Roo Bunny Butters

Now i'm living with just one bunny, Roo Bunny Butters, so named as my friend who brought him had already named him Butters, and another good friend send me and him mail calling him Roo Bunny Butters. He's a beautiful rex, way too smart for his own good and always trying to get in things and past baby gates.

Here he is on the chair i have in my library/living room. He hopped up there and was curious what i was doing with the camera.

Dancing like a manic. He bounces from a stand still straight up in the air, around three feet up sometimes. Very hard to catch on camera, but adorable.

One of his favorite spots, on the windowsill of the front window. He mostly goes up there during the day, and will sit there for hours, sometimes falling asleep.

A view of him from the outside, heh. How cute is this? Very. That's the answer.

So anyway, he makes me very happy now, and i honestly don't know what i would do without him. It was especially hard before he came, as i went to many humane societies around here and before he came, none of them had any bunnies. I might get him a companion at some point, but i want his health to be good and possibly get him fixed before that, even though if i do get another, they will most likely be fixed already.

Amanda Bunny

I had just realized i hadn't posted in quite some time, and didn't post about Amanda. Amanda passed not long after Jerry. She had a rough time with him passing, and she had stopped eating so i took her to the vet. He could tell something was very wrong with her, and after sedating her and getting x-rays, he saw that she had very advanced cancer that had spread to her lungs and stomach. He advised that she was in a lot of pain, and was having a hard time breathing, and it would be best to not let her wake up. My heart still breaks at this decision, she was the last of the four to pass over summer, but i want to share some good memories of her.

Here she is with Emily quite soon after i brought them home, look at how tiny they were! Little bunlets who got along for a good time, and then they got older and started fighting, which made me sad, but i've been told that female bunnies are the ones that get more territorial.

She used to love to jump up in the hay box and munch away for quite some time. It was pretty cute how she'd hang out in there for a while.

Her and Jerry were really great partners, and they would hang out in these boxes by the back door. Jerry passed away right next to this box actually, and Amanda avoided it after that. It was great how they got along though, perfect friends, always eager to be together, grooming each other, although some times Amanda would mount Jerry and try to hump him. He'd have none of it though, not getting angry but just hopping away until she gave up.

The last photo i took of her. She pretty much hung out under this stool after Jerry passed. She didn't play much if any at all. She'd rest her chin on the bar, and ignored treats. She was a great bunny, even if she wasn't ever too keen on me, probably because i had to separate her and Jerry so other bunnies could play.

There was a period of no bunnies here, and it was rough. Just too quiet, i kept looking for them even though i knew they weren't here anymore. I was getting pretty depressed too, not seeing much hope or anything. That is, until a friend had a stray bunny brought to her and she suggested bringing him up here for me. That bunny was Butters, who is awesome.

Jerry Bunny

One of the very first images i took of Jerry after i got him.

Jerry passed away wednesday, even though i've lost total track of time since then and it feels like that's not the day, but it is. This loss has hit me the most, i can't really put it into words, but i'm devastated by this loss. Emily passing was a shock and surprise, and hurt a lot, but the other bunnies were around to help. Kitty was something i was building myself up to, still hurt, and miss her a lot, but knew it was coming. Jerry was surprising to me, even though he was over 10 years old, and expected someday, but not so soon after both Kitty and Emily. 

Jerry on the rug, Emily in the cage (she fought with Amanda, so they had to be separate when the other was playing). Black rug with a white bunny, that rug never stayed fur free. ;)

 I got Jerry from the Humane Society that used to be here at the end of 2004. They had caught him outside, someone had just let him go, probably when they tired of caring for him, which boggles my mind, beyond the fact that he was the sweetest bunny ever, and so affectionate. They named him Jerry after Jerry Garcia, since he was so mello and calm. He was good friends with everyone besides Kitty, who he got into a bad fight one time when she opened up her area and got out. He bit her pretty hard on the face, the only time i've ever seen him fight or bite. Not sure what set them off. Kitty has always been pretty territorial, but she was also found after someone let her go. He also didn't seem to get as well along with Zack, but seeing as Kitty and Zack were very well bonded, and always together, that kind of makes sense. 

One of my favorite photos of him. I was at the counter, and heard this odd nose, and saw this. So cute, he was digging and playing in the dirt. Made a little bit of mess, but how could i mind? 

Jerry seemed to have a good life here, two girlfriends, lots of room to run around (almost never in a cage, only when others he would fight with were out for safety), and plenty of good treats (not too many though). It was always sweet how he would like to sit by my feet in the kitchen, and greet me when i came down for the morning. It seems so empty here now, with only Amanda (who is depressed since he passed, she's avoiding the room he passed in, not playing, but she's eating, so that's good) around. Amanda has always been kind of the odd one, she's never been rough with me, but seems to not like me as much. She'll avoid me picking her up, touching her, etc. Love her tons, but it's funny how she is so strong headed, even after all these years. I am debating getting her a companion, but she's eight also, and she might not get along with them. I do know once she passes that it will be even more lonely here.

kitty bunny is breaking my heart.

This is Kitty Bunny in better days. The last month or so has not been good to her. She's pretty old now, around 10 or older, and her health has gone down hill. Today she seems to have lost the use of her back legs. She's been having a harder time grooming herself lately, and getting in and out of the potty, but today she spent most of the day in there. She ate a good deal of fresh greens, so that's good, but when she tried to get out, she got stuck. I recently replaced her old pan with a much lower one, so she can get in and out better, but seeing her half in and half out just broke my heart. She didn't want me to help her, when i tried she acted like i was going to hurt her. She is so far from her old self that it's like she is a completely different bunny. The only thing the same is that she is a fighter. She's very frail looking and feeling, and rests more than not, but the fact that she is still going is how i know it's her.

That's her with Zack, who passed away a while ago due to kidney failure. He got skinny too really quickly, and had many visits to the vet to make him more comfortable, but he passed pretty quickly. I went upstairs and an hour later he was passed away in his and Kitty's house. She was devastated. She didn't eat for a while, and took a few months to act like herself again, although to be honest she never really seemed to get back to how she seemed with Zack around. They really made a great couple, especially since she really never got along with any of the other bunns in the house.

This is the most recent photo i have of her, about a month old or so, and will probably be the last i take, as while i love her, i want to remember the good, not how sad she looks lately. We were hanging out on the stairs, giving her medicine, grooming her, and watching her rest. She's still an awesome bunny, but i'm now bracing myself to come down and find her passed away. When she's too quiet lately, i go and check on her even.

I know and knew when i got these poopers that while they can live 12 to 14 years, that i would most likely outlive them and have to watch them pass. It's just after Clover having the surprise death (vet said he may have seen a predator out the window and freaked out), and Zack with being sick but passing relatively quickly, watching Kitty take so long and being so helpless is rough. It's even harder that when i have to do things that help her, like bathing, meds, etc, i can't explain to her that i'm trying to help make her feel better. I know it's not the most enjoyable experience for her, but it would be nice if i could get her to understand. I'm also bracing myself for Jerry having problems. He's her age or so, and is also showing his age. He's also been having potty troubles, and sleeping a lot, but still moves pretty good. Especially when treats are involved. Anyway, not sure what this post is about, other than to get these feelings out. These bunnies have been there for me longer than anyone i've dated, and quite literally saved my life more than once. So i hope they were made happy while here.

Update:
So i typed this last night. Today around 2 or so, i heard Emily screaming loudly and had no clue why she was. I rush in there, she starts convulsing in bad directions i've never seen a bunny do. She then passed away. All within a couple of minutes. I didn't even have time to run to the phone and call the vet. I'm heart broken, she and Amanda are the youngest, at about eight years old, and as you could probably tell from the post i was expecting either Kitty or Jerry to pass first. I didn't see this coming, at all. I'm devastated.

My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today.

Worried about Kitty Bunny

This is Kitty Bunny from a while ago. I'm pretty worried about her, she was at the vet a few days ago as she stopped eating like she used to, and wasn't acting like herself. The vet found she had a very, very high white blood cell count, so an infection of some sort. She didn't know exactly what caused it, but Kitty stayed overnight so they could watch her. They sent her home the next day and said they are optimistic about her odds. She seemed better for a couple days, nibbling on food, but still obviously not happy. Sadly she seems to be not doing so well. She's not too keen on taking her medicine, three different types, and will try to avoid letting me give them to her, but eventually does. She's eating less, hiding, and seems really skinny. I'm reminded of when Zack was bad off, although the vet said her kidneys were fine, but it's got me preparing for the worst.

I know they don't live the longest, about 12 to 14 years seems to be the longest, and kitty was an adult when i got her about eight years ago. So who knows how old she is, but none of the bunnies are very young anymore. Funny fact, i've had the bunnies much longer than any relationship i've been in (talking dating here, not family and such), so they are a huge part of my life. They've been there when i've needed them, and hopefully i've been there when they need me and hopefully they all have had a better life after coming here from the humane society. I love my crazy pooper bunnies and hope they all stay okay.

Wow, i have internet

Lately, like for the past month but getting progressively worse, my internet has been beyond spotty. Not being connected for stretches at a time, dial up speeds, etc. The past two weeks have culminated in being online for an hour or two a day. The rest, i would have to unplug the modem, and pray it connected once back on. Service guy game today, and turns out i needed a new modem. Not sure how old it was, but several years at least, with him saying it's been years since he's seen that type. I guess that's a problem with these always on things, you take them for granted, don't think about them most of the time, unless they go out. One year though it went out totally, and when the tech came out it turned out down the line something had gotten struck by lightning, and i was the first to contact them. Always worry that's happened again. I know, it's a "first world problem", but it was annoying.

So while this started as an update about my internet troubles, i'm going to share something i've been trying to focus on to keep myself from getting too depressed again. While i love halloween, so many things have gone wrong near it, that it kind of taints my favorite holiday. So here we go, one of, if not the happiest memory i have. (and surprise, surprise, it involves bunnies)

Years ago, 2001 or 2002, i forget the exact date, the girl i was dating had a bunny. He was awesome, but getting kind of lonely being the only bunny in the house. We were worried he was getting sick or very old, as he was lethargic and not doing a whole lot. Then one day, we were at the pet store close to my house, and as i was looking around, i saw a bunny who looked almost exactly like him. I kind of freaked out there, and saw he was priced at $10. Not a good sign, i was told most likely he would be ending up as snake food, or some other similar fate. He had been dropped off there, and had nails very long that got tangled up in the cage, shedding something fierce. He was in the cage with a chinchilla, who was not enjoying him grooming his ears, cute but that chinchilla wasn't amused. After tossing it around about if we should get him (no debate really, more having to go to an ATM to get cash), we went back and got him. He freaked. His fur just flew off him, and on the way home he peed on my ex who was holding him. This isn't the "good" part i was talking about. That happened once we got his house set up. He was sitting in there, with good food and treat stick, the kind that is seeds or something bound together, made specially for bunnies. Alex (the bunny we had at the time) sees him (got named Dru later), and runs at top speed next to him. So here is the good memory. Alex running around the cage grunting loudly, flopping over, back and forth like crazy, and Dru looks so happy, and picks up the treat stick with his mouth and tries to give it to Alex through the cage. Absolute happiness was there that day, them seeing each other and hitting it off right off the bat, and me watching, just soaking it in. They never fought, and just bonded that moment.

One interesting thing, as quickly as he warmed up to Alex, it took us booth time to relax around each other. I think part of it was he was worried he was going to be taken away from Alex, as whenever i would go to pick him up to play with him or go home, he would nip pretty badly at me. After a while though, he really relaxed, and i could hold him no problem even. Funny moment one time when i was holding Dru on my lap, and my ex was holding Alex, and Dru jumped off my lap and right next to Alex. Those two were inseparable.

So, when my depression gets the better of me, i try to remember that moment, and while i doubt i'll ever find that sort of instant bond for myself, it makes me smile remembering it. So now i will share some pictures of those two, and someday maybe i'll tell stories of the other bunnies, like Miso and Maggie, and the whole menagerie i have here.

 Dru (bottom) and Alex (top) playing on the old sun room of my old house.

 Dru (bottom) and Alex (top) laying on the carpet of my current house, very, very relaxed. 

 Dru (bottom) and Alex (top) grooming each other. 

 Alex (left) and Dru (right) being adorable on the cat thing on the porch of my old house. They loved that thing. 

Dru (left) and Alex (right) in their separate houses one day. They probably could have lived together now that i think about it, but i believe we were worried that they might fight while we slept. 

Bunnies are fickle.

Jerry

I swear, these bunns enjoy messing with me, especially Jerry lately. He's a bit sick, when i took him for his checkup he had a pretty high fever and a rattle in his chest. (along with a larger lump that just turned out to be a benign fat deposit, is he saving it up? heh) So the vet gave me some meds for him, one with one dose a day, and one with two doses a day. First couple of days, it was cake. All i had to do was fill the syringe, and call him, and he'd come running and lap it all up quickly and politely. The last day and a half, not so easy. He sniffs it, turns his head, and runs away. I had to pick him up, hold him, and stick it in his mouth hoping he would lap it up. Frustrating, to say the least, that was amplified by his great behavior before. The last dose was not so bad though. I sat down, he kept coming over and sniffing it, and turning away rejecting it. I told him "No treats until you take your medicine." Not long after he behaved and took his dose. So he got a treat. Hopefully he learned, and it will be easy the rest of the time. He goes back in a little over a week to get a recheck, hopefully the meds will have done their work, and my old bunny (he's at least 7 or 8, probably older, as i got him from the humane society when he was fully grown, but they found him running around outside, so who knows how old he is) will be better.

I love these guys (even though only one out of four is a guy, heh), even though they get expensive when sick, they deserve it more than anything.

Kitty is calming down.

So yesterday i trimmed Kitty's nails. This may not sound like much, but this is a bunny who *hates* being held, picked up. So much so that even the vet had to do a bunny burrito with her so she wouldn't fight so much. Every time i've tried that, she manages to get out of them, and leave me scratched and sighing, with maybe a nail or two trimmed. Yesterday though, was interesting. She knew i was going to pick her up, as soon as i went to her she took off to the open pen where they sometimes lounge. I did pick her up there though, and she wasn't too bad, relatively relaxed in my arms. She even let me flip her over, which is something she never let me do before, and i got a couple of her paws trimmed. She only started freaking when i got to one of the really long and curved nails (which couldn't feel good being so long like that). She then started trying to get away. I rubbed her head for a bit, and she calmed down, and let me continue. Surprisingly i got all or most of her nails done well. I tend to try to not cut the quick, so i might leave them a bit longer than the vet, but i hate hurting them, especially when trying to help.

Afterwards, she hopped down, i gave her some dried fruit from Just Tomatoes, bunny crack that stuff is. ;) (also yummy for humans too). She avoided me for a little bit, but then started running around, and not making the *click* *clack* sound she did before, and i think she started to understand why. Not long after she plopped down where i took the photos. Less than two feet from me, for a long while. She's becoming more affectionate towards me, which is good, as i love her and she no longer has Zack to be there for her. She fights hard with every other bunny here, no matter how much i try to introduce them, she bites at them right away, no hesitation. I have no idea what happened to her before i adopted her from the humane society, but i'm guessing she had a rough life, with how much she avoided me and other bunnies other than Zack.

Now if the Vet and I can figure out what her skin condition is. It itches her, and is causing fur to fall out, but there doesn't seem to be any parasites, bugs, etc. Hopefully it's just something annoying, and not dangerous.

Kitty Bunny in a box

While cleaning the kitchen area, and emptying all the stuff out of this box, Kitty decided to run in there, and relax. She loves boxes, not as much as Maru the Cat, but she loves these. They all seem to love things that have only one way out, with a cover on top, probably a prey instinct. Keeps them safer feeling. Whatever the reason, it's adorable, and i had to grab the camera.

One thing you may be able to see, is her skin condition. She's flaking like crazy, has been since last year, and her fur is not growing back there as fast. It's almost like dandruff, but where it's the heaviest it forms an almost crusty area, and it seems to itch for her too. When i take her to my vet, who is very well versed in rabbits as house pets, not as farm animals, she can't seem to find out what is causing it. No bugs, mites, or anything like that. I've looked online, and nothing that seems close fits, as her blood is always fine. I've thought about giving her a bath, but the vet and people online say it is a huge stress for bunns, and if she is unwell, it can push them over the edge. Plus they really, really hate being wet, and can get too cold if wet too long. She otherwise seems fine, so maybe i'll just have to keep grooming her and spoiling her until we can figure out what will help.

Feisty silly bunn. :)

Bunnies are wierd

Just a short little thing that i have noticed that made me giggle to myself, but will probably confuse others.

My bunnies have odd habits, and they seem to change them on a whim too. I'll use Jerry and whoever he is playing with because both girls do this with him. He was a tendency to like sitting in spots. For a while, i would find them in the hall by the bedroom, near the door. Then for whatever reason, the downstairs bathroom. Then in the kitchen by the stool. They always seem to go back to the area behind the chair i have in the library/bunn room, but the other spots just seem to change for odd reasons. They haven't been upstairs in ages, and the other day Emily was hanging out in the downstairs bathroom by herself all day. I kind of get her doing it, when i got her and Amanda that's where they "lived" until i got them a proper home. Lately Jerry has been sitting under the barstool by the wine rack, but only when i'm sitting at the counter, facing me.

I do similar, with how i fluctuate between habits and such, but it's kind of cute and silly when they do it. ;)

Side note, Kitty is finally starting to seem more herself. I was so worried about her for a while there. She surely misses Zack, like the rest of us.