Wow... Long Time No Blog!!

Hey, well, here was my day... I woke up with my 11 month old, soon to be a year (WOW HAS IT FLOWN BY!), and noticed that the garbage had been broken into by Raccoons... It was all over the driveway, so I called my good friend Madison Letizia (age 10) and she came over to play with Katie so I could clean up my driveway and put the dishes away, get a couple of bunnies together to swap with our main location in Norwalk, Madison rode down to Norwalk with us and watched "Brats" in the backseat with Katie. THANK YOU MADISON! We stopped at Dutchess and got breakfast. I went and did the shots and was sad to be in such a rush to leave Linda to set up and rearrange the cages to accommodate the bunnies I brought down. Things change so much with a baby, and now that she's walking, I can't just put her in the stroller and expect her to watch me help clean, she screams for being confined! Linda will be joining in on knowing what that is all about as her Grandson Logan is now 2 months old and will be strolling around in just a few months as well. Next I dragged Maddie and Katie to the dump with me, then we dropped Maddie off at home to visit with her Uncle Jason. Katie finally fell asleep for her 8:30 nap at 11:00, and I continued to weed the garden and do dump runs. I had to stop the traffic next to Sikorsky Memorial Airport to help a turtle cross the road... Another dump run, and then I did the unthinkable. I went to Dutchess again. I got a burger and pulled over next to the Ramada Inn on Lordship Blvd. to eat my burger and there was a baby Seagull walking through the parking lot crying. I called Wildlife in Crisis to ask their advice, went about my business, then went back by. The baby had climbed the back stairs at the Ramada and was laying there crying. A guy came out and said that it had been there the past day, so I gathered it up, brought it home and fed it, then Jim to the rescue! He not only took Cakester the Guinea Pig down to the Humane Society for me, but also drove the Seagull (a "Laughing Gull") down to WIC in Weston. I then went to drop off Peanut (bunny) to her new home. I cleaned some of the cages downstairs, then went to the graduation party of Nick Romeo who I have nannied for for over 8 1/2 years. We came home, Katie and I watched Mama Mia (again) and then I went down to clean cages. It's been a long day. My cat Toby, a stray we took in a couple of years ago, is missing. I'm afraid when we unload the garage for our Hollow Tag Sale this weekend, I might find him injured or worse. He doesn't come up to people, so it's touch and go with what's wrong with him. My cat Mitose peed on a couple of Katie's things this week, so Linda Howard at Linda's Doggie Salon in Stratford (SHE ROCKS!!) gave us a cat cage, which my husband cut new shelves for, and now we have to lock Mitose up at night. It sucks, but I can't deal with cat pee smell. We have many rats, Degu's, chinchilla's and bunnies up for adoption and foster. HELP!

If you are cleaning for us, THANK YOU! If you can help keep the litter boxes cleaned out, awesome, since summer is here the urine build up in litter boxes will cause more humidity, so please help us keep them really wiped out, also keep the doors closed at both locations, we don't want the possibility of fly strike hitting us. We are in need of 33 and 39 gallon black garbage bags, and if you see papers out on your neighborhoods recycling days, please think of picking them up for us and bringing them by, the less Linda has to do going out collecting, the more she can concentrate on keeping her home, seriously, her biggest business is designer fashions and collectibles on EBAY. Help where you can if you can... It takes a lot to run a household, and even more when you add a shelter on to it! Any fundraising ideas you are willing to follow through with is a huge bonus with us too! We take volunteers needing to fulfill community service hours, and those looking to rack up bonus credits for college... Have a great weekend! Brandee
203-767-1150

Chin Adoption, GP's and Rats for adoption, Bunny bondings...

One of the white chins dropped off here last month, Ichabod (now Miiko) found a new home with the Baker family. He is going to be spoiled rotten! They did lots of research, got a cage from http://www.martinscages.com/ (0ne of my favorite sites for cages) and Emily, his primary owner, is a well spoken and very intuitive child. Also, the parents know they are fully responsible, what a breath of fresh air! Our other white chin, now named Cotton, seems to be doing awesome with Christines Button and Larrie, and I guess she'll get herself an "Easter Chin" when she gets home from visiting nephew Rylen in VA. Christine is also fostering Van-Gogh the Degu, and he is so in love with her! I'm bonding Jesse (who was our Jackson Brown) to Vanilla, and it seems to be going well, and we also had a couple of bunnies dropped off last week from Sonya, a Belgiam Hare named Elmer, and a bunny that looks like she might have been some kind of dutch mix named Lilly. They really beat each other up, so I didnt' think the bonding would work from the start, and trying them here didn't help the situation either. They just don't like each other. I bonded Lilly with the Harlequin Bugs from Mandy's rescue that we had just bonded to Jessica's Bunny Chloe that passed this week from a heart disorder, (and we are so very sorry for Chloe's passing, especially me since she was staying with me and I had to rush her to the vet, and Jess and David were on their honeymoon, I just can't not feel somewhat responsible...) Lilly and Bugs are totally grooming each other and seem to be in love. Elmer the Belgium, he doesn't like any of our girls we have right now. We'll see what the family says when they get back in touch with me again... I don't know if I mentioned we got in 4 five week old brown baby bunnies from Mandy, and a pregnant mom (Breyer) that gave birth last week to another 4. She is so scrawny, but trying to do her best to keep herself and her babies happy and healthy. 2 look like Hot-Tot's and 2 look like maybe dwarf albino's, we'll see when their eyes completely open. The bun at Linda's may give birth as well, and there are several others looking for permanent or foster homes. We have a wonderful woman, who I think wishes to remain anonymous, that is going to pay for the spays and neuters on the other rabbits left, and hopefully we can find foster homes for them. We have had a very busy couple of weeks, and though we love what we do, it can be a bit frustrating at times, and tiring... Good Night, Brandee

Addie update, more babies...

Addie went to the doctor again yesterday, they think the leg they want to amputate may still have a chance to regenerate (or fall off) and have never seen anything like her (like so many other buns we bring in) so while the other foot is getting better, starting to grow more hair, we are going to wait another month to see what happens with the foot - she's cool though - on antibiotics still, so she's great (DON'T KEEP YOUR BUNNIES OUTSIDE! FROSTBITE SUCKS! Then again so does flystrike, maggots eating your rabbit from the outside in, which happens in the summer). Mandy at Cottontail Rabbit Rescue was given a situation to deal with where this guy, if I'm getting the story straight, is a trapper. He had 15 bunnies that he was going to shoot before he went away for a month and a neighbor said he'd help place the rabbits, so we took a couple and a litter of 4 babies that are 4 1/2 weeks old, but had to be taken from their mom as she just had another litter. They are doing well, and a female I took in here just had a litter while I was at work tonight, looks like 4, but I didn't mess with the litter too much. I'll give the mom a couple of days, she's so exhausted this evening and I want her to be comfortable here.
We have had several bondings going on. Our bun Duke just got bonded to Jim's bunny Chloe, and I'm trying Jess's bunny Chloe with several of our males while she and David are away on their honeymoon... I'm trying Celeste and Johnny (Jax now) again to no avail. I have 2 bunnies coming in tomorrow (Mandy's adoptions) that I'm going to try to assist in. We have several more bondings and adoptions coming up, I'm going to see if I can take Michele C's buns Jet and Roxy in the next two weeks and see what I can do with them. Clyde had passed away leaving Bunny behind and we tried bonding her with Jesse (aka Jackson Brown) and they were doing great the first two-three days, then all hell broke loose. We'll try him with Vanilla and maybe another bunny at the HS (I think her name is Kiki) next week. It's been a busy, busy few weeks,
and Chelsea is due any day now, and both her and Linda are sick (Linda, I love you, but you sound like crap today!) with Harvey just getting over it. I'm just tired. I'm trying to keep up with Katie (9 months old today!), being at work (my job is great), making calls, checking e-mails (which I've been horrible at) and cleaning what I have here, which was 9 rabbits, and just went up to 17 over night (and the bondings), 11 rats looking for homes, 4 chins looking for homes, 3 which may have them, and 2 Guinea Pigs, a single male, and a single female... Let's not even get into what Linda has going on with all the rabbits and the new Grandson on the way.
Brandee

Lionheads looking for homes/A very nice donation...

I got two letters in my mailbox today at my home address. One freaked me out a bit, and one made my day... The first letter I opened was someone looking to place 9 lionheads, so of course with it coming to my home address I figured soon there would be a box of bunnies on my front lawn. I spoke to the owner and he is totally responsible and looking for help, he wants to make sure the bunnies are taken care of now and not wait till last minute. I would totally adopt out to this family. With the possibility that we all have of losing our homes right now with the economy the way it is, once I spoke with him, I felt so much happier about helping out. They had bought two bunnies (miss-sexed of course) from the Milford mall pet store. Honestly, I don't even shop at the Milford mall because this pet store is there... His bunnies had a litter and the pet store took them back. He wants us to come over, which I'm doing tomorrow, sex the bunnies properly, and find them homes. I was so totally impressed with my conversation, unlike the one I had a couple of weeks ago with the woman ranting and raving she was going to report us to the police because she had a bunny to donate and we had no room. I don't understand why people assume because we do rescue that we HAVE to help them. The man I spoke with today, I am so happy to help out. So tomorrow I will go and sex what he has told us are Lionheads, and place them out accordingly, of course with the CT Humane Society once again there to help us out (Thank you HS and Allyson!).
The second letter I got was from a man who came by with his wife this weekend looking to place their two standard gray female chinchilla's. It was the nicest note with a donation of $200 stating that if we didn't place them soon, he'd send further funds as he didn't expect us to take on the financial burden. It was so nice, my day ended on a good note! Thank you to the family! I'm tired (took a nap with my 8 month old today for about 1 1/2 hours not meaning too, but it just happened) and Linda's daughter Chelsea is due any day now, so all hell is about to break loose at their home, in a very good way, but still a very busy way. We have 2 Petco dates coming up in Milford on the 4th and in Norwalk on the 11th, the Easter Bunny will be at both, and nail-clippings for a $10 donation per rabbit from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. on both days will also be available, I also do ferret and Guinea Pig nails too in case anyone needs it! Addison (Addie) is still hanging in there, and so is her hind leg that will either be removed or fall off, and there is a LOT of pet sitting going on this month a long with several bondings. Well, I could write a book tonight, I'm sure, but too tired. We have 4 chins and 11 rats, a long with the very, very many rabbits all looking for homes. Nora has still been coming over to work with the rats, Christine has offered to help with the chins here, and ALI AND LUMAR GOT THEIR OWN PLACE THIS WEEK!!!! Yeah for you guys!!! We also have a degu up for adoption, if anyone has degu's that this one could even live next too for communication, that would be great. Mandy at Cottontail Rabbit Rescue also has several females if anyone is looking for a friend for their male. I'm here to do bondings, abuse me over it!!! Get your bun a friend! Brandee

Bugsy Passes/New Chins come in

We lost Bugsy on Thursday morning. I went down to give him meds and he was mouth-breathing, so I made the decision to take him in and have him put down, as neither Linda nor myself have ever seen a rabbit come back from that point. I packed Bugs and his bond-mate Moody in the carrier to go to vet, and Bugsy died on the way there. We got a room when we got there (thank you Barnum Animal Hospital) so Moody had a chance to say good-bye. It was sad to see her nudge him and climb on him, but all was done and we went to the Hollow to pick up Popeye (who came in smelling of urine, way over-grown nails and a tiny cage). I put him next to Moody and will try bonding them next week. I just tried bonding Leo the Lion-head and Bandita, and hopefully all goes well, they went home yesterday, we'll hope that it sticks, they are so darn cute together! Heather who was adopted a few weeks ago, may be coming back. She's being a brat to the pre-existing house bunny. Today I had a pair of 6 year old female standard gray chinchilla's dropped off, and Nora who has been coming to work with our rats, took home two babies to foster (though I bet she keeps them!). We had a GP adopted last week, and another that we have here, a black and white male who is sweet as can be that is looking for a home. We'll see what pictures I can manage this week - right?? OK, Katie and I are going to watch Mama-Mia, it's nearly her bed-time. Brandee

Addison's leg...

Ok, I am actually blogging two days in a row - messed up, but I have to share. Addie went to South Wilton today for another check up on her leg, and again had her amputation surgery postponed. She's doing awesome now, and the doctor seems to think that I may just mosey on into my kitchen one morning and find the leg has fallen off on it's own! Eeeeeeewwwwwww! As far as Addie goes, it's not bothering her, she's in no pain, and it would be better for her than putting the little 1 1/2 pounder through the surgery. She's still on Metacam, Baytril and Pen-G shots, and she is just doing great, she's actually following me in the kitchen now (she' knows where the lettuce is) and I'm so worried I'll step on her, she's the same size as Major's (our Shepard) toys! I have to watch out for her when Katie is in her walker zooming around too. We are making it work. Such good news after the loss of Oliver Chin. Bugsy on the other hand, I had to express his bladder again today, gave more fluids, and he's being force-fed now. He's just like Fuzz-butt, just lying there, only Fuzz is eating on his own. I'm keeping him with Moody, his bond mate, during the day so he doesn't get depressed, and putting him in a cage next to her pen at night so they can stay together. I hate this, this thought that every time I go see him he might be gone... Brandee

Hello's and Goodbyes

First, I want to thank you Ali for taking over and helping with the blog since I've been nutso and too busy to even feed myself! I want to also thank Ali and Christine for helping out at the Petco Fundraiser in Milford (which didn't raise much, but we still got to talk to people!) and for just constantly helping the Hollow. Today was a crappy day as far as things go. We took in a chinchilla named Oliver a few weeks ago that was misdiagnosed with a neck tumor, and after hearing he had been bought twice and brought back due to fighting, I was positive it was a neck abscess. I took him in to Dr. Pieper at Barnum Animal Hospital (who rocks!) and he drained the abscess and sent him home with meds, then when Christine (who wanted to adopt Oliver aka. Spooks) came by on Friday, we noticed a little drooling from him and also another lump that had come up on the right jaw. This time it was an abscess due to a poor diet and miss-aligned teeth, his teeth were white instead of the orange-red that a healthy chin (or Degu) should display. He went in again on Saturday morning for another surgery, he had a bad tooth that was going to need to be pulled, and things looked like they might go septic. We had full hope of him pulling through. I had him on Baytril and Metcam, and force fed him Critical Care last night. I went down at 6:30 this morning to give him and Bugsy (a bun that just lost a lot of use of his hind legs) their meds, and Oliver was dead. I am so upset, he had a possible awesome home with Christine if he had gotten better and gotten along with her totally layed back chins. It just sucks. Now Bugsy is not only having hind-leg weakness, but his front legs are splaying. He had fluids tonight, and he's on Metacam, Baytril, and Reglan. I had to express his bladder last night because he's not peeing on his own. He's not attacking his pellets like he usually does. He's in a crate next to his bond-mate Moody tonight so I can see if he uses the bathroom, but the are close enough to nose each other. I hate to separate them, but it has to be done to see what he is producing. On a good note, Addie, the bunny from one of the Easton dumps that I didn't even think was going to make it throught the first night, is doing amazingly well, one of her hind legs seems to be regenerating, so she will probably only have to have the one hind leg removed, and after having Martin's removed, I have high hopes, he was so much happier not dragging that dead leg around. Animals don't get depressed about appendages being removed like people do, they cope and make up for it. Addie is also going all over the place now, and constantly following me around the kitchen, especially if I'm opening the fridge, she knows that's where the goodies are. It's been a long, long weekend for both Linda and I, and we need a couple of quiet days. I currently have a very sweet black and white Guinea Pig and 2 white male chins up for adoption, and also a Degu here that rocks and they are all up for adoption. I also have the 11 rats that Nora has been coming over to work with to make sure they are socialized when going to new homes, 4 males and 7 females (I want them to atleast go in pairs! OK... Done and going to bed. Thanks everyone... Brandee p.s. Pictures should follow...