Do Rabbits have Christmas?

This cute book attempts to answer that question. I haven't read it but plan to get a copy for my collection.

http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/HENRYHOLTBYR/search/SearchBookDisplay.asp?BookKey=2649996

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2007/12/do-rabbits-have-christmas.html

http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2007/12/poetry-for-christmas.html

Just a sample:

Christmas in the Country

Run, little wild ones,
over the snow,
peek through the trees
where yourselves won’t show,
look at the lights on our Christmas tree,
brighter than any stars you’ll see!

Year of the Rabbit

Timid and attractive, the Rabbits of the Chinese Zodiac tend to act more like bunnies, whether they like it or not! This Sign is extremely popular and has a wide circle of family and friends. Its compassionate nature leads it to be very protective of those it holds dear, but where romance is concerned, the Rabbit's sentimentality can lead it to idealize relationships. The sweet, sensitive Rabbit often ends up giving more of itself to a partner than is realistic or healthy. The good news is, when this Sign goes off-balance, the Rabbit's core group of friends and its stable home life help bring it back to center.
The Rabbit is a rather delicate Sign that needs a solid base in order to thrive. Lacking close, supportive friends and family, the Rabbit might just break down in tears at the first sign of conflict. Emotional upsets in this Sign's life can even lead to physical illnesses. Rabbits dislike arguments and other conflict and will try anything to avoid a fight; this results in something of a pushover nature. Rabbits can also lapse into pessimism and may seem stuck in life -- often to mask their insecure natures. Rabbits tend to move through life's lessons at their own, rather contemplative pace; it's a waste of time to become exasperated with this Sign's seeming disinterest in facing its problems and conquering them.
With the right partner -- meaning someone whose high principles won't allow it to take advantage of this sensitive, giving Sign -- the Rabbit can make an incredibly loving and protective partner or family member. Rabbits love to entertain at home and always make sure their house is comfortable and tastefully-furnished. What Rabbits need most is a stronger sense of self-worth and the security that comes with it. Their discerning natures, coupled with some hard-won assertiveness, will help these happy creatures go far.
The most compatible match for a Rabbit is the Sheep or the Pig.

Merry Christmas!

The hopping roommates wish everyone and everybun a Hoppy Christmas. Be safe. If someone does something nice for you pass it forward.

Max

Max is doing better since his neuter. He still is a bit cage aggressive. I hope that will lessen once he learns to trust me.


Monty is doing well. Quite the little character. He will make a good pet for a responsible older child or young adult.

Montana - foster

Max - what a cutie

Max

Max is the new bun in the house. What a little character. I think he is making up for all the time he spent locked away in his cage in a basement. I understand he was rescued from a garage with another rabbit that later died for an unknown reason. Max was sent packing to the basement. The only person who even paid any attention to him was his rescuer's father. His rescuer saved him and apparently decided she didn't want to be bothered with him. Anyway some kind people saved him from a that life and now I have him. Not sure if he is going to stay mine or be rehomed through the rescue I volunteer for. He definitely needs to be neutered. Pics to follow.

Tippy Found a Home

Tippy found his furever home. I will be getting another foster over the weekend. I'll miss the little guy. I will see him again.

Pete

Pete gave me a scare the last couple of days. He had stopped pooping and his appetite had decreased and he was lethargic. Not a good thing for a rabbit. It is serious. Tonight he is better. At least he is hopping around and pooping. I really don't need a sick rabbit when I trying to pack and get ready to move. I'll keep an eye on him.

Gone to the bridge, but not forgotten (feeling guilty)

I think of them all often. The rabbits I've had in the past. I had a number of pets of the years guinea pigs, parakeets, hamsters, dogs, cats, etc. It is the rabbits I remember most.

Peter was the first rabbit I had. He was an Easter present from my grandparents. How original. I was a kid. I vaguely remember Peter. It was about 40 years ago. Peter (not sure if Peter was a he or she) was a big black NZ (I guess). I don't think he lived long. Maybe a year or so. The rabbits were outside in hutch that my father built. I know one of the rabbits had a litter. I can't remember what happened to them. I don't think they survived. I believe Peter was killed by a dog or some other predator. Sad. I believe there are pictures of Peter somewhere. My mother probably has them. I didn't get another rabbit until 1982.

Starbuck went to college with me. He was a cute dwarf mix rabbit I bought at a pet store. I wish I had treated him better. I was ignorate of what it took to care for him. He died in 1986 from fly strike. I have a picture of him hanging on the wall.

Two weeks after Buck died I got Opie from a breeder. He was one those really special bunnies. Tears are welling up as I think of my sweet lop boy. Sad he only lived for four years. Probably neutering him would have a good thing. Not sure if it Pasturella or something else that he died from. He died in his carrier on the way to the vet.

I got Clover from the same breeder. This one rabbit I was I had not gotten. I really didn't take good care of her. We didn't bond well together. I was desparate for another rabbit friend. She lived for a few years. Not sure what happened. I suspect it was cancer. She was not spayed. I think the vet gave me some amoxicillin which probably hastened her death.

I waited two year before getting another rabbit. Actually my parents found Toy in May 1993 hopping around in friend's yard. They couldn't leave him there. I almost named him Hammy. He looked like a teddy bear hamster. That's what I thought he was when my mom handed him to me. I almost said 'Gee thanks for the hamster.' I managed to save myself on that one and said rabbit instead. I did tell her I what I almost said. We laugh about it now.

Toy helped me though some transitions in my life. Moving, starting a new job, leaving that job going to another new one, moving again. He lived for almost ten years. He was a beatiful Jersey Wholly. I did have him neutered. Another rabbit I wish I had treated better at times. I surprised and amazed that he lived as long as he did. He was surlly little bunny. He didn't like to be combed. I tried to cut the mats out. I often cut him at times. I felt bad. He suffered at the end. I think he may had GI stasis. I think about that and what I could have done to help him through that. I need to stop before I really start crying here. More later.

The roomies

The roomies have been very good this week. I did have to take Goobie to the vet for an URI. Peter went along for moral support. Goobie was calm with him there.

My foster Tippy is still very shy but such a cutie. Another victim of the "mommy, daddy I want that cute Easter bunny in the petstore" syndrome. At least we saved this one. The SPCA shelter was going to put him and two others down due to lack of space. Not that the rescue had that much space either but it was worth it. One is due to go to her new home in NH.

Dance of Life

The little rabbit stood alone, watching the other rabbits around hop and skip in the forest. They were playing her favourite rabbit game. Try as she might, each time she attempted to join in, she tripped about awkwardly. When this happened, the other rabbits laughed at her and called her "Grace". Soon even she forgot her real name. In moments when Grace was alone, she danced around the trees with ease. She was as smooth and graceful as any ballerina. An old owl sat high above her one night, watching her intently. The moonlight streamed through the treetops like a soft spotlight and he sat and watched as little Grace moved in and out of the moonbeams. Finally he said, "Grace, you are more graceful than any creature I've ever seen". Grace was startled that someone had been watching her, but listened carefully to the wise owl's words as he continued. "You have carried this beauty within you all this time, but locked it inside when you tried too hard". Often we are too intent on proving ourselves and pleasing others. The harder we try the more impossible the task becomes. We begin to lose our identity and all sense of who we really are and what we can do. Then come the power robbers who through negative talk, remarks and jibes would rather have us believe that we cannot. Some of us may be fortunate to run into those like the old owl, the power enablers and facilitators, who bring back to us a sense of who we really are and what we are really meant to be. They help us see the beauty that is locked away inside, the potential that we all have. Others finally realise that they have two friends who can always be counted on. The first, themselves, and the second, nature, which never calls us names or whispers behind our backs. We come to a point when we begin to be honest with ourselves. We see the truth that we are all creatures of our times, that imperfections and faults are part of every being's life tapestry and that all elements are woven into our lives, some frozen in time, others still open to inside work and shaping out. Then in a moment of great discovery we embrace all that is part of ourselves. Like the rabbit we learn to dance and celebrate our wholeness. We become less obsessed with the scorn that can be heaped on us by others. The negative is drowned by positive images. We realise like the rabbit that nature is our friend. Nature waits patiently. There is no pressure to be anyone else than who we already are. We relearn the dance of life. All the while we have just tried too hard. Grace is not some sophisticated word used only for artists or models on a catwalk. It is the ability to live life on one's own terms, the ability to kindle true life in others, the strength and courage to overcome those who would control and manipulate us. Sometimes grace in living comes after repeated failures. The rabbit Grace picked herself up when she came to a sense of her true self. Many walk through your life, but few leave footprints on your heart. Take long spells of rest in nature. Become like Grace the rabbit who found that she had an identity of her own, so precious, that she had to first discover it by herself. And then when you discover your true identity and your own voice, become a power broker in this world, for gentleness and understanding.

Different day, TGIF

The roomies will be let out tonight. The human isn't grumpy today. I hate keeping them in but I think they sensed I was not in the mood. I gave them some apple for a treat last night. They really liked that.

Family history

Here are some good free sites for genealogy research:

http://www.cyndislist.com/

www.rootsweb.com

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/index.html

http://www.familysearch.org/

Not in the mood

Sorry roomies. I'm just not in the mood to let you guys out tonight. After this morning's incident with Goobie I just think it is better to keep everyone in tonight. Your human is in a foul mood. I just want you guys to be safe. I would never want to inflict harm on any of you.
Again, I'm sorry. I will make it up to you this weekend. Be safe my friends. This too will pass.

Started the morning with a visit to the Petsmart in Deptford. We had heard that they were selling rabbits. No rabbits.

At least Petsmart isn't selling rabbits in any of stores in South Jersey for now.

Of course my Focus started acting up big time. I was praying I would not stall out. The dealership told me that it was fixed. Right.

The rescue had an adoption event today. Got to see little Randi the mini-lop go to her forever home today. I drove about two hours to Randolph to pick her up from the Randolph city pound. I knew she would not be in the rescue too long. People seemed nice and had rabbits before. They liked the name I gave her. Good luck Randi.

My bad. Double post. I blame Tippy my foster for that. He is a little rascal.

Here is the link to the rabbit rescue I volunteer for.

http://west.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ375.html

The crazy hopping roomies

Hello from beautiful central New Jersey. My name is Paula and here are my crazy hopping roommates. They are Smitten and her bonded partner Sawyer, Pete, the lop and Goobie.



All are rescues. Smitten and Pete came from For Bunny Sake Rabbit Rescue. Goobie came from Jersey Shore Shelter in Brick. Sawyer was given to me. Smitten and Goobie were found as strays. Peter was left at the shelter (the same one where I got Goobie). Sawyer's original owner tried to return him to the pet store where she got him. A friend took him but he wasn't able to really spend the time to take care of him.


More about me and the roomies later.