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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:Today's guest is Hannah Lorio Falgout,
and she is the small animal adoption
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:coordinator at the Jefferson SPCA.
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:Hi Hannah.
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:How are you?
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:Hannah: I'm good, how are you?
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:Dixie: I'm great.
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:Can you tell us about yourself and how you
became involved in small animal rescue?
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:Hannah: Yeah, so I I got involved
volunteering, funnily enough.
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:Rachel, who is my boss she
had posted a picture 'cause I
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:had adopted my cats from there
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:but she had posted a picture and we were
friends on Facebook of a new bunny set up.
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:Asking basically if anybody
wanted to volunteer to play
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:with rabbits and whatnot.
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:And I was like I'll volunteer.
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:Like I've always had rabbits pretty
much my whole entire life actually.
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:Because when I was in fifth grade, I
actually went to Jefferson Feed, which
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:is where our adoptables are Jefferson.
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:SPCA is inside of there.
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:And.
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:My first bunny was from there.
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:I actually adopted him.
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:His name was Frosty, and he
started my whole journey.
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:So I really started
researching and all of that.
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:And just got like super into rabbits.
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:So then I started, watching YouTube
and advocating for bunnies and
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:stuff so that's how I got involved.
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:I was in another job at the time and I
was telling her how I was ready, to move
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:on with my life, get a new job, and she
mentioned that she needed an assistant.
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:So I got hired with them.
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:So now I'm like the program's
director's assistant and the
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:small animal adoption coordinator.
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:So that's how I got to where I am now.
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:Dixie: Now you said that you
had first found out about
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:them through adopting cats.
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:Do you still currently have cats as well?
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:Hannah: Yes, I do.
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:I have four cats.
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:Two of my cats I adopted 2020 I believe.
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:And they are older cats.
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:I didn't want kittens.
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:I love kittens, but.
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:I wanted older cats 'cause I just
freak out with little things.
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:So yeah, so we have two cats that came
from there and then a couple years later
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:I always wanted a black cat, so I ended
up adopting another cat at that time.
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:And then recently, like in
the past year, I trapped a cat
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:that was unfixed fairly easily.
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:Like I literally just picked him up.
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:And I took him home 'cause
I was like texted Rachel.
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:I was like, Hey, like I
need to get this cat fixed.
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:And I was in the bathroom
with him 'cause that's where
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:I was keeping him at the time.
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:And he just crawled in my
lap and just sat there.
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:And I was like, you don't
wanna be a street cat.
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:So I ended up with a
fourth one because of that.
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:Dixie: That's good And I'm glad to
hear too that you adopted adult cats.
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:And also a black cat because those are the
ones that are the hardest to get adopted.
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:Everybody wants kittens.
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:I like kittens, don't get me wrong,
but getting a cat, it's so much easier.
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:You know what you're getting into already
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:Hannah: right?
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:Kittens are so cute.
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:Anything, any baby.
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:Animal is cute.
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:But I just, I, my heart goes
out to older animals in general.
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:I always adopt even with rabbits,
like all of mine were like moms.
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:I never adopted, the babies if
they were found with babies.
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:I always adopted the mom rabbits
'cause I always fell in love with them.
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:Always drawn to that for some reason.
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:Dixie: So do you allow the cats
to interact with the rabbits
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:or do you keep 'em separated?
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:Hannah: I do and don't.
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:So one, I have a bunny room
where five of my bunnies free ro.
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:So I actually have seven rabbits
and two free ro in my bedroom.
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:I keep my bedroom door closed only
because one of them will run into the
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:other bunny room and start fights.
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:So I have to keep them separated.
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:But I do leave the bunny room door open
most of the time because they don't.
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:Venture out of their room really.
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:And my cats will go in there and hang
out with them and it's funny, but one
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:of my bunnies really loves the cat that
I recently rescued from the street.
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:They will literally share
like vegetables together.
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:Like they will sit on the rug and
both eat their veggies together.
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:And it's so cute.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I'm glad to hear too that, 'cause
I, I think there's a lot of
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:people that don't realize that
cats and bunnies can get along.
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:Hannah: They're, they can
be dangerous in a sense.
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:Like recently we did rescue a bunny at the
World War II Museum and it had abscesses
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:all over, and we recently found out
that the bacteria was from cat saliva.
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:But that's usually not
really common for it to happen
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:But yeah, that's a very
slim case most of the time.
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:Like I think domesticated indoor cats
can get along with rabbits fairly well.
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:Dixie: So now, what types of small animals
does your organization primarily rescue?
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:Hannah: We rescue all kinds,
mostly rabbits and Guinea pigs.
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:But recently we took in two chinchillas
from L-A-S-P-C-A and two gerbils
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:from J Paws, which is the shelter.
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:So we just take whatever they have.
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:I don't think we would ever do like
snakes or anything like that, but
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:I've, they have never gotten that.
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:'cause I don't know anything about
them and I don't really do reptiles.
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:Dixie: So Do most of the animals
typically come from the shelter?
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:Hannah: Yes, most of 'em do.
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:More recently, like within the year since
I've been working there, I was rescuing
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:a lot from parks around Jefferson area.
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:Like Lafreniere Park is one big
one that a lot of people in our
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:area know about, where there was
just a surge of white bunnies.
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:White bunnies are actually the
least adopted bunnies because their
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:eyes are red, reddish blue, really
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:and people don't like that for
some reason, which I get, but I
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:actually find them the sweetest.
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:But yeah, they are the
hardest to adopt out.
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:But there was so many living there,
they just kept breeding and breeding.
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:And so us and two other bunny
rescues, Lola Bunny and Friends and
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:Bun Again Rabbit Rescue, they had
helped us clear out that park.
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:And then we also recently.
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:Cleared out Kenner Park, which was
another big one that was took forever.
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:And all the bunnies there were very
sick with parasites and just all kinds
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:of injuries from just living the rough
life, but yeah, mostly now we take
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:from the shelter but it just depends.
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:Dixie: What are some of the
biggest misconceptions people
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:have about small animal rescue?
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:Hannah: I think people
just don't know it exists.
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:That's the thing I think when people think
of rabbits, they think of baby bunnies.
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:They don't think that people rehome
them or that, if people have a bunny
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:and they decide they don't want
it, that it can just live outside.
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:Because wild bunnies live outside.
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:And the truth is domesticated rabbits,
they have some instincts of a wild rabbit.
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:Their brain has actually decreased
since we've domesticated them.
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:So they don't have the ins as
much of the instinct as a wild
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:bunny and they don't survive.
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:I think it's also just like another
thing, like we recently did a bunny
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:bunko, 'cause we've been raising money to.
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:Build the rabbits at the rescue, new
enclosures that are more standard size
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:for what they should be living in, if
they're going to live in a cage, which
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:I always advocate for free roaming.
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:If somebody feels they need to
have a rabbit live in some type of
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:enclosure, I'm totally okay with that.
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:But I think there's a total
misconception of spaying and neutering.
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:Like at the bunny bunko, this
lady argued with my boss.
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:And was like, you can't
spay and neuter bunnies.
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:And she just kept arguing with her
and my boss was like, yes, you can.
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:Like we do it all the time.
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:So there's a lot of misconceptions
where people just don't think that vets,
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:exist for small animals, but they do.
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:Dixie: Yeah, when I had Lola and friends
on, we were talking about the bunny
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:reproduction and how every 28 days,
and I knew Bunnies had a lot, but I
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:had no idea it was that close together
and and the fact that people just
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:go dump 'em and don't spay a neuter
him, it causes a really big problem.
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:Hannah: It does, and it's a huge
problem, especially like during Easter.
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:We even have people granted that we are
in a store that people think, oh, you
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:can just go buy an animal from the store
that we're located in, and people will
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:come during Easter time, which I actually
stop adoptions a few weeks before Easter,
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:and then a couple weeks after as well to
prevent people, just bunnies getting in.
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:People that don't have the right.
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:Intentions.
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:But yeah, people will walk in
all the time and just be like,
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:so we can't buy a bunny today.
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:And I'm like, no.
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:Like we, we do this because
we're trying to save them.
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:We're trying to give them their second
chance, and a lot of the times, the
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:rabbits that are bought at Easter
end up on the street a couple months
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:later and people just don't realize.
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:There's way more care
that goes into rabbits.
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:So you think most people think you
can stick 'em in a hutch outside and
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:they're gonna be fine and thrive, but
they can't thrive in that environment.
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:I think also the misconceptions
is that they're boring animals,
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:which they really aren't.
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:If people would just actually research
and set up the right environment for them
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:in their home, they could see just how
much personality a rabbit could have.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I've seen videos on YouTube where
they have bunnies that are jumping
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:all over the bed and running
around just like a cat would.
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:Hannah: Yeah.
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:They're crazy little things,
but they're so funny.
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:They make me laugh.
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:And today I, we just put a new enclosure
up actually today, and one of the bunnies
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:had been looking just really depressed.
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:'cause we have adoption tanks that
we're trying to get rid of so we can sh.
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:Educate people more on what
they should be living in.
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:And so it's like a glass tank and
it's almost like a fish tank, really.
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:And I, when I started working there
I knew that was something I wanted
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:to change, I just knew that wasn't a
good environment and people couldn't
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:see the bunny's true personalities.
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:And then again, the normal looking
bunnies were not getting adopted.
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:You get a lopp or a fuzzy
lion head or whatever.
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:Those go quick because
people want cuteness.
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:And I always tell people like,
come and meet the bunnies.
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:Don't just go off looks, come
and meet the personality.
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:They all have different personalities.
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:But yeah, that was just something I
wanted to do to help educate people on.
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:What they should be living in.
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:But anyway, it's funny we put him
in the enclosure and his little
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:butt was wiggling his, so like when
they get excited, like their little
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:tail wags almost and it's so cute.
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:Dixie: Uhhuh.
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:That's cute.
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:Now, how do you assess the temperament
or personality of each of them?
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:Or how would you tell people who
are prospective adopters that they
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:should spend time with the Bunny
to learn the Bunny's personality?
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:Hannah: So most of the time I tell people
to set up a meet and greet, and then
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:I ask them what they're looking for.
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:Now, a lot of our, my emails actually come
from Petfinder, which it's really hard.
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:For people to really know a
personality through a picture online.
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:So a lot of our bunnies, like
the one right now that we have
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:is like an Angora lionhead mix.
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:Her name's Twix and I've gotten a bunch
of emails on her and I'm like, I know
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:she's beautiful, but she's also really
shy and because she came from an abusive
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:case so she's really shy and it takes
a while for her to warm up to people.
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:So I always tell people I'm like you
wanna make sure that's what you're
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:really looking for, and sometimes
people do change their mind on
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:rabbits and they're like, I really
like this personality and this bunny.
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:And I'm like, that's what I want.
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:I want people to meet the
animal before they take it home
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:most rabbits, they do take time
to get used to their owner.
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:They're not like gonna be totally your
best friend the day you bring them home.
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:And I think that's for any animal really.
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:It's just because they're prey
animals, I think it takes a lot longer.
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:But once you earn a bunny's trust,
and I always tell my husband this,
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:I'm like, once you earn a bunny's
trust, it's like the most rewarding
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:thing because they are prey animals.
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:And something about that just
feels good that I could earn
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:that trust of that bunny,
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:Dixie: Do you have fosters too?
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:Hannah: I do somewhat.
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:There's a few groups, a few people that
I like, really trust to foster, but a
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:lot of times people don't ask to foster.
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:I would be more willing to let
some, like right now I'm fostering
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:one the one from the World War
II Museum with the abscesses.
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:And she's doing really well now.
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:But yeah, I usually keep my small
circle of people that I know because
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:I don't really have a lot of people
that I know that wanna foster rabbits.
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:It's an overlooked animal
in the foster system.
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:But I would like to grow it at some point,
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:Dixie: yeah.
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:It's hard to find fosters for dog and
cats too, and so I can imagine it's
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:difficult to find it for bunnies as well.
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:Hannah: And you don't want
them just going anywhere.
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:Most people know the
education on dogs and cats.
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:I say that there's still a
lot of people that don't.
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:It's, it, there's a whole thing.
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:'cause rabbits just have so much
education that's a little behind.
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:I say rabbit tears advanced a lot,
even in the last 10, 15 years.
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:So much has changed, even from
when I started having rabbits to
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:now I've changed like a lot of the
stuff I do to take care of them,
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:Dixie: What are the, some of
the common health issues that
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:you could see in rabbits?
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:Hannah: Mostly we see parasites.
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:That's probably the number one GI
stasis, which I called a silent killer.
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:Parasites are fairly treatable, but
most of the time the rabbits that
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:have 'em are just from outside.
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:But most of the bunnies that have
come outside from outside that we've
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:rescued have had some type of parasite.
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:So that's the one thing I see
the most in rescue as far as like
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:owning rabbits and having rabbits.
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:As well as in rescue, GI stasis
is a pretty serious thing.
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:It can be caused by another illness or
it can just be from inadequate diet.
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:Sometimes they just eat
something they shouldn't.
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:And sometimes just random
things will cause it.
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:Like teeth issues, that's another illness.
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:Teeth issues.
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:But.
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:So it's basically when they
stop eating and rabbit's,
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:guts need to constantly move.
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:So if they stop eating,
they can't throw up.
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:If they ate something they weren't
supposed to eat, so basically
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:get stuck in their digestive
tract and they can't get it out.
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:So sometimes you have to do
like an emergency surgery.
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:You usually have a 12 to 24
hour window for GI stasis.
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:And the signs of it are
usually like hunched over.
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:They look really depressed almost.
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:And they're not eating, and they're
not eating their favorite things.
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:That's the biggest one.
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:But a lot of times it is
caused from teeth issues.
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:Like recently, one of my bunnies
started not eating and I took him
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:to the vet and they were like, oh,
he has some spikes on his teeth
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:because their teeth, they eat hay.
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:To grind their teeth down.
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:But sometimes genetics play a role in
their teeth issues, so they'll have to
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:shave the little spikes off their teeth.
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:'cause it'll hurt them
when they're eating.
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:Dixie: And that's just on the teeth.
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:Is it like a gum thing?
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:'cause I know in cats get the stomatitis,
which is like a inflammation of the gums
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:that causes a whole bunch of issues.
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:And cats don't eat.
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:Hannah: So it, it's literally
just like on the teeth.
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:It's like a growth on the tooth basically.
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:And they'll just shave 'em off
and then it fixes pretty much
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:most of the time fixes it.
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:But yeah, the hay is just is so important.
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:And actually a lot of people think
that rabbits should be eating
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:pellets, but pellets actually make
rabbits fat, basically, I call it.
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:The meat rabbit logic because if you're
RA people see that and people think, oh,
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:rabbits are supposed to have pellets,
but like people gave rabbits back in the
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:day, pellets to gain weight to make them
better, to eat, if that makes any sense.
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:As much as that's morbid.
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:But.
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:Yeah, so I always, I do give
my rabbits pellets sometimes,
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:usually as a little treat.
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:But they have access to hay 24 7 and
they get veggies twice a day, which
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:is about a cup for each of them.
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:Dixie: For a new adopter, a
person new to bunnies, what should
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:they be Feeding the bunnies?
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:Hannah: Depends on the age of the
bunny under four to six months, they
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:usually eat alfalfa hay because it's
rich and calcium and it's fatty.
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:So it'll help them, gain weight and grow.
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:And they'll also have junior pellets.
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:Which they can eat pellets at a
very young age and really should.
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:Same goes for a nursing mother.
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:They should have access to pellets
as well because it helps them
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:to produce milk for the kits.
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:I'm saying that because we've had
rabbits that gave birth in our
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:rescue and I had to learn that.
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:And then for older adult.
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:Bunnies, they should
be eating Timothy hay.
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:And a little bit of pellets.
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:About a tablespoon to a fourth.
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:A cup of pellets is a day.
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:A day is okay.
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:And then baby bunnies should
never have access to vegetables
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:until about four months.
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:Adults can have it really anytime.
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:Dixie: Are there certain vegetables
that are better than others?
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:Hannah: The one vegetable.
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:I always tell people, 'cause
they're surprised when I tell
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:them that bunny should not have
is actually iceberg lettuce.
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:It is poisonous to rabbits.
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:And a lot of people don't know that
'cause they think of, that the bunnies
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:can eat all kinds of vegetables.
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:But yeah, no carrots also sugary.
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:So if you give a carrot to a bunny.
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:The misconception of Bugs Bunny,
you should really only give
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:them like a pea-sized amount.
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:Same goes for fruit and stuff.
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:It really should be small
amounts 'cause it's so sugary.
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:But they can eat things like my bunny's
really like cilantro and parsley.
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:They also like dill and I give mine
a lot of romaine lettuce as well.
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:Dixie: So romaine lettuce is
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:okay, just not
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:iceberg.
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:Hannah: So romaine lettuce is okay.
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:I guess iceberg is not good
because of the high water content.
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:It really has no nutrients.
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:I don't know exactly what makes
it poisonous, but I just know
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:people that have fed their rabbits
before they knew iceberg lettuce
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:and the rabbit would just die.
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:And I'm like, what?
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:I didn't know that either.
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:And I did a lot of research,
when I, every vegetable I fed
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:my rabbits when I first started
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:. Dixie: Yeah.
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:I didn't know that, that's,
I would've thought that they
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:could have could've eaten that.
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:I did not know that at all.
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:Hannah: Yeah, I mean I've gone to like
the park before we rescued the rabbits
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:and there would just be carrot sticks and
iceberg lettuce one time and broccoli.
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:And I'm like, oh my gosh.
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:All those broccoli causes like
gas build up in bunnies, which
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:can also lead to GI stasis.
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:So I'm like, all the improper
veggies were on the ground and those
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:bunnies were like, they survived.
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:And it's crazy to me because I
guess they were so used to eating.
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:Such random food that their gut just
tolerated at much more than a rabbit that
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:lives in your home, if that makes sense.
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:Dixie: Yeah, definitely.
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:So now when you adopt the rabbits out,
of course you're gonna spay a neuter.
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:What other kind of
vetting do they have done?
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:Hannah: Regular, normal checkups.
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:They should be getting yearly exams
just because rabbit hide illness.
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:And we also have been
vaccinating for RHDV2.
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:It's just like this thing that erupted
like in the eighties, I believe.
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:And it's finally made its way
to the United States, but it's
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:basically contracted from deceased
animals, but can be carried on human
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:clothing, human shoes into your home.
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:And it's, doesn't go away
just by washing your clothes.
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:And it lasts about, like
the germs will last 40 days.
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:On your items.
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:And basically if a rabbit contracts it.
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:There's no warning signs, they just die.
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:So I recommend it, people
get them vaccinated.
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:We haven't had too many
cases in Louisiana.
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:I think there's maybe been like one
but somebody recently told me that it's
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:starting to move into our area more so
I'm like kinda recommending it way more.
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:But yeah, so I do recommend
that I get mine vaccinated.
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:Because I work around other
rabbits and you just never know.
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:But I do
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:Dixie: What kind of post-adoption
support do you offer to adopters?
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:. Hannah: I always give my adopters for
rabbits, at least my phone number,
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:because I want them to be able to text me.
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:If they have a question or a concern,
because I wish there was that support
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:for me when I adopted my bunny.
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:And I know it's helpful because, for dogs
and cats, obviously you can totally reach
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:out to the rescues and ask questions.
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:Rabbits are a little bit
more on a time basis.
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:Like for example, a GI stasis.
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:It's such a timely, area where you
need to get the bunny to a vet.
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:You wanna make sure.
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:Things.
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:I also don't have a lot of adopters
that are first time rabbit owners
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:and have never owned a small animal.
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:And I want them obviously I educate
all my adopters before they adopt.
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:We always have a meet and greet.
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:We talk about the care, we
talk about, common illnesses
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:how rabbits should be living.
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:I want them to be able to, because
that's a lot of information at once.
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:I want them to be able to ask
me for advice or whatever.
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:So I do provide that for them.
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:Dixie: And if it doesn't work
out, do you take the bunnies back?
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:Hannah: I do.
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:My one thing is I, it sounds terrible,
but I tell every adopter this, I'm
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:like, please do not dump the animal.
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:I'm like, please do not dump the bunny.
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:I was like, it takes a lot to catch them,
and they really don't survive outside.
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:I was like, I don't think you're
gonna do it, but I have to warn you,
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:I want you to bring it back to me.
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:If things aren't working
out, bring it back to me.
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:I don't want you to
bring it to the shelter.
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:I want to come back to my rescue.
421
:'cause I know them and I know I can get
them to adopt it out again eventually,
422
:because I know their personality,
423
:Dixie: and that's the good thing
with adopting from a rescue.
424
:'cause I know on social media.
425
:I recently just saw a story about
somebody giving away a rabbit with their
426
:hutch because their child lost interest.
427
:Yeah.
428
:And that's just so upsetting.
429
:So it's a good thing that rescues do take
their animals back if it doesn't work out.
430
:Hannah: And it's a super common
thing too, that people get rabbits
431
:thinking they're starter pets.
432
:It's and I always tell people, I'm
like, you'd be do better getting your
433
:child a fish than any other animal.
434
:Not even a hamster.
435
:Like they even require
a good amount of care.
436
:I always tell people, like they
come in and they'll be like, Hey
437
:does this, do you think a rabbit's
a good pet for a three-year-old?
438
:And I'm like, absolutely not.
439
:If your kid wants a pet, and I
really don't think you should get
440
:your kid a pet in general because
they're going to lose interest.
441
:That's just how kids are.
442
:Get them a fish.
443
:It doesn't live as long.
444
:They can live a long life,
but they don't live as long.
445
:They're pretty easy,
low maintenance animals.
446
:You gotta clean their tank and feed
them, but they're pretty low maintenance,
447
:so I always tell people, I'm like,
not a rabbit, not any small animal.
448
:And they're just so fragile,
like Guinea pigs and rabbits can
449
:break their backs just so easily.
450
:And kids love to pick up animals
and hold them very close.
451
:And small animals are just not into that.
452
:Dixie: Because they're prey animals.
453
:Hannah: Like I get scratched even.
454
:I'm used to carrying bunnies,
but even I will get scratched
455
:by their back feet sometimes.
456
:And it hurts.
457
:I'm not gonna drop them, but a kid holding
a bunny may drop an animal if it starts
458
:to scratch at them, because that hurts,
459
:Dixie: definitely.
460
:Now you've gone over, the challenges with
people like dumping bunnies, of course.
461
:So do you have any heartwarming
stories about people adopting bunnies
462
:and getting, before and afters?
463
:Hannah: There's one, one of my
good fosters and adopters, she
464
:loves red-eyed white bunnies.
465
:And so she's adopted a lot of the ones
that have been harder to adopt out.
466
:One of them was a big giant,
like 11 pound red-eyed white.
467
:Oh, wow.
468
:Funny.
469
:Before my boss or I even
worked with the J-S-P-C-A.
470
:Was adopted out from us.
471
:So it was microchip to us.
472
:One day somebody texted me,
they're like, there's a big
473
:white bunny and LA near park.
474
:Can you go out and see?
475
:So I went out and saw, and somebody had
dumped the bunny in the pouring rain
476
:because nobody was in the park, obviously.
477
:So I went out in the pouring
rain and I, it took me five
478
:minutes to catch this bunny.
479
:I noticed so she was a big white rabbit.
480
:She had some, I believe,
neurological issues, which
481
:were undiagnosed at the time.
482
:But had a little bit of
trouble walking and didn't like
483
:getting off of rugs and stuff.
484
:But she was also dyed pink and she was
overweight and had sore hocks, which
485
:are basically from improper flooring.
486
:The hocks of a rabbit will get sore.
487
:So they need a lot of cushion.
488
:But anyway, so we checked for a
microchip and she was registered
489
:to us and she was about five years
old and I just couldn't believe it.
490
:Like somebody, somebody had an
attention to adopt a rabbit and then
491
:proceeded to give it all the wrong
things and then eventually dump it.
492
:But she took, Lacey took the bunny from
me because she knew it would be a hard
493
:adoption for me to have, and so she
adopts all of the red eye white bunnies.
494
:She just loves them and I love that
because there's not many people that do.
495
:We have four red eye white bunnies
right now that are sitting in.
496
:Our enclosures that were born in our
rescue back in December of:
497
:we rescued their mom, she gave birth.
498
:So they're very much overlooked.
499
:And then recently that, that bunny
unfortunately did pass away the one
500
:that we rescued from Lafreniere Park
because of neurological issues, I think.
501
:She recently also took in another
white bunny that has tumors all over.
502
:And she's fostering that one
basically until he crosses over Uhhuh.
503
:So sweet.
504
:She's like falling in love with
him and it makes me so happy
505
:that she can give him that love,
506
:Dixie: I hate to see the ones
that are overlooked like that
507
:just because of the way they look.
508
:Hannah: Yeah, so she's my best foster
slash adopter probably because she just,
509
:she does so much for, the ones that
get overlooked and she really cares.
510
:And I love that about her.
511
:Dixie: So what are your
most pressing needs?
512
:Hannah: Probably my pressing
needs would be volunteers.
513
:I really need more volunteers.
514
:The bunnies don't get a lot of
socialization in rescue and it's
515
:hard for me to provide that for them.
516
:And I do have a couple of volunteers,
don't get me wrong, but a lot of the
517
:times I need help with other things.
518
:Organizing things, cleaning
rabbits just things like that.
519
:Giving meds, clipping nails, whatever.
520
:Just upkeep, right?
521
:But yeah, I really need, more
volunteers to help socialize them and
522
:make them more comfortable with humans.
523
:Because a lot of the times they do come
from a bad environment where they didn't
524
:get much socialization or interaction.
525
:And so they need to learn
love and interaction with
526
:humans and that it's okay,
527
:Dixie: now, would that be at the store?
528
:Is that where people would
volunteer to help with that?
529
:Hannah: Yes.
530
:So all of our adoptables are inside the
store, so it'd be mostly inside the store.
531
:We recently moved the bunnies upstairs,
so it's a little more quiet now.
532
:Like people with carts and stuff
would often scare the bunnies when
533
:they were downstairs 'cause it's
loud, it's like a warehouse building.
534
:Being upstairs, I do find it's quieter and
the bunnies can more relax, which is good.
535
:And I feel like they can interact more
with a human if we had more volunteers.
536
:But like I said, I do have a few I.
537
:And two of them are older.
538
:And I do have one that's still in school,
and she does help on Fridays and she'll
539
:groom them and do that kind of stuff.
540
:Dixie: And do they get
volunteer credit for that?
541
:For school?
542
:Hannah: They do, yes.
543
:The only thing with volunteers is I
do have to , be with them at first,
544
:especially if they're on the younger side.
545
:Just so a lot of people, again, they don't
know about rabbits, so it's just, it's
546
:good to have the hands-on experience.
547
:I usually will sit with them and show
them everything and you know how to handle
548
:the bunnies, and then I'll show them
other things so they can help in other
549
:areas, such as helping with the cats or
washing dishes and doing laundry, which
550
:kind of contributes from all the animals,
551
:Dixie: Where can listeners learn more
about the bunnies that are up for adoption
552
:before they would set up a meet and greet?
553
:Hannah: So most of our
buns are on petfinder.
554
:You can also sometimes find them
on Facebook if we post them, but
555
:most of them are on Petfinder.
556
:You can also just come to the
Jefferson Feed store that's on
557
:Jefferson Highway in Jefferson.
558
:Mostly we just post on Petfinder, but
you can always email me too as well.
559
:And then we'd also have a website
for the Jefferson SPCA that I
560
:think links to the Petfinder.
561
:Dixie: And what is that website?
562
:Hannah: It's jefferson spca.org.
563
:Dixie: Okay.
564
:I can include a link to that too in the
description and I'll go see if I can
565
:pull up the Petfinder and put that in
the description as well, so that way
566
:people will be able to easily find it.
567
:In Jefferson Parish we have
some really good programs to
568
:spay and neuter at low cost.
569
:So is there a specific program for
the rabbits in Jefferson Parish?
570
:Hannah: There is, and also
for the male Guinea pigs.
571
:Most of our rabbits do get
fixed at avian and exotic.
572
:I know there's other vets that also fix,.
573
:Two clinics are on our program and
only one of them fixes both males
574
:and females, and that's avian.
575
:I want to, in the future, get more
clinics to help us because there is a
576
:lot of rabbits, and I know Avian has.
577
:A lot of patients and I'm sure
it would be nice to have some
578
:more clinics to help out as well.
579
:But for male rabbits, it's $40 if you live
in Jefferson Parish to fix a male rabbit.
580
:And then for females, it's.
581
:60 And then for the male Guinea pigs, I
don't remember the price exactly 'cause
582
:we don't really get that many fixed.
583
:Recently we just had a lot of girls.
584
:I think it's also $40
to fix male Guinea pigs.
585
:I'll have to double check on that.
586
:But yeah, so we do the male Guinea
pigs and then male and female rabbits.
587
:The reason we don't do the low
cost for female Guinea pigs is it's
588
:very invasive surgery and they're
so much smaller than rabbits.
589
:And it costs a lot more to
spay a female Guinea pig.
590
:We have done it simply
because they can get cancer
591
:.
Dixie: So if you get Guinea pigs, then don't get a male and female
592
:Guinea pig and put 'em together
unless you neuter the boy first.
593
:Hannah: Correct.
594
:Yeah.
595
:Yes.
596
:And it's also just easier, to bond.
597
:Small animals are vicious, not gonna lie.
598
:That sounds crazy, but rabbits do
well in pairs and they're, they
599
:really should be in pairs, but.
600
:They will not want to accept that at
first sometimes and will fight, but I
601
:always tell people it's like humans.
602
:Like we, we're not gonna every
single person we meet, you just
603
:gotta find that right person.
604
:It's the same for the small animals too.
605
:Like I just think rabbits
need to find their companion.
606
:Like you can't choose it for them.
607
:They have to choose,
608
:Dixie: so is there a way to acclimate 'em?
609
:If you already have a rabbit and you're
thinking of getting a second rabbit.
610
:I know like with cats, what we do is we'll
keep 'em in separate rooms and they smell
611
:each other through the door, and then
after a while you bring them in one in
612
:a carrier and let 'em sniff each other
through the carrier and stuff like that.
613
:So how do you acclimate rabbits?
614
:Hannah: So it's different.
615
:So I always say spay and neuter
is the most important thing.
616
:If you're gonna start trying to introduce
rabbits, you need to have them both fixed.
617
:Obviously if it's a male and
a female and they're unfixed,
618
:they're going to wanna be together.
619
:But because we don't want any more babies,
I always tell people to spay a neuter
620
:'cause we don't need anymore babies.
621
:That's right.
622
:Yeah I usually just set up meet and greet.
623
:So if people have a bunny,
I'll set up a meet and greet.
624
:They can bring their bunny and
we'll do what I call speed dating.
625
:So we'll just pull out, some, so usually
I always recommend male female bond.
626
:Sometimes a female and a
female can work in even a male.
627
:And a male.
628
:It really just depends.
629
:But I usually always start with a male
and a female because that's usually
630
:the easiest way to go about it.
631
:And we'll speed date.
632
:So if it's a female that comes in, then
we'll do all the eligible males and see
633
:which one, matches the best which one's
the most interested, that kind of thing.
634
:And then there is a bonding process.
635
:Sometimes you're lucky and they're
gonna love each other right off
636
:the bat, and that's gonna be it.
637
:You don't even have to do anything, but
other times you have to work on them
638
:to make them want to be friends and.
639
:For example, some of mine
I had to work months.
640
:I have two males that are bonded
together and it took me nine
641
:months to bond them together.
642
:Oh, wow.
643
:Yeah.
644
:So it's a lot of sitting watching them.
645
:Seeing how they interact because they will
bite each other and scratch at each other.
646
:Another thing they do is
hump to show dominance.
647
:So you just want them to , learn
to trust each other basically.
648
:Right now, yeah.
649
:So that process it really depends.
650
:What I recommend is starting in a small
space such as a small X pen just to see.
651
:Okay.
652
:Are they doing okay?
653
:And then gradually making it bigger
until they can fully get along.
654
:Dixie: Yeah, that, that's a lot
different from acclimating cats together.
655
:Something that I didn't know.
656
:So tough.
657
:Hannah: It's a lot of work.
658
:Dixie: So now before we end the call, is
there anything else you would like to add?
659
:Hannah: I think the one thing I
wanna say is adopt, don't shop
660
:and spay and neuter your pets.
661
:That's like the biggest thing
we just don't need anymore.
662
:It just feels many of the
animals we get off of the street
663
:are always in heat or pregnant
664
:Definitely.
665
:Get your animals fixed.
666
:Dixie: Absolutely.
667
:I agree with that a hundred percent.
668
:Thank you so much for joining me today.
669
:I learned a lot, . I appreciate it,
670
:Hannah: and thank you.
671
:I appreciate you talking with me.
672
:Dixie: All right.
673
:Bye.
674
:Hannah: All right, bye.
675
:Dixie: And that's all the time
we have for today's episode.
676
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
677
:should be told, please contact us.
678
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
679
:.
Thanks for listening, and please join us next week as we continue to
680
:explore the world of animal rescue.
