Hormone Raging Bunnies

Just after 2 weeks of mating, Bandie and Adinna is getting very aggressive. Bandie charges at me each time I approach her cage. Sometimes both of them look plump to me but sometimes they do not look as plump. I am hoping both of them are carrying kits. If all goes well, I should be able to see some kits in mid January 2008.

Although they are exhibiting common pregnant behaviors and this is indeed an obvious change of behavior since the mating, I am taking it as a confirmation that there would be kits coming soon.

A strange relationship between rabbits and spiders

If you have watched Charlotte's Web (starring Dakota Fanning) before, I believe you could relate to what I am about to post.

Everyday while cleaning and feeding my rabbits, I always get my head stuck on some spider webs. I get so pissed every time these creatures spin webs all around places that interfere with my accessibility to my rabbits e.g. the cage doors. Little did I realize that they were there for a purpose. I should thank them actually. What they are doing actually helps my rabbits in a small way. The web that they spin actually help capture all sort of insects namely mosquitoes.

I should be happy that I have nature on my side to keep these nasty insects away from my beloved pets. I know it is hard to eliminate all these insects but it does help keep the population in check.

I wonder if I could train these spiders to spin webs at suitable locations instead of me having to destroy their webs each time I find any blocking my way.

Time to do some studies on spiders or maybe I will find written answers on the webs tomorrow...

Fur Mites & Lice

Went to the vet today and confirmed Skor had fur mites and lice. It is quite obvious he did not get them here in Malaysia because it takes almost 3 weeks for eggs to hatch. Apparently, these mites and lice are the hatched version. We only had Skor for approximately 3 weeks and so, it was quite obvious these parasites came with him.

Fur Mite

Lice

This time Dr. Lee attended to me and she gave me quite a lengthy explanation. She also confirmed that FrontLine should not be used on rabbits. The best drug to use is Ivermectin namely Merial Ivomec. Skor was given only 0.05ml dose for 1.2kg although he was 1.6kg. This being the first dose should be a little less than needed so that it would not be too much for Skor to take.

Dr. Lee pulled some fur from Skor and put them under the microscope. There were eggs too! Dr. Lee allowed me to take a look through the microscope and it looked like a whole new world. I could just imagine Skor's body zoomed in and cannot help but to feel itchy all over.

Dr. Lee explained that there are 2 types of mites. Those that burrow under the skin and those that lives on the surface. Rabbit almost never get the burrowing type or even flea. I concluded what she told me as all these parasites live on rabbits or any other hosts for a reason. And the most common reason is to feed on the skin rather than the common belief of feeding on dandruff. Mites/Lice do not feed on dandruff but instead causes dandruff. Ivermectin will stay at the skin surface when administered and the lice or mite that feeds on the skin will die from consuming the drug.

I previously had the impression that there are blood sucking parasites and skin eating parasites. To kill blood suckers we should administer Ivermectin and for skin eaters we administer FrontLine. But that is not the case. The conclusion was clear. Most common mites and lice living on rabbits feed on their skin and administering Ivermectin at least twice a week apart will kill them off. They will still stay on the rabbit as dead parasites until falling off along with their fur.

I never fail to learn something new each time I visit the vet. Will be bringing Skor for another jab next week.

More of Yohji

I must say that Yohji is the luckiest of all the bunnies. He is neutered and have full range of the apartment to roam around.

Floppie

Bunny came back for good and we decided to change his name to Floppie. Just could not understand why some people just cannot love such a sweet thing. He is just so gentle and good natured. Will hold on to him until someone offers to give him a good home. Trimmed his fur a little today and gave him a long long combing. He is such a sweetie.

Many people say "the best things are free". On the contrary I believe that in this era, people do not believe in such saying anymore just because the way things are being manipulated and people rather get some expensive junk to feel good about. I am not disappointed at all towards his previous owner nor whoever that could not accept him as he is. It is better for them to not take him in then to take him in and regret it on the long run.

Anyhow, he is well loved here.

Happiness is...

Happiness is when I let them out for a little run. It has been raining everyday and I was not able to let them out for a run because of the wet grass. This morning seemed to be a good chance for them to go out and have a little run around in the playpen setup in the garden.

So here I was so excited putting in the Bandie and then Adina, then I got distracted to do some cleaning up. Only took 2 pictures of Adina (she poses well, so 2 tries was enough). Then when it was Lumix' turn to be placed in the playpen, I was so pre-occupied with cleaning more things I forgot totally about taking photos of him. It was when I started packing up the playpen that I realized that I did not take his photo. Darn!

In Loving Memory Of Unix

R.I.P.: 14th December 07

Guess I was too late. By the time I reach home, Unix was already very lethargic and after administering 1ml of duphalac, she started losing her strength. It has been more than 24 hours without much food and water intake. She then became very disorientated and lost her sense of balance. The next thing I knew she became so weak that she had to lie on her side. She struggled a little and her breathing got very shallow and finally, she stopped breathing. It seemed that she has been waiting for me to return home before giving up.

I had great plans for Unix. I was hoping she could at least live long enough to follow us to our new home. Was also hoping she can eventually be an apartment bunny roaming freely indoors. Unix, I am very sorry I could not give you a great indoor life you well deserve. Thank you so much for the 6 beautiful babies you gave us.

It was really a sad evening and every bunny in the herd seemed to know what has happened.

I just cannot find the right words to use so I am just going to leave it to the photos to speak my mind.

May you rest in peace. You will always be my best doe.

She was laid to rest in the backyard

Lumix seemed to know that he lost his wife

Goodbye Mummy

When Unix died, all of them became so silent and looked toward her direction

14th December will be marked as Unix day at Tru-Luv...

Our Very Own Rabbit Forum

This is an overdue post. I should have posted much earlier to promote a forum for rabbits that Yohji's owner and I setup. Hope the interaction among members pick up and at least we can start making the general public in Malaysia be aware and well-informed in regards to keeping rabbits as pet.

Rabbit Realm @ http://rabbittrealm.freeforums.org/

Please visit, register and participate if you are are true rabbit lover. Wherever you are, please visit Rabbit Realm. Rabbit Realm is for everyone and anyone from everywhere around the globe.

Rabbit Realm's objective is to bring together local and overseas rabbit owners to share and learn together this is great hobby.

Calling all existing and budding rabbit owners, please visit Rabbit Realm.

It is a rabbit forum all about rabbit, rabbits, bunny, bunnies...

All you need to know about rabbit diet, general rabbit care, rabbit housing, rabbit grooming, rabbit DIY and many many more bunny facts and information.

My poor unix

Saw Unix munching on some hay last night. A little hope there but she has not been passing motion. I believe that there is no motility in her stomach. Maybe articles has been written regarding the treatment for GI Stasis. Some suggested using pineapple juice, others suggested laxative treatment.

Called my vet today and he suggested a drug I can buy at the pharmacy for constipation. I just got one bottle of it in Vitacare. Apparently I have to administer this drug 2 times a day and 0.5ml to 1ml per dose.

I will not be back till 6.00pm. I really do hope Unix will be able to hang in there till I get home.

One thing sad about Malaysia is that there are not many rabbit savvy vets around. Most are very well versed with dogs and cats because those are the common pets. So if it means that the vet will administer this drug mention, there is no difference if I administer it myself.

So you can almost conclude that you have to treat "exotic" pets yourself in Malaysia. SAD.

Oh no...

While cleaning up and feeding the herd today, I realized that Unix did not eat much since yesterday. Her food bowl and water bottle are still as full as yesterday. When I check on her litter tray, I realize she did not poo much. Quite a lot of urine and what seemed to be watery stool.

A rabbit owner's worst nightmare - GastroIntestinal Stasis or famously known as The Silent Killer of rabbits.

A good friend suggested that I read a Yahoo! group post by a fellow experienced rabbit owner. She suggested that a 50:50 mix of Aloe Vera Juice and Olive Oil, given 2 doses of a teaspoonful a few hours apart will help improve the situation.

After reading the article, I rushed to the nearest pharmacy and after going through 3 pharmacies, I found the aloe vera juice in the 4th that was not too costly.

I have just administered 2 syringes-ful a total of 6 ml of the mix. By right I should be giving 2 doses of 5ml. I am afraid of overdose so I felt it is better for me to take it slow.

Will be checking on my poor Unix periodically. She do not look too good today. Curled up at one corner of her cage.

Something's coming this Christmas...

I am all excited about this new thing that is going to happen at the rabbitry. Christmas is coming and I have something for every one of the bunnies. I hope they will like it.

Oxbow!!!

While waiting for those snails to get Oxbow into Malaysia, I had to find some other alternatives. Can you imagine that we have Pet Lover Centre in Ikano Power Centre and yet they are telling me that there are no distributor bringing Oxbow in. Seemed like these fellows have not heard of STOCK TRANSFER. Same company (branches) but cannot have the flexibility of moving their stocks around, how can? Thanks to my cousin who is working in Singapore, I was able to get hold of 2 10lbs packs. Hope he comes back often so that I will have regular supply of this wonderful product for my bunnies.

When Tru-Luv says we love our bunnies, we will always go the extra mile for them. Here you go, our very first packet of Oxbow Bunny Basics/T. Simply amazing!

Nasty Bite

Got some supply of Timothy hay today and as usual, I was excited to give each of the rascals a handful. All was well until I reached out a handful of hay into Bandie's tray. Suddenly she lunge at me and gave quite a nasty bite. I guess the position of my hand must have made her felt threatened in her own territory. I will have to be extra careful with her next time. Usually I'll calm her with one hand before moving in another to fill her food bowl. Guess I was too careless this time.

It is a good sign that she is aggressive. It means she's matured enough to be bred and I hope her pelvic bone is good enough for the task. Would have to bring her in for X-ray to see if her fractured leg had affected her pelvic area. I do not want to have kits stuck in the midst of her kindling.

Here's a picture of the nasty bite:

Kindling Box

I decided to DIY a few kindling boxes to prepare for breeding. So I took the measurements from Laurie Stroupe's website and gave to the hardware shop to get some wood planks cut nicely.

The accuracy of the measurements given can be seen when I nailed a few planks together just to test out. A million thanks to Laurie for sharing her wonderful measurements. The people at the hardware shop also did a very good job cutting out exactly according to the measurements specified.

Extended Family

I am very happy to have sold Yohji to this great couple. Through time we have became good friends. We even started a rabbit forum together and hopefully our objectives are achieved. If you are interested please register at Rabbit Realm. I recently got Yohji's pictures and he looks lovely with his pose. I believe they have taken very good care of him. Yohji has got a companion too - Buttons. She grew up to be a stunner too. Both of them has been fixed and they are very well bonded.

I intended to raise my rabbits as house rabbits but it is very difficult because I do not have a place of my own. I somehow have an idea how I would want my indoor rabbitry to be and only time will tell whether my dream will be materialized. Yohji's owners are the best people to advice on keeping rabbits in an apartment and I will definitely sought their advice when I have the chance to bring my bunnies indoors.

Till the next blog entry here's the picture of Yohji (isn't he CUTE!?):

Adina - my hope for good colors?

When Adina was young, she looked really promising in terms of structure. As she grew, she still looks big but there are much to be fixed. Her front legs are thick and short but her body is too long.

Another obvious fault with Adina is her ears. They are a little too long for my taste.

I have been trying to snap some nice pictures of her posing but she is not that photogenic. At certain angles she looks good to me. I hope she will produce good offspring in future.

Other than the short and thick front legs, Adina may be my hope for more broken kits since breeding a broken with a broken may result in Charlies.

What's Junior and Senior in the rabbit show world?

Junior = < 6 months
Senior = > 6 months

Bunnies I used to have

I went through some old photo albums and found some pictures of bunnies I used to keep. Was trying to recall their names but just cannot remember one or two. Looking back at the pictures, I am glad to say that the local rabbit industry has improved tremendously in quality. It is quite obvious that there are breeders that brought in good specimens for breeding. I believe the quality can be further improved. And I hope it does.

Goliath

Tyrese - Mother is a Lop, Father alleged an ND

Grey Owl

Lola - the fiercest lop I have ever encounter

Macy - the gentle giant (she is really big)

Simba - the alleged lion head

I just can't remember the name for this one

Super spring cleaning and photo session

Spend 4 hours this morning cleaning up my little rabbitry. It has been quite a while since I last did a thorough cleaning.

After the tiresome cleanup, I had a little photo shooting session. Judging from the photos, my lovely rabbits look the same from most of the previous photos taken. Was hoping they would be prettier but I believe they already are.

Bandie

Unix

Lumix

Adina

One too lonely?

Many people ask if it is alright to keep just one rabbit and most are worried that their rabbits feel lonely. I always believe that if one does not intend to breed their pets, it is always good to keep just one. It is to spend all time and attention on just one pet. The pet itself will thrive. I do not advice particularly this for rabbits but also for other type of pets as well.

As for rabbits, most of the time when 2 unaltered (not neutered/spayed) rabbits of the same sex are housed together, they will fight once they reached sexual maturity. And if 2 rabbits of opposite sexes are housed together, the outcome would be having far too many rabbits that one could handle. That is beside the point and I have made previous posting regarding my views on breeding.

So my answer to the question if one should keep rabbits in pair to solve what we perceive as loneliness is that they should not keep rabbits in pairs. It is totally alright to keep just one.

An addiction

Somehow I just do not get tired of keeping rabbits as pets. Somehow it felt as if there is a force pushing me to improve the quality of my current herd. I am looking forward in embarking on this great project and hope I do not stumble along the way.

Many would agree that rabbits are less interactive compared to keeping dog/cat as a pet. But anyone that has kept a rabbit as pet before could not agree more that it is very fulfilling. I just do not understand it but it seemed I have caught this rabbit fever since before I got Unix.

Hope the herd thrives.

Bandie - Grown Up Beauty

It is amazing how beautiful Bandie is growing up to be. At certain angles she seemed to have some show quality dispositions. Although we still do not have official rabbit show competitions in Malaysia, it is quite satisfying when beautiful specimens are produced.

Kiki

I finally got Kiki's picture from Ashraf. Not really clear but she has grown so much.

Yohji the metrosexual bunny

This is one vain pot. Here is the latest picture of Yohji courtesy of Streisand & Paul.

Breeding

The way I look at it, breeding is the same as playing video or computer games. You are given a number of "lives" and if you use up all the lives, the game will be over.

Breeding any pets is exactly the same as us given the lives but on the contrary I would like to look at it at a broader sense. The population of a certain type of pet in this world is accounted for. For example, I always believe that there is a threshold to the quantity of each species of animal living on earth. If the number goes beyong the threshold, it would mean an imbalance to the environment.

So the responsibility that I have as a breeder is not to cause an imbalance to the population of rabbits. The average kits per litter is between 4-6. Being a responsible breeder, I believe in contributing good quality animals into the environment we live in.

And like a game, each litter of pets we indirectly produce is like the lives given to us in the games we play. But I prefer to look at it in the sense that each BAD PRODUCT is a life lost. So the more bad products produced the less lives we have and the game will be over once the threshold is met.

Soon, I shall embark on a mission to help keep the game of life alive...

Spreading the empire

Mirrhi will be going home with a very good friend of ours. It was definitely a very easy decision to make because I can trust my own life with this friend and Mirrhi will have a great life with her.

It is always better to give one of your babies to a close friend rather than selling them to a total stranger because you can rest assured to get updates on them as and when you want.

I will not say goodbye to Mirrhi since she will always be near.

New hairstyle for Bunny

Melissa gave Bunny a haircut. Here is how he looks now.