Has it actually been four days since my last post? Now I don't know if March came in like a lion or a lamb weather wise, but for me personally, it's a lion. Something going haywire every single day. Not complaining however, things can always be worse.
Forgetting that sweet little Smokey was a throw away and had probably never been inside a home until we adopted him...I made the mistake of turning on the vacuum cleaner with him close by...
There was glass in that front door and nowhere to go but straight up the curtain and onto the rod. Poor baby. It took climbing up on a chair to get him down. We'll whip that scary old vacuum cleaner if it bothers Smokey again...it was a monster!
Bun Bun and I were at the vet's office in Wake Forest at 7:45 this morning. I'm at my wits' end from worrying about Bun Bun's matted fur.
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I want so badly for Bun Bun to be tame and lovable and snuggly. How do you clip, or even brush a bunny that you can't hold. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? Bun Bun loves for me to pet him and scratch his ears. He plays with me...I just can't hold him. I need to hold him.
When Bun Bun came to live here, I had no idea that he was part Angora. Not until Cynthia our blogging friend from "wisdom for a simpler life" asked what I planned to do with Bun Bun's fur. When I went on the internet and searched for images of Angora Rabbits, I was surprised how much Bun Bun looks like the French Angora Rabbits.
We've got wind and RAIN RAIN RAIN here today with temperatures dropping throughout the day. Supposed to be 32 degrees by 5:00 with some sleet and freezing rain coming in. I'm hoping the vet will call soon and I can make that 45 minute trip back to Wake Forest before anything freezes.
Thanks for visiting. Hope to be back soon...
Love,
Henny
Forgetting that sweet little Smokey was a throw away and had probably never been inside a home until we adopted him...I made the mistake of turning on the vacuum cleaner with him close by...
There was glass in that front door and nowhere to go but straight up the curtain and onto the rod. Poor baby. It took climbing up on a chair to get him down. We'll whip that scary old vacuum cleaner if it bothers Smokey again...it was a monster!
Bun Bun and I were at the vet's office in Wake Forest at 7:45 this morning. I'm at my wits' end from worrying about Bun Bun's matted fur.
I want so badly for Bun Bun to be tame and lovable and snuggly. How do you clip, or even brush a bunny that you can't hold. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? Bun Bun loves for me to pet him and scratch his ears. He plays with me...I just can't hold him. I need to hold him.
When Bun Bun came to live here, I had no idea that he was part Angora. Not until Cynthia our blogging friend from "wisdom for a simpler life" asked what I planned to do with Bun Bun's fur. When I went on the internet and searched for images of Angora Rabbits, I was surprised how much Bun Bun looks like the French Angora Rabbits.
We've got wind and RAIN RAIN RAIN here today with temperatures dropping throughout the day. Supposed to be 32 degrees by 5:00 with some sleet and freezing rain coming in. I'm hoping the vet will call soon and I can make that 45 minute trip back to Wake Forest before anything freezes.
Thanks for visiting. Hope to be back soon...
Love,
Henny
I'm sending soothing thoughts to both BunBun and Smokey. Tough times for them both.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing good about poor old (now departed)Satchel going deaf was I could run the vacuum, have loud strangers tramping around, and any number of events that shredded his nerves when he was young.
Oh, poor Satchel. Dumperoo takes off too when I get the vacuum out.
DeletePoor little Smokey. Annie runs for her life when the monster appears. Just the sight of it sends her into a tizzy.I do think Smokey looks like Audrey. NOTHING sends her running more than a sneeze. ;)) Deb
ReplyDeleteThere is something about smokey's expression that reminds me of Audrey. I'm so glad!! Smokey is such a sweet kitten. I could just squeeze him. Dumperoo is afraid of a sneeze too!
DeleteAww, poor Smokey, he'll remember that old vacuum cleaner the next time you drag it out !
ReplyDeleteOliver cat hates the vacuum and will stir from a deep sleep to run away and hide, before I even turn the thing on....
On the other hand, Tom-Tilly will allow you to vacuum her fur !!!
Can you wrap a towel around Bun Bun I used to hold my rabbit's like that, snug but safe. After a few times, maybe you can attempt at brushing gently.
They sell combs and brushes that are designed to remove the hair.
Hope you had a safe trip to the vets, we had another round of snow, and they've rolled up the streets here :)
Hugs,
~Jo
I know you must be tired of snow. Usually the weather you get is on it's way across the mountains to us. I definitely am going to try the towel on BunBun.
DeletePoor Smokey - just look at the expression on his face - that wicked vacuum !
ReplyDeletere Bun Bun, don't even attempt to comb/brush the knots out, you wont get them out that way, they need to be cut/shaved off (I used to keep Angora rabbits) I had one or two that weren't co-operative, the way I got around it was to sit them on a table/stand that only measured about 12" square away from other shelves or tables so there was nowhere for them to jump and escape, and work very slowly and very carefully with scissors. It will take several sessions I should think if he is badly matted.
When he's clear of knotted wool (it's not 'fur') just try to get him used to being gently brushed so it doesn't get bad again.
There's no short cuts I'm afraid. Regular handling will help, whether we wants it or not !
Good luck
Wean, even the vet couldn't shave off the knots. She wants me to bring BunBun back after she get the shaver or blades...whatever it is they use to shave off the knots. She said BunBun was the worst she has seen. I am going to really work at taming BunBun then brush him every day! Thanks for the help.
DeleteJust another thought, this time of year is not the best time to 'shear' angoras, they can easily catch a chill.
ReplyDeleteIf you must do it now, afterwards keep him indoors until the weather improves, or at least keep him inside a shed/barn out of draughts and cover the front of his pen/hutch.
Thanks, I will keep him inside after he is shaved.
DeleteMy bunch hate the vacuum cleaner..except Pippa..she loves her fur vacuumed!
ReplyDeleteJane x
I wish Bickett would let me vacuum his fur. He needs it. Bickett is not afraid of the devil. Dumperoo is afraid of everything.
DeleteHope everything goes alright for Bun Bun.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's a job keeping the animals. :)
DeleteOh my Smokey looks like he made it up as far as he could go. It's amazing what tiny little spaces they can manage to balance on. I guess anyone's first brush with a vacuum cleaner is a bit worrisome.
ReplyDeleteBun Bun is beautiful but I can see how his fur would get matted if not brushed frequently. Maybe the vet can suggest ways to condition him to allow some brushing and they can also most likely do the shaving to get the knots out too. Poor baby he will look bushwhacked for awhile but surely will feel better with all those tangles and knots removed.
The vet is going to have to shave BunBun but did not get it done today. I've got to go back after she gets her clipping/shaving tools sharpened. :( Poor BunBun.
DeletePoor Smokey-- you can see the terror in those eyes. My cat, Rosie, runs under the bed and hides as soon as the closet where the vacuum cleaner is kept opens. So silly because most of the time the vacuum isn't what I'm after.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could come over and help you with BunBun's mats. It takes a lot of patience to care for an Angora but the wool is so lovely. Wrapping him tightly in a towel helps keep their legs still. Sometimes if you can kind of tuck his head under your arm as you work on him, he might not be so frightened. Once you get the mats out, you need to groom him every day or so to keep it from happening again. Good luck!
Cynthia, I'm so worried about BunBun. The vet said it's the worst she has seen. Her clipper/shaver would not go through the mats so I've got to take BunBun back. I am determined to tame BunBun and keep him brushed once he is shaved. I feel terrible about this. Wish you were close enough to come over and help me. :) Thank you.
DeleteBe careful! Hope it doesn't get too bad there. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Our cats don't like the vacuum, either. And one doesn't like little circulating fans!
Sounds like most cats hate vacuum cleaners. Thanks Linda.
DeleteYour names for your animals is interesting...as in Bun Bun, etc. Wondering if you'll tell us some time how you happened upon their names?
ReplyDeleteThat's funny because I was thinking of doing a post on the names we pick for our animals. I will try to do that! :)
DeletePoor Bun Bu...Angora Rabbits are difficult...I had two at one time. The mats are horrid. You just have to hold him a couple times a day and then feed him something yummy right after or during! Carrots maybe. The towel idea may work...I know I used to grab mine by the skin fold at the back of the neck and my other hand under their bottom...so there wasn't any weight on the neck skin. Do you treat their ears for mites with Mineral Oil? I did mine... I held mine alot when they were little. I loved having rabbits:)
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at Smokey's photo, even though to him it is no laughing matter, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about rabbits. We did have a big buck once when I was kid. Trying to hold him was dangerous. His back claws dug trenches in your arms. I believe the last time we saw him, he had escaped and was heading off across the field. He was not missed.
Poor Smokey. We have 2 cats and I have to shut them up in a bedroom every time I run the sweeper. They seem to appreciate it. I had a rabbit I named Bun Bun, but he wasn't an Angora. I couldn't hold him either. He loved to be petted and played with, just not held. I think all critters have their own unique personalities just like we do.
ReplyDeleteFarmhouse hugs,
Cindy
I'm wondering how your snow situation is? Poor Smokey, neither of our cats likes the vacuum cleaner, but have never gone to the extremes of Smokey, they just head to another room. Calli really hates the vacuum, Luna loves it, likes to attack/herd it, and Jake is somewhere in between.
ReplyDeleteDear Henny,
ReplyDeleteI so understand your frustration over Bun Bun's knotted fur! I had a beautiful black kitty named "Little Star". I used to say she was the love of my life. Well, as she got a little older she had trouble reaching her hind quarters and her back. This resulted in massive knots! I would try to cut some off of her and try to comb her but she still got terribly knotted. The only thing I could do is have the vet shave the knots off of her. One time a qualified vet took her time and used a special comb and combed all of her knots til they were gone. I also had a cat that would not let me pick her up, so I know about pets not wanting to be picked up! I guess what I'm getting to is you may just have to have a vet shave all of her knots off of her body.
Good luck!
Hugs from Darlene
Dear Henny,please let us know about the clipping and shaving of the bun bun! Think of you often....tell Lynn I finally got a decent job at least for the short run! Love you...Terry
ReplyDeletePoor Smokey! He was smart to jump up on the curtain rod!
ReplyDeleteBun Bun is adorable and I hope you can solve the problem with mats.