We Have Adopted 4 Young Girls

I told my wife we could pass them off as our own because they look a lot like her side of the family...LOL

Really it is just 4 cows roaming about 40 acres on the ranch, well until they find boyfriends, then we hope to have a few more around.

At least they should be harder to lose than that crazy rabbit we had disappear on us.

Pet News Now Updates

Well it has been awhile since we last posted on here. Once we set Crash free (the baby cottontail rabbit we raised from the time he was days, maybe hours old) Wendy kind of lost interest in any of her "Pet" projects. Crash lived in our house, with free roam of where he wanted to go for 6 months. It was kind of the empty nest syndrome for awhile.

The other rabbit, the so called tame and domestic one who totally tore up the house when she was let out, decided to move on. She was outside playing with us right there with her, and then she wasn't.

Tommy, the monkey my in-laws had for 36 years passed on right at Christmas time in 2006. I still look for him in his house when I pass by it.

Well we have collected some great information for the cat and dog lovers, which we should be posting here in the near future.

Create A Healthy Environment for Your Pet

EVERY pet depends upon it’s owner to keep it’s living / play areas clean and safe!

Start by keeping your pet free of parasites. This is often more challenging in an outdoor pet but you must be persistent ~ try various products to find one that gives good results, with an absolute minimum of side effects. Remember to also treat and clean your pets bed once a week to reduce infestations. If your pet or home seem to be heavily infested, consult your veterinarian for advice and alternatives.

Your pet’s excrement is a breeding ground for disease. Although cats will usually attract your attention in one way or another when the litter box is overdue for a cleaning, pets such as rabbits are less communicative, and will be depending on you to be observant and responsible. Even if the litter box looks clean, and is clear of clumped litter, it may still smell of urine. A through washing (and new litter for cats and rabbits), at least once per week, should meet your pets needs.

Observing your pet on a daily basis, knowing its habits and personality, will help you detect any changes. Noting any changes in your pet early can prevent future health concerns. Scheduling cuddle time with your pet, when you gently inspect its overall condition, is not only pleasurable for BOTH of you, it’s also your “Early Warning” system of anything amiss. Learn to look for any signs of illness such as fever, or a dull coat and/or eyes. If your pet is not showing any specific signs, but you know s/he is simply not behaving as usual, there is no harm in calling your veterinarian for advice.

Take the time to search out any hazards that could harm your pet ~ rabbits, especially, but also other pets, will chew electrical wires, so be sure to keep the two separated. Although you don’t want mice, mousetraps and poisons could also hurt your pet. It’s tempting to use air fresheners around your pet, to keep any odors to a minimum, but these can often be harmful to your pet.

Common sense, combined with LOTS of knowledgeable advice, will help you to spot any potentials for danger. Creating a healthy environment for you and your pet will enhance your relationship, keeping your pet comfortable and content.

Remember ~ a healthy pet is a happy pet!

News about Crash

i've been posting to the PetsHub Rabbit forum, and discussing the release/non-release of Crash with them. This is my latest post there, and i think it is pretty self-explanatory:

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In answer to to your posts, BeetleBunny and prettybea:

My folks have a little 40 acre ranch, on which live: wild water fowl; tame water fowl; scads of wild birds; 2 dogs; 6 cats; a monkey; wild hogs; cattle; skunks; raccoons; rabbits; a mountain lion; deer; opossums; well, you get the idea. We live in an EXTREMELY rural setting ~ we are 2 miles, down a dirt county road, from the "main highway" of TX 119, and 4 miles down another dirt county road from the other "main highway" of TX 80. The nearest town with a WalMart is about 30 miles away. Our best grocery store is 25 miles away, although we can drive 17 miles to
the "bad" one. We live in the middle of nowhere ~ literally.

Anyway, about 5 weeks ago, my folk's dog came up with something in it's mouth ~ that
something was an approximately 3-day-old baby cottontail rabbit. The dog, who we THINK is part retiever, hadn't harmed a hair on the little bunny's body! My Mom recommended Pet milk, with a little drop of Karo in it, as a formula, and i began feeding it with an eyedropper.

i've got to tell you, we didn't hold out much hope of it surviving. i've rescued wild things before and i know that the mortality rate is high, especially if another animal has mauled the creature. After getting on line, i read about feeding it, and all the dire warnings, etc. (There was no choice about putting it back, once i found one of it's siblings that the other pets had gotten to.) He's now 5 weeks old, and seems to be doing great.

Okay, now about the 'cage' he'll live in ~

Like i said, we live on a ranch, so we could build a nice, large cage ~ we already have 6' x 12' x 6' dog run that a wire floor could easily be added to, along with adding a "loft" area that would make it 2 levels along one side. Until then, we have a small 2' x 4' x 2' cage that i have been putting him outside in, as well as a 4' x 4' x 4' cage. And, no, it's not being free, but it's the closest thing i can do.

This is ugly of me, but can you please explain to me how keeping him, in safety and some semblance of luxury (steady food, clean water, fresh veggies, a female "friend" ;) ) and having him "slip away" is somehow WORSE than some sort of horrendous, violent death?

And that's what it comes down to ~ i'd rather see him die from kindness.

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i've thought and thought about it, and that's what i finally decided to do ~ keep him in the manner to which he has become accustomed.