A Note From Linda... LOL!!!

Hey guys......I gotta tell you that you never stop learning with this bunny stuff. I was too full of myself and I got taken down a peg. The head tilt baby bunny and I have our routine down great now. I know just how to hold him to get the medications and feedings down him and tonight he seem actually a bit better. Not just stronger but more stable. Head tilt bunnies scare the pants off me. I finally faced my fear and I'm doing fine with this little fella, I haven't dropped him, he hasn't chocked, nothing bad has happened and my confidence has grown as time has passed by. Tonight I am sitting in the chair happily stuffing critical care down his little body after giving him liquids and several liquid medications. He is soft and warm and all cuddled up to my chest. He seems so happy and content and I'm just sitting there holding him and talking to him. All is well except that I forgot one basic fact. What goes in has to come out again. Suddenly he decided it's time to pee. I feel this flood of warm water rush down my body, it then drips down off the plastic chair I am sitting on and down my leg to settle nicely in my shoe. I was covered. My god - that so much liquid could come out of one tiny baby bunny! He must have held it half the day. It just kept coming and coming. I grabbed him away from my body and he is squirting the entire time so I basically spread pee everywhere while I am running with him. Like he was a self firing water pistol. A pee pistol. I had to shower and completely clean the whole room. What an ungodly mess!The good news is that I am convinced he is doing better. Not flipping quite so much and more able to eat again fairly well on his own. He is back again to how he as when we took him in. So I am excited. Now all I need to know is how do I get pee out of leather shoes? Linda

Due date mix up, 30 buns in need, the HS lends a hand...

New Sign For The Hollow - CLOSED ON SUNDAYS! (Thanks hubby Chris!) Now we just need a big one that says "BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!"

Linda and I went and met with a woman today who had rescued about 10 rabbits. She called and asked for our help as she is getting overwhelmed (hey - with rabbits - it happens!). We went down and sexed them, there is a new litter there that is just a few days old, 5-6 unaltered males, 5-6 females that all feel pregnant and swollen, and more than 20 babies between 5 and 12 weeks. We sexed everybun, gave ivomec shots to the adult males, separated the males from the females, except for the youngest which we will do in about a month, and offered to continue to help as we could. The woman has a wonderful set-up where all the buns are safe, we just have to get the population under control and then go from there. Some of the babies were so inbred from where they came from that there are ears missing and one had 1/2 of its back foot missing, not from them being eaten, no signs of scabs or anything, just born that way. We took 4 buns in with us. 1 is scab-covered so was started on Ivomec and Baytril, 1 baby has no ears (looks like a Guinea Pig), 1 baby has head tilt, and 1 that has 1 ear and missing 1/2 a back foot was just laying lethargic in the cage. It died shortly after we got home. Linda will be taking the remaining 3 to the vet tomorrow. Any donations would be wonderful! We were there for about 2 hours catching and sexing all these little cuties. If anyone wants to foster for a month or so, please contact us through the website at http://www.hopalonghollow.org/. The Humane Society was very generous as to take in 7 of the baby girls for us that are about 8-10 weeks of age. There are still very many that will need homes, on top of our already huge population.

It's been a very busy couple of weeks, though adoptions have been a little slow. Bun-Jovi passed away Saturday night into Sunday morning. Margie offered to take Bugsy to do his meds and take care of him for a while (major head-tilt and several different meds 2x a day) which is a very nice help and a break for me. We were just on Pet Talk last Sunday, we'll figure out how to upload it and everyone can get a chuckle at the huge pregnant lady... Oh, and for anyone who hasn't heard yet, I've been telling everyone that I'm due on July 7th, cause that's what I thought. I went to the Dr's for my stress test this past Monday and they said I'm 38 1/2 weeks (out of 40) and it just didn't add up to me. I asked "How is it July 7th?" Turns out I was told a wrong date by someone who no longer works there, and I'm actually due on June 29th! Oh well, either way she's going to be here shortly! Works out for me better any ways, my dad has vacation the week of the 4th so I want her here to meet him!

There is going to be a huge Hollow Tag-Sale on Freeman Ave. in Stratford on June 28th. We aren't giving the house number out as of yet, but there will be lots of signage to follow! Please come and show your support for the Hollow! Well, I'm sure there is more to write, but I am just so tired right now I don't know what I have and haven't written, and don't know what else to say. I'm flabbergasted and going to bed for a while... Oh! Anyone looking to help with donations towards food and medications, please, please, please contact the Hollow through our website or make a pay-pal donation with the e-mail addresss hopalonghollow@aol.com.

Tag Sale, Pet Talk

Hey,
Chris, Ali and I went to Channel 12 this past Sunday to do a "Father's Day" segment of Pet Talk. It will air, of course, on Father's Day - this coming Sunday. We took Bucky, Heather and Rag-a-Muffin with us, all were very well behaved. Bucky went in yesterday to have his teeth cut way back again. We are trying to raise the money to have his front teeth surgically removed since they will never be aligned and we'd rather not have to continuously put him through the teeth trimming, he's been though enough! Bun-Jovi is actually able to stand for short periods of time on his hind legs again which is amazing, and Bugsy seems to be eating more and more on his own, drinking out of the water bottle, and he seems to be holding his head up a bit more often. Wishful thinking on both parts? We may have 2 pairs of chins leaving soon, which would be wonderful for them. Chris helped me get the a/c hooked up for everyone a couple of days ago and I've had a couple of people helping out with the pens/cages which has been wonderful. Susie came on Friday and Bryne again on Sunday. Christine will come tomorrow to clean the chin cages for me, which rocks. I am really getting tired quickly now, I just couldn't imagine it happening - I don't sit and now I actually have too! Thanks to everyone for their help, and to everyone who just shows up at the Hollow to clean when they say they will. We are so crazy right now and every single person that shows up is a just an angel - and we need angels with what we do!
This week Groucho came back, his bond with Honey did not end up working out in the end, he became very aggressive with her - we think maybe over food since he was so starved coming in.
I am bonding Lila with Sal right now, and just bonded Danni (found running loose in Danbury) with Romeo and Coco with Sonia. I haven't taken any pictures yet, too empty-headed to even think of it this week!
Thank you to everyone who has brought us items for the tag-sale on June 28th, and thank you to everyone who has dropped off (Terri brought paper towels, toys and other items and Cindy from St. Josephs brought garbage bags, papers and tag-sale items!) donations and sent in checks. We are so low on funds, and every little bit has truly helped. Any other items for the tag-sale can be dropped off at my place in Stratford to be stored until the tag-sale, just e-mail me directly for the address at brandeesbunch@aol.com.
I'm due in 2 1/2 weeks now, I have a birthday Friday and Linda has a birthday as well on the 22nd so hopefully we'll both be doing something fun in the next couple of weeks (like relaxing, or child-birth)! Hope everyone is well, and please send us updates on your buns as you get them! Happy JUNE!
Brandee :o)

Another Month Goes By...

Ok, we are down to the final 4 weeks of pregnancy, and still we have rabbits everywhere. I've calmed down a bit now knowing that help is all over the place if only I cave in and ask for it (I try to do everything myself and my belly is catching up with me!). We took in 11 rabbits a couple of weeks ago from an "accidental backyard breeder" in Trumbull. I guess the bunnies have been breeding for about 6 years and they had been giving them to a pet store that was selling them. My heart goes out to all the rabbits now sitting in uneducated homes (or lonely hutches). We have 7 in foster with Ali's family in 2 locations, and 4 at my house. We took in 3 bunnies from a NY shelter that were going to be euthanized (already neutered though!) and besides Camille that was caught at the beach last month (and now in her new home with owner Robert who is in bunny-love!) Linda also caught a 2-3 pound netherland dwarf running on the streets of Norwalk. We have a flemmish baby (6-7 pounds already) and also another bunny that we believe will be a giant chinchilla rabbit when she grows older. Now, don't go thinking we are just taking bunnies in! We have had several adoptions and bondings, and lots of phone calls coming in, so hopefully they keep coming. Jamie left to be bonded with Claudius (adorable lop), and Diego (aka Groucho) left today for his new home with the lovely rex Honey. Camille (as I mentioned above) left last week as did Odelle from NY and Chester, also from NY. I know there is more, but I honestly have less memory this month than usual. Oh, we had a bunny come in from Danbury too that was running loose. Shelly from the Chinchilla Depot was gracious enough not only to house her for a couple of nights, but to also drive down to Danbury to bring her to me while I was visiting my in-laws. THANK YOU SHELLY!

Things at the Hollow have also been hectic - Linda has been putting in so much "Overtime" with cleaning and rabbit paper work, Ebay, vet visits, IV's and meds along with force feedings on ill rabbits including Bun-Jovi who currently has no use of his hind legs and Bugsy with severe head-tilt, and so much more that I wish the volunteers who call in because for whatever reason they can't make it that day, could see how much she has to do and how much she is set back when she is left to clean all the cages herself. It seriously takes about 20 minutes per force feeding on a rabbit and we have 2 at the moment that are being done, and force feedings are 3-4 times a day. If anyone has any suggestions on bringing in more volunteers or is in the vicinity of the Norwalk area and can hang up "volunteers needed" fliers, please let me know. The more volunteers we have, the fewer cages each has to do, and the less likely Linda will end up having to do them. She is just so exhausted, we need more help. We are still trying to cut down on all our numbers, and we have put an absolute halt on any more rabbits coming in until her home and my home have no more fosters inside and everyone is moved into the Hollow. We are also turning away all other small animals at this time, it's sad, but it has to be done.

3 weeks ago we had to have our Rattie Girl Rodelli put down due to cancer. Last Thursday JD, our old lab-mix we adopted from the HS nearly 3 years ago, had to be put down. Today I lost a rabbit to pneumonia/heart failure. It's been a long month.

HOLLOW NEEDS: Paper Towels, 39 gallon black garbage bags, newspapers, pre-stuffed paper-tubes... We also need some serious funding this month. The X-rays, meds, etc... are catching up with us this month. Any and all help is not only appreciated, but needed - and don't forget it's a tax-write off!




Last Thursday:

I had spoken to Dr. Pieper yesterday about when we might be ready for JD (black lab mix) to come in to be put down, and we talked about getting him in to do blood-work on Friday to find out the reasons for his hind-leg weakness and loss of appetite, also his "night moods." He's been going a little senile and just hasn't been himself the past few months. Last night when I came home, there was blood all over the driveway and steps from a growth that he has had on his front leg since we got him 3 years ago. I got the bleeding to stop and he went to bed. I left a note for Chris to let the dogs out and check on him when he got home. He got home at 1am and woke me. JD gnawed the thing off his leg and more blood everywhere, walls, floor.... It only added to his weakness he's been having. Chris mortared down some Yarrow and packed the wound, bandaged him up, cleaned up all the blood, I made him an e-collar and we put him to bed around 2 am. We had him to the vet first thing this morning - he couldn't walk down the driveway - fell on his face. Couldn't sit in the car - just fell over - and couldn't stand up at the Dr. s office. I was waiting for a sign, but didn't expect it to come this soon. JD was put down around 11 am today, and I am so sad, not just for his being gone, but I wanted him to have one more summer with the Romeo kids that he loves so much.