September 8, 2008
Quincy RIP
It is with enormous sadness that I report the passing of Quincy. You may recall his valiant battle against a series of eye problems and his amazing recovery following the removal of both eyes. Sadly, towards the end of last week, Quincy started having breathing problems, apparently due to the heart problem that was detected following his surgery. The treatment plan required for his heart was too much for his kidneys to handle and the painful decision to euthanize was made. Thankfully, Quincy had a wonderful couple of months spent with his beloved Lucy and his doting human family.
To me, the most amazing thing about Quincy was the contrast between his present and his past. Quincy was a graduate of the Granville rescue but you would never know it by looking at him. He suffered enormous mistreatment prior to his rescue but demonstrated equally enormous forgiveness. He could have withdrawn from life, living in fear, like Lacy, who also came from that rescue but, instead, chose to live a life of joy, love, and confidence in a world that had not always been fair to him.
He will be deeply missed.
Our sincere condolences to Lucy, Terri, and Jeremy.
Posted by Sue at 6:28 PM
September 5, 2008
How Will You Leave Your Legacy?
For a lot of us, this is a difficult topic to think about. Thanks to Susan (mommy of Lady Matilda Marie the Divine) for reminding us of this very important topic.
As a bunny mom, I know how much I love and cherish our sweet Matilda who came to us from Columbus House Rabbit Society. As a nonprofit development professional, I know the importance of leaving a legacy.
Many charitable or nonprofit organizations will struggle to survive in the coming years without an increase in planned or bequest giving. That's why many people who give generously to their favorite charitable organizations today are concerned that their contributions will be missed when they're gone. They're right - only a small percentage of local wills leave any money to charity. People can continue to make a difference with a little planning.
The first step is to have a will. No one likes to think about their demise, but it's going to happen at some point or another. It's not morbid to have a will when you are still young (our daughter had one drawn up at age 18). Many people make the assumption that their assets will transfer automatically to their loved ones; therefore, they do not need a will. In reality, a will speeds up the probate process and can cause less stress for those you leave behind. Without a will, you lose control over your belongings after death. Your property and finances are settled according to state laws, whether or not they coincide with your or your family's wishes.
The second step is to leave a planned gift to your favorite charity, such as CHRS. Planned giving isn't as difficult as it sounds. You don't need to be wealthy to make a gift to a nonprofit - a planned gift as small as $100 can make a difference and is vital to the future of CHRS.
The easiest ways to make a planned gift is to provide a bequest to the nonprofit in your will or to make a gift of life insurance. To be certain that the group receives the gift, you should state your intentions in your will. I personally believe that making a gift of life insurance is the best way to make a planned gift. If you currently have life insurance (and you should, no matter what), you can designate a specific amount for CHRS in your will. You can also purchase a separate, additional policy as well - a $10,000 policy can generally be purchased for under $50 a year, and you can make CHRS the beneficiary
I can tell you that my husband Ryan and I practice what I preach. We are both leaving gifts to Columbus House Rabbit Society in our will. When I die, my estate will provide bun to bun sponsorship for 250 rabbits or spaying/neutering for over 100 bunnies. The same will happen when Ryan passes away. It costs us so little right now, but it will pay off big for CHRS in the future - without taking away from our family's needs!
I invite you to join us - I can't think of a better way for us to thank CHRS and to say how much we love buns!
Posted by Sue at 6:38 PM
September 1, 2008
Life With Punkin
This story reminds us why we choose to live with rabbits. Thanks, Debbie!
My first bunny, Eddie, was a product of my nephew Brian's pair of bunnies. When she died unexpectedly, I was heartbroken. But within two hours, my nephew was there, delivering a gift to me - a new bunny. Brian's parents had gotten rid of the female months before, so Brian went to the pet store to buy this new bunny for me. What a sweet gesture from a 13-year old. I named the apricot-colored little bundle of energy Punkin (though I often call him "Bunners"). That was almost ten years ago.
Life with Punkin has been wonderful! He has traveled with me extensively, mostly in-state, but even all the way to South Carolina and Arizona! He is a real trooper. When he was younger, he would guard the bathroom door while I was in the shower, and when I was on the computer, he would come and tap my foot with his head to let me know he was available! He was also very curious and loved to explore - I have pictures of him on top of his cage, inside a partially empty 12-pack of pop, up on a chair that was pushed under the table, and in many other incriminating positions!
A year ago in May, Punkin had a seizure, then another smaller one last fall. Since his first seizure, he has had many vet visits and health concerns. Last fall, he quit eating the large quantity and large variety of greens I had been giving him daily. At that point he went on Critical Care once a day and Rimadyl twice a day for possible arthritis. In January, for a while, he was hardly eating much at all. He was put on antibiotics and it cleared up, but that is when we started a twice a day regimen with Critical Care.
I have quit traveling with him (except to the vet) because it is stressful on him. I won't leave him with anyone else because we have our routine for feeding. If I have to go out of town, it is only for the day and I make sure I am here for his regular feedings. I am giving up things out of town, but for my Bun, it is worth it! After all, he won't be here forever and I want to do the best I can for him now that he is getting older. He deserves it!
Bun and I have become much closer in the last few years. We have a daily routine for feeding and even for attention time. At lunch time (I'm lucky I live so close to work that I can come home) and in the evening, I will lie down on the bed and he will come, looking for attention. I roll to my left, and he comes right up into the crook of my arm and puts his head on my shoulder. I whisper sweet somethings (they aren't "nothings" because I sincerely mean everything I tell him!), pet him and kiss him. He responds with tooth purrs of satisfaction. I always let him decide when we are done. Usually in the evening, when I am watching TV, he will take a break from snuggling to scratch those itches and groom himself, then he comes back. Even if he goes off to nibble or snooze under the dresser, he ends up coming back for more!
He is my daily blessing and my daily miracle. I love him unconditionally. Thank God for the makers of Critical Care because I believe he has pulled through and continues to be with me because of it. He still nibbles some greens, fruit, and hard little treats but not enough to sustain himself. He has a bad back (bone spurs), bad teeth on one side, and occasionally weepy eyes. He doesn't do the bunny 500 or binkies anymore. But he does follow me from room to room late in the evening, and I take that as a good sign.
Punkin is my sweetheart and I love him completely. He is a very special bun, as you can tell. I can't imagine my life without him. Bunnies are such sweet, tender little souls, and I feel so blessed every day that this little miracle graces my life!
Posted by Sue at 9:47 AM
August 31, 2008
A Perfect Bunny
Grab a kleenex before you read this amazing story. You just might need it. Thanks, Pamela!
My boy, Hamilton, is a 9 pound Californian bunny (a breed horribly referred to by the folks in 4-H as a "meat pen" rabbit) who was abandoned in a park in Hamilton County, Ohio and found near death, after having been mauled by a predator - presumably a dog. He was rushed into the care of the Buckeye HRS, in Cleveland, and spent nearly a year in recovery. The year included surgery, stitches for the simple wounds and care for recurring, serious eye infections. Both of Hamilton's eyes had been damaged during the attack and it was estimated that he had 25% vision in his left eye and maybe as much as 80% in his right eye. Frightening numbers if you are a "prey" animal with an intimate understanding of what it means to flee for your life.
Hamilton came into my life because of Thump. Thump was a girl in the market for a boy. I took her up to the Columbus HRS Chapter Manager's home where several boys from all around the state had come to meet her. (Thump was a gorgeous 9.5 pound New England Spot mix so it is no wonder that she had so many suitors.) Thump was polite to all the boys, greeting them with a careful sniff and then dropping her head and awaiting their response. Some of the boys were uninterested or afraid. Others were equally polite but, overall, there was no standout. Without exception, all of these boys were, by the way, beautiful buns - glossy, healthy, perfect in every way. I was especially hopeful regarding a black boy with white markings, but Thump indicated only her standard polite response. All of the present, hopeful, bunny fosterers had begun to discuss the idea of just choosing one and "seeing how it went"... and then came Hamilton. He was tattered, scarred, still recovering from his most recent surgery and swinging his head around a bit wildly in order to see the new room in which he had suddenly found himself... and then he saw Thump. I swear, it was a Disney movie. Everyone in the room could practically hear the bluebirds singing and the Disney theme music swelling up out of nowhere. The two buns saw one another, hopped together, sniffed, she put her head down and he licked her, he put his head down and she licked him and then they flopped down beside one another. The humans were all stunned because, really, how often does that happen. Just to be on the safe side, I did keep them apart and "date" them a few more times but after a week they simply refused to be parted and the deal was done. True love.
Hamilton and Thump lived at the office of our business where there was a great deal of activity all day long. Initially, this was hard on Hamilton and he spent most of the day hiding but within a couple of weeks, he found that if he stuck with Thump, who insisted on being in the middle of everything, he would be safe. For about a year, all was well.
When my husband and I travelled, the office staff would watch the buns. They were conscientious about feeding, watching the buns' appetites, minding the litterboxes and the like but during one business trip, they missed the fact that Hamilton's left eye had begun to swell. By the time I got home, it was an acute problem and I rushed him to an emergency vet in Cincinnati, who immediately put him on antibiotics, eye drops, something for pain (so he would continue to eat) and referred me to the veterinary opthamologist at Ohio State in Columbus. Monday morning started with a phone call and an hour later I was in my car with Hamilton and Thump. (Hamilton hated to go anywhere without her and I wanted him as comfortable as possible.) The opthamologist determined that the eye would not recover and that there was a risk of the infection travelling to the brain. The eye had to be removed as soon as possible. Arrangements were made for surgery in a couple of days and I took both buns home.
When I returned on Wednesday night, Karalee Curry, the Columbus HRS Chapter Manager, kindly took both Hamilton and me in so that we could be at the University first thing in the morning. Hamilton and I came without Thump, which made both buns nervous but was necessary under the circumstances. Hamilton spent the morning in surgery with the veterinary opthamologist, an exotics surgeon, a veterinary anesthesiologist and, as it was described to me, every exotics student at OSU - because they never get rabbits for this type of surgery. [Because of the rarity of Hamilton's procedure and, therefore, its value as a teaching opportunity, OSU charged me about 20% of what they commonly charge for the same surgery in a dog. This is one of the values in taking your bun to a teaching institution and a question well worth asking when they are going over pricing with you. It saved me, literally, $4,000.] Amazingly, Hamilton was returned to me to be taken home that night because OSU has found that bonded buns do much better when they are with their partners and because buns, in general, do not do as well in places that are filled with the smells and sounds of unfamiliar predators. So, there I was with a groggy (from the anesthesia), bloody bunny and instructions to check him and give him pain medicine every two hours and antibiotics every four hours. I rushed my boy home and arrived back in the offices, at 10PM, to be greeted by Thump who, my staff had informed me, had been worrying all day, refusing to eat and rushing to the door each time it opened.
I was initially concerned that the blood, stitches and strange smells all over Hamilton would put Thump off or cause her to nip at him but she didn't think twice. When I took Hamilton out of the carrier, she rushed to him, sniffed him all over and then hopped slowly beside him while he made his way the couple of feet to his favorite spot. Once there she started to groom him and sat, pointedly, between him and me. When I returned, two hours later, Hamilton was sparkling clean and Thump was pressed tightly against his left, blind side. She stayed that way for weeks while he recovered. Every time I picked Hamilton up to check him and give him his meds, Thump would stand up on her back feet, front paws on my knee, and crane her head up, carefully watching my every move, to make sure her boy was safe. As Hamilton started to explore his surroundings, Thump stayed always on his left. When I finally opened up "the big room," a 40' x 100' dance hall on the upper floor of our building immediately adjoining the offices, Thump stayed with Hamilton as he carefully patrolled the perimeter of this huge new space. During thunderstorms, Thump invariably rushed to Hamilton's side as he hunkered down and worried about the huge noise shaking the floor beneath him. It was an amazing thing to witness and a testament to how little we humans really understand about the richness and depth of the relationships between members of other species.
Thump wasn't the only one to adjust to the changes in Hamilton's health. His regular vet, in Cincinnati, has taken photos and carefully monitors the health of Hamilton's right eye. She also made sure to get better informed on eye health related issues which might apply to Hamilton's specific condition.
My staff and family joined me in making a number of changes in the way we handle Hamilton. First of all, because his remaining eye is compromised and we can't really ask him exactly how much, we make the assumption that he can't really see us when we come into the room. There is no padding into the room in socks if Hamilton, who now lives at home, is there. I make noise when I come into the room and talk virtually all of the time I am there, so he will be clear on where I am. When I am going to touch him, I talk all of the way up to him, especially while I am leaning over him (so that he can hear my voice getting closer) and reach down on his sighted side making sure he sees my hand. I always pet him first on his sighted side. If his sighted side is not available I blow a little bit of breath (softly) on him so that, again, he knows I am right there. I never just snatch him up even if it means having to re-approach him a number of times before he lets me capture him. There is one place, the castle my husband built for he and Thump, where I never capture him unless his life could depend upon it (ie. tornado siren is going off) because I believe that in his vulnerable state, since he cannot depend upon speed for evasion, he needs to have something that makes him feel completely safe. Surprisingly, he rarely actually uses this "out" and only occasionally takes me on a tour of his room prior to allowing himself to be captured. I, of course, check his right eye daily.
I also found that moving things in his room is a bad idea. Once something is set, best leave it that way because if he does have a sudden fright, he is more likely to run headlong into new or moved items. The other big thing is one I discovered by accident. Thump went through a digging phase where she would dig out one of the extra large litterboxes and leave its contents all over the floor. In order to contain this problem, I brought home a huge box from work (about half the size of a refrigerator), cut off the top and added some access holes (Thump later added two more) and put two extra large litterboxes in it filled with litter and hay. Thump was thrilled but Hamilton basically moved in. He loves this smaller, predictable, comfortable space. He can be found there most of the time lounging happily.
The one thing I hadn't counted on in Hamilton's care was the loss of Thump which happened suddenly one night just two hours after she and I had been playing ball and she had been happily frolicking around their room. Hamilton was devastated. He barely nibbled at his food, wouldn't come out of his box and became frightened of every slightly unusual sound. Normally, we HRS folk are told (and I had previously learned once the hard way) to wait a reasonable amount of time before trying to re-bond a bunny because grieving buns, understandably, have bonding issues. I decided this wasn't an option for Hamilton due to his sight limitations. The world was too big and too frightening for him to be alone. So, back we went to Karalee's, this time to meet six beautiful girls. My dejected boy was polite to all but the two that ignored him didn't get a second sniff. Two others got a bit of an extra look but were also fairly quickly eliminated. The final two were both reasonable prospects. Both showed some interest in him and he groomed one of them, Madalynn, a few times. We took her home and hoped we could get a bond. Madalynn is a great deal like Thump, outgoing, precocious, curious, brave and social - a good match for Hamilton and, in about three weeks time, he agreed too and they were bonded. It has to be said that Hamilton doesn't relate to Madalynn in the same way he did to Thump. He is a bit more reserved with her, but she makes up for it by absolutely worshipping him. Madalynn's world positively revolves around Hamilton - which works for him. Most importantly, he is happy again. Relaxed. Calm. Content.
One eye, tattered ear, scars on his back and tummy - our bunny boy, now nine years old and perfect in every way. Thump was right.
Posted by Sue at 3:03 PM
Blackberry Update
You may recall that I'm absolutely mad about Blackberry. In case you don't remember Blackberry, she was one of several rabbits, including Mama Lucy, who were allowed to wander loose by their "owner." Thankfully, both Blackberry and Lucy were safely caught by Karalee and Wendy. Although both have chronic wobbliness, they are living quite happily in their forever homes.
Here is a wonderful story from Megan.
Blackberry is teaching me new things everyday. She can't reach her eyes to clean very well so she will lick my hand and then put her face up in anticipation of me petting her so I pet her lightly over the eyes with her saliva on my hand and she seems very happy about that. She keeps it up for a long time.
Thank you so much for the story, Megan. And thank you even more for giving Blackberry such a loving home!
Posted by Sue at 2:47 PM
July 24, 2008
A Binky for Luck
My house has been a binky-free zone for years. My Molly used to be a champion binky bunny but at 11 years of age and minus a leg, we're both pretty happy she can still hop. Shelby, also 11 years old and in possession of all her body parts, was never inclined to binky. She still occasionally does laps around the bird room when I'm late with her breakfast but no binkies.
During the roughly two years I've lived with him, the youngster of the house, Kramer, never showed any binky inclinations. He always greets me enthusiastically in the morning, speeding from the living room to the kitchen, tail bobbing up and down, with an occasional flick of his head. But yesterday morning, he delighted me with a full-fledged binky that took him a foot off the floor.
Needless to say, I was delighted. Not only are binkies fun to watch but I have always considered them good luck. I left the house yesterday morning confident I would have a good day. And sure enough, I did.
May your home be filled with binkies!
Posted by Sue at 6:36 PM
July 12, 2008
Choices
My apologies for taking so long to write. I bought a new computer and have spent an amazing amount of time trying to get it set up just the way I want it. It's a relief to finally be able to start thinking about other things, such as the topic of this post.
When I bought my first rabbit (yep, from a pet store), I assumed that the hardest decision I would make was whether I was prepared to make a life-long commitment to this adorable creature. Little did I know how many difficult decisions we lagomorph lovers would have to make.
The past few weeks have really demonstrated this fact.
I have already written about Quincy, who had both eyes removed a few weeks ago. At ten years of age, Quincy is clearly a senior citizen so Terri and Jeremy had to make a choice whether to accept the risks of surgery in the hope of a greatly enhanced quality of life for Quincy. The last two weeks have been a nightmarish roller coaster ride for the Cooks. After quite a few sleepless nights and an enormous amount of worry and TLC, Quincy is now clearly on the road to recovery under the watchful eye of friend Lucy.
I took my girls over to the Norton Road vet clinic for their bi-monthly squeeze this past Thursday. Both girls suffer from chronic bladder sludge so these visits are normally pretty routine. I did, however, expect to see Karalee who was bringing in a young rabbit, Duffy, whose owner had died. Duffy had bad teeth and bouts of sneezing, which raised the possibility of a serious underlying problem. The examination showed that Duffy's prognosis was poor and his chances for a reasonable quality of life were very low. Unfortunately, the most difficult choice of all had to be made, and Duffy was humanely euthanized.
Laine and Doug Kathary were also at Norton, having brought Hope in as an emergency. Hope was suffering from severe bloat. She appeared to be rallying during the day but by that evening, she was bloating again. Dr. Borders recommended she be taken to an emergency clinic where she could be watched over night. Dr. Oglesbee (some of you may remember her from the OSU exotics department), who works at the clinic, examined her that evening and recommended surgery.
Stomach surgery on a rabbit is inherently risky. Making the decision even harder was the blood work which showed a problem with her kidneys. But Laine and Doug made the choice to go ahead with the surgery. They did not want to live with "what ifs" if they chose to euthanize.
The surgeon found a hair-covered poop that was the cause of the blockage. As soon as it was removed, Hope immediately started to poop, even under anesthesia. It's still early but her prognosis looks promising.
We give our hearts to these amazing creatures and we make the best choices we can. Sometimes things work out the way we want them to and other times they don't. All we can do is learn as much as we can about these amazing animals, support each other during the difficult times, and accept the reality that death will eventually come.
But each happy outcome is an opportunity to rejoice...
So please join with me in a happy dance for Quincy, Hope, and their adoring humans!
Posted by Sue at 4:59 PM