Maple

I almost forgot to say that Maple was adopted on Friday. Maple, a female bunny was found and caught outside. The person who found her couldn't keep her but was desperately looking for a home for her or a shelter or rescue who could find her a great home. That is how Maple came our way. We are assuming that Maple's former owner didn't want her anymore so they dumped her outside ( so sad). After a vet visit, she had ear mites and was treated for that, then we had her spayed. And now, she has a great home, she'll be so happy. She'll never be left outside again.

losses

I am very sad and depressed to say that we lost Zachary the 8 week old rabbit. He went in on Friday to have exploratory surgery on the inflammation and wound around his neck ( that appeared to be something embedded around his neck) he stopped breathing within five minutes after being under anesthesia . The vet called me at work to let me know what happened and I was in tears. The surgery wasn't performed therefore nothing was ever found. But our vet did send out some samples of the inflamed tissue for pathology. I was devastated, along with many co workers who fell in love with Zachary's picture and my stories of him. We have Anthony and Envy his brother and sister they are doing great and will be spayed and neutered in 4 weeks, then adoptable when they have fully recovered. That was what I wanted for Zachary, he went too young. I hope he is now at peace and pain free.
On a much brighter note , Stachu was adopted. Stachu was a good sized , healthy guinea pig and as adorable as could be. His new Mom fell in love with him instantly and he's now happy in his forever home.
We also have a new bunny here. A little girl that has been living outside since the October storm that hit the Buffalo, Western New York area. The weather was awful that day and has been since. I am shocked this little girl has made it outside for so long. She apparently had been living in an outside pen with other bunnies. The October Storm caused an opening in that pen and bunnies escaped. This girl had been living in a neighbor's backyard. When the neighbor let the owner know that her bunny was in her yard, the owner didn't care and did not seem to even want the bunny back. Attempt to catch her and bring her indoors failed for months, up until now. And now it appears that our girl is also pregnant. The good Samaritan that had fed her outside for many months and also caught her and brought her in, has brought her to us now. the good Samaritan is unable to keep her. She will deliver and raise her babies here, and once everyone is able to be spayed/neutered we'll have it done and find them loving homes. I'll keep everyone updated on progress and developments. Right now, our girl is drinking away, eating away and lounging on some fleece blankets.
That's all for now. I'll leave you with a picture of Stachu and of Zachary. I won't take any pictures of girl bunny until she is more settled in, we hate to flash a camera at them right away. She is beautiful though, a multi-colored rex, mostly white.

The joys of pets

Last night as I watched the many rescues, I realized many of the things they do that I enjoy and makes me happy. I love watching the guinea pigs and rabbits, as I see a piece of hay disappear into their mouths, and they reach for another strand and that one slowly disappears into their mouth also. I love how the fish follow me around eagerly waiting for me to drop in some food. I love how the rats and ferrets poke their heads our of their hammocks or tubes when they hear me approaching. And last night I was watching Fagen, our head tilted rabbit, in his pen. He was hopping from toy to toy, and he tested and playing with each one, he nosed one and pushed it around, he grabbed a hold of the other and flung it in the air. He then dug inside his food bowl with his front paws, then proceeded to a pile of hay where he started munching away. Fagen looks really different, but he is a normal bunny in so many ways.

recent hamster adoptions

Above is Dexter and to the right is Patrick

Last weekend a few of our rescue hamsters went to their loving forever homes. Patrick the little handsome dwarf hamster, went home. He's is overly adorable and a mush for attention. Also adopted were Chief the syrian hamster and Dexter the dwarf hamster, Dexter was a tad older than the rest, but he still won a new forever home with his charm and good looks.

Hamsters are mainly surrendered to us because they are a litter of babies that was unplanned and unwanted. And we take in up to 10 to 13 babies, and sometimes Mama as well, especially if the litter isn't weaned yet. We then separate babies ( male from female) at the appropriate time so no more babies come about. We are so happy when a hamster is adopted and goes home, they were once unwanted and now they are happy and loved. All the people that opt to adopt are wonderful in my eyes.

Received a call today, and someone tells me that I didn't get back to her fast enough, because she needed a hamster NOW. Ugh, anyway, she bought a female hamster from a pet store that was mixed in with about 50 other hamsters as she describes, males too. And 2 female gerbils, she said they were the last of the gerbils, but I am sure the pet store had more at one point and there were males. So she currently could have a pregnant hamster and two pregnant gerbils! What was she thinking! After I told her she could have up to 30 plus babies on her hands, and will need to have about 8 to 10 cages, tanks on hand when it comes time to seperating them all

when they are old enough to impregnate each other. I told her she could give us the babies when it comes time , we'll take care of them , we can accommodate them and we can find them homes. She says , and I quote " we'll keep them all here and you can find them the homes." Pardon??!! I can see this being a disaster and I have a feeling I won't find them homes quick enough for her, and they are all going to wind up at the pet store. Time will tell.