Awards Awards Woohoo!

This week I had this great award given to me from 3 great friends...yes that's right 3 friends gave me this New award,Kirby and Leah at kirbysdawgblog ,and from peacelovenwhiskers,and fromdogdaz for my wordpress blog which is linked to this one.Thanks guys for giving this to me!
I am part of the wordpress family award!

The rules are simple I have thank and link back to those that gave it to me-Done!
And give it to 10 deserving Blogs!
1: Iambosco
2: brianshome
3: fuzzylittlewabbits
4: molliesdogtreats
5: myminipetpig
6: Themisadventuresofmisaki
7: onebluedog
8: http://waggfoods-Daltons doggy diary
9: sparhawkscotties
10: island-cats


And the versatile blogger award from Ann,Shiner and Nibblet at mypawsitivelypets,I already have this one but I always like say thanks for them.Thanks guys!

Special Feature: Southern WV Animal League!

Today We are doing a Special feature a interview with Southern WV animal league.
www.swval.org. This organisation came to my attention back in January when I posted this Appeal Calling out for Bunny in need in West Virginia .He is now called Bob an update on him is included with this Post below.

When was Southern WV Animal League Founded?
Southern WV Animal League was Founded in September 2010
Who was the Founder?
Michelle Muncy,Kelly Bennett and Amber Peyton were all co-founders of Southern WV Animal League.
What made your founder start the rescue?
The Southern WV Animal League was formed when a group of friends,who have a huge love of needy animals,came together as one.
Where are you based?
Princeton ,WV
How many Helpers/Staff and Volunteers do you have working for the organisation?
The Southern WV Animal League is comprised of 4 member Board of directors, 2 Behaviourists, a Webmaster, 3 Veterinary Advisers, a Financial adviser, 25 Fosters/Volunteers.
Could you tell me about  the organisation and how its run?
SWVAL is not a bricks and mortar facility.We rely solely on a net work of foster homes,fundraisers and the help of our community to continue to reach out to needy animals.SWVAL has the goal of keeping healthy and out of shelters from the start.our rescue system is based solely on approved foster homes since we do not have a bricks and mortar facility at this juncture.Due to the high possibility of illness when adopting from the shelter,the large amount of animals at the shelter and our own limited resources,we are rarely able to focus on one particular animal shelter.Our intakes are community strays and animals from homes in dire situations-i.e death of a owner,terminal illness,sudden move,loss of home/job,divorce etc.
Do you have any Plans for the Organisation for the future?
SWVAL will become 501c3 this year.Future plans include sponsoring ORV program for the community,launching a campaign to fund raise for a low cost spay/neuter clinic and putting numerous community pet programs in to place for strays and needy animals.We are also working on getting our sanctuary fund established so we can begin doing intakes of large animals such as horses,donkeys,llamas,alpacas and goats.
Could you tell me of your success stories?
This year SWVAL began intake of more than just dogs and cats.We accept small animals,birds,reptiles,fish,rabbits,pot bellied pigs in addition to dogs and cats.
We also launched our Temporary Foster Program which is a sponsored program where we keep the pets temporarily so a family in the midst of extenuating circumstances can better their situation and reclaim their pets thus keeping them with the family.We have begun extensive networking with larger rescues in bigger cities for animals that are not adoptable in this area,hounds and bully breeds for example receive little interest because there is an excess of these breeds in our area.This is our first year bringing on behaviour trainers so we are able to train dogs especially those deemed problem dogs and thus make them more adoptable.

Here is Bob the Bunny!

Bob:Came to our attention via FB.He had been found by the side of the Highway in Kanawha County approximately 2 hours away.Someone had found him and taken him to a local vet who discovered he had an incisor fracture.leg trauma,eye trauma and was under weight.A mutual friend of my self and the vet made the connection for Bob to come to the SWVAL.The vet was very kind to donate a neutering,eye drops,antibiotics and a wellness check for Bob and SWVAL did and intake.He was placed with a foster on a diet of soft food and oats for weight gain.After a bit of time we noticed that Bob had a runny nose and became concerned.Tests for Pasteurella proved negative and we begun to suspect Bob's teeth were the culprit.Despite being place on antibiotics he continued to be plagued by the runny nose,so we made an appointment for him to see a specialist 5 hours away to have his teeth extracted.Upon seeing the specialist his teeth were floated rather than extracted and lower jaw trauma was found as well.He was placed on more antibiotics as he had quite a bit of infection.He seems much more comfortable with this and is eating better and picking up more weight.He will return to the specialist in 3 months for a re-evaluation and if his teeth do not need to be extracted regular floatings will be done.Bob is a very Special Rabbit-he is whistle and click trained and interacts well with cats and other rabbits and adores his foster family.

Here is Mug the Pug!

Mug:Another success story is Mug the Pug.Mug was found dirty and bloated as a stray.She showed up at the door of a lady who took her in and was put in touch with SWVAL.She was initially thought to be pregnant.Upon examination,it was determined that she was a Sr. pug approximately 12 to 15 years old with very bad teeth and the bloating was due to very poor diet.We nursed Mug back to proper health,spayed her and got her teeth in good shape via surgical extractions and her foster home became her forever home.She is now thriving and loved.

Here is Panther the Cat!

Panther:Is one of our oldest success stories.Panther was brought in to our care less than 3 weeks after we were an organisation.An FIV positive Sr.cat, he was brought in by the owner who found him in that condition who wanted to relinquish him immediately.His leg was down to the bone and covered in maggots and caught in a trap.His jaw was also broken.We wired his jaw,amputated his leg and nursed him back to health.Although he is FIV positive,he remains happy and in relatively good health given his age (8 years) and his condition.He is well loved by his foster and has a luxurious long black silky coat.

SWVAL Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/swval

We shall continue to do these Features on rescues and shelters and other organisations of this type any body who want's us to do a feature please email me at rachel dot dejong28 at googlemail dot com

Versatile Blogger Award!

Yesterday My New friend Bacon from Pig Love gave me this cool award, Versatile Blogger Award !Thanks Bacon!

The rules to this award are very simple first to thank and link back to the pal that gave you the award,then tell 7 interesting things about my self and then pass it one to some deserving pals.
Here are the 7 interesting things about my self:
1:I am a house bunny who is lucky enough to get to play in the garden when the weather is really nice.
2:I have 5 Aunties, 4 live in the US that's Auntie Jane,Auntie Brandi,Auntie Karen and Auntie Michelle and 1 that lives in Canada and that Auntie Lorna.
3:I get to run around the whole house with my mummy.
4:I have a playpen in the kitchen where my litter box is and when I am playing up stairs I let mummy know that I want to go potty by going to the stairs and start hopping down them-I have never had an accident!
5:I love to help good cause's.
6:I love to bunny roll in my mummy's arms and go fast to sleep while watching TV.
7:I love to be really Cheeky and make mummy and daddy laugh!

And now to pass this on to some great pals!
Nerissa's Life
Nylablue
Hutch a good life
Daisy and Cress
Cat from Hell
Lopaholic
Savannah Paw tracks
Voices for Rabbits
Smile with your tail

                                    And this is my fun loving pal Bacon!

Happy Gotcha Day to one of my BF's Maddy!

Today One of my Best Friends is celebrating her 2nd Gotcha day She's a pretty little Lionhead Bunny called Maddy from Me&me(gan) and here she is in all her Party Best!

                                      HAPPY GOTCHA DAY MADDY!

                                             Maddy looking Gorgeous!

                                            Maddy at Easter last year!

                                          Maddy and her Speedy Scarf!

Nurse Maddy when she came to take care of me when had my tussle with the mean Kitty.

                                        Maddy and her Mum cuddling!

                                          Maddy and her big adventure!

Bunny care 101 part one!

So after my last post I thought I would do some about health and diet and care.
Did you know that Rabbits should be wormed regularly 2 to 4 times a year?There are all sorts of parasites that a Rabbit can get:
1: Pin worms-are about a cm long and look like little pieces of thread like white cotton in the poops of Bunny's the major symptoms other than seeing them in the poops is the fact they produce chemicals the make the skin go reddy pink and makes the skin itch like crazy.
2: E.cuniculi (Encephalitozoon cuniculi) is a small protozoan that lives in the body cells of its host and is absorbed by the intestines where it heads of to other organs especially the kidneys and the brain where it causes lesions called granulomas these can also develop in the liver as well.Infected Bunny's as they get older can develop neurological problems showing as head tilt ,convulsions(fits),tremors,hind limb weakness,incontinence,loss of balance and coma.And some times lesions in the eyes.
3: Cocccidia is a manycelled organism which after infection hatch out of their shell and attack the intestines causing weight loss diarrhoea and dehydration affecting young rabbits how ever there is one species Eimeria stiedae which will travel to the liver and cause damage to the liver and bile duct.
4: tape worms though rare in rabbits is spread by mites and ants on grass can cause weight loss.
5: Flukes like the liver fluke spread by snail on grass which can cause liver problems too.
I worm Speedy with Panacur (rabbit wormer)paste every 3 months or so just to be sure as when we brought him home he was infected with pin worms and after my last bunny was very poorly with E.cuniculi for the last couple of years and eventually he did die.

Bunny behaviour 101

Bunny behaviour 101.....I thought I would do this post for those new Bunny parents out there.To help them spot the signs when their pet bunny is sick or afraid or any other kinds of behaviour that we don't understand.
The most important thing to understand is the rabbits are what we call prey animals and all their instincts and behaviour revolves around that fact.In the wild rabbits live in large family groups in underground Warrens which is a network of tunnels and nesting holes only coming out to feed and some times frolic about and having a gay old time but there is always one or two of the group keeping an eye out for predator such as Buzzards,foxes or cats and for those who don't know magpies crows rooks and raven a group of birds in the same family known as corvidae will also attack and kill a rabbit in the UK in the US there are coyote,eagles and other hawk,wild cats and domesticated cat as well as corvidae when a predator is spotted the rabbits on guard will thump and drum their back feet to warn the others to the danger and make a run for there rabbit holes.If a rabbit can't make it to its hole it will flatten down in the grass or vegetation and keep still only running at the last minute if they have to.A pet rabbit doesn't have that they rely on us to keep them safe which is why a lot of rabbit owners now keep their bunny inside and only let them out to play in a secure wire run or aviary to protect them.and if they are kept out side they are often kept in a shed or garage to keep the safe at night from night time predators such as foxes or coyote.So if a bunny looks to be nesting it might not be it may be afraid and trying to hide and may eat very little so it doesn't get seen.A pet rabbit may also appear loving and submissive when you bring it in for attention because it is trying to get you to protect it.

This is what happened to Speedy when he was attacked by a cat in his own garden which we have made secure from cats now! If this had been a fox there would be no more Speedy.

It cost £267.00 to get him stitched up!

When a rabbit is sick or in pain it will try to hide that it is sick until it is at death's door because it could be picked off by a predator because it can tell the the rabbit is weak,the same behaviour is also true in our pet rabbits too.SO when a rabbit stops eating or eats very little there is something wrong!
When its cold Rabbits only venture out to eat for short periods of time and then go back to their warm holes to keep warm and will do that all day and night.But if our pet rabbit lives in a hutch out side it can't do that it will have to huddle in the most sheltered spot of the hutch freezing its butt off...so if its to cold out side for you the same is true for your pet rabbit...COLD KILLS!
Un-neutered or spayed bunnies become very territorial and can become aggressive males will also try to mate with you which is funny for us to see some times but not for them as they will get more frustrated and aggressive,females can be come aggressive to and can develop a condition called phantom pregnancy which is stressful for her if she starts pulling out her fur to line a nest and you are sure she hasn't been with a male you can be sure that is what that is.Also if a female is left un-spayed she can develop breast cancer and other cancers that we women can get.
How ever a pet rabbit can be the most rewarding pet you can have they can be very loving when they feel safe and relaxed and give you kisses play with you or even go to sleep in your arms like Speedy does.And when they are happy they show you with all the high jinks they do like zoomies and binky's that will make laugh out loud.

Rabbits can be kept happy and healthy indoors as house bunny's and they don't need to have the run of the house they can be housed in a puppy training cage or special indoor rabbit cages as long as its big enough for them and they have somewhere to run and play like a rabbit play pen like I have for Speedy plus I let him run about the kitchen when we  are there or I let him explore the house with me following behind him.when it warm he goes out in the back garden with the back door open so that he can come in and out when we are in the kitchen or if were aren't in the kitchen the door is closed but he can shelter in two sheds in the garden.Rabbits can be trained to go toilet in a litter box like a cat by lining it with paper and filling with hay or you can get special litter for it,me I use paper and hay just easier and cheaper for me.
The Next post I shall cover Health and Diet....If I have Missed anything please let me know and I will add it to this post.if you have any Questions ask me in the comments below or you can email which is on my profile page.

A Wonderful Afternoon!

Today I spent a wonderful afternoon with Speedy!Even though the wind is cold the sun felt warm so I thought I would chance it out in the garden I wrapped up warm so I wouldn't feel cold in the wind and put a pile of garden cushions on the paved area in the sun out in the back garden,then I got Speedy and sank on to the cushions with my lap top in hand to keep me busy.I didn't need to worry because it was quite sheltered from the wind so I was warm and cozy with the sun on my face.Speedy thought it was fun being out there with me and was zooming around at full pelt and doing Binky's! Then I had to get dinner ready to put in the oven and Speedy decided he wanted to come up stair so up he went to his den for a snooze while I fixed dinner when that was ready I brought him down and put him in the garden once more and left the Kitchen door open so that Speedy could come and go as he pleased he never came in once he was having far to much fun exploring in the garden.I fixed his salad and put it in his play pen so it was ready for him to munch on and you know what? He didn't want to come in until after we ate our dinner,Speedy had his first fling with Spring today even though we are having below average temperature it was only 8 degrees Celsius!Come On Spring!
So sorry the one time I didn't have my smart phone to take photos.