Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Hi, Donna.
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:How are you?
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:Donna: I'm good.
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:Dixie: tell me a little bit about yourself
and what is the name of your rescue?
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:Donna: My name is Donna Rome.
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:I have been a single mom for
a long time, but my kids are
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:grown and out and I have been.
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:helping bunnies for, oh gosh, about
almost 20 years, but it only became
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:official in 2019 when I became Bunn
Again Rabbit Rescue and Education.
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:That's a mouthful.
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:I have people who help me do the online
stuff because I am not tech savvy.
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:I am trying to round up some more fosters.
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:We have about.
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:18 rabbits at my home
inside, and it's quite a job.
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:But there are just so
many rabbits in need.
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:But I have had to slow down and.
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:Stopped taking in rabbits because
I've been working with Jefferson,
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:SPCA, I'm in touch with Lola and
Friends Rescue in Mississippi.
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:We communicate with Magic Happens
Rabbit Rescue in Baton Rouge.
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:We're all trying to do the same thing and
we're all in communication to see who can.
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:If anyone can accommodate, the
newest rabbit or, anything like that.
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:So we bounce ideas off of one another
and get advice from one another and
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:and try to help one another, make
this job a little bit more bearable.
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:Dixie: I think it's great that you
work with all these other groups too.
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:'cause I've already had James on
the show with Lola and Friends.
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:I've spoken with Hannah, with
the Jefferson SPCA and they have
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:mentioned Bunn Again, both of them.
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:And I think it's great that all of
the rabbit rescues work together.
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:'cause it's all about just getting
them into homes and keeping 'em safe.
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:Donna: And we're not
competing against one another.
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:In fact, I welcome any and everyone to
open their own rabbit rescue because
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:there will be plenty of dumped.
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:Abandoned homeless rabbits
to last a lifetime.
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:Unfortunately, it just
happens all the time.
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:Even, yes, around Easter, after
Easter, but really year round because
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:people do not educate themselves
or they do not want to be educated.
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:Dixie: I'm hoping that you can
give us an education on it.
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:First I'd like to start, if you could tell
me what is the difference between getting
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:a bunny from a rescue versus a pet store?
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:Donna: The pet stores usually get
tiny baby bunnies that have been
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:taken from their mother too early.
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:It suggested that.
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:Recommended that a baby bunny
stay with its mother eight weeks.
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:Usually they're four weeks to wean, but
they need to be with mom another four
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:weeks for their gut flora to be mature.
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:So they're taken away from mom, so
their gut is not mature and many times.
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:The stress of being at a pet
store, they get coccidia.
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:In fact, most bunnies from the pet store
who are under six months old or six
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:weeks old actually have coccidia when
people buy them and they don't know it.
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:And.
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:Then if you don't take your new
little baby bunny to the vet right
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:away, you could lose that baby bunny.
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:And for us we are always getting
calls about pet store bunnies.
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:Oh, my bunny died, or My bunny's sick, or.
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:They told me I had two boys, but I have
a boy and a girl, and now we have babies.
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:And 'cause little tiny rabbits
are really hard to sex.
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:You cannot sex a two to
four week baby accurately.
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:And that is a lot of the problem.
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:But, mainly they're, they shouldn't
even be sold at stores because
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:they're, they get sick, they get
injured, they're so stressed.
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:And the pet stores don't
give any interviews.
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:They don't ask any questions.
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:Okay how are you planning to
take care of this little rabbit?
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:They just say, oh, you got 40 bucks.
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:Here's your rabbit.
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:Oh, here's two of 'em.
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:It's a boy, it's two boys.
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:And then in a couple of months they
get mature and you find out whether
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:they're two boys or a boy and a girl.
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:Or whatever, but in rescue we never
will adopt out a fertile rabbit.
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:That is just a big no-no for us.
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:The first thing we do is get the bunny vet
checked and spayed or neutered, depending
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:on if they're old enough, because they
can have babies young as three months
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:old, which is ridiculous, but it happens,
and we try to get the rabbits fixed
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:as soon as we believe they are ready.
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:And the vet can usually tell whether,
they're too young if they're female,
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:but usually the males, as soon as
their little family jewels drop,
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:then they are ready to be fixed.
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:But the thing is, people don't realize.
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:The little males can stay fertile
for up to five weeks after neuter.
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:Dixie: Oh, wow.
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:Donna: So if you have a yes, if you
have a boy and a girl, you better
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:get that little girl fixed first.
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:Dixie: Wow.
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:Donna: Because that little boy is going.
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:Yeah.
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:That little boy is still gonna
have some live bullets and there
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:is no guarantee that you have.
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:solved your problem, and a
lot of people just don't know.
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:I found out by accident years ago.
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:Yeah.
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:It's really amazing.
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:They have earned their reputation.
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:Absolutely.
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:The girls, rabbits have
two uterus, so guess what?
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:When they're mature.
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:Mature and there's a boy around,
they'll ovulate and guess what?
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:They're pregnant.
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:And it could be from 28 to 30 days, but
a couple weeks before they give birth,
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:it's possible to go ahead and have some
more eggs fertilized than the other
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:uterus so they can overlap litters and
those poor breeder bunnies are just.
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:Worn out because they don't get
a chance for their body to heal
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:and rest, and it's just cruel.
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:But it is ridiculous how quickly
things can get out of hand if you
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:do not make sure that somebody
knowledgeable is checking to
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:see, do you really have two boys?
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:And if you don't take 'em to the vet.
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:They need to be the vet can tell
you if you've got a boy or girl
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:they know how to tell very early.
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:And they can also do a fecal test to
check for parasites because if your
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:little baby bunny has parasites, then.
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:All the nutrition that they're taking
in can be taken away by the parasites,
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:and then they get loose stools, they
get bloated belly, and they can really
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:starve to death without, lacking any food.
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:It's just a really sad situation.
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:The possibilities are when you buy a
rabbit from a pet store, you just really
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:don't know what you're getting literally.
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:And with rescue, you are getting a bunny
that cannot have babies, whether it's a
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:boy or a girl, and it's been fixed anyway,
you pretty much know the personality
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:of the bunny because, we've had an
idea of how they act and what they do.
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:And with rescue, we will be on
call basically to help answer
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:questions and, for my rescue.
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:I'm always willing to
be available by text.
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:It's if is this plant safe for
the bunny and how do I do this?
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:And oh, the nails, and there's a great
resource online called rabbit.org.
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:It's the House Rabbit Society.
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:And that's like a worldwide bunny
crazy people forum, which has a lot of
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:articles and videos and just really basic
information, especially for new bunny
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:owners because you can go and you can
find out what their body language means.
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:You can find out.
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:How is the best way to handle them?
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:You can find out different
ways to clip their nails.
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:You can find out, why does my bunny
seem angry and why does he attack me?
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:A lot of rabbits are, they're in
a small little space and they take
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:ownership of that little space.
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:If you don't give them more
space they're gonna be bored,
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:they're gonna be aggressive.
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:If you can work with them and you
can help them to feel safe, to
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:trust you and to be happy and.
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:Do their cute little binky bounces up in
the air and just be really entertaining.
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:You just gotta give them space.
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:And so it's just so much of a better
idea to get a bunny from a rescue.
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:But if people have already
gotten Easter bunnies.
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:Usually as soon as they turn, maybe
four or five months old, their little
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:bunny , isn't as sweet as it used to be.
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:It's starting to mark things.
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:It's starting to chew things.
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:It's starting to really smell
musky, especially if it's a boy.
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:And people just don't
even think of options.
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:They say, I don't want this anymore.
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:And it's just so sad because all you have
to do is get the bunny spa or neutered.
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:And Jefferson Parish has a great program
called Fix a Rabbit, and it's a low
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:price spay or neuter for the rabbit
for residents of Jefferson Parish.
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:And even if they cannot
participate in the Fix a Rabbit
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:program, you just call around.
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:Rabbit.org
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:has a list of bunny savvy
veterinarians because rabbits are
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:really sensitive to anesthesia.
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:And if you don't get someone who's
familiar with rabbits, it's a high
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:possibility that your a little bunny
is gonna have some serious difficulty
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:and maybe even lose the bunny.
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:But there are options.
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:If you can't afford it, maybe
a rescue would work with you.
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:Maybe a shelter would work with
you to be able to keep your bunny.
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:And also they need to stay inside.
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:A lot of people put their
rabbits outside and when I was
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:a kid, I did the same thing.
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:Being outside, you cannot
monitor the rabbit.
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:You can't tell whether it's not
eating as much, whether it's litter.
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:Habits have changed, things look
different, whether it's getting
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:enough water whether it's overheating,
whether there are predators around
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:rabbits can be scared to death.
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:One of our adoptees there was a stray
dog in the yard and they had the
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:bunnies out playing in their pen.
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:And the dog did not even
come close to the enclosure.
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:But one of their rabbits
just was so high strung.
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:He just started thumping
and they went out.
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:They shooed the dog away and they
picked up the rabbit and he, his
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:heart was just beating a mile a
minute, and he never calmed down.
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:And he died.
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:He gave himself a heart attack.
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:So those things, bunnies are way more
fragile than people give him credit for.
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:And they need an exotic vet.
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:And, there are things that can happen to
them that you might not think about, like.
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:When they shed like
other animals, they can.
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:Swallow too much hair.
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:And unlike a cat, they can't cough it up.
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:Rabbits cannot vomit.
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:They can only swallow, and that's
another thing most people don't know.
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:And that's why you never
fast a rabbit before surgery.
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:Their gut has to keep going because
if their gut slows down, then
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:there's a possibility that their
gut will stop working altogether.
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:So rabbits have to always have food and if
you don't get a rabbit savvy vet then, you
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:might get more trouble than you expect.
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:But I'm just so concerned about people who
already have their rabbits that already
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:have purchased an Easter Bunny, and I
just feel like grabbing them and saying,
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:you must let me look at this rabbit.
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:You must let me tell you
whether it's a boy or girl.
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:You must let me help you keep
it in a safe environment.
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:You must keep it inside.
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:Please.
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:Because there's predators,
there's parasites.
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:There's poison plants, all the peas.
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:And you don't know, sometimes your
bunny will get into something that
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:they shouldn't, or you don't know.
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:Like most of the bulb plants
are poisonous to rabbits.
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:Some of the ones that have
the oh, like irises and stuff.
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:What do you call the
roots of those things?
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:Rhizomes.
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:Sometimes plants with
rhizomes are not good.
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:We had someone whose bunny, hopped into
the irises and he started nibbling on 'em
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:and he had a seizure and they lost him.
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:You really have to be familiar with a
lot of things if you're gonna try even
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:just to let your bunny play outside.
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:Because they are prey animals, their
nature is to hide, to be on the ground.
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:And, they don't really feel safe unless
they know that they can get somewhere
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:where they cannot be seen from above.
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:And sometimes even, all sides.
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:If you have a bunny in their space and
there's nowhere for that bunny to feel
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:like they can have a quiet, dark space.
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:They can often just be nervous
all the time, and that's a
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:stress that can make them sick.
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:There's just so many things that
can make a bunny ill and people just
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:don't know enough to realize that.
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:They really need to consider
their rabbit's needs and, be more
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:accommodating if they want that little
guy to be their friend for years.
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:Unfortunately people buy them and
kids 10 years old and don't think
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:about when the kid's 20 years old.
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:They just, oh my kid wants a bunny.
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:Kids can't take care of bunnies.
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:Some adults can't even
take care of bunnies.
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:The best thing to do is.
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:Educate yourself.
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:And we have a program which not too many
people have taken advantage of, maybe
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:just because they don't know about it.
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:But we've got a program called
Learn Before You Leap, and it's.
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:especially geared to people who don't
really understand what bunny life can be.
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:So we try to give them an opportunity
to try out bunny life with, of
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:course, with an application,
with, approval and all that stuff.
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:We, I guess what you might
call, rent all the supplies to
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:the family and with a bunny.
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:Just stay in touch with them.
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:Let them ask questions.
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:Tell 'em what's the right thing.
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:And and they try it out from
anywhere from two to six weeks.
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:Usually two weeks is enough for a kid.
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:To say, oh this thing actually has
to process food and at the end I'm
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:the one who has to clean it up.
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:Oh no.
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:And they get tired of that real quick.
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:Yeah.
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:The bunny's cute, but that cute little
three week old bunny is gonna double
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:its size in another two weeks and then
they're not cute anymore, or they're not.
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:Special anymore.
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:And that's another reason
people don't keep them.
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:They see some of our miniature bunnies
and they say, gosh, that's a big rabbit.
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:And it's so sad because then you know
that they've never seen anything but
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:prematurely sold pet store bunnies.
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:So man, it's just a big problem.
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:It's a big problem.
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:Especially in Jefferson Parish, there's
so many places that people just, they
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:get tired of their rabbit or they
don't want the responsibility and
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:they just, oh, let 'em run around in
the yard and oops, they got out and
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:then they don't go looking for them.
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:And, poor little guys get injured or,
malnutrition or pick up a parasite from
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:any animal that tinkles in the grass
and it could die a slow, painful death.
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:And I just wish that people who do
get rabbits and then regret it, not to
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:let them free, but to contact someone.
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:Keep the rabbit temporarily until
someone, one of the rescue people, one
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:of the shelter people can line up some
appointments, line up a foster, but
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:don't make us go out in a park and chase
a poor little scared to death rabbit,
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:could take us days, weeks to catch 'em.
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:And by then, their problems are worse.
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:But it's just something
that continues to be done.
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:And I don't know if it's because
people just don't see rabbits as
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:companion animals or if they're just.
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:Selfish or if they think that
rabbits are wild animals and
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:they can live like cottontails
or swamp rabbits, but they can't.
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:So I don't know.
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:I'm just really disappointed in
the human race a lot of times.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I think it's a lot of times too, like the
stores will market them as starter pets.
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:And no pets are a
starter pet for, one thing
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:Donna: maybe a pet rock.
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:Yeah.
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:But that's about it.
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:Dixie: A pet rock.
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:I can agree with that.
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:But if a child wants an animal,
I think the parents need to be
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:educated on that as well, not
just getting a pet for the child.
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:It's fine to have a pet for a child
if you understand the responsibilities
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:that are involved in it,
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:Donna: right?
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:If you are going to care for the
pet, if you're gonna be the main
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:caretaker and show the child what
it means to sacrifice for another
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:life, help the child understand that.
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:It's something that's living and
breathing and needs love, and needs
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:care, and needs the doctor sometimes.
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:And, sometimes just like kids,
it's afraid of loud noises.
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:It's afraid of dogs, it's afraid.
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:Like they have to understand that it is a
living feeling, being that it's not a toy.
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:And but the way they're marketed,
it's this little impulse buy.
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:Look how cute.
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:Look how cute this little thing is.
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:Oh, this is so fluffy.
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:You just need to have this.
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:Oh, this one has floppy ears.
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:It looks like a baby.
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:It looks like a stuffed animal.
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:Get this one because it,
it's just so cute and fluffy.
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:Cute and fluffy has to be groomed.
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:Cute and fluffy.
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:Has to be, you have to make sure
that little bunny is trimmed, that
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:it doesn't swallow too much fur
that it has the right nutrition.
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:It's not a toy.
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:And parents need to be more responsible
about their decisions because it's
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:their decision and it's their animal.
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:It's their responsibility,
and they need to know that.
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:They need to accept that from the moment.
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:They make that decision because
if they're gonna go to the store
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:and just pick up something because
it's cute and not even think about
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:what happens when it gets sick?
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:What happens if we have to go on vacation?
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:What happens if we have a baby?
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:What happens if we move?
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:What happens?
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:You have to think of all the things that
you would think about for a dog or a cat.
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:Even another family member, it's not
just a quick fix to, to make your
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:kid happy, because the kid, when the
bunny reaches maturity is probably
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:gonna bite or scratch that kid.
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:Dixie: And then you were saying too,
like they'll get 'em and then they don't
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:think of all those things, but they
do that for puppies and kitties too,
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:Donna: absolutely.
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:Dixie: Unfortunately, that is part of the
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:problem is for some reason, animals
are looked at as being disposable.
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:There are people like us who will
do anything for our animals, but
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:then you see people, that are
like, oh, my kid wants a pet.
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:Let's go out and get a puppy, a
kitten, a bunny, or whatever, and a
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:few weeks later they don't want 'em.
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:I know somebody that
actually got two bunnies.
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:And, the sex of the bunnies
was wrong, so yeah, those two
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:bunnies turned into six bunnies.
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:And luckily I believe a rescue stepped
in before it got outta control.
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:Donna: That was
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:lucky.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:But , a rescue shouldn't even
have to for that, you have to
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:have a little bit of common sense.
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:If you're getting two bunnies, make sure
that you're getting two females, if you
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:are not sure, then don't get two, get one.
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:Donna: Oh, it's just educate.
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:There's pictures of how
to correctly sex a rabbit.
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:There's there's just so much information
available, basically almost, I.
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:Almost having just Google is
enough but there's a lot of wrong
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:information on Google, so that's why
I specifically recommended rabbit.org,
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:because there are random pet sites that
do not have accurate or full information.
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:And you really need to look for that
pet specific group because especially
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:exotic pets because only the people
who've had them know what their
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:common issues are or what comes up.
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:In their care.
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:And you know what can happen
when they reach a certain age?
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:And speaking of certain age, the female
rabbits, if you get one that's older,
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:say somebody got one and they don't
want anymore, so they give it to you.
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:Okay, fine.
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:So you've got this 2-year-old
female rabbit that they let her
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:have a litter at least once and.
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:When females are over two years old they
have a higher risk of reproductive cancer.
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:But if they've ever had a litter,
then that possibility shoots up.
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:And , you have to get your females
spayed, even if you don't have a boy.
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:'cause people tell me, oh, why
should I get my bunny fixed?
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:Isn't no, I don't have boy rabbits.
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:No, it's because your female
can get uterine cancer.
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:We've rescued some that already had
uterine cancer or mammary gland cancer.
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:And thank God with the spay,
they were able to remove the
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:cancer and the cases that we had.
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:But you can't take that kind of risk.
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:If you love that pet.
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:You want that pet to be happy and healthy.
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:You need to consider always to spay a
neuter because females can go into a false
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:pregnancy and that stresses them out.
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:Just like a woman with PMS, you
don't wanna a grumpy bunny who's
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:all just feeling and all mixed
up and she's pulling out her fur
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:it's a stressful situation for her.
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:And if you get her fixed,
she won't go through that.
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:She won't be making a nest because
she feels like she's having babies
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:or her hormones are going crazy.
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:Hormones can make them aggressive
and it can actually affect
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:other critters in the house.
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:Anytime I rescue a bunny that's
not fixed yet my other rabbits
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:start tussling with each other.
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:It's just those hormones.
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:They can smell 'em, it affects them.
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:Even males.
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:Oh my gosh.
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:Males, they can have such
a stinky musky, oh gosh.
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:It just smells up the whole
house and they'll go, I don't
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:wanna bring my bunny inside.
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:That's 'cause you didn't neuter him.
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:If you neutered him, then that smell
would not overtake your entire house.
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:He wouldn't wanna spray all your
furniture . He wouldn't wanna chase
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:you or hump your leg or whatever.
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:There's just so much to be
said for spay and neuter.
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:It just.
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:It's near miraculous that, you
get a whole new money almost
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:they automatically just about
automatically litter train themselves.
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:They can use litter boxes and
people say you just use cat litter.
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:No.
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:Rabbits have to have paper-based
litter or kiln dried wood like.
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:Sometimes they have the
little pine pellets.
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:A lot of people use the horse
stall pellets from tractor supply
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:me because we have so many, I
use newspaper and shredded paper.
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:But no, you can't do the clay litters.
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:You can't do the untreated pine.
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:You can't do especially cedar if they
are inhaling cedar oil, they can.
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:Have liver problems.
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:There's just so much of what we thought
we knew years ago was totally wrong
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:and totally harmful to our rabbits.
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:There's things on the market that have
a picture of a rabbit on it, but you're
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:not supposed to give that to a rabbit.
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:They're not.
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:Equipped to process that kind of
protein or that kind of sugar.
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:You can't even depend on the pet store
industry to give you accurate information.
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:You have to go and find it yourself and,
there's a lot of good resources out there,
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:but you have to want to know about it.
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:Dixie: Now, what about fleas on bunnies
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:? Donna: Fleas, they do like rabbits.
429
:They mostly like the light
colored rabbits for some reason
430
:they're attracted to light.
431
:But a free meal is a free meal and
they'll go after the dark ones too.
432
:They can pick up fleas from outside.
433
:They can pick up fleas from, from inside,
they can, fleas can hit you right on
434
:your socks and boom, you've got fleas.
435
:But there are over the counter remedies
that you can get to eliminate the fleas.
436
:The I always tell people you
can get the advantage with a G,
437
:but never advantage with an x.
438
:I always tell them G means go.
439
:X means skull and crossbones.
440
:Advantix will kill your
rabbit Advantage is ok.
441
:You can get the cat dose and there are
charts online tell you how much per
442
:pound of rabbit that you have to put on.
443
:You just put it on topically and but
for us we feel like a better product
444
:is the prescription revolution.
445
:Now revolution has made another formula,
but it's the original revolution formula.
446
:It's just selemectin.
447
:But the revolution for
cats, it got too expensive.
448
:And now finally there is
a generic called revolt.
449
:But if it is selemectin,
then that is what?
450
:We use because not only does it kill
fleas, but if there are any kind of mites
451
:or ear mites because a lot of time we've
gotten, we've rescued rabbits that, oh,
452
:poor babies, they had crust in their ears.
453
:They lost hair because these little
bunny lice or just eating them
454
:all alive, but the revolution.
455
:Or the revolt will take care of
the mites and the fleas, just the
456
:advantage, it will only control the
fleas, but the environment needs to
457
:be treated, needs to be vacuumed.
458
:We just use diatomaceous earth,
which is basically crushed coral
459
:and it's food grade, so it's
just like this gray dust that.
460
:The pieces are so tiny that they
cut into the exoskeleton of the
461
:bugs and they end up drying them up.
462
:It's not an instant kill,
but it does take care of 'em.
463
:Dixie: I've heard other people mention
that before, but I have no experience
464
:with how you would actually use it.
465
:Donna: Diatomaceous earth
is like a very fine powder.
466
:So you can either put it
in a powder container.
467
:They actually, at the garden
stores, they actually sell like this
468
:little accordion, plastic pump that
it's just got a straw at the end.
469
:And when you squeeze it, it
poofs, the powder into the air.
470
:Only thing is with the bunnies, you just
have to be careful not to apply it close
471
:to their face because they can inhale it.
472
:But it is safe if they
accidentally eat it.
473
:If it gets on their skin, it's fine.
474
:It just might dry their skin a little bit.
475
:But the the environment, you could
sprinkle some in their litter.
476
:I have a contraption that you wind
it up like a, oh, gosh, I'm not even
477
:sure what how to describe it, but
it's almost like a powder machine gun.
478
:You load up the.
479
:Canister.
480
:And then when you turn the wheel, it
just pushes the powder out of the nozzle
481
:and you can do a big area that way.
482
:And then people used that to spray their
trees, especially the citrus trees.
483
:I think my papa used to do
that with the, with his trees.
484
:He had one of those look, it
almost looked more like a bike
485
:pump that he would just pump the.
486
:The powder all over the branches.
487
:But but yeah that's how you apply it.
488
:You can put it in a salt
shaker it's so fine.
489
:It can clump up if you don't
have the big enough holes.
490
:So you gotta maybe have a little air
behind it to to make it spread out.
491
:But if you get there are some farm
stores that will sell a small bag for
492
:a lot of money, but I'll usually go
to an agriculture store and get a big
493
:old bag, and that's only like maybe
25 bucks, maybe not even that much,
494
:and you get 40 pounds of that stuff.
495
:It could last forever.
496
:And, I'll share, so yeah, there, there
are some things you can do to control
497
:the fleas to keep them out of your carpet
or your your house or your Bunny's area.
498
:And you just have to know what's
safe and, just keep an eye out.
499
:If you regularly handle your rabbit
and pet them, you can tell whether
500
:there's gonna be fleas or not.
501
:You don't have to treat a bunny
every month if they had fleas one
502
:time, unless you're seeing fleas.
503
:Like I said, it's usually.
504
:Mostly the light colored ones
that the fleas like to jump on.
505
:But we've had some, especially the
long-haired bunnies that the fleas like
506
:to get under the mats in their fur.
507
:So that's another reason you
really need to be diligent about
508
:if you get a fluffy, cute bunny,
you better be good with a comb.
509
:You better, learn how
to trim 'em correctly.
510
:And that's another thing you can.
511
:Look up online, you know how
to safely trim your rabbit.
512
:You got to do their nails because they
can get arthritis in their little toes
513
:if their nails grow so long that their
toes are crooked when they're walking.
514
:Just maintenance.
515
:Just learn what their
day-to-day needs are.
516
:And once you know what your bunny is like
as far as what their normal is, what their
517
:normal appetite is, what their normal
water intake, what their normal activity,
518
:what their normal poops look it's easy
to tell when something's not right.
519
:If you have kept your eye on that bunny
and know them well enough to know when
520
:they're not acting themselves and.
521
:Bunnies will hide their illnesses.
522
:They will hide their pain, they will hide
all their symptoms because being prey
523
:animals, they don't wanna stand out like
a sore thumb with a target on their head.
524
:They're gonna hide the things
that are bothering them.
525
:So you are responsible to know
to look, to, to spend time to,
526
:watch over your bunny, to check.
527
:And see, how much they're eating and if
their litter habits are consistent and if
528
:what's in the litter box is consistent.
529
:'cause they can have different shaped
stools that mean certain things.
530
:And if you catch it early,
you can avoid the vet.
531
:But, it's really important that
they see a vet at least once a year.
532
:But if they stop eating, if their appetite
goes down, that's something you really
533
:have to be on alert for because that
could be GI stasis and it can happen
534
:if they're stressed, it can happen.
535
:If there's maybe construction
going on, it can happen If.
536
:There's a new kid in the house.
537
:It can happen if you move their enclosure
to another room, they can stress out
538
:easily and they can lose their appetite.
539
:And if they lose their appetite and
they don't have food going through their
540
:system, it can slow down and it can stop.
541
:They'll go in shock.
542
:All their organs will shut down
and you're gonna lose your bunny.
543
:So as soon as you notice that appetite is.
544
:Not what it needs to be.
545
:You need to get ready to syringe,
feed that bunny and call your vet.
546
:If they need to have something
in their system 24 7.
547
:That's why they recommend that you
leave hay in their space all the time.
548
:They need Timothy hay.
549
:The older ones need Timothy
Hay and the youngest.
550
:The babies need alfalfa because
it's got protein and calcium, but
551
:don't give the older bunnies alfalfa
because it can make bladder stones.
552
:So yes, even rabbits can get bladder
stones and there's just a lot to know.
553
:I'm still learning.
554
:I've been at this a long time, but I am
still learning, I'm still finding out
555
:things that are happening to other rabbits
and going on within other rescues that.
556
:Oh my gosh, I didn't
even think about that.
557
:Or I didn't know that.
558
:Or, oh man, I need to, be
more diligent about this.
559
:Or it's they're fascinating little
critters and it's such an honor
560
:to be trusted by one of them.
561
:I just wish people, more people
knew what joy they can bring to
562
:your household if you just take a
little time and educate yourself.
563
:Dixie: Absolutely.
564
:Donna: That's my story
and I'm sticking to it.
565
:Dixie: Yeah and definitely it's important
that you always think about the animal
566
:first and for any pet you have, if you
think, or if you suspect there's something
567
:that's out of the ordinary to the point
where you're questioning yourself, then
568
:you just need to go take 'em to the
vet and just go get 'em checked out
569
:for your peace of mind at least too.
570
:Donna: Absolutely.
571
:An exotic vet.
572
:It's gonna cost a little more than
a dog or cat vet, but would you
573
:rather have caught something before
it was too late or just saved a
574
:few bucks and lost your friend?
575
:You have to think about it that way.
576
:So mean, but you won't know.
577
:You won't know if there's
anything wrong if you are not.
578
:Spending time, if you're not handling
the bunny, sometimes you'll find a lump.
579
:Sometimes you'll find a little sore or
just small things that can become great
580
:big things if you don't know about it.
581
:It's just like your child.
582
:If you're gonna have this kid in
your house and what you're never
583
:going to, pet their hair and never
gonna, give them a bath and see if
584
:they have a bruise or, it's important.
585
:All that stuff is important.
586
:Animals are family and if that's
not what they're gonna be.
587
:Then get a stuffed animal,
go visit somebody with a pet.
588
:It's not that hard.
589
:If you can't commit, but you love
animals, hey, be a foster, right?
590
:We give you everything you need
and all you gotta do is love them.
591
:And yeah, it's a little sacrifice of
time, you don't have to pay for the vet.
592
:You don't have to.
593
:Go get the cage and all
that and the litter box.
594
:If you're close enough to where
I can meet you, I'll bring you
595
:shredded paper for the litter.
596
:I'll bring you hay and pellets
if you know that's what you need.
597
:And then, whenever you need to go
on your summer vacation, hey, let
598
:us know a couple weeks in advance
so we can come and get the baby.
599
:Find somebody else.
600
:But during that time, at least the
bunny has been paid attention to
601
:it's been seen by people who maybe
normally wouldn't see being here at
602
:the rescue and the people who took
care of it have learned, if that's
603
:something that they want in the future.
604
:It seems to be a win-win for everybody,
people need to take advantage.
605
:We need some fosters.
606
:So help.
607
:Dixie: Can I ask where you've
learned all this information?
608
:Donna: Oh my goodness.
609
:Years years of talking to other people.
610
:Years of experience, years of
having vet surprises sharing
611
:information with other rabbit groups.
612
:Reading going online and going to the
reputable sites and finding out, and,
613
:a lot of times the rabbit groups will.
614
:Post something about the latest
illness and, it's from everywhere.
615
:I absorb it from a lot of
different resources and you
616
:can't always trust one resource.
617
:You have to get, you have to
get a well-rounded resource.
618
:pool to, to know to be able
to trust the information.
619
:And like I said, from experience I know
a lot of this stuff from experience, but,
620
:some of it was someone else's experience
or mistakes that I learned from.
621
:And, we've made a lot of mistakes.
622
:Like I said, the, especially the
bunny being fertile after neuter.
623
:Yeah.
624
:We've made some mistakes
and we still make mistakes.
625
:Sometimes we miss things . We don't
know the whole story about, and we
626
:don't know the whole story about
a lot of these rabbits we rescue.
627
:So sometimes they have things that we
had no idea and, come up with it later on
628
:after they've been adopted and we just,
there was no way we could know that.
629
:But it's all a continuous learning curve.
630
:Just by observing and being aware
and paying attention and being
631
:passionate about it, it's I care.
632
:So I wanna know where my mistakes are.
633
:I wanna know what is a
better way to do something.
634
:I wanna know how to keep my bunnies happy.
635
:And healthy of course.
636
:But there's just a lot of
information that can be had if
637
:you take a little time and look.
638
:Dixie: I'm lucky that you were
able to come on and share all
639
:this information with me today.
640
:I really enjoyed listening to you.
641
:Before we end this, is there
anything else you would like to add?
642
:Donna: Oh my goodness.
643
:Volunteer, donate adopt Foster,
everybody can do something.
644
:It's just so important.
645
:There's so many animals out there.
646
:Educate yourself, educate others,
and just be compassionate.
647
:Dixie: Definitely.
648
:Thank you so much.
649
:I really enjoyed speaking with you.
650
:Donna: Alright thank you for letting
me explode your brain with information.
651
:Dixie: I'd love to have you
back on in the future too.
652
:Donna: Awesome.
653
:All right, I hope somebody gleams
something from this conversation.
654
:Dixie: I think they will.
655
:It was very informative.
656
:Donna: Nice.
657
:All right, thank you so much for the
opportunity and keep loving them critters.
658
:Dixie: All right.
659
:And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
660
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
661
:should be told, please contact us.
662
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
663
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
664
:explore the world of animal rescue.
