Rather Than Me Copying All of My Posts...

and the replies of the news about the baby cottontail rabbit, Baby Bunny Boy, i'll just refer you to the PetsHub Rabbit Forum, where you can click on my name in any of my posts to see all the posts i've done over there.

Whew! THAT was a LOT easier than all this copying stuff! lol

i released Baby Bunny Boy ~ sort of...

After talking to the folks over one the PetsHub Rabbit Forum, i had pretty much decided to release Baby Bunny Boy. If you'd like to read the whole story ~ me deciding to keep him, then deciding to release him ~ you can scope out all the posts in that forum.

*********

You will NEVER believe this:

i finally started thinking about Crash's wild side, and decided to release him. The two vets around these parts refuse to neuter him, and he is SO active that i started thinking that perhaps the rabbit rehabilitators i had spoken with were right ~ once he reaches 'puberty,' he will revert to his 'wild' ways.

i released him in back of the house, into a big clump of grass and Dear and i stood around until we couldn't see him anymore. We walked away, about 25 feet, waited a couple of minutes, then walked back and i called to him. He ignored me, which i thought was good. Dear and i returned to the house ~ Dear to take a shower before work, me to monkey around on the computer. i kept an eye out on the clump of grass, and after a while, noticed one of my folk's black cats sitting next to it, in a predatory pose. i boiled out of the trailer, and was running toward the cat, which alerted the dog that first brought me Baby Bunny Boy, and when the cat pounced, scaring Crash out of his cover, i began screaming at the top of my lungs at the cat, "NO!!!" The dog, Taffy, took off after BOTH of 'em, which effectively scared off the cat, but THEN she continued to chase Crash. Oh! It was SO PITIFUL to hear him crying/screaming ~ it sort of sounded like a goat, bleating ~ as the dog ran him down. i was sick, but still in hot pursuit, and was AMAZED when the dog caught Baby Bunny Boy, and just HELD him, in her mouth, on the ground until i got to them. Taffy released him as soon as i put my hands around him, allowing me to scoop him up and bring him back in to his cage.

When i examined him, he had a small injury on his left side ( a bit of blood there), but after he cleaned himself, i can't hardly tell where it is. He has no broken bones, nor any other injuries ~ Thank You, Lord!

Okay, so now, folks, i HAVE tried to release him, but he TRULY is too used to all these other animal folks to know about survival.

ORIGINAL POST DATE = about 12-12-06

*********
i took a little flack over this, and you can see the entire posting 'conversation' at http://www.petshub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68876

Okay, That Wraps Up the Blogger Posts

All of the previous posts are from another blog that my hubby and i post to, Pet-News-Now.

Now, for the forum posts...

News About Crash

i've been posting to the PetsHub Rabbit forum, and discussing the release/non-release of Crash with them. This is my latest post there, and i think it is pretty self-explanatory:

*********

In answer to to your posts, BeetleBunny and prettybea:

My folks have a little 40 acre ranch, on which live: wild water fowl; tame water fowl; scads of wild birds; 2 dogs; 6 cats; a monkey; wild hogs; cattle; skunks; raccoons; rabbits; a mountain lion; deer; opossums; well, you get the idea. We live in an EXTREMELY rural setting ~ we are 2 miles, down a dirt county road, from the "main highway" of TX 119, and 4 miles down another dirt county road from the other "main highway" of TX 80. The nearest town with a WalMart is about 30 miles away. Our best grocery store is 25 miles away, although we can drive 17 miles to
the "bad" one. We live in the middle of nowhere ~ literally.

Anyway, about 5 weeks ago, my folk's dog came up with something in it's mouth ~ that
something was an approximately 3-day-old baby cottontail rabbit. The dog, who we THINK is part retiever, hadn't harmed a hair on the little bunny's body! My Mom recommended Pet milk, with a little drop of Karo in it, as a formula, and i began feeding it with an eyedropper.

i've got to tell you, we didn't hold out much hope of it surviving. i've rescued wild things before and i know that the mortality rate is high, especially if another animal has mauled the creature. After getting on line, i read about feeding it, and all the dire warnings, etc. (There was no choice about putting it back, once i found one of it's siblings that the other pets had gotten to.) He's now 5 weeks old, and seems to be doing great.

Okay, now about the 'cage' he'll live in ~

Like i said, we live on a ranch, so we could build a nice, large cage ~ we already have 6' x 12' x 6' dog run that a wire floor could easily be added to, along with adding a "loft" area that would make it 2 levels along one side. Until then, we have a small 2' x 4' x 2' cage that i have been putting him outside in, as well as a 4' x 4' x 4' cage. And, no, it's not being free, but it's the closest thing i can do.

This is ugly of me, but can you please explain to me how keeping him, in safety and some semblance of luxury (steady food, clean water, fresh veggies, a female "friend" ;) ) and having him "slip away" is somehow WORSE than some sort of horrendous, violent death?

And that's what it comes down to ~ i'd rather see him die from kindness.

*********

i've thought and thought about it, and that's what i finally decided to do ~ keep him in the manner to which he has become accustomed.

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-30-06

WWWAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

*sniffle* i've been over in the PetsHub forums ~ an EXCELLENT site, and the advice/information is top notch ~ asking and reading about what to do about Babby Bunny Boy. It would appear that i must turn him loose... Wild animals NEED to be wild and whenever we start monkeying around with the natural order of things, we really aren't doing ourselves or the object of our concern any favors. Sad, but true. We can help, but only to a certain extent; when the time comes, we have to be willing to let go. *sigh*

But you know me ~ i'll have my handy-dandy camera ready for big release! lol

ORIGINAL POST DATE =

Bummer

You know, i think we missed a perfect opportunity to litter train Baby Bunny Boy (who Kev now calls Crash because of his many mishaps of skidding into the sink, etc). i had been offering Rabbit Pellets (PetSmart has a house brand that is good AND reasonably priced ~ Nutriphase) to supplement Baby Bunny Boy's Pet milk formula, and to give him something to chew on. He did gnaw at them, but i don't think he realized that they were food. Anyway, he would sit in his little dish of them, and i would find a glurcky mess in it, meaning that he was probably sitting there, taking care of his business. i didn't snap to it in time, but i could have used some of that pelleted-cotton litter to potty train him, since rabbits only like to urinate in certain places, and usually only ONE certain place, whether it's in their cage or out and about. Cats are so easy to litter train ~ you put them in the box and show them they can dig, and they're trained! With rabbits, i think you have to let them decide exactly where they want to go, then it's up to us to keep those areas clean. Now, because a couple a days ago, i made some curried rice with an applesauce gravy and decided to use the little applesauce tubs as (pellet) food bowls, Baby Bunny Boy has been actually eating the pellets, so i'm afraid i've missed my chance. *sigh*

Hope everyone's dinner is settling ~> i'm off for another round!

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-24-06

Almost a Month Old, and Still Kicking

Baby Bunny Boy is going to be a month old on the 25th, and he's not such a baby anymore. He's grown so much! Check out the difference in the pics. That Pet milk is 'da bomb!' lol

We've been working on an outdoor cage for him ~ not such an easy task when you consider that we have to make sure that not only can nothing (Baby Bunny Boy) get OUT, but also that nothing (the 6 cats, 2 dogs, various assorted birds of prey) can get IN. Seems like our best bet is to dig up the yard where we want the cage to a certain depth (like 6 inches), lay the rabbit wire for the bottom of the cage, put the turf back on top of the wire, then tie the bottom to the above-ground part of the cage. *sigh* Sounds like a lot of work. Thankfully, it's all outside doings, and you know what that means, right? MEN'S WORK!!! rofl i suppose i'll have to supervise, but i can do that from an adirondack chair, in the shade, sipping a nice glass of Irish Cream!

Until next time ~

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-23-06

Baby Cottontail Rabbit's First Foray into the World

Baby Bunny Boy went outside!!! i put him in an old cage that doesn't have a bottom so that he could forage on the grass and he seemed to like it. i did pick a day that was guaranteed to be a little spooky to him, though ~ the winds were blowing like no tomorrow. i figured that he'd still be able to enjoy the outing, but he wouldn't be just SUPER anxious to get back out. (i know ~ i'm a mean mama. Oh, well.)

i pulled up a chair, then realized that i wanted the camera, too, and ran in to get it. When i came back out, i got frantic ~ he wasn't in the cage, anymore! i looked all around and almost fell over when he moved ~ in the cage! i was looking right AT him and couldn't see him! Here's a "Find Baby Bunny Boy" picture/game for y'all:



i promise you, he's in this picture, and in plain sight ~ unfortunately, you won't be able to see him move, so, well, um, good luck finding him! lol

Until next time ~

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-16-06

YIKES!

He's so bright-eyed! (And a bushy tail, too ~ even if it IS just a little cotton ball of a tail! lol) He's discovered carrots, thanks to my Mom sending some baby carrots home with us, and he LOVES 'em!

You know, i've sat, watching him, and i don't think he blinks his eyes! That would be a very valuable trait out in the wild for a baby bunny rabbit, but it's sort of disconcerting to me.

Today, he either heard something (which i'm leaning toward) or saw something that has made him super hyper-active. When i was walking home with him, i heard some coyotes baying in the distance, and that may be what's gotten him all riled up. i let him out on the table, which is a disaster zone right now, and he had a grand old time hippity-hopping around through all the cool stuff, but when it came time to go to bed, he wasn't down with that, and is STILL rustling around in his cage. i wish our place was rabbit-proof, but with 2 cats and a dog, not to speak of a million live electrical wires that appear to have some sort of magical magnetic pull on rabbits, we don't dare just cut him loose here in the house. We're going to have to figure out an outside pen / cage for him, so that he can just be a bunny and do bunny things for certain periods of the day.

More later ~

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-13-06

Howdy Folks

Well it is time for another update in the trials and tribulations of the Baby Rabbit.

We are really starting to think the little guy just might make it. Well that will leave us with another dilemma, what to do with the baby rabbit. Should we try and keep him as a pet, or release him back to his "Normal environment"

Around here his "Normal environment" will consist of six or more "Country Cats" and another two (or more) "Country Dogs" all who think that rabbit for breakfast sounds great. Oh did I mention the Coyotes, snakes, Owls, Hawks, and ? That would also love a little rabbit for dinner.

What do you think?

~ Kevin

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-10-06

Baby Bunny Boy

He's growing by ~ dare i say it??? ~ leaps and bounds! lol Speaking of leaps, the baby bunny is learning to hop, so now we have to be extra careful of where we set him down. i've had him on the twin-sized bed / couch, and he's a riot! i guess what i find SO amazing about the baby bunny is that he actually WANTS to be around us. When we had the other rabbit, she was like some sort of alien life form that just wanted to be left alone, with one small exception ~ she would allow us to wait on her, hand and (lucky rabbit's) foot. Baby Bunny Boy seems to love being held and petted, and appears to be growing up to think he's a people, much like the cat (Hattie) that we got when she was only about 4 weeks old.

And speaking of the other rabbit and the cat, i've decided to use Frontline Plus on Baby Bunny Boy for flea and tick control. i've read that it also repels ear mites, but i usually doctor everyone's ears with ear mite medicine. The Frontline Plus worked on Rini, the huge Californian rabbit, with absolutely no bad side effects, but Baby Bunny Boy is a little cottontail rabbit, so i might have to use less ~ like 1/2 of the treatment. He really isn't old enough for ANY kind of parasite treatments, so this is something i'll be doing in the future, it's just that i treated the cats and the dog the other day, and it made me think about Baby Bunny Boy.

Oh! And here's another picture ~ sorry to drive you crazy, but it IS sort of like being new parents! lol

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-10-06

Baby Cottontail Rabbit RULES!

Baby Rabbit Rules

Well we really are starting to let ourselves grow attached to the Baby Rabbit. When Taffy first brought him home he was only a couple of days old, and frankly, I didn't think he would make it. Now we guesstimate that he is 2 weeks old, he is eating good, and he even gets lonely and wants to be around us (even if we are some pretty ugly looking parents for the baby rabbit).

Kevin

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-6-06

Protecting the Baby Cottontail Rabbit from the REST of the Zoo!

You know, we had a rabbit a couple of years ago ~ her name was Rini, and she was a huge Californian Rabbit, marked like a Siamese cat. She was still young enough to think that our 1/2 Siamese cat was 'family,' which Hattie (the cat) just freaked out about. Anyway, we did end up having a problem with protecting Rini from the other animals ~ TWO cats and a little rat terrier dog that went ballistic at the sight of her. i'm searching for places that rescue baby rabbits, to see how they house their adoptees ~ i need some better ideas than the one i keep dreading, which is that you can't have a baby rabbit AND have any other pets. In fact, that's why we had to give Rini up, but at the time, we were living in an apartment, not on 40 acres of ranch! i'll keep y'all posted.

OH! And Kevin? Very funny ~ NOT! lol

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-6-06

More Baby Cottontail Rabbit Pictures

As promised here is another Baby Rabbit Picture.

It is amazing how small he really is when you compare him to the normal sized hand that is also in the Baby Rabbit Picture.

Now that he has opened his eyes he is getting a little more curious about his surroundings. I bet it was a real shock to him when he finally found out what an Ugly Rabbit his mother was.

More Pictures to come.

Kevin

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-5-06

The Baby Cottontail Rabbit Opened It's Eyes!

Amazing! Went to bed last night, the baby rabbit's eyes were sort of glued shut; got up this morning and it can see us!!! And it still likes us!!! lol

So, if a baby rabbit opens it's eyes at approximately 10 days, and we've had it for 7 days, it was only 3 days old when Taffy found it's nest. It's really too bad we couldn't just put it back in the nest, but we know that the dogs had found that one, and the cats wouldn't be far behind, so we had to actually rescue the baby rabbit.

i keep calling it "The Baby," but it's becoming rather obvious that we need a name for it, since it does seem to respond to us talking to it. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Oh! And we think it's a boy because it's privates all seemed to be on the outside of the baby rabbit's body.

i've been to several sites, looking for a formula that we could feed a baby rabbit, and i've got to give my 76-year-old Mom credit for knowing exactly what to use: Pet milk with a drop of Karo syrup in it. Since i had nothing else, that's what we fed it, at first. Then, because of what i'd read, we got some of the Cat Milk Replacement stuff, but that sort of gave him the runs. So, back to the tried and true formula.

His ears are starting to stand up and he's looking more like a rabbit and less like a rat by the hour, it seems! lol

Stay tuned for more baby rabbit pictures and postings in this continuing saga.

ORIGINAL POST DATE = 11-4-06