Thursday, November 29, 2012

Friday Flash Fiction 55 - Standard of Perfection



She is small, feisty, female perfection.
He is anxious to meet her and hopes she will like him. 
She flashes her pretty teeth at him as he walks up the drive. 
Minding his etiquette, he holds a hand out to her in introduction.
Her sharp bite draws blood. 
She is small, feisty, Chihuahua perfection indeed!





BUG-BOT
Chihuahua Unit: Prepare to Initiate End-Of-World Destruct Sequence Protocol: 
BURN BABY BURN 


Thanks, G-Man, for hosting!


My Arch Nemesis


It is my arch nemesis! The squirrel...most vicious, sneaky, deceivingly fluffy and cute scourge of the treetops! They are EBIL! Visit Bekibunny and enjoy her artwork. I am so jealous, with my minimal artistic ability. I can barely draw a smiley face...

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Pecans In Cannibal Cranium Stew?

I have an old, huge pecan tree in my yard. My neighbor has a bigger, older pecan tree in his yard that branches over into my back yard. Last week, I went pickin' pecans. I had to suffer the squeaky insults and stink-eyed glares from my arch enemies, the squirrels. Even the blue jays were having conniptions.  I did not let that stop me from rooting around in the dead-fall. There were pecans just waiting to fall out of their pods so I sent Joshua shimmying up our tree to pluck them (the boy was my pawn in case the damned squirrels went militant). I spend hours in the cold harvesting pecans. My back is still killing me.


I got them in the house and washed them, dried them, and commenced to shelling them with my bare hands, using a meat tenderizer to whack them and a campfire hot dog/marshmallow forky skewery thingy to pry the meat loose.
Mr. Bubbles gets home and tells me that there is a tool for picking pecans so the picker doesn't have to bend and stoop. I am all like HUH, WHUH.


My dad and I were on the phone and I am complaining about my "labor of love" (trying to guilt everyone into appreciating my sore back and chapped hands) and the HOURS it is taking just to shell a few pecans, and he said "Well, you don't have a pecan sheller". HUH? WHUH? There is such a contraption??



 I got two things on my Christmas list now! I always assumed that pecans were so hot danged expensive because there were only a few little old ladies and child slave laborers shelling the hot danged things by hand!
Pecans grow wild here in Oklahoma and all over the southern U.S. And DO NOT let a Texan tell you that theirs are THE BEST pecans in the world because that is a LIE. Everyone knows Oklahoma grows THE BEST Pecans in the world.
It took me about four hours to shell enough pecans to fill a sandwich baggie. I took that over to my dad so he could share with Clover (the cockatoo my parents love more than they love me) and he was commenting on how different the flavor was from pecans that grow in North Carolina, his native Holy Land. I am guessing that the flavor is going to be different because of climate, altitude, soil, and proximity to the ocean. Oklahoma pecans are very golden, light brown and are very sweet.
After shelling and shelling and shelling pecans until my vision blurred and my cuticles are shredded to ribbons, I informed my family that everything they eat for the next few days will be covered in pecans. Even my Bunneh Wunnehs are getting their fill of pecans.
Omelet de fromage? Omelet de pecans!
Carne asada tacos? Si. Pero con mucho pecans, por favor
BBQ chicken? BBQ pecans
Green bean casserole? Mm hm, and topped with french fried pecans
Pizza? Stuff the crust with pecans
Hot dogs? Hot pecan dogs
Egg rolls? Pecan rolls
Get the idea? Pecans on everything. If I had to whip up some brain stew for a tribe of cannibals, you better believe they would be thinking "WHAT IS that pleasant crunch?".
And it ain't over. I still need to get back out there and pick some more. This time I think I will wait to shell them til after Christmas. Maybe Santa Pecan will put a sheller under the tree.

Friday, November 23, 2012

My First Friday Flash 55! - A Spoonful of Crazy


“Am I crazy?” she asks herself, staring into the sugar bowl.  “He accuses me of being insane often enough. Maybe he’s right.”
Doubt quickly passes. She smiles and shakes her head, “No.  After all, crazy people never ask if they are crazy."
Feeling reassured, she spoons the arsenic into his pretty new neighbor's teacup.



Thank you, G-Man!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

HAHahahaHA


Addendum:
The Best of Times. Not just lyrics in a song by Styx or a quotable quote. The Leave It To Beaver Clevers are officially dead. 
Thank you, Auntie Jane Anonymous!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy "No Thanks" Giving from Chief Smart Ass


Happy "No Thanks" Giving from Chief Smart Ass (aka Mr. Bubbles, aka Bug's Big Daddy) of the Kiowa Tribe of Wise Assery, Oklahoma. LOLZ. He emailed this to me as a Thanksgiving Greeting. While I slave away at the stove and shell ten gajillion pecans BY HAND! 
What a turkey turd. 

A Bit of Thanks

I read on another blog once "What if we woke up one morning with only the things and people we had thanked God for before we had gone to bed".
That IS a good question. You hear people say of Thanksgiving, "We should be thankful every day". Yes, we should. And I think for the most part, we are. Thanksgiving is a time to express our gratitude to one another, to God, to our friends and family by getting together and enjoying life and it's blessings and bounty. It is for hugging Aunt Pinchy Cheeks and Uncle Pull My Finger and telling them how much they are loved and how you cannot wait to dig into Aunt Smells Like Mothballs's pumpkin torte.
This Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for the time I have with the people I love most. I thought of boycotting this holiday altogether. But someday, I will regret it if I do.
Of course I am talking about spending time with immediate family, not travelling across Oklahoma!
AHEM! FOR THE RECORD * William has a bad back and cannot travel!!!! *
We are also going to avoid Black Friday and spend Thanksgiving Version 2.0 on Friday with my In-Laws. Two days of laughing, joking, spending time with my immediate family and pigging out!

Everybunny have a great Thanksgiving and give your bunnies, kitties, puppies, birdies, lizards, etc big nose bonks and kisses!!!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Rabbit Habit - First Interview!

Howdy Doody, Lagomorphophiles!

As promised in an earlier post, I have interviewed Liz. She is a fellow rabbit slave and mom that I met on Etherbun, a Yahoo Groups forum dedicated to the health and wellness of companion rabbits.  So, without further ado, meet

LIZ and Her Bunny Masters Children, Lily the Flemish Giant/Continental Giant Mix, and Cinder the Lionhead!!



  • Q:  I know you from Ether Bun and am impressed by your knowledge and the fact that you try to answer every question that is asked.  Whether you know the answers or not, you always attach links to your posts.  What are the top five links in your information arsenal that you believe EVERY bunny parent should have bookmarked?


Owning a rabbit requires time and devotion, they are not something that you can keep in a cage in the corner of the room. Many people find this out after they've acquired their bunny so a new parent has many questions. I feel that every question and person is just as important as the next, no question should go unanswered and I like to send helpful links that can be printed out or saved or bookmarked for future reference. These are my favorite five links.

The House Rabbit Society - many people call this the "bunny bible". Everything you need to know about bunnies and their care is on this site.

Gastrointestinal Stasis, The Silent Killer - Being prepared for stasis is extremely important for every bunny parent. It's imperative that you have a rabbit vet so you can get your bunny there as soon as possible as they can die from stasis. A rabbit savvy vet should see bunnies daily and should have 100% successful spay/neuter surgeries under their belt. Find your vet today, know their hours and if they refer you to emergency places during nights and weekends. Make sure the emergency places see bunnies!

Feeding The House Rabbit - Everything bunny can eat with photos of the herbs, vegetables, etc. for easy identification.

The Language of Lagomorphs - Bunny language and body language, what is my bunny trying to tell me?

PetFinder - This site lists all kinds of pets that are in need of adoption and their forever homes. You put in your zip code and what kind of pet your looking for along with how far your willing to travel. It's sad when you see how many pets come up in your area, shelters and rescues are packed so we need to support them by adopting or donating cash or goods. Every shelter has a "wish list" for things like towels, blankets and cleaning supplies.

  • Q: You have two rabbits at present. Lily, the Flemish/Continental Giant mix, and Cinder, the little lionhead.  I love that they are polar opposites in every way, yet bonded instantly.  How do their personalities compliment each other and your household residents?
Cinder is a two pound Lion Head who overflows with personality. He comes when he's called and loves to run, chasing the cats is one of his favorite activities. He's full of love, we will hold and pet him for hours and when we put him down he will stomp to show is disapproval. He know this results in getting picked up again for more snuggling.
Cinder was alone for the first year of his life and even though I was home all day with him I thought he needed something more, he needed a bunny friend. We heard that homes were needed for 'left over' 4H bunnies, they were Flemish Giant/Continental Giant mix. Both parents were over 30 pounds so we knew what we were getting into. Seeing a baby bunny that is that large is comical, but she was so precious and sweet with those huge ears, we couldn't resist her.
When we got home we put the carrier down and opened it, Lily with her big feet and ears came bounding out and Cinder hopped right over to her. It didn't take 30 seconds before he was grooming her! She was a baby and he knew it. It was love at first site, they never had a fight the bond was instant. This was luck, bonding bunnies can be very hard and can take a long time.
Cinder is the alpha bunny, he is outgoing and loves to be handled. He comes with us when we do adoption and fund raising events for The House Rabbit Connection in MA., he's a ham and everyone falls in love with him. Lily is a couch potato, she likes to lay around and I've caught her laying down while eating her daily salad. Her favorite thing is to be petted and groomed but she will not tolerate being picked up. She loves her family of Mom, Dad and five cat brothers but is very shy with company and would never be able to go on the road with us like Cinder. Cinder and Lily are polar opposites but it works fantastically for them, we rarely see one without the other and they are always cuddled together.
Bandit kitty with Cinder and Lily - nothing like those bathroom carpets, all fur kids love them

  • Q: What are your top five favorite products that you, the bunnies, or your household CANNOT live without that are rabbit related?

Plenty of bedding. We are currently using the Care Fresh brand and have found it to be nice and absorbent and it makes it easy to dump the litter box.

An X-pen (exercise pen). Perfect for the new bunny. It gives them enough room to roam while you potty train. We use ours to put the bunnies inside at bedtime so they don't roam the house and get into trouble.

Toys, toys, toys! Plenty of chewing toys and toys to keep them entertained like tunnels, boxes, grass mats. I've seen video's of bunnies throwing around tin pie pans and he was having a blast. A bored bunny can be a naughty bunny.

Vinegar. A pet safe way to clean everything. It deodorizes and gets everything squeaky clean.

Hay and manger. I like to keep the hay up off the floor and out of the litter box otherwise you end up wasting much of it. Lily eats so much hay that we now purchase it through the local co-op at $4 for a bale. The bale is 1/2 the size of a standard farm one and it lasts way longer than the pet shop expensive bagged hay.

  • Q: I read a post of yours once (it was about the wax plugs that rabbits get in their whisker openings) that you try to respect what you interpret as their "wishes" and if they do not like you doing something, you will not do it (in this case it was try to pick the plugs out of her whiskers, which she did not like). Do you think your companion animals know you respect them and give their wants and needs equal consideration to a human companion? 

I absolutely believe my bunnies and cats know that they can give me a certain look and I will know what they want, it's happened time after time and I'm always right. "Cinder wants some fresh water in his bowl", sure enough he takes a nice long drink of fresh water when we change it. I can tell when Cinder wants to be picked up, he comes close to my feet and looks up at me. I know when my disabled cat Purple is hungry or thirsty, he's been with me for 16 years and I always know what he's asking for. We lost our Midnight kitty to cancer a few months ago, he was cool. I could call him up onto the couch just by looking into his eyes and saying it in my mind, he'd always come over and jump up net to me, he knew what I wanted. It's all about observation, devotion and love. In my opinion it's a 6th sense that we share.I still try to get those wax plugs off Lily all the time, sometimes she cooperates, most of the time not. Cinder has none or they are too small for me to feel. LOL

  • Q: Have rabbits changed your life or your core ideals/morals  in any way? Have they had any influence over your spirituality and/or religious beliefs?
Yes, they have had great influence in our lives. We both quit smoking cigarettes shortly after the bunnies came, we felt it wasn't fair to smoke around a house pet who couldn't really get away from it. We live peaceful and quiet lives, we don't throw parties or do anything that we think will upset our bunnies, even if it's only for a night. And you can bet that you will hear "Goodnight Cinder, I love you" and "Goodnight Lily, I love you" every single night as we go up the stairs for bedtime.
  • Q: On a scale from 1-10, one being casual interest and 10 being militant fanatic, how would you rate your "Rabbit Habit"? Do you intentionally go looking for rabbit statues, pillows, art, etc
 We're at a 10+. We love to go to tag sales and flea markets searching for bunny objects. I have 'bunny rabbit' saved on my Ebay search so I get notified when a new rabbit item is listed. Our bathroom is decorated in all bunny art, ceramic dishes and even a beautiful hand painted bunny clock. Why? Do you have a bunny object that needs a new home? lol


Thank you so much, Liz, for taking time to visit us and answer our questions. Don't you all love the "Goodnight, I love you"? I know we all agree that love for rabbits makes OUR little world go 'round!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

A Video Chat with Speedy!

Oh, boy. I just had a nice video chat with Speedy and his mum, Rachel.  There were some technical difficulties at first, but only because I am a doopid hoomin and could not figure my stuff out. But it got fixed.  At first, he was all "This lady talks funny. I bet she even drives on the wrong side of the road!" And he gave me the Bunny Butt of Disapproval. Several times, actually. His mum had to snuggle him and warm him up a bit, then he got more curious. Apparently, he had a busy day of playing, hopping, being outdoors and probably popping in and out of various closets around the globe visiting his homebunnies on this fine Sunday. So he was not too keen on being baby talked by a star-struck Brandi and a yapping chihuahua.  I got to meet Speedy's Dad, too.  I even got to see Speedy's "party bunker", where he sleeps, eats and kicks back after a hard day of binkies and being cheeky.
Sorry, Rach, if I was being vague and a bit shy. I have never video chatted before and I was a bit nervous. Even though I think we know each other pretty well, it was a bit like meeting a person for the first time. Never know what to actually say...
Rachel and I agree that a group chat with other blogging bunny parents would be fun fun fun fun fun!


Friday, November 16, 2012

Picture...and "Vacation"


Another (much better!) picture of Stuffed Speedy!

For the record, I was not vacation. Immediately after Halloween every year, I fall into a very deep depression. Every year. It effects everything about me, around me, etc. It won't go away until December 26. Coincidentally, Bug, my girl baby chihuahua's birthday is December 26!  So St. Commercialism Day ends AND I can celebrate my baby girl's birthday.
This year, as I started to feel the depression deepen, I just unplugged my life.  I gathered pecans, shelled them by hand, played backgammon and cards with my son and watched movies. I caught up on some reading (Moby Dick) and drank a lot of hot cocoa, walked Simon. I am not the best or easiest person to be around when I get like this.
My solution seemed to work a bit. I was able to unclutter my head a bit and look at  the next few weeks from a different perspective.
And it does not help that I lost my job last week. Fun. Fun Fun Fun Fun.
I planned on being unplugged for a little while longer, but I missed the bunny blogs!
So if I get weird in the next few weeks, just ignore it. I can be very dark and melancholy at this time of year. I know a lot of people get this way.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

SPEEDY!!

(Sorry this picture of Speedy is so bad. I had to use my webcam to take it. I have THE worst luck with cameras, you have NO IDEA!)
Look what came in the mail all the way from the UK! A SPEEDY RABBIT! Speedy's mum, Rachel, noticed that I am always talking about wanting my own Speedy Bunn. Since she knows the Infamous Ladies in Vans cannot make it across The Pond to "procure" Speedy The Cheeky House Rabbit himself, she took pity on me and made me a Speedy all for my own! The Ladies in Vans is a group of insane conscientious rabbit loving women living in the U.S. who are obsessed with dedicated to ensuring rabbit parents take care of their charges by threatening offering to abduct adopt the rabbits that we find adorable neglected. Look! He is even all decked out in a Famous Speedy Scarf! Hot Dang! My Speedy is a spittin' image of the real Speedy!
My stuffed Speedy even has a heart stuffed with Speedy fur. And since he is a Rexie, you know he has a super soft heart!

Thank you so much, Rachel, for sending me a Speedy of my own to snorgle. Keep an eye out on your mailbox. Wait, you call it POST, not mail, right? Like your biscuit is  our cookie, your chips are our fries, your crisps are our chips, our pudding is your custard, your flat is our apartment, your lift is our elevator, your torch is our flashlight...
So...keep your peepers on the Post, I got something for my Speedy!





Friday, November 9, 2012

Looks like a bladder stone alright!!



A GUINEA PIG's ITSY BITSY URETHRA passed this ROCK of GIBRALTAR!!
The following is from an email updating me on Tonx the Piggy Piggy. Thank Jesus, and I pray her ordeal is OVER! The Cinderella Fund and the Ladies from Special Bunny ROCK! And so does Speedy and Mum Rachel and all of you kick ass people who helped this little girl out!

image.jpeg

Looks like a bladder stone alright!! (interesting Halloween nails too, ha ha!)
The support measures I gave it apparently worked and it was flushed out.  SQ fluids, Saw Palmetto, and phenazopyridine, and owner is continuing to give the meds for another day plus extra oral fluids as well.  Piggy is now eating more normally again, not squealing when urinating, and seems to be pretty much pain-free now once she got the SP and phenazo. Worked like a charm!!  (Learned that little trick from several rabbit owners dealing with bladder/kidney stones who worked with vets that were aware of both of these items.)
  Xray inconclusive----but not obvious stones or sludge.  Awaiting blood work   Owner is now able to make some financial contribution and helped pay for blood work as paycheck will be arriving.  Need to now look at cause, and address that. Most likely some diet/fluid modifications, depending on kidney function.
Thanks to all of you for any assistance you provided, especially the Cinderella Fund girls!!

May be a happy ending to this story........

Tonx the Piggy Update SHE STILL NEEDS US!

Hi Everybunny,
From what I can gather from the email chatter, Tonx is going to visit the vet today for testing procedures.  This is the first step for a proper diagnosis and treatment. The suspicion is that she has stones. I am wondering, though, if she has crystals. As of last night, some of her pain was alleviated with some bladder analgesics, which made her stop squealing when she voided her bladder, but she is still posturing and tensing up. She is eating ok and with the medication in her system, she is acting more like a good little piggy should.
I want to thank any and all of you who contributed financially to this little girl. My fear is that there are people out there who say  they love all animals (and truly do), while they would give a pound of their own flesh to help a dog or a cat, would never consider a so-called "pocket pet" like guinea pig to be worth their time, effort, or money.
Well wishes are great. Prayers are better. Money is the evil necessity here, though, unfortunately.
Tonx still needs some help. You can help her by going to Special Bunny's website, scrolling down to their donation button and contributing via their PayPal link. Please indicate to them that funds are for Piggy. Special Bunny started the Cinderella Fund to help out in situations like this, when life throws a curve-ball at Rabbit Parents and they need just a little push up the hill. They have agreed to be the fiscal intermediary between donors and the vet of this guinea pig. They have also donated from their Cinderella Fund to help her. This is why, whether I ever have another rabbit or not, I always call myself a Rabbit Person. These are the kinds of people I want to be associated with! Theirs are hearts I want my heart to resemble.
Thank you, Rabbit People!
And thank you, Speedy Rabbit and His Mum, Rachel! May the God of All Creatures, Great and Small, bless you abundantly!!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A Guinea Pig in Great Pain and Great Need!

Hi Bunny Moms and Dads,

I got an email today from a member of Etherbun, a Yahoo Group forum dedicated to the health and wellness of companion rabbits.
As you all know, compassion for one kind of animal usually is just an extension of compassion for all of God's little critters, though we may have our favorites. This Etherbunner asked me if I knew of anyone or anyway to help to a fellow animal lover get treatment for a guinea pig in great pain and distress. Guinea pigs are sweet, gentle, smiley faced, wheeking, squeaking  popcorning little fuzzy bundles of adorable, and no little piggy should suffer the pain of passing kidney stones.

Below is a picture of bladder stones passed by a dwarf lop. They literally made her squirt blood from her urethra. A grown man could not handle these, imagine a tiny bunny. Now imagine these in a little guinea pig. 



The MAIN reason I started this blog was to be able to connect people with the ability to afford products/money with animal parents who need just a little help to get through an emergency, or when life throws a curveball.  I am asking for help now for this little guinea pig.  Please please, if you can help, contact me via email and I will get you in touch with the person who needs that little extra push up the hill this month.  Also, please, do not expect or ask for repayment.  These contributions should be acts of love for the sake of love.
This idea of connecting people started with Lola the Bunny from Etherbun. She passed kidney stones through her tiny bunny sized urethra that would make a full grown man wish for death. Her dad was going to have to shuffle funds and use rent money to get her the meds and treatment she needed. He said that he did not care if he lost his apartment. Any place was home as long as he had his Lola. Dammit, that makes me cry like a baby every time I tell it...That is love, people.

Please read the following email, and let me know if you can help!

UPDATE: You can make donations via PayPal to the Special Bunny Cinderella Fund. (having some difficulty adding link to PayPal, but just click on the Special Bunny link below and you can get to their PayPal donation page) They have generously offered to not only help with what they can for Piggy, but have nicely agreed to be a fiscal intermediary for her care between donors and the vet! I will update as I get news. Please indicate that the funds are for Piggy! And visit Special Bunny's Website! A bunny organization helping a guinea pig! This networking thing is great! You can definitely donate to Special Bunny FOR bunnies, too, LOL, not just piggypiggies!


Hi Brandi,
I remember you telling me a long time ago about your project of connecting donors with owners who can't afford urgently needed vet care for their bunnies.  Do you, or would you consider a Guinea pig that has probable kidney or bladder  stone issues?  The owner came to me (Bunny Day-Spa, I have helpers who are competent with GP's ).  Her GP has what appear to me to be symptoms of probable urinary tract stones.  She took the piggy to the vet, got a UA, antibiotics for probable UTI, but couldn't afford to get labwork done to check out kidney function.  The piggy is now having symptoms like she is trying to pass stones.  The owner has spent all she could at this time, and won't have funds for several weeks from now. She has a huge heart, and takes in rescued animals but lives on a fairly tight budget--- so  labwork and now xrays probably too are going to be more than she could swing unless vet would take payments (they won't though).  I'm trying to help her with some of the things she needs to help the piggy (SQ fluids, critical care, pain meds), but the animal needs vet care or is going to have to be pts. 
As soon as I send this to you, my next task is to talk to her about seeing if there is any way she can scrape together enough to euthanize the piggy---who is in pain, if treating the problem isn't going to be able to happen ASAP.   If your organization is able to help her get the needed care for the piggy....that would be awesome.  If you can't (I know---it's not a rabbit), do you know of or can suggest group that might be able to help in this situation?  Time is of the essence.
I can provide you with her contact info, and whatever else you may need  to know about the situation.  I would recommend both an xray (prob about $100), and the labwork ($40 draw-up fee, $90 labwork), pain meds, and  more SQ fluids.  This should get them into a better situation.
thanks for considering it,

I have contacted the Cinderella Fund folks to see if there is help for a non-lagomorph in need. 

Please, even your prayers are needed for this little piggy girl. 
St. Francis, St. Melangell, and All Martyred and Sainted Unmercenary Physicians, pray unto God for this guinea pig in great pain and in need of mercy. You, who stand boldly before Christ as His friends, intercede for the piggy and her mum for help and the easing of a painful illness. He is the God of all creatures, great and small, and the Great Physician.  Death, disease and misery came into the world and claimed us all, even the innocent sweet little creatures, through the fall of man. It is only right for mankind to offer of themselves to protect and serve these noble, beautiful beings.  We ask this together with the prayers of the angels and all merciful, all holy, all immaculate Mother of God, and in the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Of Birds and Bunnies

You might not think that exotic pet birds and rabbits have much in common.  Ah, my fellow Rabbit Addicts, they most definitely have something in common. What would that be, you ask. Ignorance, disrespect, disregard, stupidity, neglect and abuse.
  • Without doing research, people buy both creatures, based on aesthetics and a cartoonish reputation that is false.
  • Rabbits are not cute, huggable little bunnies with twitchy noses and mild manners and even temperaments.  Exotic birds are not velcro pets that sit by and make music, or talk like people.
  • These are willful creatures and will NEVER conform to what a human thinks they should be and will do what they want to do, period.
  • Rabbits are very expensive to maintain, and birds more so. Vet visits are inevitable, expensive, and oftentimes frequent. 
  • The food for both is expensive and specialized. Housing is specialized, NOT small cages or hutches. 
  • Both creatures are extremely destructive by nature and require constant watching to ensure there is enough stimulation.  
  • Beaks and teeth grow constantly and quickly, and need to be worn down at the same rate of growth. Claws, beak, nails and teeth need constant vigilance and often vet visits to correct overgrowth, which can cause crippling, bleeding and infected wounds, terrible pain, and can lead to serious illness or death. 
  • They are far more intelligent than given credit for, and little tricksters and willful. When these traits start to manifest themselves in ways a human does not anticipate or appreciate, they become angry, sometimes leading to abusive situations, which can include verbal and physical abuse, cruel confinement or being discarded.
  • With every "rehoming", both rabbits and birds will become more spiritually and mentally scarred, causing problem behaviours to intensify along with the inability to bond to or trust any human. 
  • These creatures are often discarded into "the wild" to fend for themselves, the human assuming that rabbits can acclimate to the outdoors with their wild cousins, and the birds simply being birdy.  They do not think, realize, or care that these animals have been too domesticated to be able to adapt and survive in feral conditions and that there are specialized diets that cannot be provided by Mother Nature outside of their native environment (the tropics for birds). 
  • Rabbits can live up to ten plus years, which some people find too long. Birds can live fifty plus years and need to be considered in ALL family and household matters just as a human family member would be considered. Too often for both species even a minor family change will cause the humans to get rid of these pets as inconveniences. 
  • Overbreeding is a real problem, and bird breeders do not give a damn about their birds, for the most part. How can breeding at all be justified for either species when so many are in shelters and rescues that are filled to capacity and need funds?
  • Both types of animals get very little regard or respect as intelligent, sentient beings with a soul who are capable of love, misery, feelings of loss, who mourn, rejoice, and bond with creatures around them. 
My parents have Clover, a Moluccan Cockatoo that self mutilates and plucks. She is about 16 or 17 years old now, they have had her for about five years. She was adopted from a shelter where they had to keep her with one of the employees because she had to be watched constantly.  Who knows how many homes she passed through. I can tell you she had some serious issues when she came to live with my parents. Over the years, she has come such a long way, but it has been a slow process and required trust, patience, consistency, and a lot of treats. LOL.


Clover. You can see her "breastplate" that my mother made out of some kind of casting material. This is to prevent her from self mutilating, also so her other self inflicted wounds can heal.

She likes to sit on the chair while we sew at the dining room table. There is a skylight above her and she gives it the one-eyed, sideways glare. 

This is her sitting with Mr. Bubbles. They are playing Battlefield and she is learning new creative ways to use foul language. 
Her umbrella feathers. Could God have made a more vibrant orange? GLORIOUS color!
She looks sweet, and she has her moments, but she is willful, demanding little devil. She loves her kisses, though. Oh, sorry, Clover, I mean "sugars"!
Looking down on the rest of us. Why, YES, she IS a superior creature, thank you very much!

Just like rabbits, please think, research, and ask yourselves the same questions you would consider if adopting a human child. We are called to be stewards of this planet and her creatures, lands, and wonders. We do not have the right to treat these little creatures any damned way we choose, and will be called to answer for our choices and actions someday, in one way or another, in this life or the next. 

Unfortunately, people breed their own children without regard to the child or their family or households. If their own offspring, the amazing little lives they bring forth as casually as rats breed, means so little to them, then no other creature will find quarter or love in those homes. Even people with education, money, a stable home, and security will treat their pets as either commodities or material possessions.  However, we cannot control the lives of others. All we can do is for our own, and mind our own actions, be accountable for our own decisions. 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

BunSpace Bags For Buns Christmas

Christmas for Bunnies?  YOUBETCHA!!


Don't be a Scrooge McBunny! Give! Give! Give til it hurts! The happy rabbit overlords in snug as bugs in rugs living in forever homes COMMAND YOU!