Meet Higgins

Everyone we want you to meet somebun very special
our brand new shelter baby

Higgins

(known at the Toronto Humane Society as Buttons)

He was this very troubled little city bun in desperate need of a home

(surrendered as a stray, which might have been a cover story based on his nasty pointy teeth!)

The shelter knew he was very troubled...

he was biting & peeing on all of the volunteers & caregivers

(the poor little guy was put on bite quarantine with the city officials FIVE times!)

He was at the shelter for many many long months & his stay was looking endless

because he wasn't going to be released to just any home, let alone one with kids,

he needed a super experienced family loaded with skills, steely nerves & thick skin, ha ha!

He needed behavioral issue/special need adopters &

unfortunately none of the shelters usual group were able to take him on...

so when the shelter reached out for help far & wide on his behalf we were contacted,

we said no at first...

but a week later we were still thinking about him, so we asked more questions & for pictures...

than we talked about it in depth & the more we talked the more it felt right.

My honey reminded me that one way to fight evil in this world is to hold our heads up high

and to keep doing good ourselves, to keep helping animals whenever we can...

Sure it's nerve-racking & there are many parts of behavioral issue/special need adoption animals

that are not fun and are for sure exhausting BUT we somehow are the island of misfit buns

and here was a little guy who wasn't fitting in anywhere else....

So we made the decision, got super excited, prepped a whole big area for him to Misa's dismay

and than we made the 9+ hour drive to our favorite shelter and scooped him up...

He's 3 year old, a dutch mix dwarf with a tiny piece of his poor little nubbin nose missing.

He needs some serious trust work done & potty habits instilled & Miss Misa is not too happy

at all to have him in part of her rooms even though he seems quite interested in her.

We are taking turns sleeping with him & Misa, refereeing at the moment more than sleeping!

(we admit we are pooped and some monster migraines sure are not making this bit easier!)

He's going to be a handful, but everything always settles beautifully over time...he'll be just fine.

he's a handful but now he's our handful and we love the wee blue-eyed soul already.

(follow Higgins on our new Instagram bunny stream @LeporidaeLovely)

Lovely Leisel

Now everyone I want you to meet another special little lady...

Yep, that's right, we adopted not one little bun but two!

We've named this lovely lady

Leisel

She is 3.5 years old and was desperately in need of a good home

having been at the shelter for 4 long months.

 

 

She was unlikely to be adopted anytime soon because she has what we bunny experts

call 'An Attitude Problem" but really she's just misunderstood I think.

She was biting shelter volunteers so she was sent to a foster home for a spell

to get a shelter break but she was pretty grumpy with her foster parent too &
I think she only go grumpier once she was back at the shelter.

We knew what we were getting into...the shelter knows that we know how to handle problem buns.

We are after all our very own 'Island Of Misfit Toys'!!!

 

She is a complete sweetheart.

Sure she has some attitude but already we can see that that stems down to her really she just

wanting constant attention and constant snuggles...and food for her very hungry little tum.

She is super aware of where we are at all times and she just wants to follow us wherever we go.

She doesn't popcorn but she sure does zoom like crazy.

And she's already found a favourite spot...all stretched out on the coffee table, ha ha!

We are hoping that she'll bond with Yuuji but we'll see...bonding is a tricky thing all around!

 

 

When my hon bun fell in love with Misa online, he also fell for Leisel...

and despite my worrying "oh babe, maybe we should just adopt one..."

he was the one who was insistent that it was the right thing to bring both girls home.

So we leaped into love, in honor of Teela and in honor of all the others present and past

and we already can't imagine either girl not being here.

 

I hope you all will continue to join us on our bunniful journey,

I hope to show you these two new lovely ladies personalities as they grow into our family & lives

and I hope that we're inspiring people out there to go to a shelter to adopt animals

because it's hard yes but it's also amazing and so beyond beautifully amazing.

Meet Misa

Everyone I want you to meet somebunny very special

a cute as a button cutie pie...

Misa

(pronounced like 'Me-Sa')

 

We adopted her from the Toronto Humane Society just over a week ago...

I didn't tell anyone right away because it was feeling tender & raw

(especially cause her face is so like Teela's)

yet it's been so wonderful and warm and amazing at the exact same time...

We wanted to just sit within it all, just us two, with her, for a short spell before telling anyone.

 

 

She was so scared, timid, shy, shaking in a corner, not friendly nor easy-going

like a lot of the other buns there at the shelter and I admit I was nervous when I first met her,

she was by far the most skittish rabbit yet but I reminded myself that she must have been

feeling so unwanted and so very displaced and confused,

she was at a shelter before the THS too, poor girl, being bounced around is never easy for a bun.

 

But she's doing such a good job settling into her new home already,

she's calmed down immensely, the shaking has stopped,

she's snuggly & sweet and loves to be kissed and smothered with love

(however picking up is not allowed right now).

She already wants to be friends with Henrie & Elsie and flips herself over

onto her back constantly for them (which is a sign of friendship from 1 bun to another).

She has a voracious appetite so much so that

we have to sit with her when she eats because she eats so fast she chokes!

She is super duper insanely soft and super duper insanely sweet...she melts our hearts

 

Adopting so soon after Teela wasn't on my radar at all,

but my honey saw this little love and told me that he thought we should consider adopting again

and my heart warmed to the idea right away, especially when I saw how eager he was.

And if I've learnt anything from my sunshine girl Teela & from this newest baby,

it's that life is short, we have to do what makes us happiest and

we should fall in love

as often as we possibly can.

 

Join me Friday, I have somebunny else that I want you to meet!!!



Min-Min, Meep, Emmett My Sweet

This week we celebrate Emmett's (aka Min-Min or Meep) 2nd year homecoming.

He was adopted close to Easter yes indeedy, but the shelter we go to knows us well

and they knew that us bringing him home had nothing whatsoever to do with Easter.

He's such a little sweetie but he definitely has his trust issues & he is still absolutely terrified of dogs.

 

He's been sick the past couple of weeks so we've had our hands full because our

Jaky Boo stopped eating just the week before as well (but that was due to gas) ugh!

Min has always been prone to g.i.stasis and getting him back on track just doesn't seem

as easy as with the others for whatever reason and that's always very stressful and scary.

 

 

Min-Min had a rough go before he came here...he was in a Quebec shelter for reasons unknown to us

and that shelter was not a good place, it was thankfully shut down and he was transferred to the

Toronto Humane Society but he was in bad shape, malnourished, not eating, very unhappy, etc...

 

 

He was considered a special needs adoption because of his health problems

but we signed off on all that and the shelter knew we knew what we were getting into.

We still see residual anger and mistrust from his bad beginnnings, poor little guy...

but he's come a long way & now he's besties with Korra-Soleil so things will only get better.

 

Love Love Love you our dear little Meep.



Please Share & Spread This Easter Education Message



2 Years Already

This week we celebrate our beloved Henrie and Elsie Biggen's 2nd year homecoming...

They are just the most wonderful bunnies.
 

Sure they chew the heck outta most things in my studio but I don't care...
they were meant to be here.

 

 

They are part of us and our family

and it's these guys that remind me everyday that it's a good good thing to adopt older bunnies.

 

Happy Buns....Happy Mom

Happy Bunnies...Equals Happy Bun Mama. 

It's the simple things as I always say!

 

Meet Korra

So everyone meet our newest beautiful addition to our wonderful warren/family

Korra-Soleil

at the shelter her name was Strudel but my honey wasn't crazy about the name

so we gave her what we consider a beautiful & special name for a beautiful and special girl.

 

I truly believe that many of these rabbits who come to us are meant to come to us.

We are meant to be family. 

We are meant to shine brightly in each others lives.

 

We are beautifully drawn to one another for beautiful reasons unknown...

nothing else explains why our hearts are so set on certain babes when all of the buns there at the shelter are wonderful and in need of love and forever homes

(so please please please, consider shelter adoption if your considering a new animal).

As always, it feels impossibly hard to go to the shelter...this part we always dread...

We want to bring them all home but we can't, so we let it happen naturally...

we kinda let the universe pick for us & we listen to our hearts and souls.

We listen closely to the call of our soul-babies...and Korra-Soleil was calling loud & clear! 



 

The adoption page says 'Pending' adoption because the lovely peeps at the shelter wanted

to make sure that we knew all about this big beautiful buns behavioral issues!

Strudel was apparently getting grumpier and grumpier being in the shelter.

She was growling and nipping at the shelter staff and volunteers whenever they came into her pen.  But we are well versed in bunnies with attitudes so it didn't scare us away one bit.

I approached her somewhat slowly...this was the first time we were really meeting after all.

The first time we met her was when we were at the shelter to adopt Emmett (Min-Min)

well over a year ago.  It was way back than, as we were waiting for Emmett's adoption paperwork

to be finalized etc that I was snuggling up some other shelter buns

and Jonathan was snuggling it up with Strudel...who we were already in love with. 



 

Korra was transferred to the THS over 2 years ago, from a shelter in Quebec that was so badly run it was shut down (this is the same shelter that Emmett was transferred from actually).

Sadly, her bonded mate, for reasons unknown, died the very same day that she was transferred.

So from the get-go, she was an understandably sad & grumpy girl...Poor baby.

 

She was at the shelter a really long time.

We agreed that once Emmett was bonded to someone, we'd go back for her.

The bonding never happened...our plan went array and we couldn't go get her...

it wasn't the right time to go get her anyhow.

Than she was  eventually adopted...

I was so sad that she wouldn't be coming home to us but happy for her too.

BUT than she was brought back...apparently they were allergic.

 

So when the shelter contacted us to possibly take on a bonded pair with behavioral problems,

and I saw that Strudel was indeed back...I started to hyperventilate & cry...

My heart and soul were calling and reaching out for her...for the girl we fell in love with long ago.

So it didn't seem to be a long conversation at all...it felt the 110% right thing to do.

My honey simply said 'Let's go get her'.

Whiles we couldn't take on a bonded pair...we could adopt Strudel, who had proven bondable,

to come home and hopefully bond to our Frenwyck who is so very lonely for a friend.

 

She is a big beautiful Dutch bun.  3.9 years old.  Her temperament is wonderful.

She was a little star on the long long drive home.  She is very observant.  Loves to play with blankets.

She is very easy going.  Doesn't mind being picked up too much.

She LOVES to snuggle and will press her face against yours for a nice long sturdy hug.

Right now she is sharing Frenwyck's room...bonding will take time but we're hopeful.

We are so happy she's finally home with us. 

This adoption just felt easy....easy and good and right...they all feel right but not all are easy.

 

Thanks so much for the excellent staff & care takers of the THS, especially  Devon and Jennifer XO.

Korra will never return to the shelter, for with us, she has found a forever home & family.



Korra-Soleil

We have adopted and brought home another awesome soul-baby

We have named her Korra-Soleil

 We adopted her on August 10th from the Toronto Humane Society.
 

 

She's just lovely.  A Dutch mix, 3.9 years old and in desperate need of our home
and she was long dreamt of and longed over I'll tell ya!
But more on her story later...The day we got her was long & exhausting and we are super pooped.

Happy 1st Year Biggens

I was hoping to start off with the first of the Glitter Bugs...

but I have to let the varnish coating dry really well before I can scan it in etc...so that'll be later today.

 

However, I can't let today go by without mentioning the Biggens.

For 1 year ago today we adopted them from the Toronto shelter.

 

It feels like we brought them home only a few months ago.

 

 

They've been so easy and so brilliant to have around.

 

My downstairs studio before them, had typically been a rabbit-free zone, for the most part!

When I decided to open up this room of mine too these two gentle giants,

I opened up even more of my heart cause they are just such wonderful souls to be around.

I now can't imagine not having them here sharing my studio with me.

 

So happy 1 year homecoming Elsie and Henrie Biggens, we love you oh so very very much XO.

Oh Flynnie

Oh our Flynn is SO cute...

 

 

We love it when he rubs his little white chin an everything cause he thinks it's ALL his...

Did you know...

Rabbits have scent glands under the chins which is one way they mark their territory.

This poor little guy has a bad case of ICS so he has a sore tummy often and yucky poo...
which is a good thing his main space is in the kitchen on the porcelain floor!
for he's often 'quarantined' in there for easier clean up!  Poor little guy.

 

But he also has his very own private deck off said kitchen, so don't feel too badly for him, ha ha!

Missing Those Past & Enjoying Those Present

I just had to share this montage of our family, past & present, that my honey made the other day...

 

 

We miss our angels every single day...but it sure does help to have so much joyful love still around.



Emmett

We went back to that oh so far away place that we respect & appreciate so much...

 

The Toronto Humane Society...

to pick up our sweetie pie.

He was finally cleared to come home with us and to Jaks.

 

Everyone meet Emmett...

 

 

He came from another shelter in Quebec that was shut down, so he came to the THS very very sick.

He is considered a special needs adoption but we are aware of all that entails

(Frenwyck & Flynn were special need cases as well).

He went through a lot & the good people at the shelter went through a lot to get him well again.

He is a lionhead & 1.7 years old.  He's spent most of his life in the shelter system.

 

 

We loved the name Emmett, so we kept it as such.

He's a such a sweetie...abit squittish and nervous but that's okay,

he's come to the right place that understands that buns need time,

he's come to a gentle home full of patience & understanding & we're confident that he'll settle in.

 

He did really well on the drive home and was cuddled in my arms pretty much the whole time.

My arms felt like they were going to fall off

but apparently I was his comfort spot so I sure as heck wasn't going to let him go, ha ha.

Luckily the drive back home only took the usual 4 hours instead of 7 that it took for Henrie & Elsie.

 

This little guy is so soft and he smells sooo good...I can't stop smelling him, ha ha.

You know how babies have that sweet baby smell...he has that soft warm wonderful bunny smell.



 

I absolutely hate having him in a pen...but for now it's a necessity until the two boys are bonded.

 

 

They get turns on each side to help battle the whole territorial thing...

 

 

So far Jaks is VERY interested in Emmett and Emmett seems like a really laid back little dude.

 

 

The very first bonding session in the truck went so well and they were kissing each other abit

within half an hour...but we try not to get too excited and we'll be taking things really slow.

 

 

One thing is for sure...weather Jaks and Emmett take to one another,

we sure are glad this special long-eared love has come home to us...

he's now proudly part of our little sanctuary/warren.

 

Welcome home Emmett baby...welcome home our new love.

 



Alot Of Our Time & To Be Clear...

A lot of our evening and weekend time looks like this...

 

In our Jeep with Frenwyck, Teela and Yuuji trying to bond and forge a fuzzy trio!

They want to be friends, we can tell by certain behavior,

but Frenwyck just isn't 100% sure about how to go about it.  He's really trying though.

We've made progress and some kissing has been going on the last few times, which is a great sign.

 

 

We do so in the truck because it's a neutral space,

which is important because rabbits are very territorial.

And the movement of the truck usually takes their minds off attacking one another and instead

they will often seek comfort from one another, which allows them to get used to another bunny moving around them etc and eventually hopefully leads to the epiphany that 'hey I am not being hurt'.

 

You can't just take rabbits and throw them together and expect that they'll get along...no way!

As cute as rabbits are,

they can be very very vicious towards other rabbits...

so one has to be careful, know what they are doing & move slowly to ensure no one gets hurts.

It's time consuming & doesn't always work out.  You have to be prepared for that.

Some times years will go by and suddenly a rabbit will fall in love with a certain furry

when all others before them were refused.  Rabbits are strange & confounding that way.

 

 

We'll be doing this routine with Jaks and his new little buddy really soon,

hopefully it doesn't take long, hopefully it happens, we know Jaks is typically a friendly dude and it sounds like the new buddy we picked out for him is a nice little guy, but you just never know.

(So we indeed do have a back up plan incase the 2 boys don't bond)...ugh!!!

  

We're pretty confident in knowing when to keep trying and when to give things a break.

 

Teela and Yuuji took months of trying before they just suddenly decided they loved each other

and now they are thick as thieves and completely adorable...

and unless you've been around a bonded rabbit pair,

well, it's hard to describe just how heart tugging insanely sweet it is.

 

(And because Easter is around the corner and sadly parents will be buying rabbits as presents)

I must stress that rabbits NEED loads of company,

they are NOT solitary animals...

if you have a bunny who is alone a lot, they will be very unhappy little creatures.

If you don't gently interact with them on a daily basis like I do with mine,

you won't have snuggle buns like you see on this blog.

AND sometimes even with all the love offered up in the world,

they still may never be snuggle buns...some rabbits are just not friendly,

some are grumps, just like people!

We've had a few of those in our time thus far & though disappointing we just have to find

happiness and satisfaction in knowing that we are keeping them warm, safe, healthy and loved.

 

Also if you cage a bunny & don't allow them time out of the cage to stretch and play

at least 3 or 4 hours a day, you will likely NOT see their wonderful personalities.

Bunnies need to be bunnies...

they need to run & get lots of exercise for healthy gut motility & happy spirits.

 

The only reason Jonathan and myself are comfortable having so many in our home

is because we both work from home (most of the time), we don't mind mess & destruction!

and we're both real homebodies & just spent a lot of time at home with them.

 

Life with rabbits isn't for everyone...

I must point this out because I know my blog makes bunnies very tempting for some people.

 

So help me spread the word. 

Be kind....do NOT buy a real rabbit as an Easter present.

(Unless your completely aware of the big commitment they are)

Make sure your advocating Chocolate Easter bunnies & feel free to spread this post around.

Thanks XO

 

 

Elsie and Henrie

Last Saturday in the wee hours of the morning we were on the snowy roads.

Driving almost 1000km once again to adopt two new bunnies from the shelter.

 

Long before Jinny passed, we agreed that we'd bring home a new little friend for Jaks.

So when looking at the adoption pages, we noticed that two older buns were still there

from over a year ago when we went to get Frenwyck and they called to us big time.

So we decided to open up a previously 'bunny-free' room to these 2 big bunnies

(On top of the little guy we adopted to hopefully bond with our Jaks).

 

Jaks's buddy was really sick and not cleared to go home with us but we couldn't wait to get

Henrie & Elsie, especially not when they've been there well over a year already.

We wanted the new babes home asap.

2 separate trips, even though exhausting, expensive & long is actually ideal in our minds

because it allowed us to concentrate on settling in Henrie & Elsie first. 

 

We are completely confounded as to why this duo was at the shelter for SO long.
They were apparently surrendered when their owners condo board changed the rules to 'no pets'.

They are beautiful rabbits.

But sadly it's probably a mixture of their older age (almost 4), the red eyes and the bigger size.
 

On top of an excited and super happy heart, I am admittedly struggling with alot of guilt,

that they were there this WHOLE time...

I remember seeing them when we went to get Frenwyck.

But Jonathan keeps telling me that it just wasn't the right time...

to be happy that we acted on it and that they are here NOW!

It's always SO insanely satisfying to see the adoption sign up on their pens.

(as you can see Henrie's name was Perry but we changed it after my favorite Aunt & Uncle)

We snuggled and feel in love with abunch of the other bunnies,

oh my goodness...it's so hard and feels cruel to pick & choose, but you just have to don't you!
 

 

We've been SO impressed & proud of all the shelter buns, because despite the long long drive,

they all do super super well in the truck.  And it's a great time for me to bond whiles Jon drives.

 

 

Although 48 hours prior and the whole entire day I had a super bad splitting migraine,

so it was difficult for me...my sweetheart was massaging my head any chance he had...

But I was too happy to let the pain stop me from going to get them or from smiling...

and the whole time in the shelter I actually completely forgot about the pain, ha ha!

 

Henrie & Elsie & I patiently waited in the truck

whiles Jonathan got us pizza & sushi for the haul back home.

Once the sun went down, the two feel fast asleep.  They were pooped.

But you could tell that they knew they were in good hands.
 

 

Elsie was out of the travelling cage within 10 seconds, ha ha.

They usually take longer than that.

 

Henrie was popcorning & zooming within 10 minutes, ha ha.  It was so awesome to see.

They are a super sweet bonded pair...brother and sister...awww.

Always snuggling & kissing.

They are our biggest buns yet at almost 10 pounds each (heavier than our Roo even).
 

 

They seem to LOVE their room.  It's pretty big and perfect for these big bunnies.

Elsie loves the couch.

It just feels SO perfect to have them here... 



and SO FAR they are so well behaved.  We are super impressed.

 

 

They seem to have settled in super fast and they seem to love it here

which makes my heart grow a million times.

I know the shelter takes great care of them

but there's nothing like a loving forever home for these beautiful sweethearts. 



 

The shelter said they were super snuggly rabbits and holy smokes are they ever.

Especially Elsie, she'll cuddle for hours on end.  It's really very very awesome.

 

 

We've been taking turns sleeping in the room with them at night...just for the first little bit,

to make sure they feel safe and also to see what they get up to,

incase we've missed anything in our bunny-proofing.

Who wouldn't want to wake up to these two gentle giants smooshed up against your pillow, ha ha.

 

 

So that was our big wonderful news.

Elsie & Henrie have joined our family.

And we could be happier about it.

They are awesome and amazing. 



Welcome home new babies...welcome home.  XXOO.

 

(p.s.  We'll introduce you to the new little guy as soon as we bring him home & he's settled in).