnies cannot go any length of time without hay, so this is a hard one. Please just use your best judgement.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">3. <u><b>Please consider taking off your shoes when you come into the house.</b></u> The virus can be transmitted through dirt on your shoes. Here at the main foster house we always remove our shoes and put on slippers. In the past this has been to cut down transmission of coccidia, fleas and worms from the outside, but now it's for RHDV2 as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">4. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Wash your bunny's veggies thoroughly!</u> Again, look at where the veggies you get in the store are from. California and Mexico produce many of our veggies, and they have had multiple cases of RHDV2. Our vet is doing some research on washing solutions for veggies that would kill this virus and I'll let you all know as soon as I hear from her. In the meantime, it can't hurt to wash, wash, wash!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">5. <u><b>Please consider not getting new bunnies, especially from across state lines!</b></u> It really upsets me to say this as I know there are so many bunnies that need homes, but even a bunny that looks healthy can have RHDV2. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">6. <u style="font-weight: bold;">If you have a "bunny garden", please be especially careful!</u> This disease can be spread through wild bunny populations, and once it's in the soil it's very difficult to eradicate. Wild bunnies are all over, even in the cities. Please wait to harvest at least until we can figure out veggie washing solutions. You also might want to consider raised beds with rabbit proof fencing and new soil, having a special pair of gardening shoes, and washing up thoroughly as soon as you come inside. Quite honestly, we're really falling in love with our indoor <a href="https://www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-901100-1200-Harvest-Black/dp/B07CKK8Z78/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=29DPW556RQ69H&dchild=1&keywords=aerogarden&qid=1617396213&sprefix=aerogarden%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzMk1aODNRVUI5SEtUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTg3MDExMkNFU0tBNVNIT1lBRiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTM1NDU3MTlaV040TUM4MjZEMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">Aerogardens</a> these days! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79wFjO-p98okcR_nhVaVujVFQk2cppymAWizu-l36d5biM8_nKV5ic-EpYYqvo70ZhJQjqxjYfieyDPO3GWK3jHLwyveN75fpnalOKkGBxBCN3UcVtBTnCPAd9yX0FsbDWTtdVb_4IMXr/s2048/CC57B532-8F5D-4D95-BC24-45B09DB4982A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79wFjO-p98okcR_nhVaVujVFQk2cppymAWizu-l36d5biM8_nKV5ic-EpYYqvo70ZhJQjqxjYfieyDPO3GWK3jHLwyveN75fpnalOKkGBxBCN3UcVtBTnCPAd9yX0FsbDWTtdVb_4IMXr/w300-h400/CC57B532-8F5D-4D95-BC24-45B09DB4982A.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">7. <b><u>Please report any deceased wild bunnies to Alabama Fish and Wildlife</u></b>, and ask them to investigate. DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMAL! You could easily transmit this disease. <a href="https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/wildlife-diseases/rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease-virus-2-rhdv2" target="_blank">This fact sheet </a>from Missouri Dept. of Conservation gives a good overview of the issues around RHDV2 and wild bunnies.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Please stay informed about RHDV2, and we'll continue to post every relevant update. We all need to work together to keep our bunnies safe!!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Love, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Ruth (aka: Mrs. Brighton's secretary!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">**This map was created and is being kept up to date by a close friend of ours. It is based solely on verified reports from State Veterinarians. Please be aware that each pin may represent more than one bunny and in some cases there are dozens.</span></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-13995195806855644062021-04-01T07:00:00.025-07:002021-04-01T07:00:00.638-07:00Thinking of Getting A Bunny?<p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrui6YYSpZoRE2CcunpeBHFFUeBYW6fqwJI9MsuxNm0_iUcp5kMKbm6t_pONGH8QR83-6Z8RKgypyugaC_m1rT-VFddxD4k6sRsExMCT4SViJecLuHtdxRDuJ_Z3gEZ9R9dIFW-jNAKHp/s2048/0B69357F-0023-4935-ACCB-55C68CD9E147_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1881" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrui6YYSpZoRE2CcunpeBHFFUeBYW6fqwJI9MsuxNm0_iUcp5kMKbm6t_pONGH8QR83-6Z8RKgypyugaC_m1rT-VFddxD4k6sRsExMCT4SViJecLuHtdxRDuJ_Z3gEZ9R9dIFW-jNAKHp/w360-h392/0B69357F-0023-4935-ACCB-55C68CD9E147_1_201_a.jpeg" title="Just checking my secretary's spelling!" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just checking my secretary's spelling!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So you're considering getting somebunny like me? What should you consider when you’re getting a rabbit as a pet...or maybe you shouldn't consider getting one at all?! Or...maybe you should get two! What do you think? Let's find out!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We'll make this like a quiz. I'll ask a bunch of questions, and you can think really hard about your answers! We'll make this an open book kind of quiz. I'll give you my thoughts and links to good websites so you can get even more information to decide what your answers will be.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ready? Ok, first question!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">1. Are you getting a bunny for a child? Oh dear, I hate to start out on a negative note, but...People think rabbits are cuddly, but we are prey animals and we don't like to be held at all. Children are prone to making high-pitched squealy kinds of noises which mimic the rabbit's distress call. This can set us on edge. We're fragile, too! It's easy to break a rabbit's back just by picking us up the wrong way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060;">And while kids might like a bunny for a little while, soon the thrill will wear off. Did you know 90% of rabbits turned into shelters were originally pets for children? I'm going to do a whole post later about rabbits and kids, but for now you might really want to read</span><a href="https://rabbit.org/faq-children-and-rabbits/" target="_blank"> this article </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060;">before you get a bunny for your child. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Did I mention I know at least three documented cases of a bunny biting a child's finger off? Check this one out <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/parents-warned-teach-kids-rabbits-after-one-bites-off-part-boys-finger" target="_blank">here!</a> Oh, here's <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-my/lifestyle/lifestyle/rabbit-bites-off-part-of-toddlers-finger-after-he-stuck-it-through-fence-in-park/ar-BB19AVOe" target="_blank">another one</a>!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u3cqax7cKW41NSsVasLAjRfsSnL3crCN95Z-Z6kAXx1wmLDqpG-vn3gHQvP5xrwpRhLIvYIoSvBcqcrgXR2Mk3lOEKfE4By-luxeORM3gGGtJvdLXIgwX9QN0JA34gkaJhvhX9EW-kdl/s480/7F3EA765-AB39-4C3E-93C6-40B15FA09547_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u3cqax7cKW41NSsVasLAjRfsSnL3crCN95Z-Z6kAXx1wmLDqpG-vn3gHQvP5xrwpRhLIvYIoSvBcqcrgXR2Mk3lOEKfE4By-luxeORM3gGGtJvdLXIgwX9QN0JA34gkaJhvhX9EW-kdl/w400-h400/7F3EA765-AB39-4C3E-93C6-40B15FA09547_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Penny got cranky and her foster mom got bitten! Oops!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Wow, I spent a lot of time on that question didn't I? Bunnies and children can be a good thing, but there's so much you need to consider. Let's move on!</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">2. Can you afford a bunny? Cuteness like mine doesn't come cheap! It isn't just the tiaras, we need three different types of food every day, bedding, vet care...I could go on and on. And I will in a few days because I'm doing a whole post on how much rabbits actually cost. Spoiler alert: you could probably buy a Gucci bag for what you'll spend on your bunny! But your Gucci bag won't do binkies so honestly what are your priorities?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">3. Do you have allergies? Are you allergic to hay? Sometimes people with allergies can work around this by switching hay types. For example, my secretary is allergic to Bermuda so we leave that off the menu. My friends at Small Pet Select have a great article <a href="https://smallpetselect.com/allergic-to-your-rabbit/" target="_blank">here!</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">4. Are you a neat freak? Uh oh. While we are generally very clean animals, hay tends to get all over the place, stray poops happen, and it's impossible to tear up a cardboard box without the collateral damage of shredded cardboard all over the carpet. We might not be the best pets for those who like things super tidy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060;">5. Can you find a special "exotics" vet? Is there one near you? Veterinarians who are "rabbit-savvy" are essential. We're so different from cats and dogs. Veterinary medicine and procedures that are routine for other animals could kill your bunny! You can find lists of rabbit-savvy vets </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060;"><a href="https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/" target="_blank">here</a>. And <a href="https://www.theeducatedrabbit.com/rabbit-savvy-vets.html" target="_blank">here's</a> some things to consider when you're looking for a vet. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Let's take a break shall we, and gaze at this photo of me taken a few years ago at my vet's office with the wonderful Ms. Ellen!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuKC8vejSMQp3jhfK7mrpjUu5OIueOzJaugDaXLDWqt52tnF1KmvKfaf3QDmlBglZur4S1Acf3gA9SAbasrIJLUXNemmkW__H3sgv-Z0J3lclHIxw_1l4TMaQH4F5EhranCF02K6Lg1JP/s662/D6E4F050-0FEE-408C-979A-37EE46FD6FB3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="474" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuKC8vejSMQp3jhfK7mrpjUu5OIueOzJaugDaXLDWqt52tnF1KmvKfaf3QDmlBglZur4S1Acf3gA9SAbasrIJLUXNemmkW__H3sgv-Z0J3lclHIxw_1l4TMaQH4F5EhranCF02K6Lg1JP/w314-h440/D6E4F050-0FEE-408C-979A-37EE46FD6FB3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="314" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ok! Back to work! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">6. Do you have the space for a bunny? Will they be inside? I cannot emphasize this enough - we cannot be kept in those ridiculous tiny rabbit cages you see at pet stores. How are we supposed to do binkies in such a tiny space? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We need room to roam both for our mental health and physical health, too. And we need to be indoors! <a href="http://www.mybunny.org/info/why-a-house-bunny/" target="_blank">Here's why!</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Think about the exercise pens they have for dogs, or how about a multi-story condo? Or - gasp! - we could be free range!! Wabbitwiki has risen to the occasion with a very thoughtful <a href="https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Housing" target="_blank">article about housing here</a>!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">7. Can you get two spayed/neutered bunnies? ** We are such social animals and having us in pairs is a fantastic idea! Since bunnies who have been kept as singles will need to go through a bonding process to accept each other, it's probably better to adopt a pair right from the beginning. I bet your local rabbit rescue has several pairs of already bonded foster bunnies to choose from! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you don't feel you can adopt two bunnies, please think carefully about whether you will have enough time to spend with your new friend. Single bunnies bond strongly with their people. Please don't let us get lonely by not spending enough time with us! Some more things to consider are <a href="http://www.therabbithouse.com/blog/2010/09/28/radio-4-socialrabbits/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8. Are you one of those people who gets really excited about something for about four days or six weeks or a few months or maybe a year and then you're on to something else? Your bunny is a ten year commitment! Or maybe 11 or 12. We live a long time! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">9. Are you willing to bunny proof? We can get into all kinds of trouble, and if you haven't done your bunny proofing then the destruction of your stuff is actually your fault, not ours. Not to mention we can get hurt! I like what <a href="https://bunnylady.com/bunny-proofing/" target="_blank">this article </a>says about rabbit proofing. I'm also fascinated by<a href="http://bunnyproof.com/" target="_blank"> bunnyproofing.com</a> - a whole website on rabbit proofing! So impressive!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">10. Hmm. I can't think of anything else, but I know you probably can! Please feel free to add more questions to this little quiz in the comments! And if you already have bunnies, what do you wish you had known before you got them? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Byeeeeee for now!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Your roving lagomorph reporter,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mrs. Kitty Brighton</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">**Please make sure to spay and neuter your bunny or bunnies! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-45581406981798959342021-03-31T07:00:00.039-07:002021-03-31T10:02:50.973-07:00Why It's Illegal To Sell Baby Bunnies As Pets In Alabama<p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Wow! That's a long title isn't it?! It was so long I started falling asleep reading it! See, here I am, taking a snooze!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sUDihwPrk4mjwQN8sazCiTMT9bY9qXKlOUWDnKaCrhXzkzzH6xfDpKrFgq6231ORFQj_3ZhmRXUdqXw1NsWIrUHEC9BZ7Jok0A5oU8aiHP0dHuGOb_OFX2ZwlOnYyevHEsJ93GNO1och/s1736/84164CF8-0DFB-4E98-9821-36C955475D58_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1736" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sUDihwPrk4mjwQN8sazCiTMT9bY9qXKlOUWDnKaCrhXzkzzH6xfDpKrFgq6231ORFQj_3ZhmRXUdqXw1NsWIrUHEC9BZ7Jok0A5oU8aiHP0dHuGOb_OFX2ZwlOnYyevHEsJ93GNO1och/w400-h265/84164CF8-0DFB-4E98-9821-36C955475D58_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone should have leopard print sheets!</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We've been asked why it's illegal to sell baby bunnies as pets in the State of Alabama, so I'm interrupting my nap time to tell you! In case you missed it here is the actual law:</p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Code of Alabama, Title 3; Section 3-1-15: It is unlawful to display, sell, offer for sale, barter or give away any baby rabbits, or baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl, but not including parrots, parakeets, and canaries, as pets or novelties, regardless of whether or not such rabbits or fowl are dyed, colored or otherwise artificially treated.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as prescribed by law.</span></div></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Acts 1959, No. 104, p. 590.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I made the background color pink so it would stand out!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">There are several reasons why this law was passed way back in 1959. It was partly because people used to dye the bunnies (and chicks) and obviously this was cruel. That usually doesn't happen anymore, but the other reasons for the law are still with us. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Every year, starting as early as the day after Easter (or the day a carnival that gives away bunnies as prizes leaves town) the shelters get flooded with discarded rabbits. Did you know rabbits are the third most often surrendered pets at shelters across the country? Right behind cats and dogs!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Too many people buy them on a whim and then they realize how much care bunnies need...and then Little Brandon or Brittany gets tired of the bunny...but Mom and Dad still need to clean the litter box. Uh oh! In addition, they quickly find that those adorable baby bunnies grow up fast...and get hormonal....and they aren't cute anymore when they are spraying, biting and mounting your feet.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It's also hard to sex baby bunnies (because male baby bunnies' testicles don't descend until they're older) so every year we hear of situations where someone has gotten two "girls" and surprise! Soon after there is a litter of babies and a month after that, another one (because people don't realize rabbits can get pregnant the day they give birth!) If the bunnies can't be sold until they're older it's so much easier to tell the boys from the girls, so these mistakes don't happen.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Many of these poor bunnies wind up in the shelter or worse, get dumped in the wild.** This is not only bad for the bunnies but causes problems for the shelters and people who rescue rabbits - problems that cost the taxpayers quite a bit of money.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Another issue is that often babies are sold too young to be away from their mother, especially at Easter. Some sellers want them to be as tiny and cute as possible so people are more tempted into an impulse buy. Not all sellers do this of course, but there are enough that it is a problem. We've had quite a few fosters come in who were bought at four to five weeks old. Many of them have had gut flora problems from being taken away from their moms too early. If a bunny's gut flora isn't well developed they can have ongoing intestinal issues and even die!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I hope this explains some of the reasons for this law. Remember, think carefully before you get a bunny! In my next few blog posts I'll be going over some things to think about before you get an adorable bundle of cuteness like me!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Byeeeeeee!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Love from your roving lagomorphic reporter,</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Mrs. Kitty Brighton</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #060606; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">**(If you have a chance check out the horrible problems Las Vagas is having with released domestic rabbits!)</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2556233542955060418.post-31527411313644909782021-03-30T07:00:00.011-07:002021-03-30T07:00:08.056-07:00I'm Taking Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUyxMRmouFlusFvs1eSwfatUEAzesJDhCWApIcqX_9MJ0wyvlxJwzBcsYhqZ9oJRJ0NZEizVxLTMXQE3Vj3Bmkoi4j4wLKLXgiVQoxTIqUHPu2arUK7J_qfCJ89KpOnrjWB9ckl6Lgxdy/s1652/51233C87-5843-45A4-8B3E-E8722AA93B3E_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1652" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUyxMRmouFlusFvs1eSwfatUEAzesJDhCWApIcqX_9MJ0wyvlxJwzBcsYhqZ9oJRJ0NZEizVxLTMXQE3Vj3Bmkoi4j4wLKLXgiVQoxTIqUHPu2arUK7J_qfCJ89KpOnrjWB9ckl6Lgxdy/w640-h445/51233C87-5843-45A4-8B3E-E8722AA93B3E_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me introduce myself! I'm Mrs. Kitty Brighton and I'm the Education Bunny for Huntsville Friends of Rabbits (HFR). We're a small group of rabbit lovers in the Huntsville, Alabama area. For about 15 years we've been helping bunnies by rescuing unwanted rabbits and educating the public on rabbit behavior and care. We've worked very hard to make life better for bunnies around here!<br />
<br />Unfortunately, over the last couple of years the people running HFR - my secretary (Ruth) and chauffeur (Dr. Bruce) - have had to retire from active rescue work because of health issues. They felt very sad about this. So I asked them: why not switch our focus completely to education? Why, I could do this work myself! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There are lots of cute bunnies on the Internet (hello Mr. Bigglesworth!) but they don't really talk about bunny care. And there are all kinds of sites where you can get information about rabbits (good, bad, and very, very bad!) but none are actually written by rabbits themselves. My dream is to give you both - a cute bunny (ME!) and good info about rabbit care. After all, I <em>am </em>the official HFR Education Bunny!! Who better to educate you about bunnies than me?! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruth agreed to help me by taking dictation and we're ready to tackle the new Huntsville Friends of Rabbits blog! You can expect blurry photos (I have trouble sitting still), great tips on rabbit care, the answers to your behavior questions, interviews with some of the wisest bunnies on the internet, and a very enthusiastic guide to all things lagomorphic. I'll be rabbiting on about all sorts of things! Some of my posts will be just for your bunny. Let's talk rabbit to rabbit about what bugs you most about your human!<br />
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So let me tell you about myself. I'm a gorgeous Mini Rex rabbit with fabulous black and white markings (did someone say cow bunneh?) I look wonderful in tutus and I wear my tiara a bit askew! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was found wandering loose in a trailer park after my former owner's trailer was repossessed and she moved without taking me. She just dumped me there! Can you believe it? **<br />
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Fortunately for me, some ladies from the local cat rescue came to the trailer park to help with stray kitties. They were friends with my secretary, and they knew that no bunny should be wandering around outside. They took me home and kept me for a few days until HFR could fit me into foster care. In their honor, I named myself Kitty. Without them I don't know what would have happened to me!<br />
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My first weeks in foster care were a blur of delicious food, a warm place to sleep, my very own pink litter box, and perfecting my gracious ability to greet every visitor that arrived. I also had several vet visits, including a mysterious one where I was given some gas to breath, after which I fell asleep and awoke with an incision on my stomach. Yes, dear Readers, I had been spayed!***<br />
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All was going well, until my staff started to realize that my spay had not calmed me down the way they had thought it would. In fact, I was the biggest bundle of energy they had ever encountered in a rabbit. Something was obviously wrong. I went back to my vet for further testing, and it was discovered that I had a problem with my thyroid. No wonder I was so hyper!<br />
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From that point on it was apparent that I would be hard to adopt. Who would want a hyperthyroid bunny? Well, don't you worry, because I came up with the perfect suggestion! Why couldn't I just stay at the foster home as a permanent resident, and occupy myself as the official HFR Education Bunny? With my super-outgoing personality, my fearlessness, my limitless energy, not to mention my velvety Rex fur and gorgeous face, I would be the perfect rabbit for the job! <br />
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So here I am! I've loved being an Education Bunny. Over the years I've visited schools, the library, the Botanical Gardens, and our local radio stations - all kinds of people who want to learn about rabbits. I'm even good with groups of children! Now that I'm getting older (I'm eight years old) I don't enjoy these visits as much as I used to, and I'd prefer to carry on with my job by dictation. I've started writing posts for our Facebook page, and now, here I am, writing this blog! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
In my spare time, I like to check out new toys (I hope to do toy reviews!), rearrange my living space, try on new outfits (I plan to do an entire post on my tutus), and think about new things that I need to teach people about bunnies. Oh, and eating! I love to eat!<br />
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Well, that's enough about me for now! Do you have something you would like to know about rabbits? A question you'd like to ask? Just leave me a note in the comments! Until then, byeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!<br />
<br />Your roving correspondent and lagomorphic reporter,<br />
Mrs. Kitty Brighton</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">**This is honestly a true story!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">***We'll talk about why you should spay/neuter your bunny very, very soon!!<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /></div>Mrs. Kitty Brightonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299364757589883006noreply@blogger.com0