Dustbunny Haven

Farewell for now!

2010-09-02T14:19:00.001-06:00

We are taking a breather from the rabbitry as we prepare for a new baby. We have sold most of our stock, have a couple rabbits still for sale, and will keep a favorite as a pet. For now, we are out of the bunny business though. I highly recommend Enchanted Lions, SunnyDaze Rabbitry, or Fablehaven Rabbitry for your bunny needs :)

Darling Kits

2010-05-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

I adore this age - the 2+ week old bunnies. The Holland Lops are a new experience for us, and I am suprised how quickly they become adorable and snuggly. Lionheads are wonderful, but different - they develop differently, and I think they just get cuter the older they get, whereas the Holland Lops are very cute kits, then loose the babyness quickly. I can see why some people want to sell Holland lops at such early ages, but don't forget that state laws require that kits be at least 8 weeks old to leave their mother's home. Not only is that a law, but it's in the best interest of the kits too - they nurse from their mother for 6-7 weeks, then adjust to weaning around week 7-8. Please don't buy (or sell) a bunny that is less than 8 weeks old - it robs the bunny of important development that the bunny needs with its mama and siblings.

Stepping off my soapbox now :) How about seeing the cuteness we have going on with our new Dustbunnies!

Lola Rockstar's Kits (Lola X Langley)

7 kits, all black torte (2 weeks old)

Bluebelle's Kits (Bluebelle X Sarge)

1 broken black buck (SOLD), 1 VM fawn buck (2 weeks)

Peach's Holland Lop Kits (Peach X Goose)

1 broken chestnut buck (reserved), 1 orange buck, 1 broken orange doe, 1 chestnut doe (keeping)

Aren't they all just darlings?!

And there were 14!

2010-05-04T16:14:00.004-06:00

We have 14 new kits - all born in the past 24 hours. 10 are Lionheads, and 4 are Holland Lops

Cimmaron Lola Rockstar X Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

7 kits, born May 3, 2010

Dustbunny Miss Bluebelle X StarryBright Sergeant Snowball

3 kits (VM), born May 4, 2010

Allusion's Princess Peach X SunnyDaze Goose

4 kits, born May 3, 2010 (Holland Lops)

Feb 2010 URBA Show

2010-02-22T12:28:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was a fun rabbit show for us. Our new club, the Rocky Mountain Lionhead Rabbit Club (RMLRC) did a raffle - and there were so MANY donations! I'm kicking myself for not taking photos of the raffle tables - they were overloaded with raffle items!

Some of the raffle highlights:

~ 3 Palomino Bucks
~ Holland Lop Doe
~ Beautiful homemade indoor rabbit hutch
~ Cage Hammocks
~ 20lb boxes of Timothy Hay
~ Bunny Applique Shirts
~ Mr Potato head bunny
~ Cage toys
~ Kid's costumes
~ Baby Blanket
~ Handmade afgan
~ Coloring books
~ Jewelry
AND A TON MORE!!!

Our rabbits showed in the Open shows (2) - we took Bluebelle, Langley, and Sarge with us. It was a family event - DH and I, the 3 kids and my mom ... plus my grandparents were able to stop by right as our bunnies were at the judging table! I even had a good friend stop by with her family - it was so fun to see her, and have her and her kids oooh and ahhh over our bunnies!

My friends from Enchanted Lions gave me a baggie of Organic Lavender, and an AWESOME tip! You sprinkle some lavender in the bunny's food or transport cage (it's safe for them to eat it!), and it helps them stay calm and not get stressed out from the chaos of a show. It worked SOOOO well!

We had good judges - our first judge was really nice and fun! The second judge was very helpful with suggestions for our breed, but it's hard because the lionhead standard seems ambiguous to the judges, so the consistency in judging isn't there yet.

All in all, it was a long day - we were up at 6, to the show by 8:15, then left for home at 3. We were all exhausted - especially the kiddos.

With my mom there, the kids were able to sit away in a back corner and have their own space, play their nintendo DS (it was funny - most of the kids there had their noses in front of a DS!), then just help brush their rabbits, and get them to the show tables. "Nana" also bought WAY too many raffle tickets, and put my kids' names on them for the RMLRC raffle (thanks mom! Our family AND the RMLRC love you!).

The show results were:

Show A: Langley BOS
Show B: Sarge BOS, Bluebelle BOV, Langley 2nd in Class

The raffle results?

Crazy!

My kids cleaned house! They won a cage-foot-pad, 2 wooden cage toys, a tote bag, a poodle costume, a coloring book, a purse, 3 bunny shirts, a bunny calander book ...

The big items were drawn last. My son was DYING. He really wanted a little orange holland lop doe that was being raffled off. I told him that we'd buy him one ... but of course he wanted THIS one. His Nana gave him a bunch of tickets - and he put all his tickets in for the holland lop. When they were drawing the winning ticket for the bunny, I cringed, prepared to give major hugs and deal with the sobs of a heartbroken kid. I have the worst luck - I have never won ANYTHING in my life! But, despite MY bad luck, my son won his Holland Lop doe! He was on cloud nine!

The last big item was the indoor rabbit hutch. Imagine my shock when my mom's name was on the winning ticket! She jumped up and down, then laughed and said "I don't even have a rabbit!" Many people offered to give the hutch a good home ;) but she decided to have it come to our house! It was tricky getting our minivan packed to get back home!

SO, now for the pictures!

Bluebelle was unusually relaxed!

My Grandma, holding Sarge

The judges kept reading through the standard

This was my youngest's first show - She showed Sarge

The ribbons from the day

My son with his new raffle bunny!

The indoor hutch was donated by Fablehaven Rabbitry - it's awesome! The roof sides lift up, plus there is a duraguard pan that slides in the bottom for easy cleaning.

I also need to learn how to "Blow Out" our bunny manes for the shows ... I need an easy tutorial!

Not show-related, but I'm trying to decide if we're going to keep this Siamese Sable buck - he is out of Bluebelle. If we do keep him, his name will be "Special Agent Gibbs"

New Litters

2009-12-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Lulu and Bluebelle BOTH had litters this afternoon! We are so excited.

Enchanted Lion's Princess Lulu X Wren's Sir Leroy
DOB: 12/09/09
8 born, all BEW
1 kit transferred to be fostered by Bluebelle
7 kits in nestbox

Dustbunny Bluebelle X Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley
DOB: 12/09/09
5 Born, colors uncertain
+1 kit from Lulu's litter
6 kits in nestbox

Sold and Kindling!

2009-12-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

All our last litter are sold, and went home yesterday. They were gorgeous bunnies - I can't wait to see some of them on the show tables! Two went to homes as house rabbits, and two went to a new local lionhead enthusiast. I think Lola Rockstar is SO happy to have her cage to herself, and all the attention to herself, lol!

We have 2 rabbits due on Tuesday, in 5 days. We'll have a litter from Lulu X Leroy (BEWs), and hopefully a litter from Bluebelle X Langley. It's Bluebelle's first litter, so we are holding our breath for her.

These are both important litters for us. We have never had a viable litter of BEWs, so this could be a big first for us. Also, we have never kept one of our own Dustbunny's as part of our breeding program, so Bluebelle's litter could potentially be our first litter of 2nd generation Dustbunnies.

Princess Lulu lost her last litter when they were born on the wire, and it was too cold in the garage. We have brought both kindling bunnies in the house, set up nice and comfortably in the family room. I was filling their waterbottles this morning, when I noticed Lulu had a mouthful! She had ripped apart pieces of a toy, and were carrying the pieces around in her mouth - she has started nesting. I traded out the pieces of toy, giving her a nestbox and loads of hay instead. She is now enjoying herself, arraigning and rearranging to her hearts content.

Hopefully all goes well, and in a week we'll have a handful of healthy kits that are a couple days old, and fat and happy. Crossing our fingers for all to go well!!!

LRS Doe 2

2009-11-06T11:52:00.005-07:00

FOR SALE: $60 pedigreed --- SOLD to Lenny
Double Maned Black Torte Lionhead Doe
Cimmaron Lola Rockstar X Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

This doe is very sweet, and eager to please. She is friendly, and loves attention. Her face is just adorable, and her little ears are placed just right. She has nice, wider, rounded hindquarters, and even shoulders (do not seem pinched). I think she'd be wonderful to show, but she would also be a wonderful brood doe. Her mother is an excellent mother, and did everything perfectly her first time! I personally believe this instinct is genetic, and it's wonderful to not loose your first litters. This little doe is just a sweet little teddy bear!

LRS Doe 1

2009-11-06T11:33:00.009-07:00

FOR ADOPTION (Pet Only) --- ADOPTED by Jill
Double Maned Black Torte Doe
Cimmaron Lola Rockstar x Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

This sweetheart is available to a PET home only. She is blind in her left eye. She needs to live the life of an adored house rabbit. She is very trusting, and loves to snuggle. She isn't fearful or jumpy, rather she is very calm and peaceful. She has been wonderful in helping my kids do their reading homework, since she is content to sit on their laps, and "listen" as they read aloud. She will need to be spayed around 6 months.

LRS Buck 2

2009-11-06T11:08:00.006-07:00

FOR SALE - $60 w/ pedigree - SOLD to Lenny
Double Maned Black Torte Buck
Cimmaron Lola Rockstar x Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

What's striking about this buck is his vibrant coloring. He's a black torte, like his siblings, but he has a very bright orange to his coat. He has always been the smallest in the litter, but he is very curious and outgoing. He is the boss of the nest box. His ears are quite small, and he has a very nice face! His hindquarters are nice, though his shoulder area seems a tiny bit narrow. He will likely stay very small like his father - a good addition to a breeding program. His coloring and handsome face may do quite well on the show table - he certainly loves attention!

For any questions, or to place this Dustbunny on hold, please email us

LRS Buck 1

2009-11-06T10:50:00.003-07:00

FOR SALE: $60 w/ full Pedigree - SOLD to Jill
Double Maned Black Torte Buck

Cimmaron Lola Rockstar X Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

This little guy is a sweetheart. He's the largest of the kits, but still on the small side for a Lionhead. He has a nice frame, and nice hindquarters - his shoulders seem very even with his frame (not pinched). His ears will be well within standard - his sire's ears are tiny! He was very cooperative with attempting to pose ... just attempting to cooperate at 4 weeks is promising! Now to see how his mane develops ... then on to the show tables!

For any questions, or to place this Dustbunny on hold, please email us.

Lola Rockstar's Litter, 4 weeks!

2009-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Lola's kits are just as cute as can be. I am in love with them all!

They are all tortes - and it seems we have 2 bucks and 2 does.

One of the does has an undeveloped eye on the left side. She is blind on that side, but her special needs are nothing when you meet her amazingly sweet personality! God made her one of the sweetest baby bunnies I've ever seen! She is just something special.

Okay, so enough of the talk ... here's pictures!

Lil blind bunny on left, snuggling with her sister:

The Does:

Lola Rockstar's Litter, Day 12

2009-10-21T10:55:00.001-06:00

Aren't they cuties?! 4 gorgeous Tortes. One has a major bright orange tint!

Their mama is doing awesome:

We have Lola and her babies inside the house for now. I know that they have fur coats, and the ability to stay warm, but I'm such a wimp, and figure if I'm cold, the babies need to be inside! Once they have more fur, I may acclimate them back out to the garage ... maybe.

Kwikspell died

2009-10-17T09:08:00.001-06:00

Our sweet little Kwikspell died. She has been up in the master bathroom, so I could keep a very close eye on her. We've been treating her with meds, exercise, and physical therapy, and she seemed to be recovering (very slowly) from wry neck.

This morning, she was hopping around me, when she had a seizure. Such a scary thing to watch.

After her seizure she passed away, while I sat there with her.

She was a gorgeous Cimmaron Lionhead, and will be missed fiercely. We have a buck from her last litter (Zorro), and plan on getting her doe back to carry on her mother's awesome legacy.

Wry neck is so very sad, and I am researching it as much as possible. I am peaceful about Kwikspell's passing, knowing that I tried everything, and gave her the best chance I could.

In good news, the kits from Lola Rockstar are all gorgeous and doing so very well!

Lola Rockstar's Litter, Day 4

2009-10-13T23:53:00.002-06:00

Kwikspell's Kits

DOB: 10/09/2009

4 days old:

Three are looking gray-brown, and one is looking very orange.
It will be so fun to watch them develop!

A note about Wry Neck

2009-10-13T23:05:00.002-06:00

Our wry neck experience with Kwikspell has been very hard, and also very educational. We are still in the middle of the experience, so I'll share more as we learn and research.

In our initial post about Wry Neck/Torticollis, we talked about the medications we were using. What we failed to understand was the major need for PHYSICAL THERAPY. The medication only stops the progression of whatever is causing the wry neck, it doesn't help the bunny recover from the Torticollis trouble. You have to work with your rabbit, trying all sorts of remedies and physical therapies until you find what works with your rabbit.

We also thought that the Wry Neck was a fast treated disease. Perhaps that assumption came due to the sudden onset we experienced with Kwikspell. Since it came on VERY quickly, we assumed that treatment would cause it to go away quickly also.

Wry neck can take a very long time to recover from. BUT - bunnies CAN RECOVER, even if it doesn't happen right away.

I received these links from my friend Brandy, and they helped me learn more about Kwikspell's condition.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/head_tilt.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html (Treatments)
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2371
They are very helpful.

I also recieved a forward from my friend Jody. She had emailed a friend of hers, asking for help for my bunny. this information from her friend, Kim:
She will roll, that is part of the imbalance. I usually hold them till they quite flopping around and them put them on thier feet again. The meds are only going to stop the progression. The other half is therapy, lots of free roaming excersise. The rabbit needs to relearn how to rebalalnce the crystals in her ears that tell her what is up, down, ect.
She will fall over, flop around,and have a head tilt till she gets things righted in her system again.
the meds stop the progression of her getting worse,THey are not going to make her look normal over night. however it will take months for her to get looking normal again. Excersise is the big thing.
Keep her hydrated, might consided a lid to a jar for water, something she can reach. Give plenty of hay, lots of times they came figure out out how to eat that.

One of the links from Brandy said this:

The bottom line is this: treatment for head tilt caused by an ear infection is not only possible, but often very successful. It might take a lot of patience, and a realization that rabbits do not mourn over what might have been, nor what the future might hold. If your rabbit is willing to survive the moment, is eating and drinking and showing affection, and interest in life (however dizzily), s/he deserves a chance to heal. It is so rewarding to see a head tilt bunny race and frolic like a normal bunny, even if it takes several months of treatment and love.

That statement from the article really helped me.

A link in that article, led me HERE - which gave a suggestion for what to do for physical therapy.

Another thing I read (I will add the link if I can find it) was that letting the bunny have some time to walk around an open area (grass was suggested), they will begin to walk, in circles, and falling often, but the more they are able to TRY to walk, the sooner they will be ABLE to walk. I need to find my reference, because the article was really well written in layman's terms. I'll look for it, then post it.

We'll continue to keep you posted on Kwikspell's condition.

Kwikspell today:

2009-10-13T22:02:00.000-06:00

Kwikspell is still a sad looking little bunny She can't feed herself pellets, and she's lost a significant amount of weight (2/3 a pound ... from a two and a half pound bunny). But, she's eating when I feed her, and drinking enough water to pee. I've been reading as much as possible today, and received emails from several other breeders, who have asked more of their breeder friends what I can try. I've been massaging her, and doing minor PT, but I'd try to let her walk, and she would fall over, and keep flipping from the vertigo. It was so sad. This evening, I syringe fed her, then coaxed her to walk a little on the carpet in the family room. After a few minutes, she decided to hop around. She would try to hop straight, and end up going in a pitiful circle - but she wasn't falling over! She kept trying. She's been working on it for the past hour. She rests for 2-3 minutes, then hops. She has now hopped the entire perimiter of the family, dining, and kitchen rooms. She has "rolled" twice, but got herself up both times after just a couple of tries. She hops for 2-3 minutes, rests for 2-3 minutes. BUT, she's hopping! Her head does from slightly tilted to extremely turned. After a couple minutes of serious hopping, or after she fell, her neck was really sideways for a bit. But after resting, her neck looks almost normal. She's even groomed herself a couple times. She just hopped across the room (15 feet) in about 4 seconds. She's gaining speed, and control. I am so very happy. This means she has a chance of making it! I am so relieved and happy (*happy tears*) All I needed today was to know she had a chance :yahoo:

I've got some pictures from this evening - some from the beginning of "physical therapy", and some an hour and a half later. Let me know if YOU think that she's starting to look better ...

The beginning - I actually took pictures because she was looking so much better than earlier today (when her head was almost contorted upside down) - She's my bunny that ADORES the camera. She sees the camera, or a flash, and poses in place, so I figured the camera would only help her feel better about herself, lol!

An hour and a half later, after free roaming to her heart's content:

Then she decided the photoshoot was getting boring:

She goes back and forth from looking way better, to looking miserable again, but she's actually drinking her own water from a dish - and I finally have hope!!!

Kwikspell, the sick little bunny

2009-10-12T10:37:00.002-06:00

Poor little Kwikspell, her head is so far twisted, it makes my neck hurt just to see her. While she LOOKS awful, she is behaving much healthier. She was sitting carefully and quietly in the corner, not eating or drinking ... she was rather listless.

We've been syringe feeding her three times a day. This morning, she ate SIX 6cc syringes of watered down mushed pellets, in addition to THREE 6cc syringes of fresh water.

In the middle of the night, my sweet husband couldn't sleep, so he got up and fed her 4 syringes of water. How I adore my hubby - what a sweet demonstration of his love for me, to get up at 2 am and give my sick bunny extra water.

While she LOOKS worse, I think behavior is half the battle with a sick bunny (and sick kids!), and little Kwikspell is beginning to act more like herself. Now I just hope and pray that her little neck can straighten out soon.

Lola Rockstar's Litter

2009-10-10T12:51:00.001-06:00

We were due for some happy bunny moments!

Lola Rockstar kindled 4 beautiful little kits around 11:30pm last night (Oct 9th). She got her nestbox all lined with fur, and has been a very attentive mama since the little ones arrived.

The kits weren't too cooperative - they were major wiggle-bugs! Healthy, and active :)

Rough Day for the bunnies

2009-10-09T11:32:00.008-06:00

This morning was quite cold. We have been expecting our 3 does to kindle this weekend. The bred does were Kwikspell, Lola Rockstar, and Princess Lulu, all due this weekend.

Princess Lulu went early this morning. She had the kits on the wire, and I haven't been feeling well, so I slept through the night without checking on her. We found four kits - one on the wire, and three had gotten out of the wire, and fallen to the ground. We lost all four. They looked perfect, and were all BEWs. I cried for quite a while. I don't handle loss very well.

We decided to move our does inside while they kindle. It's not freezing, but I didn't want to take any more chances with our kits.

In transferring our precious Kwikspell, my husband laughed ... she was behaving very oldly. I pulled her out, and my heart sunk. She had the beginning signs of wry neck (torticollis). We quarantined her, and began treatment: 2 types of wormers, now we have 5 days of biomycin, then 5 days of PennG. On day 7, we will do another round of the wormers. I noticed the tilted neck at 8 am, and now, at 11am, her neck is almost tilted sideways. It's heart breaking to see, but much of what I have read suggests that it is highly treatable. We can hope and pray for our little Kwikspell.

Here's just my notes for MY REFERENCE. If your rabbit has wry neck, please seek the care of a rabbit savvy veterinarian - ASAP.

Wry Neck: Ear Infection? (parasite infection?)

ALL STUFF AVAILABLE AT IFA (we had Biomycin on hand, everything else cost a total of $27)

Give

Ivomec (horse wormer)

Kitten or Puppy Wormer

Day 1 Start Biomycin (Make sure it is NOT expired)

A lot ---- (a least 1/2 cc or 3/4 cc)

5 days

accompany with Pea size of ProBios

Day 6 Start Penicillin G

A lot ---- (a least 1/2 cc or 3/4 cc)

5 days

pea size of probios

Day 7 - worm again.

Day 10 to 3 months ... hopefully better!

Some Reference Links:

Barbi Brown's Page on Wry Neck
Pet Eduction Article
University of Miami Torticollis Article
House Rabbit Society Article

What your bunny may look like with major Wry Neck:

That is what Kwikspell looks like now at 11 am.

Early today, she looked very slightly tilted:

Her head was slightly tilted - the way I knew was when I held her on her back, or turned her, she wouldn't turn her head the other direction. My suspicion began when she stood on her hind legs in her cage, and fell backwards violently. She was too dizzy, and her eye was bulging a little. In just 3 hours, her condition has worsened dramatically. I'm pretty worried about her.

Introducing:

2009-08-31T18:10:00.002-06:00

This handsome buck is our new BEW! He arrives tomorrow.

Introducing Wren's Leroy:

Photo Courtesy of Wren's Sweetheart Bunnies Rabbitry

Show Results

2009-08-19T13:30:00.002-06:00

My 8 year old took "BOB" in the youth show, with our new little buck Zorro:

and my 6 year old took BOS with her Blue Doe.

We also won BOV with Lola Rockstar (black torte)

It was a fun show.

Show Time

2009-08-12T17:08:00.003-06:00

We have a show this saturday at our local county fair. The kids are each showing a Junior Lionhead, more for the experience than anything. I'm guessing the 10 week old juniors with be DQed for too much wool, since most people don't show their juniors until 4-5 months. But it's all about the learning and fun.

SuperBoy is showing Dustbunny Zorro:

And Princess is showing Dustbunny Nymphadora Tonks:

We'll see if they get DQ'd ... they are cute though, aren't they?

I'll be showing my 3 Cimmarons for the first time.

Wish us luck!

Adopt Me! (NEVER MIND!)

2009-08-10T19:43:00.005-06:00

Dustbunny Zorro

Black Buck, 9 weeks old

Cimmaron Kwikspell X Cimmaron Levi

$65 adoption fee - includes full pedigree, and baggy of transitional feed.

****KEEPING****

Show coming up!

2009-07-26T23:56:00.003-06:00

We have a show coming up on August 15th!

We are very excited to show off our bunnies, and visit with friends we haven't seen in a while :)

Moving!

2009-07-26T23:45:00.003-06:00

Our moving day is getting closer - just 5 more days! We have missed our bunnies the past two weeks - my sweetheart of a niece has been bunny-sitting for us while our house has been in chaos. I can't believe that Kwikspell's kits are 8 weeks already. I need to get pictures of them asap - they are precious little fluff balls!

One plus of having our new house is the area we will be creating a "Bunny Garden" for our rabbits to have safe outdoor time, in a calm garden environment. There will be plenty of edible plants, toys, and space to run and do binkies.

I am keeping my eye out for a bunch of decor for this little garden-in-planning!

Silly :)

2009-07-21T11:47:00.002-06:00

This little bunny made me smile!

(\ /)

( . . )

c(")(")

Introducing Dustbunny Zorro

2009-07-10T23:20:00.003-06:00

At just 5 weeks old, we'd like to introduce you to our first Black buck:

DUSTBUNNY ZORRO

Names for Your Bunny

2009-07-10T11:34:00.042-06:00

Here's a few Ideas for naming the new bunny!

Cordon Bleu

Fleur Delacour

Indiana Jones (Indy)

Lady Catherine

Blue Moon

Remembrall

Gracie Lu Freebush

Aslan

Trinity

Honeydukes

Lammy Luna

Sarabi (Lion King's Mother)

Star Dancer

Nymphadora Tonks

Bubble Bandit

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Sir Remington

Maverick

Cadbury

Bella Swan

BabyRuth

Chewbacca

Cinnamon

Dandelion

Bond ... James Bond

Lady Licorice

Miss Muffitt

Lionheart

Houdini

PandyBear

Simba

Princess Pricilla

Kneazle Crookshanks

Huffalump

Inspector Gadget

SuperStar

TigerLily

Renegade

Padfoot

Pumpernickel

Sassy

Twilight

Mabelline

Sherlock

Snickerdoodle

Great Gatsby

Tinkerbell

Zoebelle

Leandra (greek for lioness)

Langley's eye infection

2009-07-06T15:14:00.003-06:00

FINALLY Langley's eye infection is GONE. (jumping for joy!)

After treating him with rounds of terramycin, then rounds of biomycin + ProBios, then finally cleaning his eye with Vanodine, I left him alone for a week. I figured I would just have to take him to the vet. But today, his eye is dry! No weepy, sticky fur! Yay!!!

Cute bunny Video

2009-07-06T14:13:00.002-06:00

Kwikspell's Kits - 4 weeks

2009-07-01T09:13:00.004-06:00

Kwikspell's babies are a month old! We have a

BLUE DOE (Keeping)

BLACK BUCK (Keeping)

TORTE BUCK (A) (Maybe Keeping)

TORTE BUCK (B) (Maybe Keeping)

I let them loose on my bed, and took pictures. They were hilarious - DH and I kept having to create blockades to keep them from running off. They jumped and ran, then would find a cozy spot, and kick their legs over, flopping comfortably on their sides. It was so adorable.

We are for sure keeping the Blue Doe, and a couple others. I'm pretty sure all the bunnies are spoken for at this point, IF we decide to let any go. They will be the perfect age at the ARBA Convention in October, which we will VERY HOPEFULLY be attending. I am SO excited that they decided to allow all 27 COD varieties of Lionheads to compete in the show! It will also be Gail Gibbon's 2nd Presentation of the breed. Keep your fingers crossed that Lionheads will pass!

Kwikspell's Kits - 2 Weeks!

2009-06-13T23:20:00.003-06:00

These babies are just as precious as can be! They are two weeks old, and today they had their first "playtime". Instead of just snuggling and socializing them, we let them play in a safe enclosed location. It's such a fun time, because we often see the first binkies coming from our new Dustbunnies.

They were getting tuckered and snuggly when I rounded them up for a photo. They are already starting to get wool in the flanks - I am so excited to see how they turn out!

oh - and the "black" bunny seems to be going gray in areas, including the bottom of his feet. Maybe he'll be a martin?

Kwikspell Kits :)

2009-06-01T00:46:00.002-06:00

They were born Saturday, May 30, 2009

Kwikspell Nesting!

2009-05-26T20:38:00.003-06:00

Her "due date" is May 28th ...

Babies should be here soon!!!

Eye Infection

2009-05-26T15:16:00.003-06:00

Langley has been having trouble with an eye infection. His eyes have been wet and weepy, and the fur around his eyes gets gunky and matted if I don't wipe him down often.

Here's some pictures:

I've been treating him with vanodine and terramycin ointment. Hopefully he's back to normal eye-health soon :)

Built our own Nestbox!

2009-05-24T14:59:00.004-06:00

So, Kwikspell is due in a couple days, so my husband helped make a nestbox. Our old one was just a boring box, and too small. This time around, we received lots of advice, and I put these plans together:

We put it together last night, and it will work perfectly. Now, to fill it with bedding and hay ... then hopefully we'll have babies soon!

"Locket Lops"

2009-05-24T13:34:00.004-06:00

Home page: http://www.locketlops.com/

Blog: http://locketlops.blogspot.com/

Meet Locket Lops. They are located in VA, and I am in love with their bunny garden! I was checking out their blog and webpage and decided I had to share with you.

Be sure to peek at their photos --- they have the coolest set-up for their rabbits. I had to wipe away the envious drool, lol!

When I "grow up", I want to have a bunny set-up even half as cool as theirs!

Dustbunny Journal

2009-05-20T00:04:00.005-06:00

Just a little journal about our bunnies as of today, Tuesday May 19, 2009:

Kwikspell is due to kindle next week on the 28th. We are so very excited. I even canceled a trip away with my hubby (don't feel too bad - he was insistent!), because I just couldn't be out of town when she kindled. She was bred with Cimmaron Levi, a Sable Martin. Kwikspell is such a perfect bunny - she loves to snuggle and be petted. She just is a little love/snuggle-bug!

Secret Agent Langley is such a quiet little buck! Even when he's having play time, he'd rather sit close to me instead of running around the playroom. He loves his hay, and is litterbox training very nicely. He is having a bit of weepy eyes going on, but that should be remedied very soon.

Lola Rockstar is fully settled here. She loves to run around the playroom, sniff the dog, and give lots of snuggles. Her saddle area is still thinning beautifully, and her face is becoming more clean. She is a total sweetheart, and everyone adores her!

Princess Lulu is nearly full grown. She has gotten so big. I need to weigh her soon. She will be ready to breed in 5 or 6 weeks - wow! I am looking for a buck who has very correct type - especially in the ears, and is also very correct in the mane and wool. With the rare BEWs, I can't be too picky though!

Rafiki is having lots of breathing trouble. Even her sneezes are sounding troubled. She gets her shots regularly, but they aren't doing much good. I am going to keep her quarantined indefinitely, separate from all the other bunnies. I doubt her trouble is at all contagious, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

In rabbitry news, we are moving away from plastic pet-cages, and on to the nice "Little Giant" cages. They are so much bigger, and the bunnies stay so much cleaner! No more Carefresh matted into the rabbits' manes! So far we have transitioned two cages, and have 3 more to go.

Here's a picture of three of our Dustbunnies, taken today after each of their grooming session:

100 posts!

2009-05-11T15:45:00.004-06:00

To celebrate, here's some new photos of our Cimmarons:

Cimmaron Lola Rockstar (9 weeks old!)

Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

Cimmaron Kwikspell (due to kindle in less than 3 weeks!)

Coming Soon:

2009-04-30T17:40:00.004-06:00

Three gorgeous Cimmaron Lionheads! Our friends from Enchanted Lions and Sunny Daze are picking them up for us at nationals (thank you!)

Here is who will be coming:

Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

Cimmaron Kwikspell

Cimmaron Lola Rockstar (II)

We're thrilled, and are busy preparing to welcome them home! They will soon join Rafiki and Lulu as some of the most spoiled bunnies ever :)

Incredible Breeders

2009-04-30T15:14:00.003-06:00

Most of you have heard all about our awful WV-breeder experience. Today I get to share an OPPOSITE experience all about the GOOD people who are breeders.

After the WV-fraud experience, I was hesitant to buy rabbits from ANYONE. I had my eye of the rabbits of a well-known breeder, and I decided that I *needed* a bunny or two from them. I hoped that with the name they'd made for themselves, I was safe from being scammed again. I planned on picking up my buns at Nationals. In January, we chose our rabbits, and we watched with excitement at their pictures were updated on the website. My children named them, and we've been thrilled as we've waited for this weekend to approach.

This morning, I received a call from the breeder. Our Lola had become sick. I was heartbroken, as was the breeder. She called to offer me options - a full refund, or a replacement rabbit - choosing from several that were all gorgeous. I talked to my family, and my youngest (Lola was to be hers). We decided to go with the brood doe. My baby still wanted a Lola Rockstar though. She loves bunnies - especially "HER" Lola. She has asked me every day "Mama, how long until Lola Rockstar comes home to me?" We would look through the photos online, and she'd yell "There she is!" when I scrolled past Lola's photo. She could recognize her out of the other Tortes!

Well, when I called the breeder to tell her that we decided that we would take the brood doe in Lola's place, she told me she wanted to also give my daughter a younger Jr doe to be able to show ... a Jr that she could name Lola Rockstar, and could come with Lola Rockstar on the pedigree. The kindness and compassion was overwhelming! I told my daughter, and now she keeps talking about how Lola is sick, but she's going to get a new BABY Lola Rockstar instead. I don't think there is a neighbor left who doesn't know that she is getting a NEW baby Lola Rockstar ... she's excited, and I am so relieved and excited for her.

It may seem like a little thing, but it's not. It's a huge thing. These are gorgeous, top, cream-of-the-crop Lionheads. To give an extra rabbit for my daughter was perhaps one of the kindest things I've seen. It just reminded me that while we did have a bad experience with the individual in WV, there are SO many GOOD and KIND people in the rabbit world, who have compassion and kindness towards others, and I feel so grateful to this breeder for being so gracious and insistent in her kindness.

Thank you Gail. Thank you x 100!

Bunny Ears for the Bunny

2009-04-26T19:57:00.002-06:00

Princess Lulu - new pictures

2009-04-25T19:09:00.003-06:00

Princess Lulu was hanging out with my lil'Princess this evening, catching up on Phineus and Ferb episodes.

Cool New Rabbit Community

2009-04-25T16:56:00.003-06:00

There's a new online rabbit community, Rabbit Chat, you should come check it out!

Question of the day:

2009-04-23T12:53:00.003-06:00

"She's so messy thats she's tracking bedding everywhere. Do you even use bedding?"

Rabbits certainly have their own personalities. Some are little OCD tidy bunnies, and others prefer to live in a pig-stye. Just like your kids, bunnies like their rooms to be a reflection of themselves. My bucks tend to be the OCD clean ones of the bunch, whereas my does enjoy to really "Live" in their home. Sounds a lot like my son's room vs my daughters' room.

Being house rabbits, they need to be enabled to keep their area clean. Think of them as toddlers - the less mess for them to get into, the cleaner it will stay! I have tried many different set-ups --- lining the floor with bedding, no bedding, using a corner litterbox, with litter and bedding. We have finally found a set up that works for us.

We now use the *Scatterless* Corner Litter Pans - they are great because the rabbit can not get to the litter to dig and make a mess. We no longer use any bedding, as we noticed the rabbits digging around to make a bare section to flop down on. They love the bare floor, and they love being able to hop into their hammocks if they want to snuggle. Inside the litterbox, we use Purina's Yesterday's News for rabbits. Never use cat litter for a rabbit.

Since we've switched our set-up, there is MUCH less mess. Rabbits still are individuals, and will find a way to get their home to reflect them (Lulu will dig out her food to spread around her cage), but our new set-up is a much better way for us and our rabbits.

If you ever have a rabbit question, email me at dustbunnyrabbits@gmail.com

Remember this Dustbunny?

2009-04-20T19:45:00.003-06:00

This bunny was so cute, but she wasn't meant for our family. Luckily her forever family snatched her up! I was visiting blogs, and ran across this picture with our Dustbunny in it, kicking back, living the life of a posh house rabbit. I love it!

The Royal BEWs

2009-03-28T13:14:00.003-06:00

We played a little dress up this morning. Lulu loved the attention, but Rafiki was less than impressed.

Lulu

Rafiki

Show-Winning Cimmarons

2009-03-18T13:32:00.004-06:00

Our Cimmaron bunnies went to a show in KS this last week. Langley won BOB for the Youth A show, and Lola won BOB for both open shows! We are so excited to be getting such amazing bunnies.

Here's the latest picture of Langley (he's 4(?) months old now):

Isn't he handsome?

(A big thanks to Gail Gibbons for allowing me to use her photo!)

Back Home Again!

2009-03-17T23:01:00.002-06:00

Rafiki is home. I thought I could part with her, but I couldn't!

I got her a new bucket, and made her new hammocks. When I put the hammocks in, she hopped up, and began to rub her chin all over them! For those who don't know, rabbits have glands under their chin, and use their chin to "mark" their territory. The last thing to go in was her new bucket --- I didn't even get it half-way into her cage before she hopped on into the bucket, and flopped over happily.

I missed her ... she really makes me laugh!

Lulu

2009-03-09T08:19:00.003-06:00

I misspoke last night. I missed the discussion where "Little bunny Lulu" turned into "Princess Lulu". I should have figured, since the top two names were Little Bunny Lulu or Snow Princess ... it's a good mixture of both the favorite names. Besides, my little princess just had to make sure everyone knows her bunny is royalty.

I may have just condemned this poor little bunny to a life of pink accessories and dress-up complete with tiaras. I guess I should have known it would come to this ... Lulu is a show bunny after all, lol!

***Lulu just did her first binkies for us! So cute!!!***

New Dustbunny!

2009-03-08T18:33:00.005-06:00

We're SO excited to introduce Enchanted Lions Little Bunny Lulu - our new BEW doe. We were lucky enough to get an Enchanted Lions BEW kit from their Peek-A-Bew's gorgeous litter. She's just a little bun, and sweet as can be. She is "owned" by my 5 year old daughter, Princess, and will be a youth show bun, and our future BEW brood doe. For now, she's an adored and loved pet.

Upon getting Lulu home, Princess insisted on having me pull out my sewing machine to make a bunny hammock - using the same fabric I used for her favorite PJ pants. She wanted Lulu to match her :) The first hammock wasn't terribly big, so we made a second one, and they ended up perfect for leveling with hammocks. We also made a "snuggle bag" - so Princess can hold Lulu and both of them can be super comfortable.

We are so thrilled to have this little sweetheart with us!

Princess and Lulu while we were visiting Enchanted Lions

The "Snuggle-Bag" we made - It's reversible with soft pink fleece and cute patterned flannel.

I *love* this picture!

Lulu's sweet set-up! We are picking up her corner-litter-pan tomorrow, a hay feeder, and some wooden toys

Life is Sweet!

All Babies Sold ...

2009-03-03T10:35:00.006-07:00

All Bella's Babies are sold. It was a little insane, how quickly people rushed over to pay a deposit. I had 5 phone calls in two hours, all wanting to snatch these babies up. The first two to call were the ones that have themselves a Dustbunny rabbit or two :) All the babies are going to be pampered house bunnies! It is so fun to hear people's plans for their new baby bunnies!

Bella is now for sale. She does okay as a brood doe, and her kits are adorable. In her heart, she's a snuggled house pet though. She is friendly, great with kids, and loves to hang out listening to the 20-minutes-a-day reading assignments kids have. We will be very picky about the home she goes to. She can come with her cage, water bottle, and hammock. If you are interested, let us know.

Our Cimmarons come in just 2 more months. Here's pictures of them, courtesy of Gail Gibbons:

"Cimmaron Lola Rockstar"

"Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley"

We're excited to get these buns home.

6 weeks old!

2009-02-26T22:33:00.004-07:00

These sweeties are officially ready for reservation! They go to their new homes in just under 2 weeks. If you are interested in any of these precious babies, let me know ASAP. I have a lot of people interested, but no official reservations yet. There is a $50 adoption fee.

Dustbunny Bella x SLC's Edward = Three beautiful little does!

Introducing Dustbunny Dancing Raincloud:

Dancing Raincloud is sweet, curious, and loves to do binkies. She was the first to hop out of the nestbox, and loved to hang out like a "big-kid" bunny. I can't even remember how many times I'd place her back into the nest box when she was still really little! She is friendly, fun, and outgoing. As for her body type, she is already developing nice breaks, and will probably end up very good looking!

Introducing Dustbunny Dandelion:

Dandelion is a sweet little fluff-ball. She is very quick to snuggle close to whoever is close by, whether that "whoever" is a grown up, child, or another bunny. She is never far from her sisters or mom, and loves companionship. She is curious, but a little more reserved than her sisters. She loves to observe and watch before just jumping out there. Don't be fooled though, she is very friendly and as sweet as can be!

Introducing Dustbunny Cinnabun:

Cinnabun needs to come with a warning label: "So sweet, may cause you to ooh and ahh uncontrollably". Okay, so maybe a warning label is a bit much, but she is a SWEETHEART. She's the perfect little temperament, friendly but independent, curious but content. She's a fluffy sweetheart, and will be a wonderful friend for whoever adopts her!

Bella Babies 5 Weeks old

2009-02-21T16:17:00.004-07:00

This litter is ALL GIRL! All the babies are female. I keep checking, to make sure I didn't make a mistake, but they are still looking like definite does. They will be ready for new homes in about 3 weeks.

Bella Babies 2 Weeks old

2009-02-05T09:38:00.002-07:00

****I'm a little behind on my posts! Bella's January09 litter is already 3 weeks old today!***

There are few things cuter than 2 week old baby Lionheads. They are just beginning to hop instead of army-crawl, and are beginning to entertain the idea of hopping out of their little nestbox to explore the giant world of their mama's kennel. I dare you not to ooh and ahh over them!

New Dustbunnies!

2009-01-29T10:19:00.003-07:00

We are going to be getting TWO new lionheads at Nationals. A buck and a doe from Cimmaron.

Introducing our newest Dustbunnies:

Cimmaron Lola Rockstar

AND

Cimmaron Secret Agent Langley

A huge thanks to Gail Gibbons for permission to use her photos!

Lil'Angel Kit has moved on ...

2009-01-25T00:04:00.003-07:00

Our double-dwarf baby was quite the fighter. He lived for 9 days! He never grew any larger than his birth-size, and never gained weight. He did eat, and he'd wiggle into the middle of the nestbox for the warmest spot, squirming until he was in the center of all the kits. But the double-dwarf gene is fatal - taking most those kits within the first day. Still this little kit lived a pretty good life, all nine days of it.

WV fraud

2009-01-22T16:48:00.004-07:00

We're obviously hitting a nerve with the fraudulent breeder. She sent one of the other girls a very vulgar and threatening email today.

When I wonder if we should be pushing this issue, I remember that we are not the first she's stolen from, and if we do nothing, we will not be the last. This morning, YET ANOTHER person contacted me with their own story involving this scammer. I believe that makes 9 situations that I know of in which "our" WV scammer hurt / threatened / stole from others. We don't feel the need to respond to her vulgarity or threats ... we have justice and truth on our side.

Bella Babies 1 Week old

2009-01-22T09:20:00.006-07:00

The babies are 1 week old today. I WILL take some photos today. Our little Angel Kit "Lil'Angel" is still hanging on. My photos will include our Lil'Angel. I think it's important for people to see what the dwarf gene is and does. Our hope and prayer for Lil'Angel is that this baby can live a content little life, and when it's time, pass quickly and peacefully.

The other kits are doing very well - healthy, fat bellies, and they are squawkers! Grown rabbits never make that sound - but they squawk for their mama, they squawk when they can't get snuggled right in the middle their siblings. It's actually pretty cute, lol!

PHOTOS:

Some of these will be links - click on them to see the photo.

This kit looks like another Dark Sable Point. We have two that will be this coloring. If we don't keep them, at least one is already spoken for.

****To see all Four kits (including Lil'Angel), click here

****To see one healthy kit next to a double dwarf gene, click here

Close up of one of our 3 healthy kits at one week old:

Click link to see same picture of a double dwarf kit at one week old.

I shared those pictures so that others can know what a "peanut" actually looks like. At one week old, the other kits have doubled in size, and are covered in soft fuzzy fur. They will be opening their eyes in a few days. In contrast, the double-dwarf baby has not grown. Although he's been eating, and has a full stomach, he has not put on weight, or even developed fur in all places.

Our Lil'Angel will probably hang on for a couple more days. His breathing has become more labored, and his chest looks very much like our NICU babies chests did when their lungs were sick, collapsing deep into his body with each breath. He still crawls around though, and seems to be the boss of the nest box - he always gets the best spots - in the middle, surrounded by the warmth of his siblings.

There are moments when I am very defensive - I don't want to "show off" this little angel of a bunny - I want him to have peace during his short time in this life. In other moments, I am overcome by the science of this experience. Watching how genetics work, and the differences that one gene can cause. It's very intriguing from a scientific standpoint.

So, here are the pictures. Lil'Angel won't be around much longer. After he's gone, I will focus much more on the healthy kits, and document their development. But for now, I will watch him and learn from his itty-bitty strength and determination.

Wednesday Night with Julio

2009-01-21T20:35:00.004-07:00

Julio hung out in the living room tonight, watching "Lost" with us. He liked checking things out, but wasn't interested in exploring too far from his cage. He hung out by the piano ... playing with his cardboard tube ... rolling it around the floor, and hopping to intercept it before it rolled too far away.

Tuesday Night BEW

2009-01-20T22:40:00.004-07:00

Rafiki hung out this evening, hopping around, then flopping on the living room floor to "watch" American Idol with me. Apparently, all the singing just plain bored her, since she fell asleep.

Isn't she just a sweetheart?!

The Cimmaron that is soon-to-be-mine :)

2009-01-19T17:01:00.005-07:00

Only those who are really into the lionhead world will appreciate my extreme excitement over adopting a Cimmaron Lionhead. (((jumping with excitement)))

I'm getting a Cimmaron!!!

We have reserved:

Cimmaron
Tortoise - black doe
Sire: Cimmaron Beacon (Tortoise - black)
Dam: Cimmaron Harmony (Tortoise - black)

"She is just getting better and better. Really coming into herself now. Nice mane coming, lovely correct topline and wonderful width to body this a nice doe. "

Bella Babies day 3

2009-01-18T16:54:00.005-07:00

Bella's kits are okay. We lost #6 and #5 (they were double-dwarf), so we are down to 4 kits.

Of those 4, three are looking great - getting fur and fluff already (looks like 2 sables and 1 torte?). The fourth kit hasn't developed. It is getting fed, and Bella is being a wonderful mama. It just looks like another victim of the double-dwarf gene that Lionheads are pone to.

The double-dwarf gene is fatal. It's not like puppies, where a "runt" can make it and be fine.There is absolutely no way for a double-dwarfed kit to make it. Double-Dwarfed kits are often called "peanuts". Since Lionheads are all dwarf rabbits, I don't know if breeding Bella to a different buck in the future would change the problem of loosing so many of our kits to the double gene. Any more experienced breeders have any input?

Those who keep begging me for pictures, I will be slow taking pictures of these babies. I want to let this little baby pass in peace. I am personally unable to "cull" those special little babies out of the nestbox - Bella is able and willing to care for all her babies, and even the kits that *will* die within the first few days deserve to have that love and peace that their mama gives them. I just can't take that away from them.

Anyways, pictures will come eventually. They are all beautiful little babies, and they will be melting your hearts soon enough!

Oops, She did it again!

2009-01-15T16:17:00.005-07:00

Bella *just* gave birth. 6 live kits. A couple look quite a bit smaller than the others, so I'm wondering if we'll loose one or two again (we already lost kit #7 from this litter).

Bella has issues with the nest box. I think it's too cramped for her (it's a homemade one). This is the second time she gave birth on the floor. Luckily, I have been keeping a close eye on her, and found the kits very early --- they were all starting to feel cool though, so we have them warm and snug in the nest box, in a warmer part of the house. Bella was a little stressed that I bothered her babies, but I put a blanket over the side of her cage (blocking the the nest-box from any drafts), and have that room dark and quiet, so I hope she can be calm, and know that she and her babies are safe.

No pictures today ... I want to just leave them be, let them warm up, and make sure Bella is able to feed them all. I'll check on them, but I don't want to take them out at all.

I am so excited!

2009-01-12T08:40:00.003-07:00

We are getting a Cimmaron bunny! We will hopefully be picking her up at Nationals. Speaking of Nationals - I am hoping to go with a few other local Lionhead Lovers, and we'll take a road trip to Ohio! I have never been to Ohio ... I don't know if being in a new state, or going to NATIONALS is more exciting to me! Hmmmm .... Definately NATIONALS! Lionhead Nationals are May 2nd, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio.

Rafiki ...

2009-01-08T09:56:00.006-07:00

Rafiki's new "Due Date" is Febuary 7th. We are hoping she will be able to carry this litter (this is her 4th try). Many people are waiting anxiously for our first BEW litter, but no one is as anxious as me. Because she came to us in poor condition, and we do not know her health-history, including if she can carry a litter, or has ever had a litter successfully, I am not yet confident that we will have BEW kits soon. I'm hoping we do, and Rafiki will have all the love and care she could possibly need. Even if she can't carry a litter, she is still a beautiful little bunny who came to us in a sad state, has overcome the odds of bad health, and is now doing well in shows, and as a house bunny.

Speaking of Rafiki, the "WV breeder" individual has filed with the court in West Virginia in reply to our charges against her. She is *STILL* claiming she dropped off two carriers, and is arguing that the rabbits we recieved "were not sick, since it won in a show". I am NOT in this because of the $900 that woman took. I DO want her to have to answer to her lies though, so that she is unable to continue her bunny-breeder con. She has been doing this for years, and it WILL stop this time - and we won't stop until she has to answer for her lies.

I think of the sleepless nights I spent, leaning next to Rafiki's cage, listening to her wheeze all night long. We had two NICU children who had lung problems, so that wheezing seriously brings fear into my heart - especially for a little bunny that I feel so protective over.

Yes, she won a BOV award at the Dec Local show. I seriously was worried about taking her - she has anxiety leaving her "home", and any anxiety she has is shown by her wheezing - the more anxious she gets, the worse her breathing becomes. She no longer has the horrible respritory-infection gunk, but that doesn't make her wheezing any less scary for me. She did SO well at the show - I was so proud of her. It was like validation for all the time, effort, and attention (medical and love) that has been put into her. Even if she hadn't won anything, she would still have won my heart. She is a sweetheart - she is quirky about having her bucket, loves to watch me as I do chores, and she loves to explore my room, as long as she doesn't have to go out my door into the big hallway. She's content and happy and peaceful with where she is, and that very first day I met her, I hoped she could find just that: Peace, Happiness, and Contentment.

Only ONE baby left!

2009-01-08T09:50:00.003-07:00

Out of Bella's Litter of 4, there is ONE baby left for sale. All other 3 have been sold, and are already enjoying their new homes --- all 3 were adopted as House Rabbits, which is really fun for me, since I get to hear about the "homes" these individuals had built / set up for their new companion. I think I'm most jealous of Dustbunny Delilah - she has her own room, and will be a "free-roaming" house rabbit with no cage. It's fun when our babies go to homes that will spoil and adore them even more than we did!

Our only baby left is Dustbunny's Rambo. He's our little Torte Buck. We should have named him "Teddy Bear" though - he is so sweet! I'm sure he'll have a new home very soon.

Knocked up for the New Year ...

2009-01-05T17:07:00.004-07:00

I wasn't ready, but Miss Bella got herself possibly knocked up for the New Year ... or maybe even during Christmas while I was out of town. I'm not sure yet, but her abdomen is swollen, and she is re-arranging her cage bedding every five minutes. Poor Rafiki got blamed for it - she's my regular re-arranger, especially when it comes to getting her bucket in just the right place. So I assumed the obnoxious noise was Rafiki. Nope, I went to check on her, and it was Bella making the ruckus.

Speaking of Rafiki, she has a blind date lined up tomorrow night. It was planned for tonight, but the snow is just coming down outside, so I'm not going anywhere. We'll be meeting her handsome, well pedigreed date tomorrow night, thanks to SunnyDaze Rabbitry.

Hopefully we'll get some BEW kits soon!

Two Babies for sale!

2009-01-05T16:38:00.005-07:00

We only have 2 babies left out of Bella & Edward's litter. We were going to keep 2 for Nationals, and sell 2, but I got a bit overwhelmed with the rest of my life, so we will not be keeping any of these babies. The two Sable Point Seals are sold, and I now have our Sable Point Buck baby and the Torte Buck baby left. It's funny how my favorite two are the last two to go!

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Dustbunny's Binker (Sable Point Buck)

This handsome little guy is called "Binker" because he is the first and youngest kit I've had do Binkies! For those who don't know, Binkies are jumps of joy and excitement done by some rabbits. I posted a video of these babies doing them when they were really little (3 weeks?) - and Binker was the first one to show his joy --- once he started, it seemed he couldn't stop, and the rest of the babies had to try doing binkies too. Binker is just always happy, lol! He's also very affectionate - and grooms / gives bunny kisses to anyone he can. He's a sweetheart, and I think he'll end up looking a lot like his handsome dad!

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Dustbunny's Rambo (Black Torte Buck)

This little guy should have been named "Teddy Bear"! He is so snuggly and fluffy! He is really personable, and loves to nudge my hand so I will pet him. We called him Rambo because he was very adventurous. During "play-time", he would scamper up to the highest spot to have a good view of everything ... until he saw another possible vantage point. He does not mind climbing onto your shoulder to get that good view ... as long as he can cuddle up and be snuggled at the same time. He is a total snuggle-bug!

***I don't think that last picture of Rambo is very flattering, but I did want you to see how nice is mane is already coming in!

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If anyone is interested, or knows someone who might be interested, let me know.

Vanodine

2008-12-18T08:36:00.003-07:00

We are now using Vanodine to keep our rabbits in a clean, healthy environment. I have heard many good things about vanodine, but we will see for ourselves now. "Vanodine is used to prevent the spread of viruses bacteria and fungus." It can be hard to find right now, but we ordered ours from BunnyRabbit.com

Rafiki's due date & ONE Bella Baby not reserved!

2008-12-18T08:28:00.004-07:00

Came and went. We had no kits, no nesting, and no sign of pregnancy. We'll try again this month, then we may need to breed our BEWs to other rabbits to make sure one of them can't reproduce.

Also, there is ONE Bella Baby that has not been reserved. It is the cute little Torte Buck. He is adorable, super curious, and a great temperament.

We Have a Website!

2008-12-14T11:13:00.007-07:00

Dustbunny Rabbitry now has its very own website! If you have any trouble with it, please let me know so I can fix any problems. I'm still figuring the website scene out :)

http://www.dustbunnyrabbits.com

This blog will still be kept up - I love being able to document our bunnies, and how quickly the babies grow - it's such a little miracle to watch.

Introducing Bella's Babies!!!

2008-12-12T10:17:00.006-07:00

These sweethearts will be ready for adoption in a couple weeks, so we wanted to go ahead and officially introduce them! They all have WONDERFUL personalities and excellent temperaments, making them very loving and happy bunnies. They have strong pedigree, and would be wonderful for a breeding program. Their sweet temperament, and their parents' laid back personalities would make them wonderful pets. If you would like to reserve one for Christmas, please contact me at dustbunnyrabbits @ gmail.com

Dustbunny Rambo (Black Torte Buck)

Dustbunny Binker (Sable Point Buck)

Dustbunny Marco Polo (Sable Point (Seal?) Buck)

Dustbunny Delilah (Sable Point (Seal?) Doe) --- NOT SELLING

Our First Rabbit Show

2008-12-06T21:49:00.006-07:00

Today was our first rabbit show. We took Rafiki, Julio, and Edward. It was a double show, my rabbits were all entered into both shows. The first show we recieved two 1st places --- Edward and Rafiki each won Best Of Variety! A gorgeous doe from SunnyDaze Rabbitry won Best of Breed.

The second show was a bust for the lionheads --- EVERY SINGLE LIONHEAD at the show was DQed. ALL disqualified. Every last one. The judge had some good insight for us all, but it was still frustrating for all the lionhead breeders. Any "wool" on the ears is considered a disqualification - there are people working to change that issue to a fault, not a DQ. The breed is still under a lot of work, and it's difficult to live up to every judges opinions. So for now, it's hit or miss it seems.

My 7 year old son is especially proud, since he has always been best buddies with Edward. He came to the show with me today, helping me carry the crates, get the rabbits ready, and stood next to the coops when Edward was being judged. It really was exciting to him for Edward to "win". I asked him if he would be interested in coming with me to the next show. Even 8 hours after leaving home, his answer was "uh, YA!" as though my question was offensive, lol!

This show was fun for me. I love to be around people who love rabbits, and have fun with the sweet buns. If I ever got into another breed of rabbit, it would definitely be the Holland Lops. But, in all honesty, my heart belongs to the Lionheads!

Rafiki

2008-12-03T09:42:00.004-07:00

Dustbunny Rafiki

BEW Doe

Miss Rafiki is a character. God made her a strong little bun - knowing she'd have to be to survive getting through all the neglect she endured before she arrived here. None of that has squashed her personality though! As you may have noticed in previous posts, Rafiki has an uncanny love for buckets - mainly the heavy duty plastic steralite shoe box buckets. Her other love? Papaya. That bun loves her papaya. If she hears me open the bag of dried papaya, she starts getting excited, hopping in and out of her bucket, and standing up on her hind legs like a groundhog. She get really nervous about being held, and will start to breathe so quickly - unless you are holding her bucket with her in it. In her bucket, she will flop upside-down and fall asleep, surrendering to complete relaxation. Rafiki is the type of bunny that embraces her life, and thoroughly finds joy in simple things ... like a bucket.

We love our Rafiki.

Bella's Kits - 22 days old!

2008-12-02T20:46:00.008-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-02T08:46:00.007-07:00

Even the bunnies are getting into the Holiday spirit!

Video of Bella's Kits

2008-11-24T22:50:00.005-07:00

Bella's Kits started doing "Binkies" - they are so cute and joyful!!!

Sorry for the poor quality - the lighting is awful, and this is with a cell phone camera! I think I may ask Santa for a digital video camera, lol!

13 Days Old

2008-11-20T00:09:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since these babies arrived! They are so darn cute and sweet, and Bella is being the sweetest little mama to them all. She is still our sweet house bunny, and is demanding that we give her love and kisses too. It's such a fun process once the kits get around this age!

Sorry, we went a little picture crazy today!

We have a couple open eyes!

2008-11-16T12:59:00.008-07:00

Our kits are starting to open their eyes! They are so gorgeous, Bella did well ;) They are also super snuggly, just like their father!

I am still curious as to what color the gray-silver kits will be. So far I've only had Torte and REW kits - now I've got Torte, Sable Point, and the two grays that could be a couple different colors. Could they be Siamese Sable? Turn lighter into Sable Points? Something else? It's interesting to see!

ONE WEEK OLD!

2008-11-13T14:24:00.005-07:00

Bella's Kits were born one week ago today. I am so happy that we have 4 beautiful, healthy kits to love. I was scared we would loose them all, but Bella has done amazingly with these four kits.

The BEWs

2008-11-13T14:20:00.008-07:00

I am going to start calling them by their names. No bunny deserves to be left name-less!

So, dear bunny friends, meet Julio and Rafiki:

BEW Doe, Rafiki (Thanks to Enchanted Lions for letting us take care of her!)

And last, but probably Rafiki's favorite photo: Miss Rafiki and her bucket (seriously, she doesn't go long without her bucket!)

AND

BEW Buck Julio:

SIX days old ...

2008-11-12T20:18:00.003-07:00

Bella's Kits 5 days old

2008-11-11T20:26:00.002-07:00

The BEW and the Bucket

2008-11-11T19:49:00.005-07:00

This BEW doe is a total character. She found this shoe-box bucket in my room while playing, and has become attached to it - she loves the thing. She'll flip it around with her mouth, push it into place with her nose, and hop in and out of the bucket for hours. She gave me a *really* big scare today, when she suddenly jumped away, and hopped down 4 feet, and fell. I think my heart will be racing for a few days until I am 100% certain that she is fine. As for now, she's back in her home, playing with her bucket.

"I haz a bucket!" She says.

Bella's Kits 4 days old

2008-11-10T17:20:00.002-07:00

We lost another kit.

2008-11-09T15:26:00.004-07:00

I check my babies daily, and today I noticed that all the babies had very full bellies, but one was very unresponsive. It was breathing, but not wiggling and rooting around, even when I picked it up. I checked back a couple hours later, and the baby had passed away. We have 4 kits left, at 3 days old. I'm rather discouraged, but I do know that Bella is doing her best to mother the babies. I think she may not have very strong genes though, or that half her litter ended up with the double dwarf gene. Any babies we sell will be sold as house rabbits to be loved and spoiled. Bella will also retire from breeding. She is a wonderful house rabbit - snuggly, personable, and has spent hours "watching" movies with my kids and "listening" to books and bad-day stories. She's an awesome pet. She just won't be bred again. Not that ANY of this is her fault in any way, but I want to focus on these babies we do have, and not worry about ever having Bella go through this again.

(((sigh)))

Bella's Kits, Two days old.

2008-11-08T19:58:00.003-07:00

I'm very curious to see what colors these kits end up being. If you have any ideas, comment and let me know what you think they will be!

A lost kit, and the BEW fraud

2008-11-07T20:55:00.006-07:00

We lost a kit this morning. It was the only one without a nice-full tummy, so I gave it one-on-one time with Bella in the nest box. I helped it latch on and everything, but even after 15 minutes, its stomach was still empty. It passed away a couple minutes later. It's heartbreaking, but the kit wasn't developed properly. The other babies are doing well though, and I will continue to photograph them tomorrow.

As for the WV-Breeder-who-shall-not-be-named, Did you know we're not the first she's been scamming? It's so sad to hear what she is doing to others - including people who trusted her more than we did. The court papers have been sent, and I hope she realizes that her lies are going to catch up with her.

Bella's Kits

2008-11-06T11:57:00.005-07:00

Six wiggly and warm babies:

The nest box, full of babies and soft, warm fur.

For those who haven't seen a newborn bunny - understanding the size:

Bella has babies!

2008-11-06T07:30:00.006-07:00

Miss Bella had babies early this morning. She has 6 right now (she birthed nine - we lost two, and a third kit didn't properly develop). She is trying really hard ... she's my messy bun, but she's containing her mess to outside the nest box for now. 3 of the kits have full, round bellies, and 3 still need fed. I'm just hoping and praying that she can care for them all - six is a big litter for lionheads. If they can just make it through the next 3 days, then we're pretty good.

This litter is from Dustbunny's Bella and Edward (SLC's Typhoon). Twilight fans, I do realize that one of the babies needs a certain name. ;)

I will take pictures tonight. For now I need to give Bella peace to follow her natural instincts, so she can care for those babies.

Bella is balding ...

2008-11-04T20:37:00.004-07:00

Today was "Bella Nestbox Day" on my calendar (the nestbox went in early today), with Bella's due date on Thursday. This evening, our family was in the playroom, when we heard someone upstairs, banging around. My husband turned into Jack Bauer, rounding corners cautiously, ready to plummet an intruder, and went to check it out ... then yelled for me to come see. I was a little concerned.

I went up to find Miss Bella was thumping angrily - somehow the door to her cage was open and she was not happy about it! The racket was her jumping around, thumping loudly every couple seconds. I have never seen a bunny so disgruntled! I closed her door, and she calmed down. It was then my husband pointed out the corner of her cage --- right next to the nest box was the beginning of a nest, with fluff intermixed with bedding!

This is Bella's second pregnancy. She lost her first litter, and I was so heartbroken. However --- last time she didn't build a nest at all! She's pulling her fur, and getting ready, so I am very optimistic this time around - hopefully we'll have cute babies around again!

This litter will be from Bella and Edward :)

FBI

2008-11-02T23:34:00.006-07:00

For those following my experience with the WV-rabbit-breeder-who-shall-not-be-named. I just filled a report with the FBI. Any casing including emails, websites, and other online media can be reported to a special division of the FBI.

Also, I've been researching laws regarding "Slander and Libel" suits. Funny how many people throw those terms around without actually knowing what is included, or NOT included in those claims.

Wikipedia states: "The origins of US defamation law pre-date the American Revolution; one famous 1734 case involving John Peter Zenger established some precedent that the truth should be an absolute defense against libel charges."

We live in a country of freedoms, and those freedoms include the freedom of speech. I will continue to research my situation, then the truth will ring out for all to hear. Because our country is built on truth - and even WV-rabbit-breeder-who-shall-not-be-named can't pretend they don't know the truth.

The handsome and dashing Edward

2008-11-02T13:01:00.006-07:00

If ever a rabbit could win a "Congeniality" award - it would certainly go to our Edward. He is so patient and loving. The kids pick him up, and he goes limp so they can adjust him in their arms. He snuggles his nose to you, and doesn't even jump in the slightest when he gets an unexpected petting. Seriously, he is Mr Mellow ... one of the best house bunnies I could have asked for (and that's not even taking his OCD tidiness into consideration!). I'm excited that his litter with Bella is due this week --- the combo of the two will make for some great little bunnies. I'm hoping for Sable Points like Edward ... but who knows - we didn't get any with his and Sunflower's litter. Most of all, I hope they inherit their daddy's personality!

The "boys" of the house :)

Posing for the camera

Bella and the tummy from outer-space ...

2008-11-02T10:00:00.005-07:00

Miss Bella is definitely due this week (Thursday is day 31). Her belly is so very swollen, and last night I cleaned our her cage, then snuggled for a few minutes, resting my hand under her belly. A few minutes into snuggling, and I felt movement that wasn't Bella or me! I don't know if I'm being realistic, but I certainly think I felt a little kit moving around, practicing its hopping while safe in his momma's tummy. This is Bella's 2nd pregnancy - she lost her first litter. I'm hoping this 2nd time around is the charm, and we can have some healthy little kits.

In BEW news, I got the buck a hide-box for his house, and he has spent the morning "house-cleaning" - kicking all the bedding out from his hide-box, and digging around the sides to make sure all the fluff is gone.

What is it with my bucks being OCD neat freaks?! LOL! Edward is the same way. It cracks me up. The BEW doe is a normal little rabbit, pretty clean, but not a perfectionist. Then there's Bella ... the slob, lol! If a mess CAN be made, she will make it. She's my only rabbit who refuses to pick one spot for a litter-box area. Good thing she's such a cutie, despite her messes. If anything, she's teaching me how my children will be as teenagers ;)

So, Tuesday is nest-box day for Miss Bella --- I got some pictures of her while she's fluffy and full-maned, and I tried show how HUGE the poor thing's belly is. Aren't I so rude! I wonder if I've offended Bella in telling her she looked ready to pop ...

The picture does not capture the enormity of Bella's baby-belly. It's huge, round and full. I rested my hand on her belly again a few minutes ago, and most definitely felt 2 separate kits moving. So did DS and DH. So we know there are babies in there - we just need to pray that she can care for them once they arrive ...

Sometimes you just have to laugh!

2008-10-30T17:20:00.006-06:00

In an email from "the-wv-rabbit-breeder-who-will-not-be-named", the individual said:

"Good luck with camera I called airport and they told me what they told whom ever called there that I am on there with 1 carrier true but it does not SHOW HOW MANY BUNS WERE IN KENNEL."

When I'm frustrated with someone who is being dishonest, I either cry or get giggly. It's a character flaw I seem to have. It makes my kids really mad when they have chocolate smeared on their faces, and I can't help but laugh at their insistence that they did not eat the chocolate. Right now I can't stop laughing - and it's really bad! I just keep trying to picture her explaining in court how she could have fit 5 rabbits into that tiny carrier. I keep picturing her trying to explain that 5 bunnies could be stacked on top of each other and placed into the kennel.

I need to just focus on the two sweethearts we did receive. They are seriously sweethearts!

Sunflower is now Sunkist!

2008-10-29T23:08:00.005-06:00

Our Miss Sunflower is the best bunny-baby-mama ever! Did you know she was originally from SunnyDaze Rabbitry? When our friend from SunnyDaze came to help our new BEW arrivals get better, Miss Sunflower whispered to me that there was a little boy back at their house that she missed. We're excited that a certain little boy now has his "Sunkist" back! I'm sure she'll bring lots of babies and sunshine to SunnyDaze Rabbitry

Give her a kiss for us!

BEWs this evening:

2008-10-29T22:54:00.003-06:00

"Help, my water bottle is broken! Oh, I'm OUTSIDE the kennel? Huh. Weird."

"Am I really allowed to just play?"

"HEY - who gave you permission to stop petting me?!"

"Oooooh! Nice place!"

Coming Soon:

2008-10-29T22:49:00.002-06:00

Fun Pictures of our cute BEWs, who are now being spoiled with love in our home!

For an update - the buck is done with his 3 rounds of antibiotics and live cultures, and the Doe has 2 more rounds to go. The Doe is breathing better, and doesn't wheeze unless stressed ... maybe that's why she's getting so much better - the lack of stress on her.

Last night, after giving them their shots, they snuggled with my husband and I on the couch and watched some "House" and "Heroes" off the dvr. The buck snuggled in my arms, content to sit indefinitely, while the doe decided she wanted to lay right along the side of my husband. If he shifted his position, she would get up, hop around to watch him, then lay along his side again. I think she stole my husband's heart! Normally that would NOT be allowed, but I think she might be an exception - she's too cute to not adore!

Buck's Tattoo

2008-10-29T16:11:00.004-06:00

The "U" is not lined up with "BL" I tried to get that in the picture as clear as possible. Do different tattooing kits have different lettering?