tlcwrites
Mama Doe
Rivergrace & Morningstar
I have been meaning to introduce this pair for a while, but as one thing after another has occured, it has been swept aside. However, I have finally got around to taking pictures of the girls and that means it is finally time to write this introduction post.
River and Morning are two does who have been trapped in one of the sorry excuses for a pen at the local Pets at Home for a while now. I kept seeing them in there and felt sorry for them, but didn't really have the space to take them on. However, I couldn't stop thinking of them. Their original names - Minnie and Socks - made me believe they were a doe/buck pair, but I didn't think too seriously about that.
What it did tell me though, was that they were the atypical story: bought for the kids, named by the kids, and the kids got bored.
They are fairly big girls and were in the same pen Athena was in before we adopted her from there. There was no way near enough space for them and I hated that more than anything else.
When Lelantos died, they were the main thing I could think of. I spoke with the family, and they agreed. We needed to do something about it. And thus, the girls came home with me.
I was told that River and Morning were two 2.5 year old spayed sister does, who were surrendered to the Support Adoption... charity because they could clear a 3ft fence and because they were digging. In short, because they were acting like rabbits. This meant that the "charity" was recommending they be rehomed with an experienced rabbit owner only. That's where I stepped in. I like to think I fit the bill.
Since having them home, the girls have been settled into the dining room. They are funny and cheeky. They like attention, especially sniffing people's hands and climbing their legs to beg for food. River is definitely the dominant rabbit. Morning is the cleverer and more exploratory of the two. Just today, we've caught her climbing up onto the crate and then the fish tank in search of food!
However, they are also very territorial, they grunt a lot, they hate being stroked for the vast majority of the time. Occasionally, River will try and attack Morning, but Morning has the sense to get away from her. That makes me question whether or not they have actually been spayed. And if they haven't, then the fact they were being kept in that postage-sized cage without tearing one another to shreds is something of a miracle. :shock:
Anyway, they are booked in for their vaccinations on Monday and the vet can then examine them to see whether or not they have actually been spayed. If they haven't, they'll be booked in for it straight away. Regardless, they will always have a home with me.
Rivergrace
Morningstar
together
Helios & Selene
Helios and Selene arrived on Monday.
Monday morning, I discovered my beautiful blue dwarf lop, Galinda, had passed away. Her sister, Elphie, to whom she was devoted, was mourning badly. I brought Elphie in, along with Athena and Apollo, in the hopes of trying to bond Elphie in with them. It was an unmitigated disaster, with fur flying everywhere. Apollo mostly kept out of the way. It was the girls who just kept going at each other. Even after a moment of calm, they were on one another's backs.
Athena and Polly were taken back outside. I couldn't risk their bond, nor did I have much hope for Elphie and Athena calming down to bond. As for bonding Elphie in with River and Morning, River is like Athena on turbo, so I didn't even dare introduce my darling blue lop to them. Especially as it was quite clear she was grieving for her sister.
So, I started to look online for a buck in need of a home. I looked at all small/medium breed types, but with a preference leaning towards rexes. Mostly because of Lelantos, of whom I still miss terribly, plus I had a feeling one might take to Elphie well and Elphie needed a calmer personality type. I know it's not the same for all of any breed, but what I've read suggests that rexes tend to be placid (and greedy. Very very greedy.)
One ad I saw was for some babies for sale. But not just the babies; mum and dad too. Dad had been neutered, so it was clear that this was an "oops!" litter rather than intentional breeding. As was the fact they were selling all of them. I called up, expressing interest in the buck, but the woman was desperate that they go as a pair. They were devoted to one another, she said. I took a deep breath, knowing it was insanity, and knowing it was a huge risk, but agreed to take both parents. I just had everything crossed that they would both take to my dear Elphie, otherwise I'd be drowning in rabbits.
So, we went to see this pair and their offspring. The babies were seriously cute. Mum and Dad make gorgeous babies. But Mum and Dad are also brother and sister. The owners had intended to get Dad - then named Gizmo - neutered before he could impregnate Mum (then Smudge) but weren't quick enough. (They seemed oblivious to the fact that for a few weeks post-snip, bucks are still fertile.)
After Mum had had babies, and due to a change in circumstances, they decided that they couldn't keep any of the rabbits, and that was the reason that the parents were up for sale.
They were in decent condition, but both overweight. Mum and Dad were being kept with their babies in an uninsulated shed, with no run, and no straw or anything to burrow in. Dad had been let in with Mum and babies almost straight after she'd given birth because he was "desperate to be with them". And apparently, he protected the babies better than Mum did. I tried to explain that rabbits deliberately avoid the nest so as not to attract predators to it, but they kept going on about protection. I let them decide to interpret what they've seen how they want to.
They were being fed toast daily "to keep their teeth trimmed" so I had to grit MY teeth. The rabbits were obviously well loved, but just not being kept quite right.
The original owners were also somewhat surprised that Mum and Dad had been found new homes before all the babies had. But that, in part, was my decision. These rabbits were barely out of babyhood as it is. They are seven months old.
So, once they were home, Gizmo became Helios. Smudge became Selene.
But I was nervous - whilst Helios has been neutered, Selene has not.
They were introduced to Elphie and acted as if they had been with her all their lives. Elphie has never been groomed so much by other rabbits in all her life. They adore her. In spite of the fact that Selene is unneutered, in spite of the fact I was introducing another rabbit to an existing pair, it all has gone smoothly. I know the bond is still developing, but whenever I see them, one of the two rexes almost always seems to be grooming Elphie. And Elphie is so much happier now. I've done the right thing by my girl.
I do have one more concern though: I'm worried that Selene might be pregnant again. Especially as Helios was reintroduced to the family so soon after his neutering. I will be keeping a close eye on her, but would appreciate "please don't be pregnant!" vibes for her. I don't want her to have more poor inbred babies. She will, of course, be neutered as soon as I know either way, but even so.
This is what's happened in the tlc household. Rabbits, rabbits, everywhere...!
Selene
Helios
together
BONUS!
Elphie and Beelzebub
Somehow, in my loss of two rabbits, I've gained four more. I've heard of "breeding like rabbits" but this is ridiculous!
I have been meaning to introduce this pair for a while, but as one thing after another has occured, it has been swept aside. However, I have finally got around to taking pictures of the girls and that means it is finally time to write this introduction post.
River and Morning are two does who have been trapped in one of the sorry excuses for a pen at the local Pets at Home for a while now. I kept seeing them in there and felt sorry for them, but didn't really have the space to take them on. However, I couldn't stop thinking of them. Their original names - Minnie and Socks - made me believe they were a doe/buck pair, but I didn't think too seriously about that.
What it did tell me though, was that they were the atypical story: bought for the kids, named by the kids, and the kids got bored.
They are fairly big girls and were in the same pen Athena was in before we adopted her from there. There was no way near enough space for them and I hated that more than anything else.
When Lelantos died, they were the main thing I could think of. I spoke with the family, and they agreed. We needed to do something about it. And thus, the girls came home with me.
I was told that River and Morning were two 2.5 year old spayed sister does, who were surrendered to the Support Adoption... charity because they could clear a 3ft fence and because they were digging. In short, because they were acting like rabbits. This meant that the "charity" was recommending they be rehomed with an experienced rabbit owner only. That's where I stepped in. I like to think I fit the bill.
Since having them home, the girls have been settled into the dining room. They are funny and cheeky. They like attention, especially sniffing people's hands and climbing their legs to beg for food. River is definitely the dominant rabbit. Morning is the cleverer and more exploratory of the two. Just today, we've caught her climbing up onto the crate and then the fish tank in search of food!
However, they are also very territorial, they grunt a lot, they hate being stroked for the vast majority of the time. Occasionally, River will try and attack Morning, but Morning has the sense to get away from her. That makes me question whether or not they have actually been spayed. And if they haven't, then the fact they were being kept in that postage-sized cage without tearing one another to shreds is something of a miracle. :shock:
Anyway, they are booked in for their vaccinations on Monday and the vet can then examine them to see whether or not they have actually been spayed. If they haven't, they'll be booked in for it straight away. Regardless, they will always have a home with me.
Rivergrace
Morningstar
together
Helios & Selene
Helios and Selene arrived on Monday.
Monday morning, I discovered my beautiful blue dwarf lop, Galinda, had passed away. Her sister, Elphie, to whom she was devoted, was mourning badly. I brought Elphie in, along with Athena and Apollo, in the hopes of trying to bond Elphie in with them. It was an unmitigated disaster, with fur flying everywhere. Apollo mostly kept out of the way. It was the girls who just kept going at each other. Even after a moment of calm, they were on one another's backs.
Athena and Polly were taken back outside. I couldn't risk their bond, nor did I have much hope for Elphie and Athena calming down to bond. As for bonding Elphie in with River and Morning, River is like Athena on turbo, so I didn't even dare introduce my darling blue lop to them. Especially as it was quite clear she was grieving for her sister.
So, I started to look online for a buck in need of a home. I looked at all small/medium breed types, but with a preference leaning towards rexes. Mostly because of Lelantos, of whom I still miss terribly, plus I had a feeling one might take to Elphie well and Elphie needed a calmer personality type. I know it's not the same for all of any breed, but what I've read suggests that rexes tend to be placid (and greedy. Very very greedy.)
One ad I saw was for some babies for sale. But not just the babies; mum and dad too. Dad had been neutered, so it was clear that this was an "oops!" litter rather than intentional breeding. As was the fact they were selling all of them. I called up, expressing interest in the buck, but the woman was desperate that they go as a pair. They were devoted to one another, she said. I took a deep breath, knowing it was insanity, and knowing it was a huge risk, but agreed to take both parents. I just had everything crossed that they would both take to my dear Elphie, otherwise I'd be drowning in rabbits.
So, we went to see this pair and their offspring. The babies were seriously cute. Mum and Dad make gorgeous babies. But Mum and Dad are also brother and sister. The owners had intended to get Dad - then named Gizmo - neutered before he could impregnate Mum (then Smudge) but weren't quick enough. (They seemed oblivious to the fact that for a few weeks post-snip, bucks are still fertile.)
After Mum had had babies, and due to a change in circumstances, they decided that they couldn't keep any of the rabbits, and that was the reason that the parents were up for sale.
They were in decent condition, but both overweight. Mum and Dad were being kept with their babies in an uninsulated shed, with no run, and no straw or anything to burrow in. Dad had been let in with Mum and babies almost straight after she'd given birth because he was "desperate to be with them". And apparently, he protected the babies better than Mum did. I tried to explain that rabbits deliberately avoid the nest so as not to attract predators to it, but they kept going on about protection. I let them decide to interpret what they've seen how they want to.
They were being fed toast daily "to keep their teeth trimmed" so I had to grit MY teeth. The rabbits were obviously well loved, but just not being kept quite right.
The original owners were also somewhat surprised that Mum and Dad had been found new homes before all the babies had. But that, in part, was my decision. These rabbits were barely out of babyhood as it is. They are seven months old.
So, once they were home, Gizmo became Helios. Smudge became Selene.
But I was nervous - whilst Helios has been neutered, Selene has not.
They were introduced to Elphie and acted as if they had been with her all their lives. Elphie has never been groomed so much by other rabbits in all her life. They adore her. In spite of the fact that Selene is unneutered, in spite of the fact I was introducing another rabbit to an existing pair, it all has gone smoothly. I know the bond is still developing, but whenever I see them, one of the two rexes almost always seems to be grooming Elphie. And Elphie is so much happier now. I've done the right thing by my girl.
I do have one more concern though: I'm worried that Selene might be pregnant again. Especially as Helios was reintroduced to the family so soon after his neutering. I will be keeping a close eye on her, but would appreciate "please don't be pregnant!" vibes for her. I don't want her to have more poor inbred babies. She will, of course, be neutered as soon as I know either way, but even so.
This is what's happened in the tlc household. Rabbits, rabbits, everywhere...!
Selene
Helios
together
BONUS!
Elphie and Beelzebub
Somehow, in my loss of two rabbits, I've gained four more. I've heard of "breeding like rabbits" but this is ridiculous!
