Masthead bunnies: Nancy Schreiber’s rabbit, Bruno, bottom foreground, rescued by AC&C in 2005 and his first wife, Samantha, share a holiday kiss.

By Jane O’Wyatt

“Same bunnies as previous detailedreport with exception of a new gray andwhite male lop. Charlene and I are onM15 bus headed downtown to the DarkZone where we have no power, no cellphone service and no Internet access.”

– AC&C Rabbits listserv, Nov. 1, 2012

There’s no subway service either, andtaxi drivers appear to have gone rogue,improvising higher fares off the meter andrefusing to take passengers to certainlocations. For thousands, the choices are to walk, bike or take a bus.

(Continued on page 5)

By Natalie L. Reeves

As Hurricane Sandy approached,dedicated rabbit lovers braved potentialtransportation outages to attend theannual Rabbit Rescue & Rehabconference that fell on the eve of thestorm’s hit on the New York area.Attendance was down this year as manyof those who had preregistered werebusy preparing for the storm, but thosewho made it agreed that the conferencewas fantastic.

Dr. Jennifer Saver of New Hyde Park’sCatnip & Carrots Veterinary Hospitalgave a highly anticipated lecture ongastrointestinal stasis and bloat, twoleading reasons vets see bunnies. Dr.Saver was taking a flight to Italy later thesame day to attend a conference onrabbit dentistry issues, so the fact thatshe traveled to Westchester to speak wastestament to her commitment to rabbithealth and owner education.

Unlike dogs, cats and humans, rabbitsare hind gut fermenters with very largeand complex large intestines. Some of usmay have witnessed a rabbit eatingpasta, sushi or other strange foods, butDr. Saver emphasized that rabbits arestrict herbivores; eating something theyshouldn’t can be detrimental to theirdigestive system.

Rabbits must constantly be taking infiber in order to maintain gut motility.They have special adaptations for theirhigh-fiber diet, such as molars for grindingand chewing. Their jaw muscles haveadapted for lateral motion, so they cangrind their food; their gastrointestinaltract allows them to efficiently utilizefiber; and the bacteria in a rabbit’s cecumallow for the breakdown of fiber. All ofthese digestive processes result in twotypes of droppings: fecals and cecotropes.

Fecals are composed of waste fiber andare usually released about four hoursafter eating. They are hard, dry and withlittle odor. Cecotropes, on the otherhand, are nutrient-rich and supply up to40% of a rabbit’s energy needs. They are soft, moist, malodorous grapelikeclusters that the rabbit usually ingests

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Dr. Jennifer Saver.

Charlene at AC&C.(Continued on page 2

Charlene’s Trip To the Dark Zone In the Wake Of a Hurricane

Rabbit Conference Goes On DespiteThreat of Sandy

NYC METRO RABBIT NEWSDECEMBER 2012

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Chelsea Cohen’sBunny Blog:Page 7

Fostering Mama JettAnd Her Babies:Page 8

Some Great BunniesLooking for Homes:

Page 12

Letters FromOur Adopters:

Page 14

Rabbit Conference(Continued from page 1)

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 2

directly from the anus, so rabbit guardiansrarely see these.

With respect to diet, rabbit guardiansshould generally heed the guidelines ofthe food pyramid, which you candownload at: http://www.floridarabbit.org/files/handouts_posters/Rabbit_Food_Pyramid_07.pdf.

The pyramid shows that the majority ofthe rabbit’s diet should consist of grasshay, but that other foods, such as greensand pellets, are important as well. Moredetails on Dr. Saver’s recommendedrabbit diet can be found in theaccompanying sidebar.

When someone says, “My rabbit is havingan off day,” this may indicate that therabbit isn’t well. Dr. Saver stronglyrecommends giving rabbits a small treat(such as a single papaya tablet) at the sametime each day to make sure they are notill. “If your rabbit doesn’t eat her treat,get on the phone to her vet right away.”

A rabbit’s refusal to eat a treat may be thefirst sign of stasis or bloat, two problemsthat can be deadly. Stasis, also known as ileus, is a shutdown of the rabbit’sintestinal system, while bloat can becaused by an obstruction of the upperGI tract, at the outlet of the stomach.Food moves through a healthy rabbit bymeans of regular contractions (peristalsis)of intestines, but a rabbit in stasis mayhave a complete loss of this normalmotility since stasis has a tendency toself-propagate and worsen to the pointof total impaction of the gastro intestinalcontents.

Everyone who has had a rabbit in stasiswants to know the cause, but that cansometimes be hard to determine. Stasiscan be caused by a high-carb, low-fiberdiet, or it can be a result of stress or pain(from gas, molar spurs, post-ops or any -thing else). It can be precipitated by hairthe rabbit has ingested during grooming,lack of proper exercise, systemic disease,antibiotics or infection. While vets shouldalways work with you to determine the

cause for the stasis, the analysis can befrustrating because so many factors canlead to it.

Dr. Saver has senior rabbit patients whohave never been sick a day in their lives,but she sees other rabbits who go intostasis every 6-8 weeks. Regardless, everyonewho has a rabbit must be vigilant andact quickly if he or she believes a petrabbit may be in stasis.

When a rabbit is in stasis, supportivecare must be given to get the rabbit’s GIsystem moving again. This includestreating the underlying cause (if thatcause can be determined); temperaturemanagement; pain management;stimulation of GI motility; and hydration.As many of us who have had stasis-pronerabbits are aware, rabbits often tend to

(Continued on page 3)

• Decreased or sudden lack of appetite for water, food and treats

• Refusal to eat treat

• Change in stools--decreased size, quantity; irregularly shaped stools (can be normal); straining to produce stools (happens when they haven't produced any in awhile)

• Decreased bowel sounds

• Decreased temperature

• Signs of pain:

— Sullen appearance (take a look at eyes and face – should have bright eyes that are not lidded)

— Frequent changing of position

— Unusual hunched position, sometimes in a place rabbit doesn’t usually sit

— Belly pressing: rabbit repeatedly repositioning himself, pressing belly to floor

• Unlimited fresh grass hay given in a big hay litter box

— You wouldn’t want to be stuck on a tiny bathroom on a plane, so don’t makeyour rabbit spend most of his time in a tiny hay litter box.

• Fresh greens – One heaping cup per four pounds of body weight daily

— Serve combinations of greens for variety

— Tough/fibrous greens are great

— Observe your rabbit carefully to watch for signs of gas from any greens

• Rationed plain pellets--preferably high-fiber pellets

— One-quarter of a cup per five pounds of body weight per day works well for most rabbits.

• A daily treat

— Examples: one raisin; tiny piece of apple, pear, peach, papaya, pineapple or strawberries; a single thin slice of carrot

— Most treats sold in pet stores are bad for rabbits.

• Do NOT give corn; wheat; processed starchy food, such as crackers, cookies, bread, cereals; beans, or peas.

• Vitamins and salt and mineral licks are unnecessary.

Recommended Diet for Average Adult House Rabbit

Signs of Stasis

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 3

(Continued on page 4)

get sick after-hours when veterinaryclinics are closed. Dr. Saver takes callsfrom patients 24 hours a day, and shesaid the first thing she will ask is,“What’s the rabbit’s temperature?” Ifyou don’t know how to take your rabbit’stemperature, don’t wait until your rabbitis sick. Ask your veterinarian or a rabbitrescue educator or volunteer to teach you.

Rabbit temperatures normally rangefrom 101 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Ifyour rabbit’s temperature is below 99,consider this an emergency. Carefullywarm your rabbit on a heating pad orSnuggleSafe. If your rabbit is cold, youdo not want to syringe-feed him.

A veterinarian may prescribe a motilitydrug, such as Reglan (metoclopramide)or Propulsid (cisapride), and may giveyour rabbit pain medications andsubcutaneous fluids, but many stasisepisodes will resolve themselves on theirown. Many rabbit guardians like to usepediatric simethicone, which is theactive ingredient in infant gas drops, inthe amount of 1 cc an hour for threehours. If your rabbit is willing, you cangently massage his abdomen to helpbreak up the gas, but if your rabbit runsaway, don’t make him submit to themassage. While exercise is good for abunny with gas, Dr. Saver warns againstletting your bunny run around theliving room the first day he is sick becauseit will be difficult to monitor him.

Rabbit Conference(Continued from page 2)

Dr. Cynthia J. Brown (rabbits Goldie and Queenieprojected in background).

What to Do if Your RabbitStops Eating:• Take his temperature. If it is lessthan 100 degrees, immediately startwarming your rabbit.

• Give 1 cc of simethicone each hourfor three hours.

• Call your vet, no matter what timeit is. Ask your vet now, before anemergency arises, what arrangementshave been made for after-hours care.

Rabbits should be offered fresh, moist,fragrant greens to tempt them to eat.Dr. Saver suggests breaking the stems ofherbs, such as parsley, to make themmore fragrant, but she states that a coldrabbit who is in pain will not eat. Thus,she rarely advises people to syringe-feedtheir rabbits on the initial day of stasis.

Usually stasis presents itself suddenlyand you won’t want to waste valuabletime going shopping for supplies, so it’sbest to keep an emergency kit on hand.Make sure it contains a thermometer(don’t get one with a flexible tip, and tryto get an eight-second digital thermometer),Vaseline, baby simethicone (get generic),and a SnuggleSafe (available fromAmazon and certain pet stores).

With early intervention, many stasisepisodes will be alleviated over severalhours, but some may take days. Untreatedstasis may result in a rabbit’s death. Thekey is to prevent stasis by providing ahigh-fiber diet with fresh grass hay, andbeing vigilant in detecting symptoms atearly onset.

Dr. Saver also talked about gastric bloat,which, in layman’s terms, means thestomach expands, tightens and starts to

Mary Cotter with Mario during temperature-taking demo.

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feel like a balloon. The more the stomachgets distended, the more painful it is,and sadly veterinarians are very limitedin what they can do in these circumstances.Bloat can lead to shock, inadequateblood supply to the stomach, and risk ofrupture. Dr. Saver has a very short list ofmiracle bunnies who recovered from bloat.

Some of the clinical signs of bloat includeacute pain; distended stomach; increasedwater intake; inability to lift head;splayed legs (so weak that a bunny can’tstand); very low temperatures (94 or95); and inability to maintain a normalbody temperature, even with supplementalheat. Pain management is critical.Veterinarians will give injectable medicationsas well as IV fluids, but they will limit arabbit’s oral water intake. Do notmassage a bloated bunny.

Dr. Saver showed attendees the instru -ments she would use to perform agastric decompression, which is whenshe would try to extract liquid from therabbit’s stomach by passing a tube downits throat. Surgery for bloated bunnies isusually not a good idea, since very fewrabbits survive. Dr. Saver has lost bunnies

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 4

Rabbit Conference(Continued from page 3) Thank You to All

On behalf of all our rescued rabbits, many many thanks to all who contributed somuch to make our Rabbit Care Conference happen on Oct. 28.

In spite of the doomsday weather forecasts (which resulted in quite a few no-shows, in spite of pre-registrations), and the need for an early wrap-up, I haveheard nothing but wonderful feedback from attendees, who were most gratefulthat we did not cancel the event.

Thanks to all who transported all the supplies and sales items, came early enoughto set up, sat at the registration desk to welcome attendees, stood at the salestables to help us raise the funds that allow us to pay bills for our rescues, donatedand even created the beautiful raffle baskets that raised even more money, andwho stayed to help us clean up.

You all know that, without you, this event would just not be possible, so anyonewho helped pull this off has made a significant contribution both to RRR, as wellas to metro rabbit owners who are, as always, hungry for all the info they can get.

Mary CotterChapter Manager, Rabbit Rescue & Rehab

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Loraine Kopf and Marcie Frishberg at the conference.

Display of jewelry from Sequin.

of her own to bloat and said that it isalmost impossible to prevent. She does,however, believe that it is important topluck excess hair from rabbits. A varietyof supplements have helped somechronic stasis rabbits, including aloevera juice and canned pumpkin.

Dedicated rabbit veterinarians, includingDrs. Cynthia Brown, Laurie Hess,Anthony Pilny and Jeff Rose, also gaveup their pre-storm Sunday to attend theconference and answer questions aboutrabbit care. The veterinarians fieldedquestions relating to rabbit health and husbandry.

Chapter Manager Mary Cotter demon -strated temperature-taking on an extremelycooperative Mario, who is up for adoption.

Attendees got to shop for themselves andtheir bunnies. As it does every year,Sequin donated beautiful jewelry to besold to benefit Rabbit Rescue & Rehab.Volunteers sold T-shirts (“My Bunny isMy Boss!”), edible straw hats, cardboardplay toys and other items that wereeagerly snapped up. People also bid onraffle items that may have been the bestever offered at the annual rabbit conference.Thanks to extraordinarily generous donors,such as Dr. Laura George, who donatedpremium organic hay from OrganicHay Co., and Dr. Brown, who donated,among other things, a gift certificate fora free spay/neuter surgery at Center for

Avian and Exotic Medicine, the auctionwas very successful.

Whether it was the educational orshopping opportunities that lured attendees,most also said that one of the reasonsthey looked forward to the conference

was it gave them the opportunity tomeet people like themselves who loverabbits. From volunteers who gathered towish longtime volunteer Loraine Kopf ahappy birthday to first-time attendees,everyone seemed to have a great time.

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 5

At each stop, more people are waitingthan can fit on the bus, but they try tostuff themselves in anyway. (In Harlem,I find an empty seat next to a rear door,so Charlene and I can get out withoutstarting a riot.) Approaching midtown,we are surrounded by a crush of wearybut resigned fellow passengers, many ofwhom are laden with bags of groceries,bottled water, baby strollers, etc. Charleneis huddled anxiously in a corner of thePlexiglas-lidded carrier on my lap; on

top of the carrier is my backpack. Thosenearest are aware there’s a rabbit aboard,but her novelty wore off blocks ago.Everyone just wants to be elsewhere.Those of us who hoped to get homebefore dark realize that our travel planswere not prescient.

The bus begins to skip stops, passingscores of people waiting. Then the driverannounces that 23rd Street will be thelast stop. “It’s not safe further downtown,”the driver claims. As this unwelcomenews percolates, finally reachingpassengers with ear buds and headphones,the bus hums with multilingualexclamations of dismay and annoyance.

Charlene, white with whimsical grayand tan markings, was found outdoorson the Upper East Side in early October.Skittish to begin with, she becomesmore so at AC&C, until rabbit-rescuevolunteers fear that she may injureherself trying to escape. Compassionand logic point unambiguously to fostercare, and I’ve offered to bring Charlene

home with me. Now, despite the stressof being in this crowded bus, she’s lyingstretched out in the carrier. She hasbecome accustomed to her situation,which is about to change.

Traffic lights suddenly stop working,and buildings along Second Avenue godark around 26th Street. Power in lowerManhattan has been out for three days,yet the darkness after sundown remainsshocking. At street level, signs andwindow displays are indiscernible.Unfenestrated silhouettes of buildingsagainst the background of the night skyare nearly black on black. Sources ofwhite light are car, truck, bus and bicycleheadlights, plus flashlights carried bypedestrians. Police squad cars, fire trucksand ambulances contribute oscillatingred light.

The M15 (whose official terminus issodden South Ferry) deposits its passengersat Second Avenue and 23rd Street.Here, theoretically, just over the borderfrom the City of Light, a crosstown buswill stop. But after the previous hour’sconfinement, I prefer to walk the rest ofthe way home. Charlene’s weight in thecarrier shifts as she sits up and sniffs thecool, nocturnal air. It’s rush hour, andwe join others (though not throngs)walking through the street grid’s quiet,poorly lit geometry. Although emergency-vehicle sirens whine in the distance, the roar of the electrified city has beenstilled. And oddly, motorists are nothonking their horns.

Police in reflective yellow jackets aredirecting traffic at some intersections.The NYPD wardrobe department seemsto have been prepared for this emergency,yet most of the traffic cops look asthough they have never conducted anorchestra of motor vehicles and pedestriansin their lives. Postures are timid, cuesvague, tempos far from brisk. A few copsarmed with glowing red LED-lightedbatons seem slightly more confident –that they won’t get run over?

Charlene and I are headed for 13thStreet between Fifth and Sixth avenues,

Trip to the Dark Zone(Continued from page 1)

Those of us whohoped to get homebefore dark realizethat our travel planswere not prescient.

and the farther downtown we get, theless traffic we encounter. A couple ofcandlelit delis are open, but they havefew customers.

It’s impossible to know how many down - town New Yorkers have moved for theduration to hotels or friends’ and relatives’apartments unscathed by HurricaneSandy. How many have decided to stayput? How many have concluded that it’stoo much trouble to pack up their petsand relocate temporarily?

Earlier in the afternoon, while waitingin a grumbling crowd for an M15 uptownbus to AC&C, I notice the muzzle of asmall, cream-colored dog poking out ofa black tote bag carried by a womanstanding beside me. The dog’s ownerexplains that she is renting a tiny,disgusting $250-a-day hotel room inTimes Square rather than staying inpowerless, waterless, heatless StuyvesantTown. Since hotel policy prohibits pets,she has been smuggling in her doggy,who never barks.

The roar of theelectrified city hasbeen stilled. And,oddly, motorists are not honkingtheir horns.

(Continued on page 6)

Our block is usually abuzz with activity,but not tonight. Gone are the texting,cigarette-smoking Parsons students,Quad Cinema queuers and lost tourists.A father and son walking withflashlights about 10 feet in front ofCharlene and me become recognizableas members of the family downstairs. Icatch up with them and we stroll hometogether talking about the pretty rabbitin the carrier and the blessings of

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 6

Charlene stretches out.

Next to Luigi’s pen, Jane reads a newspaper with theaid of a camping headlight.

Emboldened by thefragrance of parsley(or is it the fragranceof Luigi?), Charlenesoon emerges fromher hiding place.

Trip to the Dark Zone(Continued from page 5)

unflooded apartments, cold runningwater, gas for cooking by candlelight. Inview of the devastation wroughtelsewhere by the hurricane, we havebeen lucky. Foraging for food, news andelectrical charges for digital devices istime-consuming, but we have beenmerely inconvenienced. We light ourway upstairs to the second and thirdfloors of our building with flashlightsand say good night.

My partner, Kathy, whom I textedabout my late arrival after shelter-bunnycare, has lighted candles and is heatingwater for bathing on the gas stove.Because there hasn’t been any steam heatsince Monday night, the temperaturehovers just above 60 degrees, perfectindoor weather for rabbits, but on thecold side for urban humans. Clothed inseveral layers, Kathy is reading artreviews on her iPad, which she chargedin her painting studio in Williamsburg,Brooklyn. Because her beloved L trainisn’t running, she has been driving backand forth between Manhattan andWilliamsburg, where, aside from thehurricane’s flooding of artists’ studiosand storage spaces, life is almost normal.Kathy says that the newest residents(non-artists) of Williamsburg can’t stopgloating about their decision to movefrom lower Manhattan.

In daylight, before I left for AC&C, Iset up a pen for Charlene by halving theliving space and the cardboard tunnel ofmy other foster, a young Californiannamed Luigi, who arrived a couple ofdays before Hurricane Sandy. Protectedbut not isolated from cats Virginia andAmelia O’Feral, the bunnies will occupytwo four-by-four-foot pens side by side.With Charlene still in the carrier, I fetchgreens from the most recent UnionSquare farmers’ market. (The greens andother perishables have stayed cool in thefridge, thanks to bunny “air conditioners”left over from summer: several recycledtwo-liter plastic bottles filled with now-melting ice, festooned with tufts of rabbit

fur.) I pour water and measure timothypellets into bowls for both bunnies.

Luigi flips over his pellet bowl, scatteringits contents, and starts to devour hissalad. I move Charlene’s carrier into herpen and open the lid. She hops out andbolts into her tunnel with a thump.Nearby, Luigi, munching on parsley, sitsup on his haunches, ears erect, intent onhis new neighbor. He is startled, but

nothing can prevent him from pullingthe rest of that parsley stem into hismouth. Emboldened by the fragrance ofparsley (or is it the fragrance of Luigi?),Charlene soon emerges from her hidingplace. She includes Luigi in a perimetersurvey of her new space, and then,though they are in separate enclosures,she joins him for dinner by candlelight.After eating most of their food, theyboth groom themselves. Then Charleneleaps into her litter box and nibbles onorchard grass.

When the candles have been blown outand flashlights turned off for the night,she begins noisy demolition work onher cardboard tunnel. Unfazed byconditions in the Dark Zone, Charleneseems to be calming down.

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Luigi by flashlight.

Forever Homes Found!Rabbits adopted since the last newsletter include: Lara, Beauty, Olga, Kristie, Bun Bun,Lola, Rain, Daisey, Mercury, Merlin, Bunny, Carolyn, Sundae, Whitey, Alexa, Wilson,Gabi, Biggie, Ivy, Snuggles, Cookie, Bradley, Silva, Lionel, Christian, Mario, Baby, Bogie,Bobby, Sarah, Ryan, Lockerbie, Mario, Dale, Poppy, Wisdom, Cupcake, Pea, Chico,Flubber, Hercules, Wilkenson.

THUMPDECEMBER 2012 7

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Chelsea Cohen. Fern Cohen joined the ALS Association’sdelegation in Washington in May 2007 to lobbyfor passage of the ALS Registry Act, whichmakes it mandatory to report cases of ALS sothat data can be used by researchers. The actwas passed the next year.

Chelsea Cohen’s Bunny Blog(Chelsea’s last blog entry for Thump was in June 2010. You can see the earlierbunny blog and an article about Chelsea’smom, Fern Cohen, at http://www.rabbitcare.org/Thump6.13.10.pdf,pages 3-5. Fern was diagnosed with ALS,or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 2004.)

Hi! It’s Chelsea, the gray bunny fromQueens. It’s been a while since I wrote,and there has been so much happening.This summer my mommy, Fern, wasgrateful all the time for no power outages.She told me that it was very hot--oftenover 100 degrees outside, so it was goodwe had air conditioning inside. Then inlate October, she was afraid of HurricaneSandy and hoped we would keep power,which we did. We were very lucky. Afew days before the hurricane, I was in aweird mood. I was full of energy oneminute and then I had a feeling thatsomething was going to happen, but Ididn’t know what. It was as if somestrange force had taken over my moods.Mommy must have sensed this, andtold me there would be a hurricane onSunday night, but she would be withme all night and she told me not to beafraid. We came out of it okay, and Iwas happy she told me what to expect,so when I heard strong winds and heavyrain outside the window, I knew whatwas happening. I thought about mywild cousins, the cottontails, who liveoutside. I was relieved a week later whenthey texted mommy and said they wereokay in their underground warren.

Anyway, I want to tell everyone howAuntie Mary Ann and Auntie Nancyremodeled my living space in late summer.Mommy had been knocking into thetable that holds my cage when she cameto visit me in my upstairs room. Herwheelchair eventually knocked aroundthe legs and she was afraid that one daythe whole table would come topplingdown and everything would fall. Andthe worst scenario would be if I wereinside my cage when it fell, or if I wereon the floor under the table and

everything crushed me to death. So oneSunday night, my aunties came with awhole new table from IKEA, which theycould adjust to just the right height formommy to pull up with her wheelchairwithout damaging the table legs. Myramp was also unstable because it wassitting on bed risers that were alwaysshifting. My aunties put cement blocksunderneath that are so heavy that nobodycan move them. Now, mommy cancome right up to me to give me mydaily bunny massages. I even found away to sit with my head facing her, andmy butt far enough back that she has toreally stretch far to reach it. I do thisbecause she loves to pull out loose clumpsof fur during my molting. I don’t likewhen she does this, but I do love whenshe rubs my head in circular motions, andthen massages my cheeks and behindmy ears.

I also got new fleece lining for the floorof my cage. Last month, Uncle Damirtook me to Catnip & Carrots and leftme there all day. I was so upset. Theladies are nice at C&C but they take mytemperature – which I don’t like, althoughthen they groom me in the spa and the

room is lined with cat cages. While I amgetting my manicure-pedicure and mygrooming, the cats sing to me. I knowthey mean well, and some of themsound very melodious. But some of thecats are a little out of tune. When Dr.Saver examined me, she looked at myfeet, which have been hurting me. Shetold my uncle that I had sore hocks andthat he must tell mommy to line thebottom of my cage with fleece, and limitmy treats so that I could lose a half-pound. I hate diets, but the day after myvisit to Dr. Saver, mommy brought methe fleece and I must say my hocks arefeeling so much better. Mommy toldme, “I know what you’re going throughbecause I am aging, too, and it sucks. Butit’s better than the alternative.” I agree.

– Chelsea Cohen(with Fern Cohen)

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FOSTERING

The Story of Mama Jett and Her Babies– And How They Came Into My Life

By Tracy Nuzzo

Recently, I had been emailing with CindyStutts. She had some shelter bunnieswho needed transportation to their newhome at a sanctuary in Colorado. I wastrying to assist her with their travelarrangements and transportation needs.

In one email, I let Cindy know that mytwo bunnies, Kelsey and Max, hadbonded over the summer. Both littleguys enjoy tremendous freedom in myapartment so I have a two-story LeithPetwerks condo that sits largely unused.I suggested that if any of the bunnieswho were moving to Colorado needed afoster home, any bun was welcome tooccupy my two-story rabbit condo. Cindyreplied that the sanctuary-bound bunnieswere okay, but knowing I had an empty

condo, she thought of a more immediateneed that perhaps I could fill.

Cindy told me that there was a verydeserving young family who were livingat the Center for Avian and ExoticMedicine on the Upper West Side. Aftersurviving a bad situation, Jett and herthree babies were in desperate need of ahome environment. At first, I was nervous.I adopted my two bunnies from AC&C,but they were older buns – Kelsey wastwo and a half and Max was three. I hadnever seen a baby bunny in my life!

My apprehension lasted all of a minutebefore it turned to excitement. I love theidea of baby bunnies and I’d been given agreat opportunity to make a real differencefor a mom and her babies. I cleaned outthe condo to remove any trace of mybunnies and wheeled the condo intoanother room so Jett and her babiescould enjoy some privacy and tranquility.

On a Saturday morning, I went to CAEMand collected my new foster family. Jett, not more than a baby herself, isbeautiful. She also has a handicap; Jetthas a splay leg. Despite everything, fromthe second I met her, I was struck by hersweet personality and trusting nature.

The staff at CAEM advised me that Jetthad been spayed the previous afternoonso she would definitely need a peaceful

surrounding as she healed. I was given alot of helpful tips on caring for the groupand I could tell the staff had fallendeeply in love with Jett and her family.

I brought the gang back to my houseand sequestered them to the top levelonly of the condo. Jett needed to avoidexercise and the smaller space was greatfor her to continue bonding with herbrood. Although no longer nursing, Jettcontinued to show her maternal instinctby cuddling and grooming her kits. Jettwould reach into the bowl of pellets andremove several with her teeth. She wouldthen line the pellets up in front of eachbaby to ensure they were eating well.Whenever I would place fresh greens inthe condo, Jett used her nose to moveindividual leaves to each baby.

Jett has three gorgeous babies. It’s toosoon to know their sexes, but one babyis a mini-me version of Jett, who ishead-to-toe black. The other two babiesare a beautiful blend of white, brownsand taupe. Each of the babies is smallenough to hold in the palm of your hand.

The babies are amazing to watch. Theysleep an awful lot, but when they areawake, they run and jump. Oftentimes,they walk right into another baby andjust keep walking, like small bunnybulldozers. They cuddle with each otherand with mom. They are soft and warmand they enjoy being petted. And asmuch as I have enjoyed the babies, oneof the biggest surprises for me is howmuch I adore Jett.

I had been worried that Jett would beterritorial and reluctant to let me helpwith her babies, but that’s just not thecase. In fact, she has made herself athome since day one. When she arrived,she was absolutely ravenous. My twobunnies eat very few pellets. They aregood hay eaters, but they enjoy freshorganic greens several times a day. Jett’sappetite far surpassed what my guysusually eat, combined! I emailed CAEMto make sure it was all right for me togive Jett as many greens as she wantedand I was assured that she had been very

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Mama Jett.

Max and Kelsey.

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THUMPDECEMBER 2012 9

(Continued on page 10)

hungry at the clinic and the babies hadtaken a lot out of her. Feeding her freshgreens was just what she needed.

The first few days, I found myself pettingJett for hours. As I would rub her back,she would give little bunny kisses to myfree hand. Still, I couldn’t help butnotice her splay leg and I wondered if itwas a condition that could be fixed withmedical attention. I emailed AnthonyPilny at CAEM. He has always been aterrific doctor for both of my bunniesand if anyone could help Jett, it wouldbe Dr. Pilny.

Dr. Pilny emailed back right away andexplained that he would need to X-rayJett to see, fully, the extent of her injury.His gut feeling was that she would be anexcellent candidate for amputation – andhe quickly qualified that an amputationwould be a GREAT thing for Jett. She isyoung enough to learn living as a “tripod”and her life would be vastly improvedby not having to drag a leg behind her.

I have tremendous room in my heart for Jett, but not enough room in my

apartment to consider adopting her.Still, I wanted to make a difference forher so I offered to pay Jett’s medical bills.I filled Cindy in on Dr Pilny’s opinionand let her know that I would be takingmy two bunnies to him the followingweek for their checkups and that Iwould be happy to bring Jett for X-rays.

My boys plus Jett and her babies allheaded off to CAEM the next week.The entire staff was delighted to see Jettand her babies. Everyone noted howterrific Jett looks – her black coat issuper shiny now. As Jett went downstairsfor her X-rays, I was able to meet Jett’shus-bun and the father of these threesweet babies. Unbeknownst to me, Jett’sbeau, Bobby is also living at CAEM.Lorelei Tibbetts, one of our favorites atCAEM, brought Bobby up for me tosee and sure enough...I now know whereall the bunnies get their good looks. Thetwo multicolored bunnies look just liketheir handsome dad.

Jett’s X-rays revealed that her leg cannotbe rebuilt or remedied. The only thingthat can be done to improve Jett’s life is anamputation. The babies will stay with

Jett until they are 8 weeks and then theymust be separated. At that time, Jett willget her surgery and I am excited for herto begin that new stage of her life.

After Jett’s vet visit, it was decided thather spay surgery site was healing justfine and she was given the green light forsome exercise so I was given permissionto let the whole family have access toboth levels of the Petwerks condo.

What fun to watch the babies fearlesslynavigate the ramp between the two levels!

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Mama Jett’s babies with Santa’s hat.

Lorelei Tibbetts with Bobby, father of Jett’s babies.

Mama Jett(Continued from page 8)

Within minutes, they were all goingfrom downstairs to up and back again.Even Jett, with her bad leg, is able to moveseamlessly from one level to the next.

Yesterday, I put some new toys in thecondo. I gave them a willow tunnel anda few different sized willow balls. The

Mama Jett(Continued from page 9)

babies immediately began playing. Theyare all so smart! As I watch the babiesgrow, I am mindful that someday soon,they will be adopted by new familiesand have lives of their own. I want tomake sure I spend time socializing thesebabies to ensure that they will be incrediblefamily members once they leave me.

It has brought so much joy to have Jettand her babies in my home. I smile

On the Loss of a FriendBy Robert Kulka

This is a follow-up to my article for Thump(August 2012) entitled, “If I Knew ThenWhat I Know Now,” celebrating my lifewith Skip. Shortly after the article waspublished, my little buddy of 10 yearscrossed over the rainbow bridge.

******************

The week before it happened I knewsomething was up. Skip had beenslowing down quite a bit and patternsand habits were just slightly off. I knewin my heart somehow that my 12-year-old was nearing his final days. Surely, Ithought, we would have a bit more timewith him – but it was not to be. Thefinal few days, I observed that he waseating and seemed okay, except he begannot to want me to touch him. He wouldpeer out from behind a box or sit in hishay to avoid me at times.

The last morning he was very comfortablystretched out on his favorite spot – a tilehe sat or slept on each day for the 10years he was with me. He had eatenmost of breakfast, including a few pellets.He usually ran to me to grab his morningapple treat. That morning it had to bebrought to him but he ate it up withgusto as if he was acknowledging thelove it held. As I was packing to leave forthe day, I looked at him so comfortablystretched out on his tile, and I did notreach down to give him a pet and tellhim I loved him as I had almost everyday we were together. I told him I knew

he was comfortable so I wouldn’t touchhim. I told him I loved him. But tomyself I whispered to him to please notleave me before I returned. In my heartI knew something was up.

My guy slipped peacefully off shortlyafter I left that morning. It was on hisown terms, in his own surroundings,stretched out as if he were asleep just infront of his tile. When I came home andsaw him, he looked so sweet and like hisyouthful self and simply asleep. But hewas gone.

Somehow he had let me know in ways I was able to understand that his timewas near. After 10 years we could evencommunicate that, using the languagewe shared. In his way he let me ease intothe loss.

I miss him more than words can expressand will always carry that special guy inmy heart. He became a very importantpart of who I am today and I wasthankful for the gift he gave me all thoseyears. I miss the patter of his feet and hisbreathing on the back of my neck. Thesilence is so pervasive that I know nowthat quiet little guy was a very presentforce in my life.

My little angel will now always sit onmy shoulder as he did so many eveningswhen he was here.

I wondered if I was ever going to be ableto have another buddy – not to replacehim but to share what I learned from

him. My friends told me that the bunnieswould let me know when it was time. Irelaxed, knowing that I could rely on that.

****************

Well the bunnies let me know.They sentLara to me. She is a beautiful, big, black-and-white girl. She is just as much aforce in her way as Skip had been in his.She is very different, too. We are gettingto know one another slowly, and I ambeginning to understand the language ofrabbits even more than before. Lara isletting me know new things. She, too, islike an angel in my life. I know her bigbrother, Skip, will look after her now ashe did me all those years.

Lara.

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every day and I know in my heart thateach member of this bunny family has an incredibly bright future. I willdefinitely be sad when it’s time for thebabies to go, but I feel honored to havehad the opportunity to help shape theiryoung lives.

Jett’s leg surgery will take place soon. Iwill update you on how she makes outand her progress.

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Successful Fundraiser For NYC Metro Rabbits

NYC Metro Rabbits was the beneficiaryof October’s Vegan Drinks event, whichraised $555 for the group. The eventtook place on Oct. 25 at Fontana’s onEldridge Street.

Vegan Drinks is a monthly social-networking event for people interestedin promoting veganism and advocating

for animal rights. Every month, VeganDrinks NYC selects an animal-rights-oriented nonprofit organization to benefit.

Members of NYC Metro Rabbits weregiven the opportunity to discuss rabbit-rescue work, and a variety of raffle itemswere offered to raise money. Casey andMike Easterling organized the fundraiser.

Mike and Casey Easterling at the Vegan Drinks event.

Erin McElhinney, Cindy Stutts, Cathe Rekis and Marcie Frishberg.

Lola’s Adoption

Adopter Alex Grice on Nov. 6 with Lola and Petcorabbit volunteer Thea Harting.

Lola with straw hats given to her by Thea, her formerfoster mom.

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We are grateful to all of our wonderfulhay donors. A special thanks toBest Pet Rx and Robin Sternbergfor donations of large bales of hayto the shelter. Also, a heartfeltthank you to volunteers and otherswho purchase hay for our bunnieson a regular basis. Your generosityis inspiring.

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THUMPDECEMBER 2012 12

Josie.

Derek.

recent experiences; she’ll let you pet hervelvety fur, but she’s very wary, and it’lltake her time to fully trust people again.Charlene is a true beauty: she has a creamywhite coat with striking brownish-greymarkings and large shining eyes. Shewill need a quiet home – preferablywithout small children – where she canget lots of gentle attention and a chanceto come out of her shell.

HeidiHeidi is an adorable lionhead bunny wholoves to entertain. She is always on themove, and has fun exploring and jumping.You will be amazed to see how high thisgirl can jump. With her gentle spirit andcurious disposition, Heidi’s personalityis outgoing and daring. She is a petitebunny who gets enjoyment from all thesimple pleasures: chewing a piece oflettuce, running in and out of a littlehidey house, jumping on your lap. Sheloves to be with people. Heidi is currentlyat the Lexington Avenue Petco.

Jimmie and DominoThese two boys are brothers, and theyreally savor their time with each other.They like hiding together inside theirplastic tunnel, and often will snuggle nextto each other waiting for you to findthem. Their mom, Sundae, was recentlyadopted. Jimmie and Domino havebeen staying at the Lexington AvenuePetco, waiting for the perfect adopter.Because they get along so wonderfullytogether, these brothers are both happyand playful. You will smile as you watchthem clown around with each other.

Riff and RaffRiff and Raff are a pair of sweetCalifornian boys (probably brothers)who came from a mixed group of threelitters that were rescued from a backyardin Brooklyn. They were born in April,have both been neutered and areprobably going to be fairly big bunnieswhen fully grown. They like a lot ofspace and love to run up and down theirfoster parents’ long hallway and do lotsof binkies! Riff and Raff are very sweet,are becoming well socialized, and likelots of attention and nose pets. Theylove to groom each other, and have

We Are Looking for Loving HomesBy Kirsten Ott

GradyGrady was found in a park as a baby. Hewas put in a foster home, taken to a vet,and has been enjoying a happy life eversince. He is approximately 7 months oldand is ready for his forever home. Heloves to romp in his pen, get pets andlick the hand that pets him. He also likesto snuggle next to his foster mom on thefloor. He is neutered and litter-boxtrained. (submitted by Cathy Zelonis)

OdinOdin is a darling little black bunny whowas surrendered by his owners becausethey were moving. This guy is very livelyand curious, but also gentle andaffectionate. He loves to be petted, andhis shiny, jet-black coat is irresistible!Odin will charm and delight you withhis personality as well as the cute littlewhite spot on his wriggling nose.

Josie Josie is a medium-sized creamy whitebunny who was found on a street inBrooklyn. This girl has a very feminineappearance: she has a slender face, delicatefeatures, and soft brown “eye makeup.”Her ears have a pretty light brownmottled pattern. Josie’s sweet demeanormatches her looks; she likes to have herforehead and ears stroked. Josie wouldprobably do best in a calm home.

Derek A volunteer wrote: Derek is a medium-sized black bunny who was found insomeone’s backyard. What a cute boy!Derek has an incredibly soft coat, with abit of lionhead lineage evident aroundhis cheeks, and an adorable white nosethat wiggles constantly. He is a tiny bittentative when you first meet him, butthat doesn’t last long; before you knowit, he’s presenting his sweet head for rubsand kisses. Derek is a very active andplayful bunny, and will need lots ofspace for exercise and exploration.

CharleneCharlene is a gorgeous big girl who wasfound on First Avenue. The poor dear isstill somewhat traumatized from her

Odin.

Grady.

(Continued on page 13)

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Looking for Loving Homes(Continued from page 12)

Charlene.

Jimmie and Domino.

Riff and Raff.

Flash.

Heidi.

seemingly endless appetites. Riff andRaff would probably do best withsomeone who has rabbit experience andplenty of space and time for them. Agreat pair of darling boys! They arecurrently in foster care but need a lovingforever home or an experienced rabbitperson to foster them until they findone. (submitted by Larry Marion)

FlashFlash is an adorable spunky Californianboy who came from a group of threelitters that were rescued from a backyardin Brooklyn. He has been neutered andis looking for a forever home orsomeone who might be willing to fosterhim while he awaits a permanentadopter. He is faster than a speedingbullet – hence the name Flash – and isbecoming very social since his rescue.Good litter-box skills and a heartyappetite make him a good candid as afamily pet. Flash loves to chew hiscardboard toys and run around a lot. Hewill likely be a medium-large bunnywhen fully grown. He’s currently infoster care. (submitted by Larry Marion)

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Pinta

Pinta was a sweet-natured young lop, dyed pink overwhite with gray. After being abandoned in a park in theBronx, she was brought to AC&C. She was emaciatedand weak, unable to walk or hop. On her lower abdomenand the inside of her rear legs were severe urine scaldand fecal soiling. She was rushed to the Center forAvian and Exotic Medicine, where Dr. Alexandra Wilsonexamined her. X-rays revealed that Pinta had multiplefractures to her lumbar spine plus a dislocation. Themost humane thing to do was to put her to sleep.

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Sharing Is GivingFor Rabbit Rescue & RehabWith holiday shopping in full swing,be sure to help Rabbit Rescue &Rehab by using the iGive linkeverytime you shop online. And now,they are giving an extra $5 for newmembers that try the iGive button.All you have to do is use this link toget started.http://iGive.com/welcome/lp2/wr15.cfm?c=22972&m=480447

There’s also an Amazon Wish List forACC located here:

NYC ACC for the Bunnies:

Permalink: http://amzn.com/w/4XL87OEF9NJT

Happy Shopping!Denise Mast

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Letters From Adopters

Xena and Ernie

Xena was adopted in the fall as a partner forErnie.ChristineMcCarvill sentusthis great letter.

Xena and Ernie love each other so muchand are a joy to watch.

They sit by the glass window and lookoutside, soaking in the warm sunshinetogether.

We are delighted to have a match madein heaven. Marcie Frishberg did a greatjob in helping us find Xena.

Thanks so much for giving our Ernie hissoul mate.

Christine

RumiRosalia Abreu sent us this great note aboutRumi and his upcoming birthday.

Hi Susan, Jane and William!

How are you all doing? I am writing tolet you know that Rumi continues to doso well in his new home. He is very happythese days and has gotten increasinglytrusting and comfortable with me. I havehad him now for a little over 7 months.He should be turning 1 very soon, sincewhen I adopted him he was about 3months old.

I love him very, very much. My love forhim grows daily. When I get home fromwork, he is waiting for me on the couch,and he binkies and jerks his head joyouslywhen I approach him. Then he followsme into my bedroom and plays hide-and-seek with me, hopping around theroom, hiding under my bed and thenjumping out at me when I bend down to look for him. He is a very, very happybunny with such a fun-loving personality.I feel very fortunate to have such a great companion!

I hope you are all doing well.

Take care and warm regards,Rosalia

Xena and Ernie.

Lola.

Rumi.

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Lola

Alex, who adopted Lola, sent us this letter inmid-November.

I came across Lola while browsing rabbitsup for adoption on the NYC Metro

Rabbits website, and I met her shortlyafter at the Petco in Union Square. Iquickly fell in love with her soft white coat,glowing red eyes and great personality. Iadopted Lola on Nov. 6, and she hasbeen a wonderful addition to our home.

I am currently on my third week ofworking from home because my office inlower Manhattan is still closed after thehurricane. This turned out to be a blessingin disguise for me, as Lola and I haveplenty of time to bond during the day.(She also helps keep me sane while I’mhome alone all day.)

Lola is always curious – she loves exploringall the nooks and crannies of my apartment.She is friendly and affectionate, andenjoys being petted on the top of herhead and having her cheeks massaged.Some of her other habits include sittingup on her hind legs to get a better view ofthings, lying down with her legs stretchedout behind her, and my personal favorite,zooming down the carpet and performinga perfect bunny kick at the end.

I decided to keep the name Lola insteadof giving her a new name, both as atribute to her past and because Lola issuch a great name. She already has threepopular songs written about her: “Lola”by the Kinks, “Whatever Lola Wants”from “Damn Yankees,” and “Copacabana”by Barry Manilow. I still can’t decidewhich one I like best as her theme song,but I’ve been listening to all three onrepeat since I adopted Lola.

Lola has truly been a blessing in my lifein the short time I’ve known her, and sheis very happy in her new home. In thefuture, I plan to look into bonding Lolawith another rabbit to adopt, but fornow, Lola and I are content bondingwith each other and building a strong,loving relationship.

Alex Grice

(Continued on page 15)

Ludwig and Chloe

Edouard and Jennifer adopted Ludwig inSeptember as a partner for their bunnyChloe. Here is the latest on the duo’sbonding sessions.

Ludwig arrived in our home and was verynervous. At first, we set him up in thekitchen area and blocked off the area withChloe’s cage so that they could see eachother and remain contained. Now Ludwighas his own pen, so the two rabbits are

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Leonora.

Thor and Beauty.

Leonora

Courtney O’Neil and her boyfriend adoptedLeonora in October.

Thank you for letting us adopt Leonora!We have a rabbitat for her, and she is just

PyuntaPyunta was adopted by Carolyn Fleisher, whosent this update on Oct. 18.

I don’t know if you remember Pyunta, thelittle gray bun I adopted four years agotoday who did not have the best ofreputations around the shelter. Well, he isquite the changed little guy, and he haschanged me, too. Today, while he stilldoesn’t liked to be picked up, he loves hisbunny kisses and bunny massages, wheneverand for as long as you want to give them.

We did have a number of bad monthsearlier this year when he suddenly camedown with EC. Those initial seizureswere no doubt as frightening for him asthey were for me. After emergency-roomvisits, hospital stays, medications, a boutof head tilt, and a couple of months ofhand feeding and recuperation, the littleguy has bounced back. And luckily heseems to have no residual effects. We areso very lucky.

He is such a sweetie and has brought somuch to my life and to those with whomhe comes in contact. And quite frankly, heseems to be a much happier camper, too!

Cheers,Carolyn and the birthday boy, Pyunta

Ludwig and Chloe

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Beauty and Thor

In October, Tai Shimizu adopted Beauty as acompanion to Thor. The two bunnies aregetting along nicely.

Things are going pretty well. There’s beenno aggression, but Thor still doesn’t payas much attention to her as she does tohim. (She frequently asks for groomingbut he doesn’t ever actually do so.) Theydo spend some time lying next to eachother when together.

Tai

making our apartment into a home. Welove spoiling her with carrot tops and allsorts of greens. She’s a great bunny andmy boyfriend and I are totally in lovewith her.

Courtney

Rain

William adopted Rain in November. He sentus this note a few days later.

Rain is a pleasure to have.

As you can see in the photo, she’s madeherself quite at home. :-)

William Bullock

(Continued on page 16)

set up next to each other in separate pens.

The bunnies enjoy their bonding time.Ludwig does binkies during play time, orat least tries to. He’s a bit overweight andhe’s having trouble getting traction. It’sstill very cute. We started bonding time attwo minutes twice a day with few incidents.Now the sessions are a bit longer andthey’ve been grooming each other a bit,so my wife and I are very optimistic.Chloe is still very territorial.We can’tbring both bunnies on the bed, forexample, as Chloe sees that as her territory,but I anticipate that they’ll be able toshare a cage full-time very soon. It’s ourfirst time bonding rabbits so I want tomake sure to take my time and do it right.

Edouard Gave

Kristie and Carby

Kristie was adopted in October as a friend forCarby, and they are now a happy couple. Here is a letter from Camille Casanova aboutthe two bunnies.

Hello there,

My name is Camille and I’m a proudnew adopter of a lop rabbit named Kristie.

She came to me through the help ofNYC Metro Rabbits’ Cindy Stutts andthe wonderful people who foster and aidin matching these rabbits with potentialadopters.

A few months ago, I decided to find afriend for my dwarf rabbit, Carby, whomI’ve had for eight years. He’s been around

Letters (Continued from page 15)

many animals before (guinea pigs, hamsters,dogs, cats) but not other rabbits.

I work near the Petco in Union Square andI’ve always seen rabbits up for adoptionthere. One day after work I found myselfin the store again during the group’sadoption event. I asked one of the friendlypeople working there about the adoptionprocess and explained that I wanted tofind a potential friend for Carby. I wasgiven Cindy’s contact info and was toldabout the bunny “speed dates” over atPetco on Columbus Avenue. Great! Soonafter contacting Cindy, we were able toset up a time for me to come by theColumbus Avenue location to set upmini dates.

On Saturday, Oct. 27, I walked intoPetco on the Upper West Side carryingCarby to meet his potential friends. I wasgreeted by Mary Christine, who putCarby in a pen next to a fluffy whiterabbit, who would later on become hisnew buddy. I soon met Cindy and themini dates began. My rabbit met Kristie,who groomed him right away, and Tippy,a female version of my rabbit who wasinterested in him but, like a classy littlelady, wouldn’t completely let on. Aftersome time, I settled on Kristie. Kristiewas being taken care of by her lovelyfoster mom, Anne. She was surrendered

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Carby and Kristie.

Lila, Baxter and Zach.

to AC&C and is approximately six yearsold. Anne and I exchanged info and aftera sweet goodbye, the rabbits and I wereon our way back home.

The bonding process took two and a halfweeks. Initially, Carby would occasionallyswat at Kristie, regardless of whicheverneutral space I would have their bondingsessions at. Through each session, though,there would be positive signs: ignoringeach other, or one of them eating orrelaxing in front of the other.

Soon enough, they started getting closerto the point where they would alwaysgroom each other whenever they hadtheir bonding time. They officially movedin together on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and Icouldn’t be happier for both of them.They’re always cuddling next to eachother and seem so in love. Woo hoo!

I’m so glad that I came across NYC MetroRabbits and got to meet some of thelovely people who keep this organizationgoing. I would like to especially thankMary Christine, who was so informativeand had such a big heart, and Anne, who took such great care of Kristie andcontinues to lend support and offeradvice for questions I may have. And, ofcourse, a big thank you goes to Cindy,who made the adoption possible and hercontinued work in getting these wonderfulrabbits adopted. I will definitelyrecommend going this adoption routewhen I meet other prospective rabbitmoms or dads in the future!

With many thanks,Camille

Baxter

Baxter was adopted by Liz and her family inDecember 2011. Here is an update on how he’sbeen doing.

Hi! It’s been almost a year since weadopted Baxter and I just wanted to giveyou an update.

Baxter is great! He is lovable andaffectionate and seems very happy. Hestill lives in the dog pen in Sam and Lila’sroom. He runs around us when he’s out,

and wherever I sit on the floor, he comesto me and tries to bury his head underme. When I sit on the couch, he oftenjumps onto my lap. Just recently, hestarted licking me.

The kids brush him every day. Lila usuallygives him his pellets (mostly because shebelieves that Sam and I overfeed him).Zach makes sure he has a fresh supply ofgreens daily. He binkies around theapartment. He especially loves runningaround where we keep our bicycles. (Don’tworry; he is well watched when he is outand about.)

I have a funny story to tell you. Myneighbor has a cousin who lives in Israeland has a bunny. She offered to talk to mewhen we were thinking about adoptingBaxter. We never ended up speaking –mostly because her rabbit lives on theiroutdoor balcony and they have a verydifferent set-up. The cousin was visitingNew York and came by to meet ourrabbit. When she came by, Baxter washanging out in the living room. She saidto me, “He just roams loose in yourapartment?” I explained that he wasusually in his pen but he did spend sometime running around the apartment.

I asked her if she wanted to meet him. Ipicked him up and brought him to her.She was astonished and said, “He lets youpick him up?” Then I showed her his penand she took one look at the litter boxand said, “Your rabbit uses the litter box?”Lila then told her how Baxter will actuallyleave the living room to go to his litterbox when he needed to use it. And rightthen (as if on cue) Baxter came runninginto his pen, went to the bathroom andthen ran back out. The cousin was stunned.

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Letters (Continued from page 16)

Findley and Lucy.

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Lucy and Findley

Sharon adopted Lucy and Findley in mid-September. The bonded buddies are enjoyingtheir new home.

Since adopting Lucy and Findley, I’vegotten to know their very differentpersonalities. Findley is a sweet, laid backlittle guy. He likes to snuggle up next tome on the couch. Lucy was shy at first,but now she is outgoing, energetic andsassy. She loves to run around the roomand toss anything light enough for her topick up. She nudges me for attention, isassertive and always gets her way! I amdelighted by every new thing they do.

I am so glad I chose to adopt a bondedpair. They are so devoted to each otherand I love watching them snuggle. Theonly thing better than being greeted by abunny at the door, is being greeted bytwo bunnies.

I would like to thank all the volunteers –especially Cindy Stutts – who gave me agreat bunny 101.

Sharon

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I know Baxter is special but this womancould not get over him.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know thatBaxter is doing well. Thank you for yourinvolvement in his adoption.

Hope you and your bunnies are all doingwell. And have a very happyThanksgiving!

Best,Liz (and Lila and family)

LilyKallie and her family adopted Lily earlier thisyear. We received this update in late November.

We adopted Lily from NYC MetroRabbits a few months ago, and we’vebeen so happy with our bunny!

Lily is a beautiful lop-eared rabbit with alot of personality. At first, Lily was nervous.Even though we were gentle with her andgave her space, she nipped us often andhard. It hurt! From the advice we weregiven, we just yelped “ouch Lily!” or “notnice,” and we’d walk away as if giving hera time out from play and attention.Wewere patient with her, and soon all of that changed. She hasn’t nipped any of usin weeks.

She’s mellowed out and loves to cuddle.All three of my children have fallen inlove with her. They have learned to carefor her and play with her. She loves all theattention and she’s quite patient with my2-year-old. Lily dances and jumps andchases them all over the place. Then shegets so tired out that she escapes back intoher quiet hutch for a well-deserved nap.

There are so many benefits to adopting abunny. Lily was spayed and litter-boxtrained, and we really appreciated all thevaluable information we were given bythe rescue volunteers. It was a greatexperience adopting Lily, and we lookforward to our years ahead with her.

Thanks to all the volunteers!Kallie

HarleyHarley, formerly known as Bradley, wasadopted in November by Beth and her family.Beth sent us this letter a few weeks later.

Harley (what we’ve been calling him afterlearning his pattern is a harlequin) isdoing very well in his new forever home.We were really surprised at how quicklyhe’s adjusted and made himself comfortable.He’s been doing the bunny purr/grindingof teeth when lying beside me, and I’vebeen grinding my teeth back at him.When he’s resting on his own, his legs arespread out behind him, which I’ve readshows relaxed comfort.

Harley has been a great addition to thefamily. He has such a strong personality.He loves to squish himself in between hispen and the couch and observe everythinggoing on. He recently began exploringthe couch and has a new favorite spotnear the window. There are still no hugeissues with him and the cat. She doesn’tlike having to share the attention and willpout, but is getting used to things. :)

We all had a good Thanksgiving. I wasworried about leaving Harley behind afteronly having him here for one week. Mybrother volunteered to drive from Marylandso we could bring Harley (and the cat)with us to our family’s Thanksgivingcelebration. It was a packed car, but every -one was happy and my family got achance to meet the new addition. He didreally well, and it went much moresmoothly than I was expecting. :)

Just today, he’s begun to “binky.” I’d seenvideos online and when he did his firstone, I attempted my version for him. Heseemed to either approve by doing itback or disapprove and show me how it’ssupposed to be done. :)

Thank you all again so much for bringinghim into our lives. He is perfect! :) Beth

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Licensed HRS Representatives

Long Island:Jennifer Saver, DVMLaura George, DVMCatnip & Carrots Veterinary Hospital2221Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park, NY 11040(516) 877-7080

Heidi Hoefer, DVMIsland Exotic Vet Care591 East Jericho Turnpike Huntington Station, NY 11746(631) 424-0300

Jeff Rose, DVMJefferson Animal Hospital606 Patchogue Rd.(Route 112)Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776(631) 473-0415

Manhattan:Becky Campbell, DVMDeborah Levison, DVMSymphony Veterinary Center170 West 96th Street, New York, NY 10025(212) 866-8000

Rabbit-Savvy Veterinarians

All donations go directly to caring for ourfoster rabbits and are tax-deductible. Pleasehelp us help them. Checks should be madeout to Rabbit Rescue & Rehab and mailed to: Nancy Schreiber, 12 Grace Court North,Great Neck, NY 11021.

Mary Cotter, HRS Licensed Educator,Chapter Manager, Rabbit Rescue & Rehab,mec@cloud9.net, (914)337-6146, rabbitcare.orgNancy Schreiber, HRS Licensed Educator,Co-Chapter Manager-in-Training, RabbitRescue & Rehab, Long Island Rabbit RescueGroup Volunteer, nschreibmd@aol.com, (516)510-3637, LongIslandRabbitRescue.orgCindy Stutts, HRS Licensed Educator,Manager NYC Metro Rabbit Program,bygolyoly@yahoo.com, (646) 319-4766,nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.comMary Ann Maier, HRS Licensed Educator,Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group Volunteer,altitude8@yahoo.com,LongIslandRabbitRescue.orgDonna Sheridan, HRS Licensed Educator,Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group Volunteer,hpocus217@yahoo.com,LongIslandRabbitRescue.orgKerstin Aumann, HRS Licensed Educator,NYC/AC&C Volunteer,nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com, nycacc.orgGabrielle LaManna, HRS Educator-in-training at large, New Fairfield, CT,gabbysbunnies@yahoo.com, (203)746-7548Jennifer Saver, DVM, HRS Licensed EducatorLaura George, DVM, HRS Licensed Educator

Newsletter of RRR/NYC HRS56 West Pondfield Road #5CBronxville, NY 10708www.rabbitcare.orgEditor: Susan LilloCreative Director: Jane O’WyattMasthead Logo Designer: Mary Ann MaierRabbit Rescue & Rehab is a not-for-profit,tax-exempt corporation in New York State.Our purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate andfind permanent homes for abandoned,abused and neglected rabbits, and to educatethe general public on rabbit care throughpublications, telephone consultations, homevisits and public presentations. This newsletteris published by RRR/NYC HRS, which issolely responsible for its content. Letters,photographs and other submissions to thenewletter become the property of the NYCChapter and cannot be returned.We retainthe right to edit submissions for publication.

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Here’s our recommended vet list for the NewYork metropolitan area. Please note that manyclinics have multiple veterinarians, and our recommendations are for specific veterinarians inthose clinics. If you can’t get an appointment with a recommended vet at one clinic, don’tassume (no matter what you are told by the clinic) that other vets in the same clinic can helpyour rabbit. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the vets on this list,please contact Mary Cotter at (914) 337-6146. When you make an appointment with any of these vets, please tell them you were referred by us.

Katherine Quesenberry, DVMThe Animal Medical Center510 East 62nd St., New York, NY 10065(212) 838-7053, (212) 329-8622

Alexandra Wilson, DVMAnthony Pilny, DVM Cynthia J. Brown, DVMThe Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine568 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10024(212) 501-8750

Shachar Malka, DVMHumane Society of New York306 East 59th St., New York, NY 10022(212) 752-4842

Westchester County:Gil Stanzione, DVMDakota Veterinary Center381Dobbs FerryRoad,White Plains,NY 10607(914) 421-0020

Laurie Hess, DVMVeterinary Center for Birds and Exotics709 Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507(914) 864-1414

ADOPTABLE RABBITSThere are lots of adoptable rabbits availablein Manhattan, Long Island and Westchester.

To adopt a rabbit in New York City, contactCindy Stutts at bygolyoly@yahoo.com or callher at 646-319-4766.On Long Island, contactNancy Schreiber at nschreibmd@aol.comor at 516-510-3637 (www.longislandrabbitrescue.org), and in Westchestercontact Mary Cotter at mec@cloud9.net or914-337-6146 (www.rabbitcare.org).

The rabbit volunteers’ email address in NewYork City is nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com.

Adoptable NYC Metro rabbits are at Petco’sLexington Avenue (86th-87th) and UnionSquare locations; rabbit volunteers are presentat both stores on Saturday and Sundayafternoons to answer questions. There aretwo rabbits living at each of those stores.

You can also visit Animal Care & Control ofNYC (AC&C) at 326 East 110th St.,between First and Second avenues.

Rabbits for adoption can be found by goingto: http://www.nycacc.org/ and doing an

adoption search. Volunteers are there everyweekday evening and on Saturday andSunday afternoons, but it is best to arrangean appointment first.

Bunny speed dates take place 2 p.m. to 5 p.mSaturdays at the Petco store at ColumbusAvenue and West 100th Street. To arrange aspeed date so that your rabbit can find a buddy,contact Cindy Stutts at bygolyoly@yahoo.com.The bonding sessions sometimes take anhour or more, so only three speed dates arescheduled each Saturday.

Many of our rabbits are living in fosterhomes and you can meet them as well. Youalso can arrange to foster a rabbit until he or she finds a permanent home. ContactMary Cotter at mec@cloud9.net or CindyStutts at nyc.metro.rabbits@gmail.com.

For basic information about rabbits as pets, go to www.rabbitcare.org,www.longislandrabbitrescue.org and theHouse Rabbit Society main site,www.rabbit.org.

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