It’s officially 2018 here! And it’s January, so…

Leopold’s tummy, Wooly’s blaze, Bindi, Sterling, Peep, Olaf, Podge, Chewie, Fernando…

Good luck to everyone in the new year!

So people were shooting off their own fireworks at midnight. It’s ridiculously cold, so people were done pretty quick. Well, coincidentally, Leopold started throwing things around in their room. We were joking that he was celebrating. But we know better. He probably just saw us up moving around in the living room and decided he needed to be fed (I hadn’t fed them their bedtime pellets yet). It was funny though because he was going pretty wild.

Chewie, Podge, Olaf, Henry’s tummy, Bindi Loo, Apollo, Fernando, Sterling, Wick’s smudges…

We went to bed at our normal time (plus I have strep so I felt pooched) and at midnight some neighbourhood $*&!arse aimed a massive firework at the corner restaurant’s shed and blew it up. So then we had various ERV sirens in addition to more fireworks, which forced us to ring in the new year. Chewie from under my duvet (poor little guy was so scared…)

Random story about veggies. I had to duck into the shops yesterday to get salad ingredients for the New Years party. ‘Lo and behold the supermarket had radicchio (the round red and white ball things that look like a cabbage but aren’t). Anywho, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them anywhere, and despite the fact that they were $5 each which is astounding, I bought one anyway. The buns deserve a treat after all and I might use some for Dory Here’s hoping they like it, lol.

Bindi Sterling Apollo Buttercup Chewie Podge Henry’s tummy Olaf.

For newcomers: It’s a Binkybunny tradition to write white rabbit three times in the chat thread on the first day of a new month. Or the names of at least three white or partly white buns.

We had a quiet New Years far away from fireworks.

Henry’s tum. Cali (all of) and Jess’s tum too !!!!!!!

Happy and Safe New Year to bun and all !!!
May your wishes come true.

Small Seaplane accident in Sydney, Oz. A British couple and their 3 children all gone. How terribly sad.

Say “i love you” to everyone you meet today (well, you be the judge!!! ).
Be nice, always. (Unless you prefer to throw potatoes on idiots’ heads, then that’s ok too!!)

Chewie, Wick’s snow shoes, and beautiful Sterling

Happy new year everyone! We’re back home again after 3 days with the in-laws. Bas is returning their car to them, and he’ll take the train back tonight. He’s such a sweetheart for helping me to get there too!

Happy New Year everyone!

Dang Q8, what an idiot. Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to play with fireworks. 

Vienna, that’s good advice. You never know. 

Azerane: I hope your fur and feather babies will enjoy their mystery veggie! 

Don’t you love it when you go to the store and stumble upon the new season of Game of Thrones that you didn’t even know was out yet? 

Thanks for the permission, Vee

PS BB censored my language again

Happy New Year everyone!

Don’t worry, I said “white rabbit” three times – in fact, I said it aloud at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s, right in front of Fernando for extra luck. Also, I ate blackeyed peas on both 12/31/17 and 1/1/18, so if I don’t have a prosperous 2018, it won’t be my fault.

joea, I had no idea about blackeyed peas! I ate an apple the first thing I ate on 1/1/18 though.

Posted By bam on 1/02/2018 9:36 AM

joea, I had no idea about blackeyed peas! I ate an apple the first thing I ate on 1/1/18 though.

I didn’t eat blackeyed peas literally the first thing (for breakfast?? Bleah.) but I opened up a can of Glory brand (which is made in South Carolina and therefore authentically Southern) for last night’s supper.

By the way, if anyone in the U.S. needs to restock on pellets and such, Petsmart’s 50% off sale on a second item when you get one of the same is still on through today. I got 2 bags of Oxbow Essentials pellets yesterday so Panda and Fernando have their breakfast set up through mid-March at least (one 5-lb. bag usually lasts them a month).

sorry I’m late for this but. Poppy, Olaf, Apollo

Happy new year guys!!

I have to go on a tiny rant.
Friend of a friend wants me to take her 2 rabbits (self admitted neglect) they got them, never clean them out , don’t interact with them kind of thing.
These people have a really bad habit of getting animals and then discarding them, in a cycle. They treat them like objects more than little beings. Ita awful.

Im living in my family home at the moment (my dad has a rabbit phobia so getting two in was a task in itself!) I am hoping to move abroad when I have enough money to, but housing and transportation of 4 rabbits would be a huge undertaking, especially when so few rented properties allow pets. Plus yumi would lose her life if she had to share her home with anymore rabbits-peep is enough for her!
So I said no, and tried to encourage her to be slightly more attentive/ surrender them to a wwlfare group. But I doubt she will

I know I can’t take them but the guilt is so overwhelming!

I’m so sorry to hear that this person treats animals like garbage. Very sorry for the rabbits indeed
There’s a certain type of person that has no sense of responsibility and no respect for “weaker” lifeforms. This includes “weaker” humans, as they see it. People who care, people who love and people who have a large sense of responsibility. Please don’t let them try to guilt-trip you into solving their problems. They know you love rabbits and may try to bargain with you after you said no for the first time. I hope you’ll stay strong.

I’ve encountered this behaviour several times, from a neighbour guilt-tripping me into rabbit-sitting for her, to an ex BF who suddenly started to hit our cat. Guess how that escalated over the year…
This kind of behaviour is a massive red flag to me. People who disrespect animals often have serious issues. It may remain relatively small by “only” taking advantage of people, but it can get very serious. The police use animal cruelty as a warning sign for (domestic) violence.

There is no fixing this situation except what you have done already. I know that you fear for the rabbits, but they probably want you to worry in the hope that you’ll give in. My advice would be to stay as far away from these people as you can!

What Ellie said. Plus, these people are stinkers. Do you want to borrow my potato gun?
Any chance you could call the RSPCA on them? Just to get the buns out of that environment without sabotaging your own life in the process.

Thanks guys! it helps to hear that its not the wrong thing to do. I atively decided to not go see the rabbits, cause I know I would take them if their conditions were bad.
Q8- There is this prevailing thought process that rabbits in small cages are totally fine, even in dirty cages. Unless its outright abuse its so rare that animals will be seized. Often prompting people to just “get rid of the problem” ie kill or release.
I’m hoping that seeing as they already want to get rid of them they will choose to re-home before it all gets messy.
I actually have my trusted spud gun at the ready, and Im not afraid to use it when the time comes!

Dface that is so infuriating. I saw something similar on a rabbit Facebook page; a woman near me (that I don’t know) had an unexpected litter and was threatening to kill them all if she couldn’t find them homes within a week because she was too busy to be bothered minding them. I have no idea what happened because she deleted all her posts the next day ?

TM- Thats really awful, and it’s worse that it doesn’t really surprise me.
Hopefully she was playing the bluff card to make people who care “save” them and fix her problem (that or she might have been embarrassed if anyone who knew her saw it!)
Rabbits around where we are are still seen as a very ‘disposable’ pet! People look at the way I keep mine and it’s like I’ve suddenly sprouted an extra two heads, but a pampered dog, and no-one bats an eye?

I hear ya D face i have a friend who has a chinchilla and used to have a hedgehog and both were so skittish because her dog terrorized them and the hedgehog even became aggressive i felt so bad and she tried to guilt my other friend into taking them but even though she is a pretty bad owner she is a great friend. but is such a shame that this happens to animals that could be amazing pets.

I know the feeling Dface, tell someone that you bought a dog bed for your rabbits and their jaw nearly drops off their face. People always say “oh how spoiled your buns are” but I don’t think they’re spoiled, just well looked after. Currently it’s becoming a challenge with Jasiri, she has been ok with the bunnies, and a little bit wanting to play with them but today it’s been bad. She seems to be becoming more enthusiastic about playing with them, rather than getting put off by discipline. I’m wondering if it’s worthwhile getting a spray bottle to spray her with water when she does it. It would probably help if we had another kitty play mate for her to wrestle with, and we do play with her so much all throughout the day, the bunnies just excite her so much sometimes. Sometimes in the bunny pen she’s a perfect angel and just watches or plays in their tunnel etc, then today all she’s wanted to do is pounce on them Not cool. I’m really hoping it’s a phase, or just a today thing

Went to visit my nephew again today, he’s in hospital with a broken leg. I visited on Wednesday and he looked so miserable, he’s only 3 and he’s literally strapped to the bed and isn’t allowed to get out of it for 2+ weeks. So I went in today and took a building kit that I got for him. It has plastic nuts and bolts and then wooden “beams” with holes in them plus some wheels and blocks so you make all sorts of different things. He loved it, it’s just the right amount of assembly for him and is easy for him to do in bed. So here’s hoping that keeps him well distracted. He didn’t want me to leave today though, after being there for 2 and 1/2 hours he refused to say thank you and refused to hug me. But he did seem so much happier than he was four days ago.

Aww, I hope he gets well soon! The building kit is a very nice idea, I loved playing with those as well ^_^

Dface, you’re absolutely right, people find the idea of free roam house rabbits a little crazy ?

Initially people find it crazy, but often they’ll notice how fun a rabbit can be when given some freedom. Personally I think that a rabbit won’t be able to be him/herself unless given this freedom. We’ve been staying with my in-laws for a couple of days, and it isn’t possible there to let him out of the cage for more than an hour each day. Bas had a bit of a discussion with his mum and Breintjes hutch was allowed in the back of the kitchen instead of the garage. This meant at least a bit of interaction, and it is a lot warmer because he doesn’t have a thick winter coat. Staying home is a worse option, because he’d have to stay in his small night hutch then.
I was startled to see that Breintje completely withdrew within those days: he didn’t want to eat. Later that evening I sat with him for a while and petted him. He reached out for my face and gave me the biggest lick-attack I’ve ever had, and happily dug into his pellets afterwards I really feel for all the bunsters who have to go through this every day

Also: yay! My new mobility scooter batteries allow me to travel to the city centre on my own ^_^ Had my first test run with a drive to the hospital today, just my yearly coeliac check-up. It’s just below freezing temperatures here, so I was worried about the battery capacity. You can lose up to 20% of reach if it’s really cold outside. Maybe I can go to the market again when it’s a bit warmer.

On the way back I visited a wine shop where I haven’t been in ages due to my health issues, I picked up a nice bottle of Irish mead The shop owner recognised me and was really bashful about talking to me: “Ehm, yes, it’s been a while.. You weren’t in a wheelchair…ehm…a scooter last time.”.
I started to laugh and said: “Everyone will experience mobility issues at some point in their life. Some in their 30’ies, some in their 80’ies. But I draw the line at bingo… I already told my doc: if I ever start yearning for bingo, you can give me a shot!”. He really started to laugh, and I’m glad that it took the awkwardness away. I told him there are still plenty of things to enjoy, and that it really saves on shoes

Most people react really differently to me now that my illness has become visible. They seem to have no idea how to deal with a person with a disability. Sometimes I can really pick up a fun conversation with someone and change their view, but often it’s also a case of fighting off “helpful people”. Some people have this crazy idea that disabled means unable to do anything by yourself, and that they MUST jump in to save me! They will fuss over me like I’m a toddler and some folks even snatch bags out of my hands without asking. What on earth? Luckily I’ve become more prepared for situations like these, and I’m not ashamed anymore to give “agressive helpers” an earful. Very instructive and entertaining to others in the shop

Dface, those people suck!! I have also known people that just take in animals and then toss them aside. Like why even do it in the first place? I don’t understand??

When I tell people that I have a house bunny they’re so shocked. “You just let her around your apartment? doesn’t she ruin everything? poop and pee everywhere?” ….I have to hold back laughing at their ignorance. Ophelia doesn’t even have a cage, and she would probably hate me if I ever even brought one in the house! “Mommmmm, what is that? I’m not going in THAT thing, I’m going on my bed” (a.k.a. literally MY bed hahah)

Ellie, you amaze me with how positive you are!! I’m jealous… I’m such a negative nancy !!

Indeed, the image that bunnies are destructive is really stubborn. The problem is that most caged bunnies will go wild for the first couple of days if you let them out. They have so much freedom and energy, and no idea what to do with that. Most people won’t look further than those days, and will lock up their bun again ASAP “because bunnies are destructive”. Nope, bored and depressed bunnies are destructive…

Thanks for your kind words BunNoob ^_^ I’m trying to make the best out of the situation. My motto is: there are some things you shouldn’t take too seriously, mostly yourself and life in general. Life is too short to take very seriously and there will be a lot of things that you can’t have any influence on anyway. Trying to take on the weight of the whole world is an impossible task and won’t help you or anyone else. So create your own place in this madhouse, surround yourself with awesome people, and make sure that you leave this place a bit better than when you found it. By all means laugh and take life, the universe and everything as a really good joke.

Re my health: maybe the change in health doesn’t affect me so strongly because my surroundings are already adapted to illness. By coincidence I live in a former nursing home, so I could stay in my house because it’s easy access. Furthermore, I’ve been ill for years now, so me and my friends are used to me having health issues. Nothing has changed much for me, except that I can’t stand too long and that walking is difficult. The mobility scooter solves that, and I can still do most of my hobbies. If you focus on things you still can do, you’ll find that there’s still plenty to enjoy.

BTW: I may be offline for several days, my computer had a massive crash and Bas doesn’t know if he has time to fix it before the weekend.

omg guys, sorry for barging into the convo but the freakiest thing just happened!

So, background: my pc/work area is in the attic, together with K’s enclosure and there’s a huuge window on the roof, one of those that rotate to be opened (lack of words right now sorry lol). I’m here minding my own business, the window’s open… I see a gigantic black shadow pass very fast over the window and I sure cried out. Like wtf aliens?!

And nope, it was the reflection of some obese one-eared rat running at 100% stealth ninja mode under the window and then under my desk.

It was brief but intense.

Ellie – That surprises me. I mean, I wouldn’t think people would treat you like you’re helpless. Maybe I’m not completely unbiased here since I worked retail for many years and I had to physically help people (full-service, if you know what I mean). There were a lot of older people and people (of all ages) with mobility issues. I guess we were known for offering extra assistance. Anyway, I would help them with things to the extent needed, but I’m pretty sure I was good at gauging whether they could do something on their own or not. I didn’t fuss and I didn’t grab things out of their hands. But someone in a wheelchair needing something down from high up? Of course I would ask them what they needed and get it down without hesitation (that’s just one example). So the whole thing just sounds weird to me. That must be really frustrating. I mean, just because you have a scooter doesn’t mean you can’t hold onto your own bag. That just sounds rude to me. =\

Muchelle – An obese, one-eared ninja rat?

Good grief, Leopold about fell 3 feet onto his head! I was letting him play on the bed and the dummy went to the edge, stuck his neck out to sniff the air, and then lost his balance/started sliding off the bed head first. Luckily I was standing right there and literally caught him upside down.

The little dark lord is testing your reaction time to see how strong the Force is with you.

LBJ: Just as long as he’s ok

Q8 – He’s fine. He’s just a little turd, I swear! Granted, our bed is very high off the floor (sleep number).

@Muchelle: Yikes! So, did you meet any cute firemen after you torched the house? Brrr, I hate wild rats and mice. I hope it went away again, nasty animals…

@LBJ’s Leopold: Don’t scare your mum like that, you silly bunny.

@LBJ10: Yes, the people who work at shops are often really nice. Most who don’t know me yet offer help, but not intrusively so. I’m a regular at my local supermarket, and most of the cashiers know that I don’t need assistance. And the people who re-stock are mostly teens who are kept way too busy, so they don’t run around actively trying to help people.

The people who actively fuss over me are other customers. I had to attach a (expletive of your choice here) sign to the back of my scooter that reads in huge letters: “Help welcome, but only if I ask for it. Unnecessary help will harm my health. Even if you meant well. So don’t help unless I ask, it’ll keep me healthier and keeps me self-reliant.”

That takes care of more than half of them, sadly there’s no place for one on the front of the scooter. Weirdly it’s the 60+ folks who are the worst offenders. They can get pretty aggressive too, because a lot of them don’t seem to take a “no” from younger people (not even loudly and repeatedly)… A couple of weeks ago two cashiers who know me had to step in to take someone off me. An old guy kept on messing with my stuff and my bags despite me shouting “NO, I don’t need help!” and making angry faces. One of the cashiers had to step between us while the other one talked to him. She ended up needing to talk him down, firmly. Did he offer an apology? Nope…

So yes, shop personnel are often really nice and frequently save my day. One cashier even got me new items for free when some (expletive) had crushed my groceries by literally throwing them in my bag. It was a really bulky young foreign guy with an agressive demeanour, the kind of people you’d avoid at the gym. He asked if I needed help when we were in line, and I replied “No, thanks, I can do it on my own.”. But when the cashier was nearly finished scanning my items he suddenly walked past me, tore my bags out of my hand and chucked everything into the largest one.  Me and the cashier were both too shocked to really step in instead of saying: she doesn’t need help. After he was done the guy saw me struggle with the over-packed bag, and unpacking everything again, but he quickly paid for his items and made off. A lot of stuff was broken or squished because he’d thrown prawn crackers and fruit on the bottom and thrown in cans after. The cashier helped me to sort most of it out.

Luckily the sign helps a bit, and what also helps is shopping after dark. I rarely see old folks out after dark, if they’re not there they can’t fuss. I also try not to be in people’s way, so I don’t shop between 5 and 6 or on a saturday. Also, I ask the cashier to put my items on the other side of the packing table. Most supermarkets have a split packing table behind every register, and I always ask them to keep the “fast lane” free. There is a tool I use for grabbing items, it’s literally a small claw on a stick. I always lay my grabber across my groceries so people can see that I can reach.
Those tactics keep most people at bay, and I can get by relatively unbothered. But I can tell you, shopping has definitely become the worst moment of my week. It just gets extremely tiring that people keep going: “Here, let me help you with that!”, and immediately start grabbing at everything. They sometimes even end up hurting me because they bump into me or dump my bag on my lap which sends nerve pain into my back and leg. Nowadays I’m already anxious when I’m making the grocery list, constantly on guard when I’m in the shop, and always very relieved to be out of the shop again.

Muchelle. Velux window ?

@LBJ, yikes! we sometimes have these jack and rose moments where K misses the jump to the couch, grabs on with his little hands and I’m like “nooooooooooooooooooooooooo” and grab his butt before he lets go ahahah

@Vienna, yep! brand new Velux cause the old one got trashed during a windstorm and water got in my pc and a lot of other good stuff

@Ellie, I’ve been working (for free… sigh) at Florence’s Spinal Unit for 3 years now and let me tell you… it’s HARD to teach people not to baby their newly plegic relatives/friends. And you can’t just yell at them cause they’re, well, patients and relatives. So frustrating sometimes. But luckily the patients can freely cuss at their relatives

Also, have footage of the evil wild rat. Anyone needs a second hand rat?

I have two of my own that I constantly ask myself what I got into  They are sneaky little things and trouble makers! Last night I laid down to take a nap and heard an almighty crash. Bombur (he’s way too short and chubby to be doing this) attempted to jump onto the giant 10 pound bag of hay, and then when he fell over, he folded in half and landed right on his back with the hay toppling down next to him. Needless to say, the floor was covered in hay and I thought for sure he was going to break his spine. Nope. Little turd excitedly hopped to the hay bag and stuffed his face. 

Ellie: You have the patience of a saint. You put up a sign. I’d bring a water gun.

Posted By Q8bunny on 1/12/2018 11:27 AM

Ellie: You have the patience of a saint. You put up a sign. I’d bring a water gun.

Forget the water…

Ellie, that must be so annoying. I get that people want to offer help, but dang, no means no. You should get yourself a mean looking service dog. That should keep people away, and if they’re still persistent, you can say “No thank you, Killer here is trained to help me out.”  A cattle prod might work, too.

Oooo… I like the taser idea, Hazel

It’s a small world guys!! I just saw Quincys adoptive mom again at the craft store, she said he’s so sweet and happy, and SUPER friendly and everyone who meets him just loves him! So happy to hear that he is doing well

Adriel and Bombur: They really do their best to give their hoomins heart attacks! Thank goodness he was ok!

Ellie, Hazel: A mean-looking service dog and a cattle prod -brilliant!

BunNoob: That’s just SO great!

Yay, my PC issues have been fixed, Bas has been my hero! I’m reasonably tech-savvy but have no idea about hardware changes. He installed more RAM for me, and a new hard disc. After that a new Windows install…and that should solve everything now.

Hahaha, I like the suggestions, and thanks for the compliment Q8 ^_^ I always try to be polite, but some people just won’t get the hint when you stay polite.
I have a dream…that I can get into a supermarket one day to get eggs and milk, and be out again in 10 minutes (instead of 20, of which half is spent telling people to leave off, no thank you, really..). It really is time for an update of the public image of handicapped people, but it gets a bit tiring that I have to do it again and again in every new aisle.

@BunNoob: That’s very nice to hear I’m happy that he found such a good home!

@Asriel and Bombur: Wow, they do know how to keep you on your toes, don’t they? Bunnies falling on their back is a big nightmare for any owner. Luckily he’s fine, whew!

@Muchelle: That sounds like really awesome work! I can understand that it’s hard, you have to keep telling people that handicapped people will have to learn to do things by themselves. It’s not a popular Hollywood feel-good story though: it made the staff of our local rehabilitation centre publicly known as drill sarges from hell. It may sound cruel to tell people that they have to let someone “struggle”, but it’s important that the disabled person does as much as possible, to keep their abilities intact. Use it or lose it, even if it doesn’t go smoothly. But yes, it does go against the first instincts to help your loved ones.

I often get remarks that people saw me struggle to grab an item with my gripper, and then decided to jump in to help. My reply is always the same: “No, you didn’t see that I couldn’t do it, you saw that I didn’t succeed on the first try. I would have succeeded on a second or even a third try. And of course I struggle: if my body was working fully normally, I wouldn’t be handicapped and in the scooter. The most important thing isn’t that I get something done quickly or elegantly, but that I get it done on my own. Don’t take that success away from me.”

Posted By Ellie from The Netherlands on 1/13/2018 4:25 PM

 The most important thing isn’t that I get something done quickly or elegantly, but that I get it done on my own. Don’t take that success away from me.”

^THIS

It came to mind the mother from hell we had last year. Her son (25ish years old) became paraplegic aften an accident and for the whole 6 months he’s stayed in our ward for treatment and rehab (SIX MONTHS) she washed his clothes, which I mean can be okay, cooked all his meals (so preventing him from socializing at the canteen and also feeding him wrong aliments in regards to his secondary illnesses) and was with him 24/7. By the end of the sixth month the staff had to have her removed by force =.=””

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY to my gorgeous domino twins (or Othello twins! – or Ebony & Ivory Twins….. lol)

1 year already – wooooow can’t believe it !

Cali – white and black – 8 years est.

Jess – black and white – 5 years est.

They’re beautiful, Vienna! Happy first gotcha-day, girls! It doesn’t seem like it was a whole year ago.

Happy Gotcha Day, kitties! 

Muchelle: That’s crazy! Did the guy not tell her to back off a little? He must have been mortified.

Ellie: Yay for Bas fixing your computer! I like Q8’s water gun idea too. *squirt squirt* “Bad boy, BAD!!!” 

We just watched “Morons From Outer Space”. Incredibly funny, it’s been a long time since I’ve laughed that hard at a movie. 

1 year for Strainer and Drainer already!! Wonderful

Happy gotcha day!!!

@Hazel the guy was a typical south Italy man that’s used to be babysat by mommy until the day she dies, so he wasn’t bothered… he became bothered when he realized his pressure ulcers weren’t healing cause of all that good greasy southern food and he couldn’t do anything unless someone physically helped him =.= That family never came back again for checkups, so I still wonder how he’s doing…

woo hoo my older goat is pregnant as well as my cow and my younger goat is being bred.

fancy is in the blue, Courtney is the cow with the white face, the other calf is banksy, and the other goat is fiona

Blue Moon, your cows and goats are beautiful! And so much snow!!!

I love goats !!!!

Aww, how cute! I love goats! The cows are cute too, I like the “coats”.

thanks bam but all the snow melted and it looks so gross so those are old

Awww, all your animals are really adorable It must be really amazing to have the space to have them all! We’ll get pics of the baby goats and their antics, right? Detailed reports

My new neighbour asked me what it’s like to have rabbits, turns out he ‘s doing his homework before getting a pet I gave him a list of “What to expect when you’re living with a fluff.”. Especially about things most people don’t see: that they need a lot more attention than people expect and can be very costly at the vet. I invited him to come and meet Breintje someday. Thus far he wasn’t put off by the vet costs etc., so there may be a lucky bunny waiting to meet his new friend soon. Glad to see that he’s preparing so well, I told him that rabbits are often bought with the wrong picture in mind, and that it makes me really happy to see he’s being responsible.

Celery!! Is it a diuretic or just 99%water ????!!!
Ive just bought a bargain heap of it and the buns are peeing for England !!!!!! Lol !!!!

Goatses! Love them. Full of sauce.

Yes, it’s just a lot of water. We’ve stopped giving it to Breintje, because it was giving him the mushies.

yes of corse pictures/videos will be posted of baby animals. Courtney, and Fiona if she’s pregnant are due in may/june, fancy is due in march. I’m getting a new rooster finally and it is the same kind as one of my previous birds, but… i have a hen coming with him and i have the hen still from the rooster that died and she is a different color of the same breed so I’m going to try and hatch eggs for February and then again in march so i can have baby pictures if the chicks and kids together. I’m excited for crazy looking chicks.

A massive storm is raging over the UK, NL and Germany today. Hoping that everyone is safe! 

It’s mayhem in NL, especially in the west. We’re talking storm winds of 11 on the Beaufort scale  Several trucks have been blown over, roofs were blown off buildings, and people couldn’t stay on their feet during the heaviest gusts. In the north a bus was blown off the road straight into a deep canal. Luckily there was only 1 passenger apart from the driver, and they both escaped. Bas’ cousin sent us pictures from the west of NL, where the storm hit worst. A lot of trees in their street had been uprooted, falling upon cars. So far 3 people have been reported dead, of which 1 in our hometown in the east. His car was crushed by an uprooted tree  

We had a very important hospital appointment this morning so we decided we had to risk it. I took my mobility scooter and Bas walked (cycling was pretty much impossible). On our way back we saw gust of wind in the distance carrying some debris. From afar it looked like swirling newspapers, and I joked about it to Bas. But when we came closer we saw that a flat right in front of us was losing its roof. It was blown off in pieces which swirled through the street. We had to take cover from the debris and quickly crossed the street to go behind the buildings. Luckily nobody was harmed as far as I know. It’s an awful sight to see someones house being blown apart

The doctor had news for us as well this morning: the tests showed that I don’t have a second rheumatic illness. This means that my existing rheumatic illness has progressed rapidly over the past 1.5 years. We never expected that it could get so severe, but it presents itself very differently in each patient. Some patients have manageable pain and can lead a relatively normal life, others become severely disabled because the illness affects their bodies so much. The bad news is that there isn’t a real treatment for it at the moment, it’s mostly handling the symptoms and trying to keep (or possibly regain) some functionality. I’m going to talk with my GP and my trusted physio to see what they advise. Maybe there’s some kind of physiotherapy with which I can regain a bit of the lost functionality in my back and leg. The doc was happy to hear that I’m as stubborn as a mule, hopefully I’ll be stubborn enough to reclaim a bit of my former health 

Aw, I’m sorry to hear that things are taking a rapid decline. But I’m so damn impressed by you!! I couldn’t make it out of my house in a storm like that! Corbin (my husband) has a grandmother with a rare neurological disease called CMT and over the years she has lost sensation in her legs completely. It started with her feet and began moving up the leg. She still had functionality and was able to walk, but since she had lost sensation she was constantly tripping over her own feet. She was stubborn as ever and we couldn’t get her to use a walker or anything, but she has recently obliged to using assistance after she fell down the stairs and sustained an open fracture in her leg. Not much was known about her condition and it’s hereditary so they got everyone in the family tested, Corbin was specifically concerning because he had a lot of pain in his legs starting when he was 16. Ironically, during one of his intake appointments with a neurologist they were taking his vitals and noticed his pulse was almost 250! They sent him to the ER and we found out that he had supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and so he had these episodes where his pulse was so rapid and loud. It had woken me up in my sleep before, we tried telling his mom about it but she wasn’t interested in bringing him to the doctor. They did an ablation and his leg pain went away completely! So luckily, it was probably being caused by improper blood flow to his lower extremities and not related to the issue with his grandmother. Sorry I seem to have gone on a rant here lol I’m just glad that Corbin isn’t expected to be at risk for whatever his grandmother had and that we figured out why he had so much pain at such a young age.

Sad to hear it, Ellie, but mulishness can be a boon. I have an auntie who after an infected spinal surgery, was bedridden for over a year and docs said she’d never walk again. She’s a stubborn old lady and decided to prove them wrong. When I saw her last year, she was pottering around the flat on her walker, cooking a feast in the kitchen, and kicking ass and taking names in tile rummy.

@Q8: Haha, I like her already! ^_^

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone Let’s see where we can take it next year.

I’ve kept my employment counselor from the unemployment office up to date after every bit of news. I sent him a mail two days ago with the things the doctor said. He replied that he had seen me driving by his office in my mobility scooter (the route to the hospital indeed takes me past the city administration building), and that he’s pretty certain that I’m not fit for work ATM.

He said that my current situation is very different from what they have on file, and he advised me to get re-evaluated by one of their doctors. I’m in doubt about that, because according to their doctors my diagnosis is doubtful at best. People with FM often have great difficulty proving their disability, even if they carry a huge stack of reports from their own doctors. We’re going to meet with my counselor in a couple of weeks to see what’s best.

Edit: Whew, glad that’s over quickly… Breintje had a bit of a slow day today, and around dinner time Breintjes tummy suddenly started rumbling loudly (it’s a sign of gas troubles). He ate only a bit of veg and left the rest. I immediately gave him simethicone and a tummy massage, and things started to smell up pretty quickly after that. *Waves hand* Phew, better out than in eh, lad?  He’s much more active now, and nibbling hay from his litter box. 

I’m sorry Ellie. But we all know how stubborn you are, so I’m sure you will prove everyone wrong. As for your employment counselor, perhaps an evaluation wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I mean, you said their current assessment of you doesn’t reflect your current condition anyway. So they will either determine you are not fit for work or they will determine that you are the same as what your current evaluation says. I highly doubt they would say that you are better than the previous evaluation.

I’m glad Breintje is better! I remember Leopold being quite stinky after a tummy ache too.

OMG, someone was a naughty little bunny this morning. I woke up to this metallic “dong” sound. Then digging. Leopold was under the desk. There is a fence of NIC grids behind it to block off the cords. The desk is metal. So when he pulled on the fence and let go, it was hitting the desk and making that sound. Then he would start digging at the carpet. I pulled myself out of bed. It was dark. I marched into their room, and reached under the desk. I couldn’t reach him so my arm was just waving about. LOL I must have brushed his fur because I felt him jump. Being deaf, he was completely oblivious until that moment. He started to run out and I was able to reach him. So I gave him a firm push with my hand to get him to run faster. I’m pretty sure he knew he was in trouble at that point so I went back to bed. He didn’t do it anymore after that. You know, until tomorrow morning…

I’m sorry to hear that Ellie, but if there’s anyone who’s going to refuse to take that lying down, it’s you xx

On an unrelated note, I’ve been asked to consider adopting another bun. Thoughts?

Ellie I’m very sorry to hear about your troubles I’m not sure what to say but I wish the best in keeping on top of it as much as you can.

All is well here, we’re having a bit of a heatwave and I work partly out in the heat so it’s been hard for me by the time I get home, I’ve been sleeping after work because my body is so drained from the physical exertion in hot weather. This weekend is going to be even worse with 3 days in a row forecast for 42, 43, 42 (that’s Celsius)

Recently we’ve celebrated my Nanna’s 90th birthday, and my nephew (3) getting out of hospital. He has a spiral fracture of his femur and was required to be strapped to a hospital bed for 2 and 1/2 weeks. He’s finally out of hospital with a very restrictive cast on but he’s much happier. My sister and her family live a few hours away and have been staying down here (not at our house) during the whole process (3 weeks now I think) and they’re finally heading home tomorrow which will be a huge relief to them all.

Bunnies are good, enjoying their radicchio which is a novelty veg for them, I do need to cut their nails, they’re getting a little long. Dory is good, I caught her trying to bathe in her much too small water bowl the other day but it’s been too hot to take her outside to shower her. Our kitten, Jasiri is also doing great, I’m so in love She has to have a good long cuddle with me when I get home from work, and she curls up with me in the morning shortly before my alarm goes off too. She has hungry days and not hungry days (with growth spurts I guess). Today has been a very hungry day and she’s eaten almost 2 days worth of food, lol.

This week we’re seeing Brain Candy which is the show by Adam Savage (one of the Mythbusters) and another guy. It’s hubby’s b’day present. Should be pretty exciting Science!

Wow, nearly all good news Azerane! Happy to hear that he’s out of the hospital again, and that all the furfamily is doing well
That show sounds great too, Mythbusters was one of the few shows that kept us watching Discovery Channel. When they quit we quit watching TV all together, because there are so few interesting shows.

My neighbour visited us tonight, the guy I mentioned here who is thinking about getting rabbits as a pet. I certainly opened his eyes and changed his mind today, he rolled from surprise into surprise and into wide-eyed amazement when Breintje jumped into his cage on command. He said: you nearly erased everything I thought I knew about them… Most people expect a rabbit to be like a hamster, while they have intellect and sociability comparable to cats and dogs. It’s nice to see people change their minds about rabbits.

He’s definitely impressed by the cuteness and the level of bonding that you can achieve with buns, but he was taken back a bit by the amount of attention that they need. I’m glad that he’s convinced that he needs 2 rabbits if he decides to go through with it, because he’s away from home often.
The things that surprised him most were the trainability, the cleverness at solving puzzles and how much info they pick up about their owner. I told him that Breintje goes into his cage by himself now at night: he learned my routine and knows that I do certain things before I go to bed. He jumps into his cage without being prompted now.

I don’t know whether rabbits are a good choice for him, but I’m glad I could show him what a rabbit can really be. Maybe he’ll pass some info on to others, and hopefully rabbits will get a better life if we keep educating people. There are many myths to be busted about rabbits, and that’s the reason why so many don’t get the care they need. I’m glad my neighbour wanted to be informed before he makes a decision, whatever decision he makes. He’s welcome if he needs more help, I really appreciate people taking their responsibility and take pet ownership seriously.

Posted By Ellie from The Netherlands on 1/22/2018 3:57 PM

 I certainly opened his eyes and changed his mind today, he rolled from surprise into surprise and into wide-eyed amazement when Breintje jumped into his cage on command. 

lol, send him to my house. I’m happy to show him two rabbits that completely ignore everything I ask them to do, haha!

Went to the Humane Society today. They have an unusually large number of bunnies (at least for them) right now and the adoption price has been reduced. They were all so cute! *sigh* BUT… they didn’t have many dogs there. I guess that’s OK. I’m still missing my baby so much. Even a year and half later. I don’t know if I will ever be ready. =\

So… did anyone watch X-Files last night? It was hilarious!

@Azerane: My, darling bunbun, why do you have such large ears? So I can ignore you better dear!

@LBJ: sorry to hear that. Grief can last a very long time. Is it stopping you from getting a new dog, while you wanted to adopt?

[rant] Grumble grumble thrice-damned bunny and his antics… It was difficult going to sleep tonight: I had trouble finding a comfy position because my back was acting up. Somewhere around 4 in the morning I started to drift off, until a loud ringing clash had me bolt upright. It seriously sounded like there was a burglar… When I walked into the living room I saw that Breintje was the culprit. Appearantly he decided that he had to sit on the spot where his food bowl was. Obvious bunny solution: take it in your mouth, fling it through your hutch as hard as you can. Bonus points if you manage to make it collide into your water bowl… Sigh, this night owl is probably due for an early morning. I doubt I’ll be able to fall asleep again. [/rant]

Haha! Ellie, don’t feel bad! One of the stacking cups was missing last night when I put the boys to bed. Well… Leopold found it in the wee hours of the morning. He decided it would be fun to fling it around and clank it on the metal desk in there.

Haha, always the wee hours, isn’t it? We can safely say that buns are like babies: we love them to bits and we also have bags under our eyes saying: “Yeah, but it’s so worth it!”.

So I’ve ordered from Amazon some of the smaller items needed for Chewie’s April flight: metal air crate hardware, spill resistant dish and backup bottle, quick release zip ties…. starting to feel more real now. ?

Q8, scary but also wonderful =)

Time flies indeed, and April is getting near. I trust that all will go well, but to be honest: I’d be super stressed about it too. Our little fluffs are just too precious, I always worry about Breintje. Wishing you and the Chewmonster a safe journey!

Goodness me, is it nearly time for Chewie’s flight already? It’s good that you’re so prepared. You must be excited and obviously worried for Chewie at the same time.

Nothing quite like pets waking you at all hours of the night, the stacking cup and bowl incident are hilarious Jasiri often wakes me in the mornings, especially on weekends when we’re in bed later than normal. She’ll paw at my face, or walk on me etc. This morning she decided to use all her weight to step on both of my eyeballs at once before proceeding to sit her butt down right on my face. It was hilarious, but also a tiny bit gross thinking about her butt being on my face, lol.

Up late, trying to sleep, worrying about Luna of course I’ve ordered some vet bed that is supposed to arrive Wednesday so should be here for when I bring her home after her operation. We’ll see how long it takes before they chew it, but I thought she might appreciate the extra padding for her bottom I ordered one without a backing in case they do decide to chew. It should help Apollo too, I think I failed to mention he’s put on a little bit of weight over summer (who knows how) and so I’ve noticed the small bare patch on his hocks (that’s always been there, just a small spot when you part the fur) has turned into a larger bare patch. Probably due to the extra weight he’s been carrying. You still have to part the fur to see it, and it’s not infected or bleeding etc, but better to prevent it developing further than waiting until it’s actually hurting him. They’re on fleece, but it’s basically just fleece on wood so I may have to add extra padding underneath. Bunnies (sigh).

Slowest day of work ever!

Try not to worry Azerane! I’m sure Luna will be just fine. I suppose it would have helped if it was hectic at work, huh?

Work was actually frustrating because people kept asking me to do extra things today and I just wanted to tell them to go away I tried not worrying, it had a very low success rate

Fortunately, Luna is fine Surgery was uncomplicated. Can’t wait till tomorrow! Time to clean the bunny zone now

Azerane, yay for Luna! Maybe you should get her a tiny hemorrhoid donut pillow to help the healing process? Noooo, just kidding!!!!

Bam says buns make body fat from air. Buns almost never get ANY FOOD AT ALL, so body fat can’t be food-related.

So glad to hear that it all went well! I hope she makes a speedy recovery

So, sorry if I haven’t been active these days <_< I started school (again lol, welcome to italy) & got suddenly dumped by bf on sunday.
Feeling quite down at the moment :/

Oh no… I’m very sorry to hear that Muchelle

Also fb nicely reminded me that today’s the day my beloved hand-raised hamster died <_< this night just gets better and better.

Btw, her name was Nocciolina (Peanut) and she was the peanut (lol) of the litter. Her mom kicked her in favour of her other siblings. I’m sure she was brain damaged cause she was just too stupid, even for a hamster. But I fed her, warmed her and stuck to her and in exchange she slept on me for six months (I even forgot I had her in my pocket one time and went out for a walk… she didn’t stir). She liked to sleep on my chest, nesting in my hair.

Sadly she suddenly became smart one day, escaped her enclosure and it didn’t end well.

Muchelle, I’m sorry to hear about you and your bf. I hope it’s all for the best in the end.

Muchelle, I’m very sorry, if you are. If he’s an old barracuda (borrowing the expression from our sweet Q8) you’ll be better off without him, even if it’s very difficult to see that right now.

I’m sorry about your little hamster too. She must’ve been one of the world’s luckiest and happiest little hamsters.

Problem is, he’s got some emotional issues and periodically has these moments of crisis… so I still don’t know if he means it or not :/ If he means it this time, I’ll let him go even if I’d like to keep him.

Right now I’m an emotional mess as well, as you may have guessed. Just waiting for final verdict ==

That sounds like he needs help from a professional to deal with his crises. A partner can help, but can’t become a substitute for that. Love can’t solve every problem, and a partner is foremost a partner, not a caregiver.

Speaking from personal experience: please think about your own well-being in this. You can’t have a healthy relationship with someone who is emotionally unavailable, it’ll ruin your health and happiness as well.
Please make sure that you don’t end up in a yoyo-situation: push away, attract, push away… Even if it’s not intentional from his side, it’ll break your heart and your self-confidence.

If it doesn’t work out and it’s hurting you, don’t be afraid to choose for your own life and health. It’s a tough decision to make, and one which doesn’t come natural to many women. Many of us have the tendency to stay supportive and caring, giving giving and giving, no matter the cost for themselves. Please remember: nobody is worth ruining yourself for. 

You’re worth so much more than that 

Earlier today I called him and asked him if it was his final decision, he confirmed and I let it go. I am almost a therapist myself and I am aware that he needs therapy and I have told him, but sadly here therapy is still seen as something “bad” so I don’t think he’ll ever do that (take a shot every time you read ‘therapy’, this one included lol)

I’m sad right now, but it’s probably for the best.

It really is for the best what you did today: you made a decision to take matters into your own hands and to choose for your well-being. That’s a really logical decision, although the heart probably says that it’s an awful one. Break-ups are horrible indeed, it’s such a big mess of conflicting emotions. No matter how many problems you’re having together, there were good moments too, and that is something you’ll miss. *Big hug* Wishing you all the best, take good care of yourself.

From what I hear Italy is quite a traditionalist country. I’ve heard complaints online that people with mental problems, illnesses or disabilities are often treated as children and not taken seriously. I don’t know if that’s true, but I can understand that this can keep people away from therapy because they don’t want to lose face. I hope he gets the help he needs somehow.

It depends on regions (biggest differences are north-central-southern areas) and families, since the country’s small and people move. Generally, south italians are more traditionalists, while northern are less (since they’re closer to germanic people probs). We central people are weird, so we’re very mixed.
Anyways, mental illness and even just ordinary mental health are a difficult topic (unless you can get disability money out of it ^__^””” )

Luckily lately the tide is changing and going to the therapist to sort out problems is becoming more normal, also if it’s kinda more accepted to go to the psychiatrist (a mighty doctor) and pop pills rather than go have a chat with some dude, which you can clearly do for free with the bartender of course!

I’m working like crazy with paramedic volunteer associations over here, I am a volunteer paramedic myself, to spread psychological awareness and sadly we’re still far from the goal… but we’ll get there eventually. This year for example my 6 hours were cut from the preparatory classes and I could do little about it <_<

Yeah, I’m rambling! Also, thanks for the support <3 It's really lonely right now but I know it's temporary.

Muchelle, you’re a very wise person imo. Breakups are very tough for most people.

I’m not sure I won’t take him back if he changes idea…. but so far, trying to be wise!

Also, these days the rat decided to eat a feather off my pillow so I got bonus anguish until he pooped it out. One day I want to have some serious talk with people that have rabbits as therapy pets cause mine must be from a different species…

Some buns give therapy, some cause therapy

I will put that in my signature

OMG, LOL Bam! Hahahaha! Poor Luna.

Muchelle – That’s terrible, I’m sorry. =\

Wow, Wooly is a silly little bun. He keeps resting his chin on the side of the litter box (with his body on the outside). I think he does it so he can rest with his lopsided face upright. So I thought maybe he would like something softer to lay his chin on. I got a fleece blanket and rolled it up into a log. He was just sort of sitting there tonight, so I placed the blanket right next to him hoping he would use it. I walked away and then came back a minute or two later. What was Wooly doing? He was biting and boxing at the blanket. Then he used his front paws an gave it a big shove to get it away from him! *sigh*

Panda and Fernando’s teeth are almost certainly in much better shape than mine right now. I’ve been having toothache/jaw ache in my bottom front teeth for at least the past day, and I appear to be developing swelling in the gum under those teeth. I’m looking right now for a dentist that (1) accepts my insurance (2) accepts Care Credit (which is a specialized medical credit card in the U.S.), (3) has good reviews, and (4) can see me today or at the least tomorrow morning. Maybe I ought to take up eating timothy hay, too.

Muchelle: Stinker of a situation. Been there, and now, after time and space, I don’t know what the heck I was thinking, putting up with the heartache. May I be an ass and congratulate you? It will eventually feel like liberation, please believe me.

@LBJ10: Haha, there’s no understanding bunny logic, is there? Same as Breintje complaining about a cold butt, but grunting and pawing at the blanket I put down for him.

@Joe: Any luck with the hay yet? Toothaches are horrible, hope you’ll find a good dentist and relief from the pain very soon!

Muchelle. Yes me too been there too. Took Ex back once, not twice!!
You feel it in your heart of hearts. Ask yourself now if you’ll regret if he doesn’t come back and that is your answer…
You can’t heal everybody, however hard you try. (incl unsocialised senior dogs… .)
This is Wise Vienna, over and out!!

Ooops.. its Feb chat now…..

Let’s leave this depressing talk about crappy bfs in the past month new month new stuff.

Again, thanks to everyone for your words <3 they mean a lot right now

*big hug* You’re welcome, I always hope that my past bad experiences can help someone else who’s in the same boat. At least it’ll have served some purpose.

Muchelle, big hug!!!!