Pretty In Pink

I walk into my downstairs studio & this cuteness emerges from my fuzzy pink pillows...

OH MY GOODNESS....she makes my heart sing....I can't even...she is everything...everything!

My Big Boy On Blue

My Big Boy Henrie...

I am so glad I get to be his Mama.

Higgins Is At Home

Higgins is all settled in and doing really really well. 

He's not half as nippy or dirty as the shelter peeps found him to be which is a huge relief.

  

He's still on a special diet because he still has lots of calcium in his pee

but he's looking super duper comfortable & content and that means the world to me to see.

I soooo highly recommend adopting from a shelter...

it's the best feeling to make such a difference in an animals life.

Betty-Loo's Story

Whew things have been a bit busy around here, I am honestly feeling a bit pooped!

with art work, head-pain, two new buns and the rest of the busy-ness of life etc...

I haven't been able to blog as I normally have been but that's okay...

it's all about fluidity right!

but finally....finally I wanted to tell you a bit more about our newest adopted gal

Betty-Loo

So we adopted Betty-Loo from the Toronto Humane Society.

Meeting and falling in love with her was unexpected.

We drove all the way to the big city to adopt Higgins

but before I even laid eyes for the first time on him

(because he was a special needs adoption agreed to without ever meeting him, like normal)

and as we walked into the room to find our Higgy, we saw Betty and we both said "who is she?!"

We went straight to Higgins of course to meet him but as we were doing that,

I have to admit our attention was also pulled across the aisle to the pen with Betty...

she just sat there like a fluffy ice white princess,

super quiet, calm, lonely against the glass gate of the pen.

So we asked a bit about her.

She had been there a whole year...nobody seemed interested in her

and with a whole new batch of bunnies coming in from an Ottawa shelter,
it was most likely that she would have continued to be overlooked.

The caretakers at the shelter think it was because of her age
& because she has constant weeping eyes that tended to make her look quite sick.

We just had that feeling of 'this one is meant to join our misfit crew...'

and boy we sure were right!

We didn't mind the weepy eyes one bit, I mean of course we wish she didn't have that problem
but a lot of bunnies do because their tear ducts are so small &
can not really be cleaned out once they are clogged up....
we knew we'd clean them for her & Henrie has that problem too,
so we already have to clean his eyes all the time,

adding another bun into that routine didn't feel like a big deal whatsoever.

When we left with our adorable and infamous Higgins...we told the people at the shelter

"We will be back for Betty if at all possible"

I think we deep down already knew that day that we would be bringing her home too.

So when we got home, we proceeded with he usual settling in of a new baby...

but we kept talking about Betty...

when we decided to adopt Higgins we had two places where we could put him,

so why not adopt her and put her in that 2nd area not being used...

Well once we realized we could comfortably do that,

that she'd have 3 times the space as at the shelter & way comfier and cozier

with loads of company, sunlight, music, etc, well we couldn't wait to go get her and bring her home.

So six days after bringing Higgins home,

we made the long journey back to the city to get our girl.

We've done it twice before, bringing un-bonded buns home together, it's a crazy chaotic time

but overtime things settle and than we have the fulfillment & beauty of a completely full home
& the satisfaction of knowing we're helping as many as we possibly can in our current set up.

Her shelter name was already Betty and my hon really found it suited her,

so we just added the 'Loo' for a tiny bit of pretty whimsy...she deserves that.

So this precious heart is over 5 years old, our oldest shelter rescue yet

but she could have been twice that and we

still would have fallen in love and wanted to bring her home.

We know it means we'll have less time with her but we've seen old ones go on and on

and young ones die way to soon so we just love them as long as we're lucky to.

This was her 2nd time being adopted from the shelter, she was in a home before with a sister

but apparently her and her sister were always sick,

the previous person had a baby, than was moving and

apparently the 2 buns were to much to deal with so sadly they were both brought back to the shelter.

Than, maybe because they were never properly bonded, maybe because of the stress of the change

and the loss of their home etc, the two girls started to fight like crazy & cause harm to one another,

so the shelter saw no choice but to separate them.

(which may explain the sadness that we find Betty-Loo has sometimes)

Apparently her sister,

even with liver & kidney problems was adopted long ago but never poor Betty.

Betty-Loo comes to us as a special needs adoption

because she did have a history of teeth problems and we were prepared to face that with her

but we weren't expecting issues right from the start, ugh!

The very first night home, we were watching her eat, or rather try to eat

and we knew something was wrong

because it took her almost 5 minutes to get just one piece of parsley in!

We picked her up, checked her mouth & saw the worst teeth...

top & bottoms were way way to long and splayed on top of that, no wonder she couldn't eat properly!

So she's unable to eat veggies with ease, it takes her half the night & she can't eat any hay at all.

It's been shocking for us that she and her health somehow slipped through the shelter cracks

and it did for a spell cause our faith in the shelter to slip, but mistakes happen, we know it wouldn't have been intentional whatsoever and she's our 12th rescue from the shelter

in half as many years & the care is usually outstanding, so we don't want to hold on to any anger

and they did take steps to offer us and Betty out as much help as they could, which we appreciated.

We just want to get her fixed up and eating normally...which is proving to be a long process

and we are possibly looking at a big dental surgery soon...

but we're so glad this gentle quiet soul is here, right where she belongs.  She is loved so so much.

Everyone I Want You To Meet Another Some-bunny Special

Radio silence, again, I am sorry but it's for a very good reason...

one of the best reasons ever...

I've been settling in another rescue baby...yep, that's right, a week after Higgins came home,

we went back to the shelter to adopt this lovely lady...

Everyone I want you meet our newest rescue the beautiful

Betty-Loo White

Things are not easy lately...

we aren't complaining at all, we knew most of what we were getting into.

But I take my job of settling in shelter rescues seriously, we both do and Higgins

& Betty-Loo come to us both as special needs adoptions, so that usually means more work

and with Betty-Loo there's been some unexpected trouble so we're concentrating on her 200%.

I'll blog more about both new babies soon, just bear with me as we all settle into a new routine etc

but can I just say before I leave...how beautiful is this girl and those eyes....I am swooning!

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)

Just Around The Corner

Psssstttt...A little soul is waiting to change your life

at a shelter just around the corner nearest you!!!  XOXO.

Snowy & Cold But Snuggy

I always wonder about where you, my readers and visitors are visiting me from specifically...

I don't know about your Winters but around here it's been such a cold and snowy winter.

We had over two weeks with Siberian temperatures & winds with

some days seeing us in the -30's and a few times we even dipped into the -40's.

I don't mind it so much myself, in fact I enjoy it because it makes inside all that much more cozier

and my honey works from his home office much of the week too (plus autostart on the Jeep helps!)

but it's a long season for the 7 buns, especially the snow buns like Yuuji and Leisel,

so for their sake I hope it warms up so that we can get out there for some snow play & fort building!

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!!!



Hay For The Shelter

Just a couple weeks back we loaded up the truck with hay once again, 6 big bales,

and we made the long drive to Toronto and to the Toronto Humane Society

to drop it off as a donation to all of the rabbits and guinea pigs there.

We hope the sweethearts there love it. Some of our buns love the farm hay and others don't but hay variety is always important since hay is such an essential part of a rabbits and guinea pigs diet.

 

 

The shelter sure did appreciate it and we're excited & very happy for the donation.

We hope to do so again next time we can get to the city (we don't get there too often lately).

Around here it's only $10 for a bale of Timothy Hay...we get it for our buns too, it helps us

not only offer another kind to our buns but also helps us stretch our expensive OxBow hay further.

Maybe your favorite shelter would like/need a hay donation?

Hay Time

It was recently that time of year to restock our bales of Timothy hay from our local growers.

So we picked up 4 bales for our brood and

than went back and bought 6 more bales for the precious buns at the Toronto Humane Society.

We plan to drop the 6 bales off at the shelter as soon as we can get back to the city.

 

People have said it's stupid that we are driving over 800km to donate hay...

but the point is that someone is doing it, period! If no one in the city is going to than we happily will!

In fact, if the buns at the shelter enjoy it,

we will make a hay donation part of our trip whenever we go to the city.



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.



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.