I swear, if I don't get a tan this summer, sitting in the sun for a while every day with my rabbit, I never will.

When I think objectively, I also find it strange that I consider lying on the lawn reading while my rabbit flops in his cage to be spending quality time with him. But.. you know... I scratch him a bit and we look at each other and he tooth-purrs.

Also: went to meeting with the psych unit. Diagnosed with social phobia. Was told I'd probably feel better if I got volunteer work or something. THINGS I ALREADY KNEW FOR $500.

In a squee that no one will understand, someone on trademe just listed a litter of mini lop x enderby island rabbits. Sadly no pictures yet. *wants pictures*

Staff at the bottle store recognising you - good customer service or a statement about how often you're there? HMMMMM.

I have confirmed that there appears to not be any lionhead rabbits in New Zealand. This makes me sad. That's three small breeds that never made it here that I'd otherwise like to get - American Fuzzy Lops, Polish and Lionhead. Seriously, lionheads have short fur all over their body except for long hair on their heads. How awesome is that?

Instead if I get a second rabbit I suspect it will be a light coloured Dutch or minilop (fawn or blue with white for Dutch and god only knows for a lop because they come in every colour ever). Or a Dutch x lop, since I have actually seen more than one litter of those advertised and mix breeds can be healthier than purebreds.

I've written nothing today, but it's not 4pm yet and I'm not cooking or cleaning tonight so I should still have time to do stuff. I'm coming up on the dramatic climax of the thing I'm writing, and once it's finished I'm going to go on to something else, so really I guess it's NaFicWriMo.

I apparently have the same birthday as St Aloysius. Also Chingy, Matthew Gray Gubler and the BTK killer.

IT'S LIKE SIX DAYS UNTIL NEW DR WHO EPISODE.

Holly's hutch used to be on the side lawn, which is the one leading off the patio that you look out onto from the living room, but yesterday we moved him to the back lawn. It's not as green as the side lawn but it gets lots of sun and at the moment he's just lying there enjoying the warm.

( pictures )

I have purged my f-list. Remember, f-lists are not a drama zone for me - if I dropped you, it's not because I hate you. I'm not in any games at the moment and I'm much more active over in Torchwood fandom on LJ so I'm checking my f-list less. Just making it a bit less cumbersome. (If you have an LJ and don't mind excessive blather and fic and vid posts, my LJ is ~phaetonschariot, I have the same open friends policy there.)

Also have a picture of bunnies.

From yesterday's post, I got this back today:

Thank you for also making us aware of the description on this website of our Hartz Bonanza Rabbit Diet. Please note that we have improved our Bonanza Diet. The new formula contains more high fiber pellets and is fortified with vitamin and mineral for your rabbit's well-being. We have removed some unnecessary ingredients that rabbits usually don't eat or don't like to increase some of their favorites (Carrots, Alfalfa...). We have completely removed the whole corn, which can lead to digestive disorder, and we have added new tasty ingredients like raisins and bananas chips. This new improved formula will help you deliver the optimum levels of protein, fat and fiber that your rabbit needs for a happy, healthy life.

Which is a lot of rhetoric, but it's more than I was expecting. (Not sure of the wisdom of increasing alfalfa, really, but removing corn is good.)

Yeah, I totally just threw a politely worded shit-fit at an American pet food company.

Despite your website urging pet owners to research the required nutrition of their animals, you seem to be unaware that rabbits are not rodents, rather lagomorphs.

"Rabbits require a rich varied diet of quality seeds, grains, vitamin enriched pellets, fruits, nuts, and veggies." as stated on this website selling your product http://farm-and-pet.hardwarestore.com/109-606-rabbit-and-hamster-food/bonanza-rabbit-food-521876.aspx is not only an exaggeration but blatantly untrue. Rabbits should not be fed seeds or nuts, and fruits and grains should be limited as they can lead to obesity. Corn is never listed as a recommended food for rabbits by any expert. Foods such as nuts, corn and sunflower seeds are high in carbohydrates and fat and when fed to a domestic, desexed rabbit, contribute to a high rate of obesity and the build up of fat in the liver and arteries (atherosclerosis) - rabbits fed seed-rich diets have a higher incidence of hepatic steatosis, fatty liver disease, which can be fatal. The starches also present in these foods can lead to bloat and GI stasis when they reach the cecum, which can be extremely dangerous in an animal that requires its digestive system to be constantly active. While a wild animal may eat these things to supplement its diet out of necessity, in pets it should be strongly avoided.

There is already a lot of false information spread about rabbits, largely from pet stores, and adding to this misinformation with advertising that is so utterly misleading is irresponsible at best.

Not that I expect it to do anything, but at least I feel better?

Last night my dad told me there was a cold weather warning for this weekend and I was debating whether to leave Holly out overnight. Before I went to bed I checked on him and he seemed happy enough, so I left him - about half an hour later dad knocked on my door to say Holly was kicking up a racket. He'd gotten his way up the ramp and was sitting on the upstairs floor, so my theory is that he'd gotten up, but was too anxious to get back down. I brought him inside and put him in his indoor cage for the night.

Took him back out this morning, gave him parsley etc while I read my f-list and twitter. Then I grabbed an apple to cut up for my breakfast and sliced an eighth of it into small pieces that he'd be able to get in his mouth to nom. Gave some to him where he was sitting on the top floor again, put a few on the shelf (not sure if he's actually gotten right up on there yet, he mostly leans against things to grab) and a couple of rungs on the ramp. Checked on him again a little later and he was downstairs. Hurrah!

Whether he's outside tonight depends on the weather, I guess, but I'm starting to be less nervous about him being out there. Saw a cat walk past yesterday and they completely ignored each other which was sort of amusing, but the cage is really secure anyway.

Settled down to give my rabbit his painkillers this morning and he clearly remembers from yesterday what the syringe is for. He clambered into my lap, shoving his face in my hand all PUT IT IN MAH MOUF and actively sucked on the end when I offered it to him. I lolled so hard. He doesn't actually seem to be in that much pain either, he was happily running around before I gave it to him.

It took nearly an hour to give bunny his oral syringe-action painkillers. Not coz it was that difficult (I have practice at this....) but because afterwards he just stayed curled up in my lap for sleepy cuddles. So sweet.

My bunny is recovered from having his bits cut off and I have been out two nights in a row. Last night for a concert, tonight for live theatre with acrobats in various states of undress. It was acrobaty. I am, however, displeased with the weather. Too cold!

This is the time of year I decide what to do with my hair - normally I chop it short but I think I might keep it shoulder length and may see if I can go a few shades lighter? Not that I can yet, as the surgery was NZ$375 and I still owe $145 of that. Luckily I have a very good payment history with them, since he was sick for a while and all, giving me many opportunities to give them money, and it would be horrifically stupid to try and dodge a bill because while he is officially a growed up bunny now, he is still less than a year old and chances are he will at some point need to return to the vet for some reason.

Also people are always fascinated when you go on the bus with an animal. I had a chat this morning with some girl about rabbits and then in the evening after I got off the bus a little five~ year old who got off at the same stop wanted to pet him, and he was pretty chillaxed so I let her. She was sort of cute, in a kid way.

Or at least, I put this together. Out of a box. I got a blister from not taking off my ring first.

( six pictures )

We went and got bunny's new hutch yesterday. It came in a flatpack so at some point I get to enter the exciting new world of kit set building. At some point after that I get to enter the exciting new world of timber and chicken wire building so he can have a pen to run around in.

I'll probably call the vets tomorrow for an estimated cost for his tooth-removal-and-neutering and get an appt depending on how much it'll be, either later this week or mid next week.

He's being a good boy right now so I might get his harness onto him and take him for a run outside.

Animates (the chain pet store I go to for litter and treats and usually hay) is having a pet fun weekend, which really just means mad sales. They have half off hutches! I forwarded the e-mailer to my dad with a note about it - will need a ride since I don't drive - and current plans re. neutering, recovery time, etc. Moving Holly outside in a month, basically, and I'm thinking I'll get some chicken wire and timber at some point to make a larger pen for him to run around in.

Quick google doesn't reveal the hutch I want but this is the mailer: http://www.launchpadmail.com/accountimages/253/petfun1609_2.jpg, it is the double hutch. (Though I did find this British site and omg, I wish we had range like that here.)

eta: also, Holly really likes my skirt. It's long and flowy and green and I've had a foot on the floor all afternoon so the skirt will drape down and he can wind around my ankle.

Check this out.

It's also a pretty damn cool hutch. I've saved it to my watchlist - if there's no buy now option I get them to email me 12 hours before the auction ends so I can see how the bidding's going. I've got five saved at the moment, this is the second most expensive but probably one of the best, so we'll see. Technically I have plenty of time - Mr Bun will be getting his teeth and testicles off in probably two weeks, and then he has two weeks recovery before he moves outside. I also at some point will ask my dad advice on the buying of chicken wire and timber poles or something to make a decent sized pen - I want a good sized hutch, but we have big lawns and I want to be able to let him out to run around. SPOILED BUN.

I took my bunny for a run outside yesterday, after a while he flopped down and we had a lie down on the grass, it was nice. Been looking at outdoor hutches. After he's neutered it would be nice to get him a friend, not sure what my parents would say though - suspect they'd only agree if I kept them outside. He is quite moody at the moment due to hormones so I've been trying to teach him to be nice, he used to be such a little angel too. Hopefully he'll calm down after neutering though - and either way he is still lovely most of the time.

Got recced on torchwood_house with my post-Journey's End fic of all things. Explains why I had like eight new reviews on a fic I wrote a few months ago. Have to dig out the refill I was scribbling on on the bus last night to type things up. And figure out what I'm cooking for dinner. Mostly I just want to lie down and not think. No chance of that though so considering going to Eastgate for excessive amounts of candy and a bottle of midori.

Might take fluffernutter outside again too - must try and remember camera this time if I do.

Commenting too much work but omnomnom to sab and mangoz.

Took bunner to the vet this morning - needed to get his teeth trimmed, and also get the fur that was trapped around his bottom teeth pulled off. With forceps. God knows how he managed that, but at least it means I couldn't have got it off anyway even if he had let me try. He did not like the attempt to shorten his teeth to make it easier for him to do rabbity things like eat, at any rate, and we spent several minutes with him wrapped snugly in a towel trying to hold him in place so the vet didn't accidentally slice into his lips or feets.

Usual commentary on his health other than dental-wise - no real eye discharge anymore or signs of damage to the eyes themselves since he got the abscessed tooth removed and he's at a good weight. The tilt is starting to slowly straighten up. Vet called him a miracle bunny :D Note that every other rabbit they've had this year with the same brain parasite died, and they thought he should be put down, and now he's, you know, like this:



In a few weeks when his teeth are getting long again I'll book him in to get the last three front incisors removed and have him neutered. Apparently the neutering is a smaller deal than taking the teeth out. (No, those front teeth are not vital or even hugely important for a domestic rabbit, and with one having been removed it's easier to just take them all out, because even if they were aligned right the unpaired tooth would grow unobstructed. He mostly uses them for grabbing treats out of my fingers, and would adapt easily to doing that with lips/jaw instead of teeth.) And coz he's already had one out I know that he handles the anaesthesia fine and is happy to eat right after he comes home.