30 days blog

I am so happy that finally I able to complete an entire month of posts without missing a day. But I notice that the quality of my contents drop because sometimes I do not have much to write but for the sake of writing I just post something.

I am sorry that I have shortchanged my faithful readers in that sense. At this moment I do not have internet access in the new place so I am going to try my best to post whenever I get hold of a computer with internet access.

There are still loads to do at home but at least it looks & feels like home (bunnies & humans alike).

BTW, BlueBerry started building her nest last nite but she is suppose to be due on the 6th. I just gave her the nest box anyway fearing that she may pop. She does look a little plump there. Hope to see healthy kits in the nest box soon.

It is done!

It has been a really busy weekend and I am still waiting for them to come install the internet service. Need to get the phone line up first.

Anyhow, just want to share just one photo. Please bear with me on the quality of the photo as it was taken using the handphone.

Here's BlueBerry and Skor:

Spring at TLR

I always see Spring as a season of abundance. Although we do not have 4 seasons in Malaysia, I have decided to make Spring happen in the rabbitry. BlueBerry is expected to kindle somewhere next week and I am planning of letting Skor have a go with Noobie.

Hope to keep this blog updated because I will not have internet access at the new place for a few days, weeks or perhaps months. I am too broke to apply for internet access at the moment but the new rabbitry is perfect. BTW, that’s where all my money conveniently “flowed” to. LOL…

I know, I know, more pictures coming soon. Hope you guys can wait.

Spraying Doe?

Was trying to catch Latara in her cage today and to my surprise, she sprayed at me!!!

I know when a buck sprays at you, it means that he loves you. But this is the first time I have ever been sprayed by a doe! I was shocked with her behavior so I had to reconfirm to see if I have sexed her wrongly. I am very sure it was a slit when I take a look and I am still a little puzzled over the spraying behavior.

Since she’s at the highest level of the cage, I was wondering if I should put her on the first level so that I do not get peed at again.

Holly Hope has join her in the new place. We’re going to shift in by Saturday. A new beginning for everyone!

Latara's House Warming

I decided to send Latara over to her new hotel and turned out, she was delighted. She is the first living creature living in the new home now:

As expected, I did not stop to take photos of the entire process. Here are some photos of the completed shelf. 3 levels with kindling room in the middle with enforced fencing to keep little blind kits from falling off. Bottom room is for buck that may spray. I have to give props to Down The Rabbit Hole for giving me the inspiration for the waste management.

The second level specially for kindling doe:

Bottom level for buck that may spray:

The waste system piping:

The poops collection basket. To be collected daily and used as fertilizers around the neighborhood:

Holly Hope: Latest Photos

I took a long pause and still cannot remember how old is she but anyhow, I believe she has just started going through the "ugly" phase.

I also took very long to start assembling the shelves at our new place. Here are some photos.

p/s: notice the watermark, I am sure you know why it there.

Meadow Haven

It is difficult for city dwellers like us to find a real meadow for our beloved bunnies to enjoy themselves. So I have decided to paint the bunny area at our new place for them and hope that would make them feel comfortable. Thus, I am naming this place Meadow Haven.

Frankly, I was so reluctant to share photos after the previous "drama" but I felt that there are more people I want to share my experiences with and that outweighs the negativity by a mile. To hell with those trouble makers.

I promised to post some photos didn't I? The rabbitry is not completed yet because I just started setting it up. I am too tired to type a long one, so here you go (the preview):

Exciting days ahead

It is just a wonder how much can be done over the weekend knowing that I will be having more time to work on the new house for the whole of next week.

Oh yeah before I forget, I have added Organic Barley Flakes into the conditioning mix and they love it.

Coming back to the new place. Just got it painted all over and I just bought some blinds to cover the rabbit area. I will be setting up the shelves tomorrow after the final layer of paints on the walls. I have also made a DIY pee/poo sieve for separating the poops from the pee so that I could use them for the neighborhood plants. Go green!

So for the next few days, I am hoping very much for flawless measurements and assembling of the entire rabbit system. It is something I am quite proud of given the fact that I used part of my brain for this innovation. LOL...

You could tell how much I use my brains these days through my boring posts.

One thing I need to improve on is to take time taking photos of all the DIY ventures. I just get too engrossed with the work itself, I find it hard to stop for a while and snap a few photos. Moreover, I suspect I have mild ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) because each time I work on something, my mind wanders and there goes my feet too. LOL!!!!

Distractions!!!

Anyhow, I just cannot wait to get the rabbitry up and running because to be truthful, I am more excited with getting the rabbits into the new place than shifting to this new place itself. LOL!!!

Someone please knock me the next time you see only words on this blog. LOL...Very likely I'll get knocked unconscious.

See you guys tomorrow!

Catching the midnight train

After promising myself that I will be filling up the calendar on the sidebar, I found myself rushing home before midnight just to add a new blog post.

I am dead tired now because I have been busy working on the new place.

The old rabbit shack has been dismantled and I modified the materials so that I can use them for the new rabbitry system.

All the materials are ready and it is just a matter of days before I get everything setup.

Just an update on the move for now. Will post some decent photos soon.

I don’t mean to be rude but…bunny language please…

I have been getting some weird comments in really weird languages. I do not mean to sound rude but I can only understand bunny languages. Binkies and grunting may mean something to me but if you want to comment, please comment in ENGLISH (American or British, it doesn't matter). LOL...

It is quite surprising that some people in certain countries are very proud of their languages and assume that everyone in the world will understand. Unfortunately, the only international language I know is as you know English, a little sign language and of course body language (both animals and human). I am sorry if I seemed ignorant and do not take the initiatives to learn your language. I have too many languages to learn computer programming languages included. LOL...

So, please forgive me if I run into any grammatical errors.

I believe in the rabbit world, theirs is a simpler language. And here are a few of them and what they mean if you happen to see/witness them:

1. Chinning: Not necessary mean marking territory, more of a behavior in preparation before digging into a sumptuous meal.

2. Lying stretched out: Most relaxed and happy.

3. Thumping of back feets: Danger, Danger, Danger!

4. Buck circling your feet: Courting behavior (you're sexy!)

5. Growling and biting: Stop messing my burrow with your filthy hands!

6. Teeth grinding: If sitting crouched up, it would mean pain else, may be a purr while being petted

7. Jumping in mid air (Binky): True Happiness!!!

8. Buck spraying at you: I love you!!! UghhHhhHHhh!!!

In a few more days

The wait is finally coming to an end. I am now planning on building up the new rabbitry at our new home. I need to get all the logistics planned out in detail because I would be needing the rabbits' existing cages to build the new one.

There will be a lot of work involve. I need to clean their cages thoroughly before fitting them onto the new shelving units. But I will document the entire process and share with all of you soon. I will even document how the shelves are made if I do not get carried away building it up. LOL.

I really need to get those contractors speed up their work. There are just a few minor adjustments to be made before we can move in. But since the materials for the new rabbitry has been transported over even before the renovation started, I have to get them built first. And these materials got dirty while the renovation was in progress. UrggGgghh...more work!

Will be keeping everyone updated. And sorry for the lack of photos. Has been really tied down with work lately.

I want to be a HLRSC member!

Since we do not have rabbit shows in Malaysia. I thought it would be fun to be part of the Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club in US. It would be nice to keep abreast with the happenings over in the US since they will be sending me 4 issues of Hollander newsletters and I am particularly interested in reading the Official Guidebook too.

I actually registered in April 2008 through their website and paid through paypal. It says that it will take 4 weeks for processing. I guess they are taking a little too long to process my request.

After 4 week, I still have not got any response from them so I decided to email the secretary to check. After a long wait, the secretary mentioned that she did not see my application.

Oh noOOOooooOOooo....

My credit card statement clearly shows that there was a USD25 charged for HLRSC.

That's quite a sad news for me. But I will continue waiting. Hope they are able to sort it out so that I get those materials as promised.

Fighting a good fight

Jesus was crucified because he spoke the truth. That is what I believe in.

And when you speak the truth, you will be crucified, literally! That is just how the WORLD works.

So now, what does that got to do with my rabbitry? I have mentioned over and over again that my rabbitry stand for the truth. I strive and try my level best to bring awareness to the community that I serve so that we can bring the level of mentality in raising rabbits the best way we could up a notch from where it was dooming to be.

Now, there are some that does not support this cause at all because for them, an animal is just an animal and should be treated like....AN ANIMAL. They are taken as a commodity where money is the center of their interest.

But they failed to realized that the beast is not in the animal but in themselves. Yes again, I interview potential pet owners that shows interest in my rabbits. Should I get crucified for that?

If you do not stand up for something, you can never stand up for anything. We make conscious decisions every single day, so that what we do will not disturb our God given conscience.

I am deeply disturbed by the behavior exhibited by this person whom have taken my photos without permission or making reference to where she got them from. As an owner of those photos, I believe I have the rights to ask for removal. So how come the table is turned and the blame is on me now?

This will be my last lament on this darn issue as I want to move on to enjoy my hobby. Not entertaining some young spoiled brat and her vulgar blog. But of course, that's her rights to use all the vulgar words she can find on the surface of the earth.

Let's put a stop to hatred

Hey people,

I was actually running of of things to write but I suddenly felt the urge to take a peek on that little girl's blog that has some issues with me a couple of days back. And walla! I found something to blog about.

Thank you all for making this happen. It is so sad to have this little girl thinking that I requested people to spam her BLOG. She had to remove her chat box too. I am not flattered in any way because I did not intend for this to happen. I just wanted my photos removed. But I guess many people do not enjoy her blog at all, they rather "spam" it on behalf of me.

Well little girl, what I can only say is that "YOU HAVE BEEN SERVED". All those name callings are totally uncalled for.

Well, just want to thank all of you firm believers in responsible pet ownership and being good rabbit owners. Thank you all for leaving so many nasty comments till the point she had to remove her chat box. I believe that it was not for ME that you guys wrote those comments but the reason was that all of you are matured enough to see through the situation and identify the right from the wrong.

It is very obvious that I DID NOT ask for any "reinforcements" which this little girl failed to see and I have to admit, I did not bother to place any comments on her chat box. What I did was just commenting on her blog which she removed it in attempt to clear her name. My comment on her blog was just a request for her to remove my photos. I seriously have better things to do than to waste my time on a 20 year old kid that has no manners.

Here's another link for everyone to ENJOY:

http://juzanniess.blogspot.com/2008/06/chatbox-removed.html

P.S.: I seriously do not know why she wants my phone number so badly coz I do not even want to be associated with her. LOL....

LONG LIVE TRU-LUV RABBITRY. We stand for TRUTH and LOVE!

The moral of the story is, there are too many sincere animal lovers out there (that should not be taken as FOOLS)! I could really feel everyone of your presence here.

Outrageos Perceptions

Most people here have the worst perceptions and impressions of rabbits and I felt that they deserve some justice. So before giving the justification for each bad perception, I would like to list down why the general public do not think that rabbits make good pets:

1) They are smelly

- The reason for the smell is due to bad waste management. They are many good litter materials available in the market and has high absorbency rate. To eliminate smell, ensure that the rabbit's environment is kept dry and clean at all times.

2) They poop a lot

- Again, with good waste management, this should not be an issue because with other pets, you need to clean their waste as well.

3) They kick whenever I try to carry them

- Rabbits do not like the feeling of being lifted up in general. You can either go down to their level or handle them more (the right way). Never ever pull a rabbit's ear. Grip on to the shoulder and provide support for its rear when you are carrying.

4) They breed like mad

- You can opt to neuter or spay your rabbits. That improves their behavior too. Always separate matured rabbits. No, THEY WILL NOT FEEL LONELY separated.

5) They always spray or shoot urine at me

- Bucks spray their girlfriends. You should count your blessing if he shoots at you because that shows that he LOVE you. Get him neutered!

6) They bite!

- Aggression are caused by hormones most of the time. This is quite common in females when they have raging hormones pounding on their brain to mate. Get her spayed! That will tone her down.

7) They poo and pee everywhere!

- This is another sign of territorial marking. For me personally, as long as I get the pee into the litter box, I am not worried about the poops. Just need to clean up after them.

8) They are not responsive (not interactive)

- DEFINITELY a myth! Rabbits can respond to their names!

9) They cannot live indoors

- They definitely can but first you must litter train them. They make great indoor pets!

10) They eat their own poo!

- They need those nutrients from their cecal to help balance up the flora in their tummy. It is natural. No one ask you to kiss their MOUTHS! LOL...

If you have anymore outrageous perceptions please do add them through the comments. Thank you...

Monday Blue

I read from somewhere that rabbits with happy owners normally live longer compared to depress owners. That information really scare the crap out of me because I am always depressed. LOL!!!!!

It seemed that they can sense the bad vibes coming from their owners.

So, if your rabbit dies on you young, it would mean that you are too stress?

I really hope NOT!

But I strongly believe in this theory because animals are very good with their senses. One of the earlier warnings of recent tsunami was given by animals.

We have also seen that certain dogs were able to sense the onset of heart attacks on their owners.

Animals are amazing don't you think?

I have decided to stay away from my rabbits on Mondays because of Monday Blues. LOL...

Just kidding. They gave me so much joy even when I am really depressed, they would reverse the feeling immediately when I see them.

A place called Rainbow Bridge

Every now and then we hear grave news that one of our friends has lost a pet they hold close at heart. And we always wonder where do our pets go when their lives end here on earth. Many religions and beliefs do not believe Heaven is a place for animals - only humans go to heaven. Some say that animals do not have souls like humans do. So where does our pet's soul go to when they die?

As an animal lover myself, I believe in a place where they call Rainbow Bridge. It is a beautiful place filled with meadows and the most wonderful things for animals that has left earth. It give great comfort to know that they do have a place to go after death.

I just read that a fellow forum member's rabbit passed away after 8 years. For all of us it is the saddest news. 8 years of friendship is definitely hard to forget. So what can we do to console ourselves? I believe we lean on each other for comfort and consolation.

My deepest heartfelt condolences goes to Proudfoot's owner with the nick djspinnet on LYN.

And for everyone that has lost their rabbits, I pray that God will lead you out of sorrow and heal your broken hearts. May you not give up this wonderful hobby that gives more hope and joy.

Litter Trays

Litter trays has been the best rabbit accessory for me. It is just so amazing how fast rabbits can pick up the habit of using them. I am using this triangular litter tray and I must say that they are serving me pretty well.

The only problem is that, I need to change them on a daily basis if the litter material that I am using has low absorbency. That is exactly what I am facing at the moment. I wanted to get a pack of Woody Pet Pellets but I was not too convince with the quality of the last packet so I opted for some other bedding. This bedding can't suck up as much compared to Woody Pet.

I spend almost 2 hours daily cleaning up after the rabbit and that is really taking a toll on me. I just need to go through this for another 1 week and thereafter, it would be less hassle - I hope.

It is about time I started to take photos of my rabbits on a daily basis instead of cleaning after them. Yes, I want more time with the rabbit and not with their "by-products".

I am really tired now. Just came back from a wedding dinner. TIRING!

For the Future!

Why am I being so particular and serious about this hobby? We all need to make a decision today that will make a better tomorrow. Every moment of our lives must be dedicated to helping our next generation.

If it does not start from now, we will never get to our destination. A friend just sent me a great video of a child speaking at an UN conference. I do not know where this video has been taken but I would like to share it with all of you. I know this has nothing to do with the rabbits but it does give a good wake up call for all of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8cmWZOX8Q

My Goodness!!!

Due to the controversy with the other local blogger, the hits to this blog is phenomenal! Amazing!

For once I am lost for words. I just cannot type...

Thank you all for dropping by and supporting!

Please continue to promote RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP!

I Love My Bunny Friends

Generally, bunny people are great people. I am a firm believer in the fact that animal lovers are very kind people. Animal lovers in my definition does not loosely mean someone that keeps animal as pet. I do mean those that give a big deal of their time, money and attention to their pets.

Most are owners by impulse. Out of those, there are some that eventually move on to be genuinely good pet owners through extensive research - the interest grows. For many, it is just a passing fad. For example, some people just hate rabbits because according to them, they poop a lot. But it is ironical that someone who hates rabbits may end up owning one (just because the bunny looks cute) and you can pretty much guess what happens to the rabbit eventually.

For most of the people I know and correspond with, our commitment is forever. We love our rabbits to death and having the slightest feeling of parting possibilities would send us into a seizure (literally!).

For all those that have commented on this blog and have corresponded with me, I love you guys tons!!! Keep the passion for those buns burning. You guys rock! Wouldn't come this far without you guys.

And for the RECORD, I am NO rabbit seller! I am a HOBBYIST BREEDER who occasionally have something nice to offer for people who are genuine and sincere! If there are shows in Malaysia, that would make me a SHOW BREEDER!

Nuff Said...

Intellectual Property Violation

This is just another classic story about how doomed my country is. Many may know it as a fast developing country. But I could not agree when it comes to the quality of mentality. I know many people blog and some just seemed oblivious to the "house rules" of taking other people's work and using it as their own.

I recently found that Holly Hope's photos appeared on someone's blog and like any other person who takes pride for capturing those moments, I was furious. I just could not understand how could someone be so ignorant. Attempts to request for removal was furthered ignored and my photos are still showing on this person's blog.

Even if there are no laws governing infringement of rights, it clearly show one's credibility and principles when he or she take someone else's work without the consent of the owner. But the good news is, there are laws governing infringement of rights and I am now looking at the possibilities of how I can pursue this matter legally.

As of now, this particular person has not ask for any permission nor has she made any reference stating the origin of those photos.

Here is the blog in question:

http://juzanniess.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-bugs-bunny.html

This is the only post so far that I am so embarrassed of posting because I just cannot imagine how primitive people in my country is. TOTAL SADNESS...

UPDATE: Thank goodness that those photos has been removed! Now, I must say, there is still hope. But of course it takes a lot of dissing for that to happen. Just read the last words on that posting and that will tell you how amazing some people can be

Color vs Torts

If you have been following on the development of Holland Lops, you would soon notice that most of the show specimens are made up of Tortoiseshells. It is either broken torts or solid torts mostly.

I have not been doing much research on the history but that is the first thing that I noticed when I go through most of the breeders' websites. I must admit that most of the HLs with the best body structure (type) are in fact of the tort varieties.

The color varieties are soon catching up and I must say that they are catching up pretty fast.

Truthfully for me, I do not mind the colors as long as the rabbit shows massiveness. I love those big head, broad shoulders and short ears!

Since we do not have shows here, I would prefer to have broadness that exceeds the standard. LOL!!!! I really love those "bull-doggish" looks!

So now, I am on a quest to get those compact and massive bunnies just for keeps sake.

Friends around the world

It is really amazing how the internet has allowed people across the globe to know each other. Blogs are even more phenomenal. I am very happy to have started this blog and posting on a daily basis. Other than giving me an escape out of the normal hectic routine. It is really therapeutic psychologically for me.

I am known as a very verbal person by my peers and I write/say whatever that is on my mind in a very straight forward manner. I guess it is good for me because I do not keep much within myself. I am most willing to share and this blog allows me to do just that.

I am quite contented and feel honored whenever someone tells me that they visit my blog on a daily basis. It really inspires me to continue doing what I enjoy.

In order to grow, we must always share. I hope all the experiences penned down in this blog helps someone along the way. That is the purest form of helping someone else in need sincerely - not expecting anything in return that is.

You might feel that my blog is getting boring at the moment. Well, I do not blame you because I felt the same way too. Seemed like I am writing so much about how I feel rather than what is happening with the rabbits at the moment.

The herd is doing alright in my opinion. As I have mentioned about a thousand times now, I am just too tied up with some other issues at the moment. Work has been really hectic for the past few weeks and I will not be able to take leave until after another week or so. I believe by then I will be able to send some photos this way of the new rabbitry. It should be ready by end of this month (fingers crossed). I just cannot wait to see my last Proof Of Concept materializing.

What I wanted to say when I started posting this entry is that, I just want to extend my heartiest gratitude to all those rabbit friends that I have met through this great place called Internet. Many of you have shared so much valuable knowledge and experiences with me that I am truly in debt. The only way I could repay all your kindness is to continue to share the knowledge through this little blog.

I understand that many of us are going through a very grave challenge at the moment especially the economical situation. Looking at the worldwide food shortage really worries me. If humans do not have enough, would there even be anything left for our poor bunnies/pets?

Nonetheless, I pray that all bunny friends out there do not have to make the decision to give up this wonderful hobby for financial reasons. I pray for good health both bunnies and owners. May everyday bring new hope like how the nest boxes are filled with warm kits cuddled together.

Bunnies do give us great HOPE to press on.

Bunny poops to save the world

In the midst of worldwide food shortage, I read that mankind is facing yet another big blow. The agriculture industry is facing shortage of fertilizer.

When I read the news, my mind thought of bunny poops right away. What mankind cannot solve, we should get help from those sharing this planet with us. What's more natural than animal poops and especially our beloved rabbits' poops.

US should be the last affected by this shortage. With all the rabbitries combined, I believe they could collect bunny poops that could last a lifetime.

What can the rest of us do? We can start making this planet a greener place to live by using our pet rabbit poops as fertilizers around our gardens. If need be, share them with our neighbors or better still, use them around the neighborhood!

My rabbits produce a big bag of poops everyday and I normally throw them out into the backyard where there are fruit plants.

All of us can make a difference in this world. We just need to pick ourselves up and just make it happen.

May the power of bunny poops save the world from STARVATION!

False pregnancy or boredom?

Found that Noob has pulled quite an amount of fur. I suspect it could either be boredom or false pregnancy. It looked more like false pregnancy because she did line the fur at one corner as if she's building a nest.

The weird thing is that she is still nursing Holly Hope. Neither boredom nor false pregnancy does not seemed to be a good thing for me. I dislike behavior that does not reflect the nature of things.

I just need another 2 more weeks to get everything settled down. Cannot wait till the end of this month.

Any breeder out there experience this with their does before?

Cute Photos

I went through my rabbit photos collection and found some nice photos that I thought worth sharing:

The Rabbit Hill's BlueBerry:

The Rabbit Hill's Noobie:

Tru-Luv's Latara

The Rabbit Hill's Skor:

Here's the day by day development of The Rabbit Hill's Holly Hope: