Wit, Wisdom & Wonder

Never underestimate the power of balance in one's life. We lost Nyx this week and the Universe is already sending us a new one.

I received a call from a family in Navy Housing who realized their neighbors abandoned a rabbit on their front porch when they moved out. The gal who is bringing the rabbit doesn't seem to know anything about them, so our conversation has been very brief.

Sounds like a brown mini-lop, unsure as to gender. I will update this post with additional information (and yes, picy goodness) when the bunny arrives. I've already contacted Navy Housing Authority to see if we can get more information.

Update: Not only a No Show, but a Not Answering, too. Hmn.

Dropped Sam off this morning for another teeth trimming, I just can't bring myself to do it. He's so little!

We'll pick him up later this afternoon, fingers crossed.

Today was an honest day's work: the green PVC corrugated roofing has been properly installed over the right (east) side as you look at the entrance.



We'll need a bit more funds to procure roofing materials for the other side ($130+, not counting wood beams) so tarps have been very tightly strung over the west side in the interim.



Tim, the neighbor's child to the north of us, came over to play gopher and had a great time.



Martha, toughie that she is, gave Kevin (aka Chicken) her critique:



The Bunhalla bunnies have already been moved in, with the anti-raptor lights hung before we headed inside to wait for the pizza delivery guy.

We had one lodge student today to help, plus the Macks. Our other lodge student is coming tomorrow to help us complete the fencing (we ran out, go figure) and complete the rest of the work. Tim has several projects of his own, including installation of the rock border along the outside fencing, for tomorrow. With any luck, we'll have time and energy to finish tearing down the old Bunhalla. Unfortunately, we're expecting light snow and rain tomorrow, but we'll be working under the new PVC roofing most of the day. I've got to finish tightening the fencing, it's still bowed in places.

Stage III, likely to be scheduled for warmer weather, will include:
Gutter installation to collect gray water
Gate across the front
Cross beams for the front entry
Run water & electric back to BII
Place stepping stones between the house and BII
Hay storage area

Thermometer: 10F and falling, windchill at 8F. (Thank Gods there's no wind.)

Translation: water is freezing faster than I can thaw & replace it.

I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to have to switch out the water every 2 hours, instead of 3. Weather Underground informs me that at 1am, expected temperature will be 13 degrees. Which while an improvement, isn't really enough to make a difference.

The Oak Harbor city weather station is no longer reporting, presumed frozen. Weather at the local airport, roughly 1 mile from here, is 14F with 4 inches of snow on the ground. I'm amused to read that they list elevation at 46 feet above sea level because I'm higher up the hill than they are.

The bunnies are stressed but seem to be okay. They are still eating, which raises their metabolism though I'm concerned that they really don't seem to be using the nesting boxes for warmth.

For what it's worth - average low for December 19th, previous years - max 43/low 33. We've already broken through previous low in 1998.

Thank Gods tonight is supposed to be the worst of the lot.

Let me tell you, all our preparations worked great!

The shed stayed nice and toasty, as did the pens. Not a single water bottle was frozen between the two. Nyx, Noir and Mufasa aren't happy about their dark caves, but they will get over their angst. The Bunhalla bunnies apparently just braved it out under the rain tarps by making hay tunnels. When I investigated their doghouse and dog'loo, nothing had been touched. Their water bottles and water feeder did freeze, as expected, so I put out fresh bottles while giving them a little lecture about pragmatism.

I do so love the look on the Angoras face when I went out there, very Jeff Dunham's Walter - "What the hell was that?"

Now I have to go and dig out the van.

It's amazing how I can pretty much tell what poop came out of what rabbit breed. Seriously, it's insanely weird how individualistic their poop is. Sam makes the tiniest perfectly round black poos, Martha and Mufasa have large tan poop, Muf's being a bit more oblong. The spotted lops make perfect medium sized black poops, Kodiak makes very dark brown medium poops. The boys make oval medium brown poops.

I may need to get out more.

Speaking of which, I really need to spend at least an hour a day outside with the bunnies. I always say this, but I always fall short. Today I made a point to hang out and get a few outdoor chores done. Tightened the rabbit pen tarps, moved the socialization pen to the far side of the garden shed, walked the fence line of the yard, tidied up the back porch.

Today's big bad dirty job was cleaning out Mufasa's cage (I'm holding off cleaning Noir & Nyx's until we get back). Somehow, as it is with most males, Muf manages to make twice the mess as the two mini-rex girls, Noir and Nyx, next door. Cleaning these pens is pretty simple: peel back the tarp and protective fencing, don rubber gloves, grab piles of dirty hay and pile into wheelbarrow. Once you hit the bottom fencing, pile up a bunch of clean hay at the entrance, climb in and while kneeling spread fresh hay about. Offer up alfalfa pellet as plea bargain for very disapproving rabbit. Sit down and enjoy the clean pen while offering pettins and contemplate life as viewed from a rabbit pen.

It is amazing how cozy it is in there. Rain falling softly on the tarp above, clean fresh hay to romp in, fresh hay and sawdust in the nesting box. Fresh water on tap and alfalfa pellets for nomming. There's no wind, really, as the area is protected by the sheds, house and solid wood fencing. You can hear Flash and Gracie barking as they chase each other around the yard and Josh tinkering on his motorcycle.

First off, a friendly wave to everyone who sent energy and wishes:



Kodiak (in the foreground) and Sam (on the far side of the fence):

One of the things I like about our vet's office is they spend a few moments with you, and give the bunny a quick health checkup before taking them into surgery even if they've seen the bun lately. At just a little over 1.5 lbs, he's a very small guy.

As I expected, the vet was shocked at his teeth and completely blown away when I told her he did indeed manage to eat hay and pellet. The worst she's seen in such a young bunny, she told me getting angry at his condition (which I rather like in a vet). We discussed options going forward and agreed we want to give his teeth a chance with proper hay and occasional trimming, then in 1 year review the option of removing his top teeth. Unfortunately, I was correct - Sam is indeed dwarfed, his skull shape makes proper growth of his teeth difficult if not impossible. One of the surprisingly many times I had hoped to be wrong.

She agreed he was likely abandoned due to his teeth, because honestly he is absolutely the sweetest guy. He was amazingly calm at the vet, his heart beat was close to normal resting, something they rarely see at the practice. At the end she picked him up and set him on her shoulder to take him out of the room, then turned to me with tears in her eyes "he's purring" she whispered. I nodded, Sam purrs a lot. "Oh you poor little thing, let's get you fixed right!" she said walking to the surgery with him her head tilted to rest on his small back.

I've a good feeling about this.

Looking at my Flist most of us are caught up in the emotional highs and lows of the elections, which is why I'm hesitant to put forward this request right now and haven't mentioned it until now.

Sam needs emergency care. We'll be taking him in tomorrow morning to be sedated so the vet can trim his teeth and possibly remove his top ones. He's a very little guy and sedation is never easy on a bun, so please keep him in your thoughts.

What happened (likely) is this. Someone bought him and ignored the advice offered that he needed hay. It's messy and expensive if you buy it retail. So instead of his teeth being gradually worn down by a 90% hay diet, Sam ate nothing but pellets and possibly a few garden cuttings. His top teeth (think the long buck teeth) have grown so long, they've curved back towards his throat to lie on his tongue when his mouth is closed. Its roughly a 270 degree turn, I kid you not. His bottom ones appear to be okay, but are also too long. Part of this scenario is worsened because of his head shape - he has a very snubbed face, he may even be part dwarf which raises the possibility of these sorts of things. I literally have no idea how he's managed to be such a sweetheart when this is obviously hurting him, frankly I can't imagine how he's eating but he is. Nature finds a way.

Here's where things get dangerous. Those teeth constantly grow during a rabbit's life. They can grow through the soft palette and into the hard one, causing horrifying pain and death. Fortunately, because it's so painful and hard for them to eat, they usually die of starvation or opportunistic infections beforehand. Fixing this isn't a choice, its a moral responsibility. He may require professional teeth trimming his whole life, hopefully we can keep things under control without that pricey maintenance.

Sam needs ya, folks. We're doing out part (wallet = ouch), but he's going to need us to pull out the stops and support the little guy while medicine does what it can. Light those candles, darlings!

Got a call this morning about an abandoned bunny left in it's cage overnight at the city animal shelter. Poor little guy. He's another Silver Marten, like Kodiak (but half her size), un-neutered, likely less than a year old. Someone didn't know what the hell they were doing: his claws are very long, as are his teeth. He is a very friendly, cuddle bunny so I'm hoping we don't have trouble homing him.

By popular vote, his name is Sam(hain):



More pics to come when he's calmed down.

His profile on Bunspace -
http://www.bunspace.com/shelter/adoptable?bunid=1528