Hopping down the bunny trail

Easter is coming soon! Want to make somebunny happy? Come out to the sanctuary on Saturday, March 16^th, for our Bunny Bake and Take event!

You’ll learn how to make a fun bunny toy, bake timothy hay cookies, and create a bunny treat bag. Keep your creations, or if you don’t have a bunny of your own, share your goodies with one of our rabbit residents!

Enjoy socializing with other rabbit lovers and sharing stories. And say hello to our rabbit ambassador Anna, who would be happy to sample your goodies!

Then stick around to Easter shop at our Bunny Store. Choose from a variety of bunny-themed items to decorate your home. For your bunny, we have treats, toys, chews, dishes, carriers…a little of everything!

The Bake and Take runs from 10 AM to noon. Admission is only $10.The Bunny Store will be open from noon until 4 PM. Browsing is free!

Second second chances

 

*In honor of Adopt A Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting one of our favorite Hoppy Endings!*

Poor Mocha! Her first family didn’t want her, and she soon found herself homeless for a second time when the people who took her in decided she was too much work. They dropped her off with us, and that might have been the end of the story. But one day soon after, Helen and her daughter Hannah came to the sanctuary, looking for a bunny to love. Mocha caught their eye.

It was a bit of a rough adjustment for them all! Mocha’s litterbox habits weren’t the best, for one thing, and she suffered from recurrent bouts of diarrhea. On top of it all, her new family soon discovered Mocha was deaf and possibly visually impaired.

Helen and Hannah didn’t give up. They found Mocha the best veterinary care, adjusted her diet, and learned how to communicate with her despite her handicaps. Today Mocha is a treasured member of the family. She’s even bonded with Boomer, the family dog! The two of them share a veggie treat daily.

Mocha loves to spend the afternoon in Hannah’s room, helping with her homework. “I really enjoy Mocha’s company,” says Hannah. “Hanging out with her makes me feel really happy and it sends a warm glow down my body.” Now that Mocha feels secure, her playful side has emerged. “Mocha is a really silly bunny and makes me laugh a lot,” Hannah tells us.

How fortunate that they didn’t give up when the going got tough! Helen and Hannah couldn’t be happier with Mocha. “She’s a great little bun,” says Helen.

A real treat

*In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings! Today we’re offering you a double header. Read about Snickers here, and Bentley down below!*

Snickers’ story is one we hear all too often. A rabbit is purchased to be a child’s pet, and the child grows up/moves away/loses interest. Or in Snickers’ case, enlists in the Air Force! The rest of the family didn’t have time for Snickers. He became horribly neglected, confined to a small cage with nothing to do but eat. As a result, he grew into quite the butterball. By the time he reached us at the sanctuary, Snickers was several pounds overweight.

Excess weight can lead to a number of physical problems in rabbits, but thankfully Snickers was relatively healthy despite his girth. We put him on a diet at once, and started the process of socializing this lonely boy. Snickers responded well to the attention, but there’s no substitute for a loving home. We were hopeful when Kelly stopped by the sanctuary one day, searching for a mate for her girl bun, Zoey.

Zoey had been suffering from recurrent bouts of stasis, a gastrointestinal disorder. Kelly thought that having a bunfriend around might help stabilize her. Snickers seemed to be the perfect candidate. Kelly and Zoey took him home, hoping for a love connection.

It was a match made in heaven! Kelly tells us that since Snickers came along, Zoey hasn’t had any episodes of stasis. Snickers is now down to a healthy weight, and gets plenty of exercise romping around with Zoey. He enjoys being held, Kelly says, and often she will carry him around with her while she makes breakfast. “He’s beautiful,” she says. “He is wonderful. He’s brought so much joy to us. I love him dearly.”

Another hoppy ending

Do you remember the Tuttle Hill gang? They’re the bunnies who were living in squalor just minutes from the sanctuary. We managed to save the whole group, including today’s hoppy endings star, Bentley.

Bentley was extremely shy and scared when he came to GLRS. He’d never been cared for by a human before, and wasn’t sure how he felt about us. He was about to get a crash course in bunny love, taught by his new mom, Diana!

“Bentley’s such a sweetheart!” she tells us. It didn’t take long for him to discover the joys of being a pampered house rabbit. Today he loves pets and isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get them, including climbing on top of Mom’s computer keyboard and parking himself there until she gives him the attention he demands. Afterwards he’ll binky and collapse into a flop, legs stretched out behind him in true “contented bunny” fashion.

There was a time when Bentley didn’t know where his next meal was coming from, but those days are behind him now. “Bentley loves to eat!” says Diana. “He knows the sound of his food being opened and comes running!”

Diana assures us that Bentley is eagerly adjusting to life in a real home, and she couldn’t be more pleased. “He’s been such a great addition to the family,” she says. “We’re so happy we decided to adopt him!”

Want to be part of your own hoppy ending? Check out our adoptables here!

Pet Pedicure

If your rabbit’s nails could give Freddie Krueger a run for his money, it might be time for a pedicure!

Overgrown nails aren’t just an aesthetic issue.  Long nails can cause your rabbit to shift more weight to her back legs, which can cause painful sore hocks. Long nails can also do quite a bit of damage to furniture, carpeting, and your arms if you need to pick your bun up!

Ideally, your bun could use a trim every six to eight weeks. But cutting the nails of a nervous or excitable rabbit can be tricky. Let us help! Bring your rabbit to Pet Supplies Plus in Livonia on Saturday the 23^rd , between 11 AM and 1PM.  One of our skilled, caring volunteers will be on hand to give your bun a pedicure.

Has your bun developed a distinctive musky odor? He might have a buildup in his scent glands. Cleaning these can be a stinky job, but we’ll handle it for you.

This event isn’t just for rabbits. We’ll take care of your guinea pigs too. The cost is just $10 for nail trimming, and $8 for scent gland cleaning. All proceeds go to help GLRS care for our resident rabbits, cats, and pigs.

Pet Supplies Plus is located at 29493 7 Mile Road. If you have any questions, contact debbie@rabbitsanctuary.org. Hope to see you there!

Home Sweet Home

In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings!

You may remember Bessie from one of our earlier blogs. She’s our sometimes temperamental resident “Queenie”. Well, lately things have changed for our Bessie! She’s found her forever home, and she even has a new big brother, Omega the chinchilla!

Bessie’s new mom, Patti, first discovered Bessie on Petfinder. “I fell in love with her from the moment I saw her picture,” says Patti. “She had such a grumpy bear face-she caught my eye and I just wanted to give her all the love she deserves.”

Bessie enjoys the freedom to explore in her new home. “She’s out of her Queen-worthy condo as soon as I open the door for her and has decided on her favorite little nooks and hiding places,” says Patti. Bessie’s appetite is undiminished, Patti says. “She gets SUPER excited for dinner time and literally BOUNDS into my lap to see what yummy goodies she can get!”

“She’s a delight,” Patti tells us. “I adore her.  She’s perfectly suited to me and my lifestyle – quiet and calm and relaxed.  She has seemed calmer by the day. She really seems to be adapting well to being my number one girl! I’m as in love with her now as I was from day one.”

Autumn leaves

*In honor of Adopt-A-Rescued Rabbit Month, we’re reposting some of our favorite Hoppy Endings!*

Who could forget Autumn’s story? She’s the starving little bunny who was abandoned at an Ann Arbor Petco in the fall of 2009. Petco staffers called us, and one of our volunteers, Debbie, went out to pick Autumn up and bring her back to the sanctuary. Shortly thereafter, much to everyone’s surprise, Autumn gave birth to eight kits! Sadly, only three lived. We named them Sherlock, Nugget, and Max.

It’s a miracle that Autumn survived, and even more miraculous that any of her babies did. The little ones thrived under our care, and one by one were adopted into loving homes. Autumn stayed behind, slowly recuperating and learning to trust humans again. We weren’t sure if she would ever fully recover from her ordeal. It was clear that it would take someone special to bring Autumn out of her shell.

Then one spring day, Mari and her son Corey came into the sanctuary. They were looking for a rabbit to share their home with, and promptly fell head over heels for our Autumn. Could they be just what she needed to feel safe and secure?

We make a practice of following up with our adopters, checking in to make sure everyone is adjusting to life with a bunny. Autumn’s progress reports were glowing. Just this month, we received the following update from Autumn’s new family.

Mari tells us that Autumn likes to camp out on the AC vents, but her favorite place to curl up is in Corey’s lap, keeping him company while he watches TV or plays video games. Autumn can maneuver her way through or around any baby gate. She has Mari and Corey well trained. Bedtime is banana time, and they’d better not be late serving it!

“Thanks for checking on Autumn, we are enjoying her so much.” Mari says. “She is a very entertaining bun and it’s hard to believe she was ever small, starving and scrawny. She is a little butterball now!!”

Bacardi, the bar bun

Chocolate! It’s good, and it’s good for you. And now, it’s good for the bunnies too! Safe Harbor Confections, in Maine, sells delicious handmade chocolates, and donates their profits to a variety of animal welfare organizations. They feature shelter pets on their product labels. Our very own Bacardi is the star of their Ginger Chocolate Bar! 

Safe Harbor Confections, started in 2010, promises “better chocolates for a better world”. Their candy is made from imported French chocolate and local ingredients. The staff of Safe Harbor believes in protecting the environment, and works in a solar-assisted kitchen.

Try a dark chocolate ginger bar for only $6, or taste their other creative combinations like dark chocolate with Maine blueberries and sunflower seeds, or merlot wine with sea salt. Order by phone, fax, e-mail, or snail mail. Want to learn more about Safe Harbor? Click here.

Chocolate Chip

Have you heard about Chip? He’s the little angel who was found abandoned on the side of the road right after Easter. He fit in the palm of his rescuer’s hand. He’s tiny, but tough! Chip developed a severe eye infection, and the antibiotics weren’t working. The vet had no choice but to remove his eye.

It was a scary surgery. Chip stopped breathing and needed mouth-to-mouth. The wonderful vet was able to revive him, and she tells us Chip is young and healthy enough to make a full recovery. He’s spending his convalescence at the home of one of our volunteers, who tells us Chip is “eating like a horse”!

Chip’s surgery was $1000. That’s not even remotely in our budget. But what choice did we have? We are committed to giving the rabbits in our care the best possible lives.

And you make that possible. We know it’s a tough economy and money is tight, but the only thing Chip knows is that he’s warm and safe and loved.

Can you help us with this bill? It’s because of you that we were able to take him in, and it will be thanks to your support that he will have a healthy, happy future. Thank you for enabling us to be there for buns like Chip! To donate online, please click here. And thank you!!!

Ho Ho Holidays

Like the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! And you can make it even more wonderful for our sanctuary buns, just by doing your Christmas shopping with GLRS! Just in time for the holidays, we’re offering three special Christmas bargains.

Brighten someone’s life with greeting cards featuring GLRS residents. You’ll get 12 different designs in a beautiful gift bag for only $15.

Do you have any readers on your gift list? Stuff their stocking with a two-sided bunny bookmark, just $3.

It’s the perfect time to curl up with a heartwarming movie that was inspired by GLRS! The Christmas Bunny tells the story of a lonely foster child and the bunny she loves, and features Florence Henderson as the owner of a rabbit rescue in Michigan. Get yours for only $10.

All prices include shipping, and if you order by the 14^th, we guarantee delivery by Christmas. Sending it as a gift? We’ll even include a note. So don’t wait! Order today! www.rabbitsanctuary.org