Help Bunnies!!!

Here's some info for ways you can help rabbits, sent to me by The Animal Rescue Site:

very spring in the U.S., thousands of bunnies are purchased as "live toys" for expectant children. Unfortunately, exuberant children and easily frightened bunnies are not a good mix. Children can quickly lose interest in their soft, but shy pets. Moreover, once these rabbits grow into adolescence they begin to exhibit natural behaviors such as chewing, spraying, or digging. Unfortunately, this means many rabbits are destined to be abandoned on the side of a road--or worse.

With Easter quickly approaching, now is the time to hop to the rescue for bunnies in need: Our friends at The Rabbit Sanctuary, Inc. in Simpsonville, South Carolina, exist to do just that! You can help provide a brighter future for some of the 60 rescued rabbits living in their safe and expansive "Rabbitat" by making a contribution to the cause. For just $10, you'll help Care for Two Rescued Rabbits at The Rabbit Sanctuary. Your direct donation will provide a week's worth of food for bunnies rescued from roadsides, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and even from crowded New York City sidewalks.

Send our special Easter e-card and contribute to this cause--free! Tell all the good eggs in your life how they can help generate funds to support The Rabbit Sanctuary with our Care For Rescued Bunnies--FREE e-card. Send it to up to 20 people at a time, and for each person who opens it, we'll make a donation to help care for rescued bunnies.

You can also take action for bunnies by signing our new and critically important petition. Did you know that the U.S. Department of Transportation is testing corrosive chemicals on the shaved backs of rabbits? This painful, inhumane process kills thousands of rabbits each year even though an alternative test exists--one that does not hurt rabbits at all. Sign the Department of Transportation: Stop Burning Rabbits with Chemical Tests petition today!

Spring Fever

Boyfriend though I should tell you guys...

The night before last, BF and I were watching TV. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that I've been pretty sick, but I don't think the buns were worried about that. But then something unusual happened...

I caught Biff trying to mount Sogna's face. I was frightened, as the shelter staff advised me of the dangers of this, so I scolded him but it wasn't really necessary because Sogna easily scooted away. Moments later, he was trying to mount her from behind. She got away again and a chase ensued. BF was quite entertained and started cheering him on until I shot him a death glare.

I'm pretty upset about this. Biff has been a perfect loving, doting little angel (at least to Sogna), since he and Sogna first bonded. He hasn't mounted her at all since their initial getting-to-know-you period. Occasionally we catch Sogna mounting Biff's face, but he doesn't really seem to mind at all, he just hunkers down and takes it (BF thinks this is just great... He thinks they must be trying to breed. Since they're fixed, he explains, "they still feel these feelings, but they don't know what to do, but they still try, but they're just a little bit confused...").

Sogna seemed quite perturbed by this chain of events. What do you guys think? Is this just "spring fever"?? Or should I be concerned?

Our New Friend

This wonderful new friend of ours (ok, ok, MINE), is called an iRobot Dirt Dog. I think he needs a name, but I haven't decided on one yet.

The Dirt Dog was only $119 from Amazon Warehouse (a division of Amazon that sells only open box or cosmetically blemished products). This is a FANTASTIC deal for a robotic vacuum.

I ultimately chose Dirt Dog over the pet hair series because, aside from the pet series being ridiculously expensive, this little beauty is made for picking up nuts and bolts off the shop/garage floor. so pieces of hay, embedded hair, and random scattered doots are no big deal.

Since it's a robotic vacuum, it's not perfect, but it's pretty damn close. It did a great job, and the best part is, it was great at cleaning the Under The Bed Realm, which is really difficult to get with the regular vacuum.

I was able to do the litter boxes while Dirt Dog cleaned my apartment, and just had to come back in occasionally to empty its little dirt chamber and clean out the brushes. When it was done I went back over the room with the regular vacuum to get whatever it missed, which took approximately 45 seconds.

In other news, the BF and I went to the Museum of Natural History on Sunday. He loves physics, so we spent a good amount of time at the planetarium, where I (the novice) learned quite a bit and he answered lots of questions.

Then, of course we saw the dinosaurs!!! Triceratops here says "Grrrrr"

The museum also has a live reptiles and snakes exhibit going on right now. I really enjoyed it, since I used to have reptiles when I was in college.

Chameleons are so fun, I love their little opposable fingers!!!

This little guy got up against the glass to say hi to me!

The picture doesn't do it justice, but this fatty little snake has the most beautiful coloration I've ever seen.

Now, I think I'm going to clean up the rest of the apartment so I can put Dirt Dog to work out there. Anyone have any good suggestions for a name for him?

Meet Jazmin

Hi everyone. Meet Jazmin:

http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A777789&LOCATION=NWYK&searchtype=ADOPT&start=4&friends=1&samaritans=1&nosuccess=0&orderby=Shelter&rows=25&imght=50&imgres=thumb&view=sysadm.v_nwyk&bgcolor=F1EFE2&text=000000&link=666666&alink=fbcd00&vlink=666666&fontface=arial&fontsize=10&col_hdr_bg=ACA899&col_hdr_fg=FFFFFF&col_bg=FFFFFF&col_bg2=F1EFe2&col_fg=000000&SBG=F1EFE2&miles=200&shelterlist='NWYK'&atype=&where=type_oo,breed_RABBIT^RABBIT,gender_f,

(couldn't download the pic from the website for some reason)

I met Jazmin at Biff's bunny speed dating last May. There were two girls that Biffy seemed to get along with: Sonja/Sogna and Jazmin. If I had had any idea of Jazmin's circumstances, I may have chosen her.

Jazmin was rescued from a big hoarding situation in August 2008. I can't think of a reason why she still hasn't been adopted. She is sweet, charismatic, in perfect health and very playful and entertaining. At the bonding, after I ultimately chose Sogna, her foster mom picked her up and snuggled her and said, "not this time Jazzy. Maybe next time." It broke my heart.

I've often thought about going back for her, and making my pair a trio. Unfortunately, my landlord has said it's absolutely out of the question, two buns are already two too many.

I am very friendly with her current foster mom, who I volunteer with at the rescue. She says that as Jazzy may nip if she doesn't feel she's getting sufficient attention (something Sogna used to do when I first got her), and because of her high energy level, she may not be a great candidate for a home with children.

If any of you are in the NYC Metro area, or know someone who is, who may be interested in giving Jazzy a chance at her first good home, and would like to meet her, please leave a comment and I will put you in contact with her foster mom. This poor girl has been with the rescue nearly two years, and I would be thrilled to help finally find her forever home.

A note about the shelter: You may notice that she is listed through the Animal Care and Control Center of NYC in the link above, which unfortunately is a kill shelter. I understand how this may be off-putting. However, she is actually in the care of the NYC Rabbit Rescue & Rehab, which is the NYC Chapter of the House Rabbit Society and is a no-kill organization that simply operates using the facilities of the ACC.

I know most of you are at max bun capacity and/or are not in the area, but I'd really appreciate if you asked around to friends in the area.

Thanks for reading.

Someone. Anyone. HELP!!!

Someone. Please. Help me. Save me from these little monsters and their devious ways. Oh sure, they look really cute and sweet and innocent. But they are MONSTERS.

You see, I am not allowed to go out. If I dare break this rule, I come home to a bed that has been treated like a litter box. It used to be only if I went out at night, when I should be home from work. I bought a waterproof mattress cover and strip the bed when I go out or if I know I'll be home from work late. But lately, there's absolutely no rhyme or reason to it. Today, I came home from work to pee bed... enough, in fact, that it went through the comforter, through the sheets, through the waterproof mattress cover, to the mattress pad.

I know it's not "accidents", because there's never a problem on the floor, and they know they're not allowed on the bed when I'm here (only because I know there will be pee!) Even when I am here, if I spend too much time in the other room, step out for a minute, or (heaven forbid) I vacuum... pee bed.

There must be a better way. I really don't want to cage them--they've been free range for so long. But I just can't handle pee bed anymore! And though I've conceded to do so in the past, I really can't be a prisoner of my bedroom any longer. If anyone has any advice, or suggestions, or thinks I'm completely insane... PLEASE HELP!!!!

Rainy Days...

...are perfect for a good old fashioned flop fest. Just laze around and do nothing all day.

Well, grooming is nice too. Between naps, of course.

In other news, Mom told us she has started getting notice back from law schools, and even got a couple of big scholarships. Mom says that law school might mean we get late dinners sometimes, which we responded to by thumping vehemently, but she ALSO said after a couple of years of study, she will be able to buy us LOTS of toys and treats all the time!!!

"Biffy, what is a scholarship?"

"Mom says it's when they give you lots of money so that you can study. Money is that yummy, kind of funny-smelling green toy that we like to steal out of Momma's purse and shred up."

"Oh, I see...

What is study?"

"Study is something that me and Mom used to do all the time before you came around, Sogna. It means that Mom comes home and stares at a book all day and night. A book is this wonderful toy, it's a bunch of paper for shredding, bound on one side with this nice chewiness you can really sink your teeth into.

Study is great fun, Sogna. We should be looking forward to it!!"

"That does sound fun.

But Biffy, why does Momma need smelly green paper to play with these 'books'? I thought you said they were already full of paper??"

"That's a good question, Sogna. I really don't know. Two-foot behavior is very complex, and often makes little or no sense. We'd best not worry too much about it."

Have a great weekend, everyone!! Stay dry!!!

Oscars Schmoscars

Sorry for the lack of bunny pics, but I just needed to express my utter disapproval with the Academy Awards.

How could Rabbit a la Berlin lose the best documentary short category? I mean, dolphins? Seriously? How can that possibly trump the effects of communism on a warren of wild rabbits?

PS. Does anybunny know where I can view the full documentary? I'm pretty fascinated by 20th century European history, or actually pretty much all world history, and this is a never before documented perspective. I'm really anxious to get my hands on it.

I promise I'll be back soon with some bunny pics and some good bunny stories. Like how I woke up yesterday morning to find Sogna literally inside my purse with only her back feet sticking out. I think she got stuck while rummaging for gum. Little thieves.