Superstars!

I don't know why I have chosen this title but Superstar by Luther Vandross seemed to be one of my favorite songs. Anyway, it is very early in the morning right now and the real reason is that I just can't think straight let alone come up with a good title for this post.

Tried capturing photos of little Knee-Yo this evening. Trust me when I say it was the most excruciating photo session ever! My camera just can't register the black object in him. Poor me and poor him. But thanks to some pointers from a dear friend, I was able to capture a few decent photos of him. Didn't I tell you that there is perfection in the midst of imperfection? This is so true when Knee-Yo's blind white eye was the only contrast my camera could capture. Thus, these photos are much clearer.

Do you believe me now how difficult it is to capture a black bunny?

Could be better...

Heli"chopter" ear...

Love this cutie...

I also capture some photos of Sibylla who needs to get her head puffed up with fur.

Acting cute!

Looking more like daddy...

Could be better with higher head mount

Java a.k.a. Brown Sugar was cam-whoring for me too. I can't resist so I snapped some of her too...

Give me a little pat on the head will ya?

Everlasting Hobby

Some of the Holland breeders I know have been raising rabbits for the past 30 years or so. I really have very high regards for them because of all the experiences acquired through the years. I dare not estimate how long I will be in this hobby but I do hope it will last forever.

But for many I dare say it is just a passing phase like anything and everything in their lives. Hobby in its real definition is something to occupy one's free time. It is sometimes referred to as Favorite Pastimes. And I wonder what happens to pets when there is no time - LOL!

It is very easy for us to forget that when we bring a pet home, our lifestyle changes for better or for worst. The pet becomes so intertwined with our lives that special arrangements must be made and most of the time, many considerations must be made with our beloved pet in mind.

For most of us, when we find ourselves in need to prioritize, our pets would be the very first to get booted.

I was at the bookshop last evening browsing through the pet magazines. It is already 2010 and all I see are pet magazines featuring only CATS & DOGS. It is very sad and it is as though, there isn't any other species fitting to be pets.

Is it because rabbits are highly dispensable?

Rather let a cheap rabbit die than to spend vet fees that could cover the cost of 10 other rabbits?

Rabbits are smelly? - this is the biggest stigmata and myth attached to rabbits to date!

And the list goes on and I am sure everyone has something bad to say about rabbits. An average age for a rabbit is 7 years.

My hope is that those having and will be having a TLR rabbit last at least for that 7 years in the hobby. It is not a sacred wedding but at least promise the little rabbit that you are about to bring home "Till Death Do Us Part" like how you would tell it to your spouse on your wedding day.

"Till Death Do Us Part"

Pop!

Dare you put your hand in there. It brings you to a whole new world...

I am very pleased. Very very pleased...

YeahooooOOOOOoOooooooooOOooooooooo

Tru-Luv Knee-Yo @ Week 3

Little Knee-Yo is 3 weeks old today and such a cutie filled with a zest for life.

The perfect side

Unfortunately, we all know the irony of raising Hollands. If it wasn't for one problem, it would be another. I noticed that his right eye is a little cloudy the moment it was opened. I have been applying an ointment but to no avail. It is definitely sad because I have so much high hopes for this one.

I am sure there is always perfection among imperfections.

The imperfect side

Tru-Luv Sibylla: 3 months, 6 Days

Time really flies, can't believe she's 3 months already

I'll prefer better head mount, shorter ears and wider shoulders

Tru-Luv Knee-Yo Day 15

"Black till it shines", said my wife.

That's exactly what this 15 day old is. Among other traits that I notice is the wideness & short ears. I hope they stay that way. At this age, nothing is for certain. Right now anything can look like a miniature Thunder. LOL!

Enjoy these photos...

Love the paws!

Shorty ears!

Cute?

Gentleman?

Lazy little fellow...

Hi, down under!

Karate Chopped Hay Anyone?

Most of the time, at the end of each pack of Timothy Hay, I will usually find a little or more loose hay and sometimes they are almost in powder form. The boys and girls at TLR absolutely hate these loose hay and they couldn't be bothered with me saving up for them. Most of the time, these chopped hay ends up in the dustbin.

Hay Ya! Chopped Hay

The reason why we feed hay in their normal "long" form is to help motility or should I say gut movement. You see, when a strand of hay goes through the rabbit's mouth, it is not "chopped" but the chewing causes it to soften and thus most of the time, they are ingested with a bit of length. Just imagine having a long leaf going through the intestines in the peristalsis process. The leaf will "flow" through like a little worm and that motion keeps the rabbit's stomach moving and moving. That is exactly what we want.

So what is the use of these "chopped hay"? Totally useless and marketing tells us that they are less messy. Sure, the rabbits don't even touch them and you just dump the entire crock filled crap into the dustbin. NO MESS for sure...

I rather have hay messing up my cages knowing well that my rabbits have taken their daily doses of hay and not spend a single cent in junk called "Chopped Hay"...

The Run's Back!

After almost a month without the run, it is finally back in business. I was having problem with rabbits digging up newspaper that I line underneath the wood shaving beddings. I finally stop procrastinating and bought a piece of huge wire mesh to line the bottom of the play pen so that they will not be able to dig the newspaper up.

Wonder how long the cleanliness will last...

Also, glad to announce that baby Knee-Yo has its eyes opened today. Thanks to the tip given by a dear friend, I gathered my little family around to welcome this little kit into this world when I gave it a help opening its eyes. It is good to help at day 11 if they are still closed to avoid blindness. As I split the eyes open, we whispered "Welcome to the world little one". Thanks Colleen for this wonderful "tradition" that I will sure to practice for the rest of my rabbit raising days.

Can you see my little bunny teeth?

Another thing that I noticed is how unavoidable it is not to have black colored Hollands in my herd. Honestly, I do not really fancy black Hollands all that much because it is so difficult to capture photos of them. Unfortunately, black is one of the most dominant color if you go through color genetics.

Then again, who cares about color when type is all we need? I hope Knee-Yo will turn out well.

As you can see, it is very difficult to capture photos of a black rabbit

Bon Voyage Tru-Luv Balian

If there is one rabbit that I'll probably regret not keeping at this moment is Tru-Luv Balian. I don't mean it in a bad way though. I wish he was a doe so that I could keep him for the breeding program. But all is well and good because he is now proudly owned by a little girl, Meg & her family. Meg's mom has agreed not to neuter him in case I need to use him as a stud. But if he do not behave (bringing down the Golden Shower or play target practice), there goes his precious jewels.

I felt it was appropriate to let Balian go because I still have both his parents and two herd bucks are all I need at the moment.

Both these kits will be 3 months old tomorrow and I took a few photos of them.

Having a head moult at the moment

Looking good

I really love this little guy

A nice little bunny for a cute little baby!

Little perky guy!

Already being spoiled rotten with a nice cage & lots of hay!

Being curious and adventurous

Rabbitry Prefix

I am practically laughing my *ss off right now while rolling on the floor at 100 mph - LOL!

I came across some wannabe websites/blogs that uses their own rabbitry prefixes on rabbits that aren't bred by them. Let me give you an example. Let's say someone buys Tru-Luv Sibylla from me, the rabbitry prefix should remain as Tru-Luv not Wannabe Sibylla!

It really cracks me up and baffles me when I see some so called "breeders" buying some rabbits that does not come with any predigrees putting up their rabbitry name as prefixes. Totally embarrassing.

The rule of thumb is, these prefixes are suppose to tell others of the origin of the rabbits. It tells people who their breeders were.

When I purchase 2 rabbits from different rabbitries, it does not mean that they take on the prefix of my rabbitry just because I am the owner. The prefix will always remain as the breeder's rabbitry name.

Only when I breed these 2 rabbits, their offspring will carry my rabbitry's prefix. For example, if I breed Clark to Haley, Clark remains as Miller's Clark and Haley remains as Ivy Crescent's Haley. Their babies will have the prefix Tru-Luv because they are the product of my choices for breeding. That means that I deliberately breed Haley to Clark through conscious decision.

It is as simple as that and you do not go about putting your prefix on every single bunny that you purchase. And you do not go using other rabbitry's prefix either!

And most importantly, you do not fake the rabbit names & prefixes on the pedigree!

Get it right, WANNABE!

All Things Cute & Beautiful

I grew up with a lot of cute things around me. I really appreciate cute and beautiful things just like any ordinary person. There is no wonder why even as an adult, I cannot help but to be attracted to cute things and somehow these cute things kept on appearing before my eyes - LOL!

As you can see, I don't have much to say. I believe that sometimes bloggers do write tons of crap too!

I know, better show some photos eh?

Alf, Gizmo & Garfield - Aren't these cute?

Java loves cute ducky too!

Haley likes to look cute too!

A cute kiss from Sibylla? Muakz!

Ready, Set....

Break Dancing bunny anyone?

Taking Orders Now!

Dear Bunny Lovers (I presume you did not stumble across my blog by accident),

I am currently planning out for a shipment of rabbits scheduled in March/April 2o1o. I have put much thoughts into this and felt that it would be the best for the rabbit community in Malaysia at large. Most of you have expressed interest in owning fully imported rabbits and this could be the best arrangement to help everyone out!

Most of you are not willing to pay (of course!) but at the same time want imported qualities and also only 1 or 2 rabbits (to try out). So the best thing to do now, is for us share out the shipping cost.

Advantages include:

1. You get cheaper rates compared to shipping alone in small amount

2. Quality & health will be assured as we will help source out with your interest on mind

3. No more outrageous rules & regulations imposed by breeders i.e. only MALES available

4. No more outrageous prices for sub standard rabbits

5. Reliable sources

6. Delivery to your doorstep (Klang Valley)

Procedures:

1. Email me truluvrabbitry@gmail.com (serious inquiries only!)

2. Agree upon budget

3. Sign an agreement (ship at own risk)

4. Pay the amount agreed upon

5. I will source and show photos of rabbits picked

6. You agree on rabbits

7. I get them shipped and deliver them to you!

Disclaimer clause(s):

1. Ship at your own risk

2. Qualities of rabbits commensurate with prices! We work on the "PAY PEANUTS GET MONKEY" basis!

3. Prices of rabbits commensurate with the DISTANCE needed to TRAVEL too!

4. We can help source for good OTHER breeds (i.e. Netherland Dwarfs, Lionhead, American Fuzzy Lops, Jersey Woollies, Mini Satin, Mini Rex, Californian & etc) too!

5. We can arrange for shipping to countries outside of Malaysia too! Foreign friends please email me!

Now, let's flood me with emails and more importantly, let's get GOOD STUFF!

*P.S.: PLEASE EMAIL ME!!! I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN COMMENTS ON THIS POST!

Happy 1st Birthday Truffles!!!

Today is Truffles birthday and I left his photo at home!

Our handsome Truffles

Happy Birthday my dear Truffles! You're always a CHAMP!

My Little Tru-Luv Knee-Yo

Day 6

Miss Independent please stand up! Put your hands up!

Tiramishu's day!

Had a great day messing with Tiramishu today. She is so darn cute and small!

Mishu all relaxed

Such a cutie!

She likes posing on my lap!

Trust Me, They Are Only 12 Weeks Old!

I am glad that my blog statistics is back to normal now. Really baffles me how the heck it went up to 1229 hits for yesterday alone. I hope it will get there on a daily basis and TLR do get up to 1229 fans - LOL!

Anyhow, decided to have a little photo shoot of the kits. Posing them on the table makes me feel that they have both grown up as they no longer look like babies to me but in fact they are only 12 weeks old.

Hope these photos will brighten up your weekend!

Tru-Luv Sibylla

Cute?

That's what they call bone?

Tru-Luv Balian is too awesome right now!

Do you agree?

And BTW, here's one of Thunder's kits:

Another cutie in the making!

Knee-Yo & So-Sick

Ne-Yo conquered!

What a spectacular concert by this person I dub to be the next Michael Jackson in the making. There is no chance for Simon Cowell or Paul Moss to pick on pitching at all! Every single move, every single note and every single beat right where they are. I am a very critical person as all of you know and I was actually looking out for the slightest glitch in this concert, NONE! The band was good, the dancers did not bother me at all and the weather was perfect!

The next black kit born in TLR will be called Tru-Luv Knee-Yo and the next peanut will be called So-Sick cause they are usually dying.

I noticed that Ne-Yo dedicated this concert to the late Michael Jackson. It is definitely a night to remember. And honestly, I am too old for Ne-Yo ya'll....

Back's aching and I am a little deaf right now. But deaf enough to hear Thunder singing to each and everyone of his girlfriend:

she's staring at me i'm sitting wondering what she's thinking...
nobunny's talking, cause talking just turns into screaming...
and now as i'm yellin' over her, she yellin' over me..
all that that means, is neither of us is listening...
and what's even worse is that we don't even remember why we're fighting...

so both of us are mad for, nothing..
fighting for, nothing...
crying for, nothing...
but we wont let it go for, nothing...
no not for, nothing...
there should be, nothing...
to a love like what we got, oh baby...

i know sometimes its gonna rain...
but baby can we make up now cause i can't sleep through the pain...
girl i don't wanna go to bed, mad at you..
and i don't want you to go to bed, mad at me...
no i don't wanna go to bed, mad at you...
and i don't want you to go to bed, mad at me...

A Far Cry

Before 2009 came to a close, I sorted out all the pictures I have taken of my rabbits and something caught my attention.

Let's take a closer look to what caught my attention:

One of my Ol' Skool broodies!

OMG! Can you believe it?

Now compare that to this:

Big difference right?

The funny thing is, I now realized how difficult it was back then for my Holland Lop breeder friends to comment on my rabbits. For instance, back then Laurie was the only person I knew through her blog and each time I asked her to evaluate my rabbits, it seemed really difficult for her to comment. But she did point out the good points that my rabbit have and also I knew how much work is needed to get to where I wanted to be. I truly understand what a difficult position she was in at that moment! I found this really funny and hilarious.

Just imagine if you're driving a BMW and someone comes and ask you about the Sang Kancil. It is just 2 different leagues and it would be very difficult to pass judgment as both have their value and worth on different levels.

Have a nice Wednesday everyone!