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 CHOPS
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was born on 27th May 1999 in Cambridge, England and It took a while to
find a name for this dear little baby bun, and although I had quite a
few in mind like Mushroom, Nossle, Nibbler and Strawberry, none really
suited him.
I started calling him Chops as a nick name but in the end it really had to stay as his name. If you saw him from the front you would see why he has this name as he has the most wonderful chubby cheeks with white whiskers sprouting out of black holes. This bun has only been with me since 15th July 1999, but is already very much loved and gets so much attention with me being at home all the time. He has two hutches to choose from, one a big hutch in the outside lean-to which has a ramp to allow him to go in and out of his own choosing and another in the hall which is where he lived for the first couple of weeks. He is still under 12 weeks old so on dry rabbit mix, hay and straw but I am slowly introducing him to carrot which he loves. ==============
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Look at those ears. Chops a few moments after arriving home for the first time 15/7/99
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The British House Rabbit Association
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Bunny Dance and more bunnies per inch than any other page I have seen
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Here he is now nearly 4 months old and has grown very quickly. He has turned into an athlete jumper and can leap over barriers 2ft high in a single bound. He is always following me around the house and as soon as I move rooms he is up and running around my feet. When I settle quietly somewhere he comes and flops out next to me. He often falls fast asleep when I get down on the ground to stroke him. There has been a lot of bunny proofing going on since July and most urgent was to make all the mains cables safe. This has proved to be essential now as he has recently cut through my telephone cable. He has been getting a nice long run out in the garden at least once a day and as much as 4 times when the weather has been good. He is spending more and more time around the house now as the weather becomes colder and wetter and also spends some time in the leanto which he has the full run of during the day. He doesn't seem very interested in toys, although he has all sorts of things to play with (cardboard boxes, tubes to run through, bells, flower pots, bits of wood etc etc He loves tearing around the garden like a mad thing when the mood takes him and zooms around at amazing speed, jumping high into the air as he goes. Once or twice he has jumped vertically (like a space rocket lifting off) while running ever so fast. He is a very clean bun and smells as fresh as a spring morning. Even if he gets into all sorts of mess and mischief outside he is clean again within the hour. He now even does all his business in a tray full of straw at the end of the leanto and there is hardly any clearing up to do. At night he often sits with me while I work here or watch the tv and when he feels ready he walks out the room and I later find him in his hutch munching and know its time to put him to bed for the night. Most of the time he doesn't like to be picked up so I don't inflict that on him and let him do his own thing. I can pick him up first thing in the morning, but any other time would cause a struggle and distress to the poor little bun. His hutch is about 2½ feet off the ground, but he has a nice permanent ramp he can use to go in and out. Its lined with old carpet so he can get a grip and has side to prevent him falling if he makes a mistake. I am so happy to have him with me and he has changed my life in so many positive ways, not to mention turned my house upside down, but I don't mind that one little bit. (7 Oct 99) |
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The fun has continued through October/November with bunny proofing all the cables and wires around my house and especially in my little home studio. He has recently hacked through the lead to my headphones while I was wearing them... It was the only accessible cable left, so I suppose it had to go!! Ha Ha!! He has had a watery right eye for about two weeks and I have been bathing it in warm water, but its not been getting any better. I eventually had to take him to the vet on 10th Nov and was given "Chloramphenicol" gel to place under his eyelids three times a day (Good eye first to stop spread of infection). He seems to have reached sexual maturity almost exactly on time at 5 months and has become a little frisky recently. He seems to have taken a shining to my white socks, but providing I don't wear them around the house he keeps fairly calm. The big Neuter question keeps popping up, but I am hoping it can be avoided if possible. I really don't want to risk his chances under anesthetic unless absolutely necessary. He does occasionally have "pongy" moments since reaching maturity, but the smell is fairly tame. As I write this he is fast asleep and laying on his side by my feet under the computer table. He seems to love it in here - perhaps its the heat of the equipment? Or perhaps because I spend ages in front of this screen? His favourite pastime (apart from eating) is tearing strips off of cardboard boxes and he has also made a good job of stripping the bottom 10 inches of all my wallpaper! As he is a house rabbit I can't easily stop him doing this, and providing it doesn't do him any harm I don't care about the damage to the decoration. It needed replacing anyway so he is helping me!!! (11Nov 99)
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Its now April 2000 and Chops is still learning about the world we live in and is slowly acquiring new skills like holding down a rolling carrot with his front paws to stop it rolling away while eating it. He has stopped his nibbling of everything in sight, but this has now been replaced by behaviour related to his sexual maturity. I am still in two minds as to whether to get him neutered or not, but the spraying is becoming a problem and if he isn't doing it over me its the furniture. He is digging like mad in the garden everyday and lots of big holes are appearing. Don't worry none of the holes are near a fence and he is very secure in the garden. Anyway it would take him many days to dig a hole out of the garden. I have to bathe his troublesome eyes now and then as he gets a lot of sleep build up in his tear ducts and his watery eyes wet his fur and make it mated.. There have been a few mice join us over the last three months and its been a problem keeping them out of his hutch. I have now fixed an extra layer of wire over his hutch door and this seems to have stopped them for the time being. They are tiny little things (and very sweet) and seem to get through a hole less than ½ inch square. Chops still seems a happy bun and is great company day and night. He follows me everywhere and looks mortally hurt when I have to close a door and leave him outside the room. He has the run of most rooms but sometimes its difficult to have him in here with the computer and stuff as he nibbles my feet while I'm working. Still thinking about getting another bun to give him company, but the RSPCA have not found a Doe yet. April 2000 |
Oi, Who you lookin'
at?
28 September 1999
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Its now the end of September 2000 and me and Chops have had a nice summer together. He recently found a honeysuckle bush and loves the leaves. Its still just us two and no other buns yet, but he seems happy enough. He is always jumping up on the settee for a cuddle and his teeth chatter with contentment as I stroke him. No barrier is adequate for keeping him out of a room and he even jumps over 3ft high barriers as if they were not there. He is very active and into all sorts of mischief. His favourite pastime is rolling his teddy bear over the floor and then humping it! He also turns out all the waste paper bins when he fancies it. He still has eye troubles and they water and mat his fur. I bathe them in warm water, but it doesn't improve. As soon as one clears up the other side starts. He doesn't mind the water on his face, but try and touch him with a hand towel and he goes mad. We are getting ready for winter now with less time out in the garden, but I am sure we will get out there often, especially when it snows. 26th Sept 2000 |
 Chops first time in the snow. Judging by his coat, he was made for mooching around in the half melted snow 14 Dec 1999 |
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Its now Spring 2001 and the Daffodils are just about to bloom. Chops spends many hours sitting in between the Daffodils munching and cleaning. He comes in and out of his own choosing, but often sits outside for ages nibbling bits of vegetation or just taking in the sunshine. Over the last few months he has go a taste for grapes and loves them more than any other treat, even more than his favourite brown bread. Things like Apple, Grapes and Brown bread are given very sparingly and his main diet is still the usual bunny mix. He hasn't got fed up with it though, and charges up the ramp to his hutch at night when I prepare a fresh bowl for him. He showed an interest in carrot again for the first time since being a baby, but only very thin peeled slices. His teeth grow very fast and I have to cut them every 6 weeks or so. Its a difficult job doing this on my own, but even so its always been a clean job so far. The one time the vet did his teeth, there was blood and this has never happened when I do it. Due to my electronics background I am very competent using electrical side cutters which is what the vets use to cut bunny teeth. Please don't do this to your bunny unless you are totally sure you can do it safely. His mated fur under his eyes is still a problem and bathing his fur to remove the build up of sleep seems the only answer. When I bathe his fur under his eyes, the mated fur comes away in clumps leaving bare skin under his eyes. I've tried creams from the vet, but nothing seems to clear it up. It doesn't bother him thank god, but he does look a bit sorry for himself sometimes. He had a bad front paw in early Dec 2000 and wouldn't put any weight on it. After a day or two I took him to the vet and she said there was inflammation around his wrist. She gave him an injection and a course of tablets (Ketofen 5mg, quarter tablet per day) for 8 days. He made a good recovery. I think he might have strained his wrist after jumping out of my arms landing hard as he had done a few days before in the garden. He went on a long car journey for the first time over Christmas 2000 and travelled with me from Suffolk to London (100 miles). I need not have worried as it didn't bother him at all and as soon as he arrived he was running around like he was at home. He visited the home of Walnut (see link at top of page), but as they are both male they didn't get on. There was no fighting, but we think Walnut thought Chops was a girl bunny!! Very odd as Chops is twice the size of Walnut. Chops didn't like being approached and when Walnut put his paws up on Chops back, he gave Walnut a warning nip and after that, we decided to keep them apart. Chops seems a very happy and lively bun still and has the run of the house and garden all day, every day. He follows me everywhere and seems to like to do what I do. If I sleep, he sleeps, if I eat, he eats. He likes the spend the end of the day on my settee being stroked and we often both fall asleep like this. If I don't wake up he will start running up the settee and over me and dashing out the door trying to tell me its time to go to his hutch. If I still don't shift, he runs along the top of the settee, jumps onto my head and runs out the door. That always gets my attention!! 15th March 2001 |
 Chops and me |
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SWEETPEA
Born 23rd February 2001 |
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24th April 2001 The day finally came when I went to find another bun and on Wednesday 18th April 2001 I set off on the bus to the pet shop. There were four in the cage. Three were together in the right section of the cage and one bigger grey rabbit was in the left section with a black and white Guinea Pig. First I handled a lovely black and white bun from the right section of the cage, but had to pick up this bigger grey rabbit too, and this is the one I decided to bring home. I am not sure if it is a he or a she and at 7½ weeks old its difficult to tell. She was born on 23rd February 2001 and I think she is a relation of Chops. They are very similar and came from the same shop. I kept them apart for the first day or two so the new bun could settle into her hutch and they could become aware of each other. I decided to slowly introduce them on neutral ground (the garden) and they seem to be getting on fairly well. The new bun is ever so sweet (nick name Sweet Pea) and puts his/her head down to the floor when Chops approaches and shows he/she wants to be friends. Chops does tend to barge around a bit as he is quite big, but the new bun's temperament is very kind and forgiving and as I said she/he is very sweet. Chops ought to watch out as she is also very strong and I have a feeling she will end up bigger than him. She is into chewing lots of things just as Chops did as a baby and it is bringing back lots of memories of when Chops was young. I have had to do a bit of bunny proofing again, but I know what to expect this time, so its a lot easier. All mains cables are either lifted out of reach or placed inside plastic trunking. |
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Click on image for full size photo
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BABY
BUNNIES
Arrived 30th June 2001 |
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29 October 2001
Sun 22nd July All five babies have
been running around the house for about 3 days now. Today they spent
most of the day in the run. They are already eating solid food and
are very keen on the brown bread I give to Chops and Sweetpea as a
treat. Shot about an hour of video this afternoon of them all in the
run.
14 November 2001 I am now certain that Coconut
and Grey bun are boys and Boots,
Thumper
and Black
bun - now named Monkey, are girls. Monkey/Black bun could be a
boy? They are about 4½ months old, so still time to develop.
I am obviously having to keep the males apart from the females now,
but we are managing and they still all get a good free run around
the house and garden each day. I will be getting the males neutered
around 6 months. There has been a great deal of chewing going on over
the past few months and they have digested large areas of my carpet
- anyone would think I don't feed them. They get through a 20KG sack
of mix in about 3-4 weeks and are always eating veg and of course
the grass and plants outside. Even so they are always begging for
their treat of brown bread. Chops eyes still give problems. His left one has cleared up wonderfully after treatment with Tiacil drops, but his right eye often flares up again. Thank god all the others are ok. Chops teeth have always been a problem too, but we keep them trimmed to prevent that adding to his eye trouble. Thankfully all the other buns have wonderful teeth and no eye troubles. They constantly chew my skirting board and doors, but I don't mind one bit if it keeps their teeth nice and trim. The babies personalities are starting to show now. Boots was the first to be named as she (he?) was such a bossy boots or big boots and always did everything first. Coconut was the next to be named because of his white (snow like)colouring. Thumper was originally called Twin as was so similar to Boots but after a visit to Sydenham where my family and Walnut live, my brother pointed out how similar she is to our dear old Thumper from 1989. She has been given the full name of Thumper the Second. Black bun (Monkey) is always into mischief - hence his name. Still no name for Grey bun, but it will come or perhaps he will just be Grey? They are a great bunch and keep me very busy, but its worth every minute as the love comes back in buckets. Sweetpea still lives up to her name and is the brightest and kindest bunny I have ever met. When I kneel down to stroke her, she lowers her head to the floor and chatters away with her teeth, but she will soon get up and start to lick my face to say thank you and be fair. It goes on like that and we take turns of stroking and licks. There is something magical about being licked by a bunny and I find it so relaxing I can almost fall asleep. I am thinking of taking on rabbits that need homes and am working towards getting large aviary type sheds to house this lot in and any future bunnies. We have a large garden and live in rural Suffolk and I am sure there are many rabbits sitting in hutches in back yards that rarely see anything other than the inside of their hutch. I hate to see unwanted bunnies suffer in their hutch 24 hours a day with little love or freedom and want to offer a happy home to any rabbits who need some love and attention. Once I get the aviary/sheds set up I will put a notice up in local shops and might even offer to look after rabbits while people go on holiday. As I am here 24 hours/7 days this is an ideal use of my time. Hopefully next time I write here, I will be on the way to this goal. Love and peace Chops, Sweetpea, Boots, Coconut, Thumper, Monkey, Grey and Howard Click HERE for pictures of the babies. |
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28th February 2002 Its now February 2002 and its been very busy the past two weeks as I have taken on four buns from a local farm (on 18th Feb) who did not have the time to look after them. Three of them are British giants. I have the Mum (1yr, thorn colour) and the son and daughter (5mths). The son is Thorn and the Daughter a lovely greyish colour. Her grey colour seems to have a slight tint of mauve in the daylight. They have been here since 18th Feb (10 days ago), but today I think I have decided on their names. Their father stayed on at the local farm and his name is Dylan (dark brown colour, almost rosewood), so I fancied naming the others around the characters of the Magic roundabout. This has been evolving over the past 10 days and I've decided to call the 5mth male Dougal. For some reason the name Kate seemed to suit the 5mth female almost straight away so this is her name. I was thinking of calling the big Mum Florence after the girl in the Magic roundabout, but today decided to give the name that suits her most and now her full name is.... "The Big Fat Mama". I've been calling her Mum or Mama for a few days now and this slightly quirky name suits her so well. She is massive and looks like she will make the ground shake as she walks. I am not sure of her weight yet, but guess its about 10lbs. The forth bun is 2yrs old, medium size and a dark grey/brown colour and I think he will be called Zebedee He is about a third of the size of the other male, but with very strong muscles. He was in the same hutch as Dougal on the farm, but they fight (naturally) and I reckon Zebedee has spent the past few months fighting with Dougal. He had a bite on his ear so they must have been fighting. I keep Zebedee in a normal hutch near the big bun house I have built for the Giants. The big bun house for the three British giants is divided into two as they have not been neuter/spayed yet. Its about 10ft square with a temporary roof and has a shed behind it that the two females can go into for extra privacy. Dougal is in the other side and has about 10ft x 2ft at the moment, but I will be improving his space soon. My other buns have formed into a couple of groups. Chops and Thumper are inseparable and Sweetpea and Boots spend all their time as a pair. Sweetpea has been attacking all other buns recently and chases Chops and really goes mental at poor Thumper. I have to keep them separate at the moment. Sweetpea even chased off "The Big Fat Mama" even though she is much bigger than her. Sweetpea has been like this before the big buns arrived, so its not because of them. I think it could possibly be that Boots is pregnant and Sweetpea is protecting her. I noticed a bit of nest building in the hutch for Boots and Sweetpea around 16th Feb and Boots was starting to look a bit big, but recently she looks normal size again. I really don't know if she is or isn't and only time will tell. I do my utmost to keep them apart, but there was one time when it could have happened. I was planning to Neuter the males this Spring as didn't want to put them through the trauma during the cold weather. They are coming up to 8ths now and it will have to be done shortly as well as the two males that came from the farm. One other thing I have to mention here is dear Black bun (Monkey) died suddenly last year. I believe he chewed some bark in the garden from a miniature conifer. It was very sad and still too upsetting to write much here. He was quiet on the Wednesday and Thursday and seemed to be improving on Friday morning but died in my arms about 3pm that Friday. Never again will I wait that long, and now I take buns straight to the vet if they are quiet and not eating for longer than 12hrs. Chops eye weeping totally cleared up for the first time since his eye trouble started when he was about 3mths. I Was using Tiacil drops and this works very well on him. His eye weeping has come back over the last month, but I hope it will go again by using the Tiacil eye drops. None of the other bunnies have this problem, just poor old Chops. He will be three on 27th May 2002. Walnut (the bunny who lives in London) has eye trouble too, and the vet showed us a nice trick of running a finger firmly but gently along the outside of the nose and up to the corner of the eye tear duct and out came a lot of the mess that causes the eyes to weep. Walnut's eye trouble comes and goes in the same way as Chops. Click HERE for pictures of the Big Bunnies. |
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14th April 2002 Sad news has to be recorded here. Thumper (nickname Twinkle Toes) died . Found her peacfully in her hutch with Chops laying across her with his paws on her back on the morning of 5th March 02. Have no idea what could have caused this. Due to Sweetpea being ill at this time also, most buns were in their hutches for longish periods compared to usual and Chops and Thumper had been in their hutch from about Saturday to Monday when I found her. They had had fresh food and water regulary as always and I had checked on them now and then as I did with all the buns and its a mystery why she went. She did look so peaceful and was still warm early that morning when I found her. So sad, but must look forward as have all the other buns to look after. She is now buried under the oak tree with Black bun. After she went, all the buns were given a 5 day course of Baytrill to be on the safe side. |
| A Bit About Sweetpea 28th April 2002 Sweetpea has always gone berserk at her daughters once they reach about 4 months. She chases them out of the room hooting and honking at them and will attack with fur flying everywhere. I can only think this is how it is in the wild and they see-off the daughters to find their own mates? Apart from this behaviour, Sweetpea is the most placid and easy going bunny you could hope to meet and as cuddly as a teddy bear - far better in fact. She loves being stroked and the moment I touch her head, she lowers it to the ground and purrs with delight and chatters her teeth. After a while she licks my face/arm/hand to say thank you. After a fair amount of licking she decides its time for me to stroke her again and forces her head under my hand, and I MUST STROKE HER - ITS THE LAW!!! We carry on like this taking turns for ages. None of my other bunnies do this and have all grown out of licking by about 6 months, but Sweetpea just loves to do this and even sometimes licks my bare feet when I walk past her. Dear bunny. |
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29th June 2002 Boots had a litter of three around 15th May 2002.
Two are just like coconut (he must have done the deed) and one is
identical to dear black bun I lost last year. Its almost like she
has come back again. About the 10th June, Grey bun died suddenly.
No signs at all. He was quiet for most of the day and then I brought
him in with me that evening and he died overnight. The next day I
gave them all a VHD jab just in case. So sad and now only Coco and
Boots survive out of Sweetpea's original litter of five. Good news
though is its their 1st birthday tomorrow the 30th June 2002. Happy
birthday to them all xxxxx. |
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BYE
BYE DEAR SWEETPEA
x 9th August 2002 Its been a traumatic time the past
few weeks and I am still missing Sweetpea terribly.
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Chops died last night 29th Nov 2002. I found him in the closed bit of the hutch looking at the back wall and that is a bad sign. When I got him out he had a really messsy bottom. Looking back it was good I took him out as Chops was sharing Zebedee's hutch cos they got on so well, but Zeb's wouldn't want to see it happen and it was better for me to be with him that last hour or so. I knew it was happening and just turned out the light and closed my eyes and sent him love and healing. Earlier I had stroked him and tried to heel him, but that was before I knew for sure. He came close to me laying on the settee and I could reach out and stroke him under the coffee table and did so for ages. He pulled away a few times, but mainly stayed for the stroking. He did move about a bit during the last few minutes from the corner he was in behind the head on my settee (under Zbed) and must have been in pain, but probably out of it too. I heard all his last breaths and it was very hard wondering if it was his last. Often there were big gaps and then he came back. He was under the coffee table when he first came in and I stroked and heeled him a bit. He was facing me and even moved a little closer and I'd like to think he wanted to be close to me. Lot of happy memories of him charging up his ramp to get his tea. Often apple and even strawberry sometimes. Those were happy days - the days before the op. He was never the same after that and I cannot understand why, as all the others are identical to how they were before - just calmer. I've had a little cry while typing this and feel a
bit better now. Won't be the last though. It was so happy when it
was just him and me, and sometimes I wish we had stayed that way and
no op. Mind you he did have eye troubles and it would have become
bad like it did get anyway. At least my aim to keep him alive through
his children has come true and he will always live on in them.
27th May 1999 - 29th November 2002 XXX 3 years, 6 Months and 2 days |
| 7th January 2003 Got Sparkle and Black bun neutered while in London for Xmas. |
5th April 2007
Its been a long time since I have added anything to this page and a lot of things have happened since the last entry. To begin here are some pictures of Button and Sparkle. They are the two surviving grandchildren of Chops and Sweetpea. Button is the spitting image of her granddad Chops.
Button (left) and Sparkle 29th April 2006
Sparkle and Button 22 Jan 2007
Sparkle (left), Button with carrot and apple stains down her front and Boots their Mum 3rd Nov 2005
Sparkle with his usual spaced-out, wide-eyed look. 1st June 2005
