Greeley proves that if you Respect the Rabbit, good things will happen

At Red Door, we believe rabbits should be part of the family, kept indoors and provided with proper care and lots of love.  But all too often, bunnies are purchased impulsively by parents as an Easter gift. Soon, the novelty wears off, the kids get bored, and bunny gets neglected. In early 2013 we rescued a gray lop from a family who no longer loved him. 

After being vetted and neutered, "Greeley", was posted to our adoption site, and the applications flooded in. Who wouldn't want this sweet, handsome boy? One family stood out as the best potential home. With a thorough interview and training, they soon accepted Greeley into their family. 

This is their story...


We decided to get a rabbit around Easter last year. The Easter part was just a coincidence, we had been talking about it since December.

So we got online to check out buns on the Red Door website.  My girls and I (I have three daughters, 11, 9, and 6) looked through all the different rabbits – we read their names and personality descriptions.

But we immediately became attached to a little gray bunny named Greeley.  His picture made him look like he was posing; he seemed so sure of himself. 

He had been surrendered in February, and it was March. I felt like we already knew each other and we had this plan to come together…I didn’t really pay attention to any of the other pictures after I saw him.

The adoption interview process at Red Door is thorough, and we live in Elmhurst (about a 40 minute drive) so it took us awhile to finally get there to adopt our bunny.

I remember parking and telling the girls to not have their hopes up about Greeley, he may have been adopted already. I was saying it to them, but I was really talking to me. I was nervous.

When we walked in and found out he was there it was true relief – Jeremy (our adoption counselor) brought him to us and we were done.  Greeley was going home with us!

And what a year it has been.  We originally created a room for him in the basement, but very quickly we realized we wanted him on the same floor as us.  He has a pen, but most of the time he roams the house.  He likes to hide under the couch and sit on the vents – he has his own special places.

My daughters give him extraordinary amounts of attention, and he is deeply loved every day. When my oldest was sick, he laid next to her for hours.  When the girls friends comes over, he stays still and lets everybody pet him.  When I watch TV he sits on my lap and enjoys the calm.

Of course, he is still a rabbit.  He eats our paper off the fridge, he tries to chew my husband’s work folders. And he lets you know when he needs space (with a nudge or a nip).  I always tell the girls to respect his “rabbitness”. He is not a dog or cat, he has his own way of being, and it’s our job to understand and respect him.

Greeley goes with us on trips to Galena, he loves spa days at Red Door, and he also goes by the name “Zen Bunny” because he’s the mascot of Zen Parenting Radio, a podcast that my husband and I have doing for several years.

His birthday (or adoption day) is the day before my oldest daughter, so we had a great celebration a few weeks ago.  Our extended family loves him; he fits so naturally into our environment.

We found Greeley at the right time and the right place and we could not be more grateful. 
Big thanks to Red Door for keeping him safe until we could be together.

Red Door sends hugs and kisses to the Adams' for giving Greeley a wonderful, loving home and proving that rabbits do make excellent pets if the family is well informed. Respect the Rabbit!

Panda Moves On Up in the World

 It's time for another one of Red Door's Feel-Good-Friday Stories. This one is from Candice, a Red Door volunteer who rescued Panda:

This is the story of how Panda got a second chance and now has a DELUXE apartment in the sky!

Thanks to Red Door I found this little princess that has stolen my heart.  The shelter was doing a cat adoption event at a store that sold "pocket pets" - generally, not the kind of place we like.  I had volunteered to help with the adoption event that day.  The store had two cages with 4 bunnies crammed in together.

Naturally, the rabbits drew my attention.

Life at the pet store was crowded.

Panda (the smaller of the 4) seemed to be off- more withdrawn, a little less engaging than the other bunnies.  I told a sales person that one rabbit had a runny nose and might be sick.The sales person said she'd "talk to the owner and get the rabbit looked at".  I left that day thinking they just HAD to take her to a vet, right? Who wouldn't help that cutie? 

About a month later, I returned to  that pet shop to see if the bunnies were gone. I had been worried about how they were being cared for.  At this point, the store had MORE!!

Panda was now in her own cage, with no food, no water and her little foot was caught in the bottom bars because they didn't have the lining covered the entire way.  It took 2 seconds for me to get her out of there.

Panda's first night in a real home

I hadn't given much thought to what I was going to do with her outside of getting her out of that horrible place.  I immediately took her to Chicago Exotics the following weekend.  They did diagnose her with pasturella and we proceeded to get her on a regimen of medicine to start clearing that up.  So I figured I would nurse her back to health and see if I couldn't find a permanent home for her. 

I was silly to even think she would leave me :)  She won my heart in a matter of days.  She never wanted to leave my side, constantly jumping up on my on the couch and in my bed.  Wanting to cuddle at night and playing catch/chase all over my apartment.  I knew she would be with me for a long time.  We quickly became inseparable.

Panda loves her new mama!

She has continued to have a few medical issues, but they are clearing up. And she's worth the time and energy, of course!

While Panda sure doesn't love the medicine doses, she takes them like a champ and then circles my feet waiting for a little treat for good behavior.  I hope to eventually let her go speed dating and find a bunny friend.

At home in Michigan with the family Guinea Pig

She now owns my apartment where she lets me rent a room from her.  She loves to find the highest place to sit and relax and look over her home.  She does the bunny 500 race daily in hopes of making a world record some day.  Her daily activities include jumping up on the bed, digging under the covers and wrecking every sheet I own :)  

She is wonderfully potty trained and is meticulous about her hay bin.  This little girl owns my heart and if you ever get to meet her, she will have you in the palm of her paw in seconds (and will give you a few kisses too)  

Sometimes I wonder if she knows she is a 3 pound bunny and not a giant lion?  She brings me such happiness and I am glad she has a chance to be happy in my home and I can only hope she is as happy as I am. 

P.S.: The pet store has stopped selling rabbits! Yea!

Life is good.

Go Hawks!

Tales of Murphy: Alaskan Bunny Ambassador & Red Door Alumni

We are always happy to hear from anybunny, but particularly a Red Door alumni. Back at the shelter, we knew him as Sir Paul, a sweet Californian-breed rabbit. He had been found in a field by some high school kids who were cleaning out litter from the brush and bushes. 

Sir Paul found his adoptive mom, Jill, at Red Door and he settled into a great life in Chicago. And then....they moved to Alaska.

Here is an update from Murphy, formerly Sir Paul, on his new life far up north. He's turned into a real Bunny Ambassador for pet rabbits!

"Hello to everyone at Red Door!  Greetings to you from Alaska.  I am Murphy- although some of you may remember me better as Sir Paul.  I was adopted from Red Door by a single mom two years ago this February. 

My mom and I were having a nice life in Chicago until she got offered a teaching job in Nome, Alaska and decided that we were BOTH moving there.  I didn’t want to go because I knew that in the far north of Alaska there are many Eskimos who still hunt and live off the land.  I ate my way out of several carriers to let her know I didn’t want to go.  But she was determined and put me in a large, hard carrier and into the bottom of the plane I went. 

The weather caused us to have an unexpected layover between Anchorage and Nome for 8 hours!  They sure are pretty nice in Alaska because they let me bounce around all over the airport garden and I don’t think that would be allowed at O’Hare!  

Here I am playing outside at the airport in Alaska.

I finally started to settle into my Nome home.  There are lots of other cool animals here like musk ox, moose, seal, walrus, and bears.  There’s even a man who has a pet reindeer that rides around in the back of his truck like a dog!  Next week the Iditarod dogs will be reaching the finish line here in Nome!  Exciting!   And Sometimes I hear the Discovery channel helicopters flying overhead filming Bering Sea Gold.    

Because Nome is a small town, only 3,500 people live here, it didn’t take long for the native Inupiaq and Yupik (Eskimo) students to find out where we lived.  Mom liked to brag about me to her students.  They only understood that bunnies were to be hunted and eaten.  Bunnies are not pets up here.  Pretty soon the students got comfortable with mom and started to stop by to look at me.  I was afraid, so I hid.  But they were really fascinated by me and they wanted to pet me, and play with me, and give me food.  

Pretty soon I realized they liked me and wanted to be friends so I let them pet me and feed me.  There I am with 3 Eskimo girls who come and visit me and fight over who gets to give me my treat.  They like when I bounce around or when I stand on my hind legs and beg.  They will leave me trails of food all over the house and they will just sit quietly and watch me until mom kicks them out.  They come over almost every night now! I really like them.  I even let them take me on a field trip to play in the snow- but mom took me in after a little bit because she doesn’t trust the wild animals or the people driving around on snow mobiles. 

Anyway, I really like it in Alaska and all the attention I get from my new friends.  I like that because of me, they see that bunnies are nice pets.  But I also am working very hard to cheer mom up whenever she gets lonely for family and friends in Chicago.  I will sit on the floor where she can reach me and let her pet me and remind her that even though she is 3000 miles from home, I am still with her and that makes her happy and feeling like she has a piece of her old Chicago life in her new Alaskan world. 

I don’t know where I’ll be next year- I might be here with my friends or I might move to a different part of Alaska and make even more new friends.  I only know that mom is taking me with her no matter where she goes because she loves me so much.  And maybe we will even stop by Red Door to say hello when we come to Chicago for the summer!  We miss you all! "

Murphy, did you get frequent flyer miles for that trip?

Do you have a Tale about your Red Door adopted pet to share with us? Please send it in: info@reddoorshelter.org

Everything You Wanted to Know About Rabbit Health & Well-Being

To understand a rabbit's mind, ask us and we'll tell you it goes like this: "Lettuce...Hay... Run as fast as you can around the room...Flop on your side....Hay...."

To understand your rabbit's medical needs, we always suggest you turn to Chicago Exotics.

For the second year in a row, Red Door is pleased to announce The Rabbit Seminars, a two-part series of talks and discussion about rabbits, presented by the exotic medicine veterinarians of Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital.

Because rabbit medicine differs so completely from that for cats and dogs, these seminars offer the public vital information concerning the care and health maintenance for pet rabbits, the third most popular pet in the U.S.

Chicago Exotics is Chicago's most experienced team of rabbit-savvy veterinarians, seeing hundreds of rabbit patients a month. They are the official veterinarian for all of Red Door's rabbits.

The first seminar--dealing with cardiac, respiratory and dental disease-- is March 16, at 1 p.m. Drs. Susan Horton & Stephanie Moy will be speaking. There will also be a Q & A period.

Admission is free. NOTE: This is a new location from last year. This year the seminars will be held at Devonshire Cultural Center, 4422 Greenwood St, Skokie, IL. Admission is free and there is a large free parking lot. Light snacks will be provided.

If you attended last year's Rabbit Seminars, we want to let you know that the first lecture covers all new material.

Please just send an email to info@reddoorshelter.org saying you are attending.

The second seminar will be May 18, also at Devonshire Cultural Center.

Dr. Susan Horton is a well-known leader in exotic medicine and a member of the AEMV. She graduated from the University of Illinois and has been an associate editor for the Exotic DVM magazine. She opened Chicago Exotics--a full service avian and exotic hospital--in 2000.

Dr. Stephanie Moy graduated from the University of Illinois, where she volunteered in the wildlife clinic. She has completed externships at John G. Shedd Aquarium and at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel Island, Florida.

Dr. Katy Parr graduated from Louisiana State University of Veterinary Medicine. She completed externships with Lincoln Park Zoo and the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

On Groundhog Day, Elke Didn't See Her Shadow

Most people look for groundhogs on February 2, but Red Door saw a large black rabbit out in the snow. We are happy we were able to rescue her and get her out of the snow.

An added bonus: she didn't see her shadow today, so spring must be near.

Bandit -- One Cool Outlaw Bunny

Don't let Bandit's name fool you -- he is really a very sweet guy who needs no rehabilitation. His only crime was stealing our hearts.

This one-year-old bunny is the nicest rabbit you'll ever meet. And you can at Red Door, where he is up for adoption.

You can see other adoptable Red Door animals at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/chicago-area-cats-dogs--o_n_1885266.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago#slide=1525477

Every Bunny Needs Somebunny (Sometimes)

Love (or at least friendship) was in the air at Red Door on a recent Wednesday evening, with a possible record of 4 sets of simultaneous sessions of "Bunny Speed Dating"!

Rabbits are social animals, and are often happiest with a companion.  While many can successfully bond with their people or other pets, in most cases they do best with a companion of their own kind.

However, anyone who has lived with rabbits knows that nobody can sulk like an annoyed rabbit, so it is usually suggested that rabbits be allowed to help pick out their own companions.  Each rabbit is an individual, but usually the easiest bondings are spayed female with neutered male.  Male/male bondings can work, and the most difficult is female/female.

Many people come to Red Door looking for a companion for their own rabbit.  First they meet with an experienced volunteer to talk about their rabbit's personality and habits - this is important in helping us match them with a likely friend.  Then it's time for Date Night!

Marilyn

Marilyn recently came to Red Door after 10 years as a school bunny.  This dignified seniorbun had a chance to meet Valentino, and they seemed "pretty chill".  We're all hoping that this works out, as she deserves a quiet retirement with a good friend after all she has been through.

Swatch

 

Rolex

   Swatch and Rolex are two of Blossom's babies born at Red Door last year.  They were adopted together but recently have decided that they hate each other.  After a brief break, we tried to introduce them again, but they seem seriously set against each other now.  Swatch had a brief meeting with Winslet (see below) last week, and Rolex was introduced to several girls this week, but everyone seems too stressed out right now for any real bonding. We'll give everyone a nice long break and try again later.

Capri and Frances

Visiting Ex Frances was there to meet Capri, who is one of this year's Easter class.  There was "a lot of circling" but not in a threatening way, and shared some lettuce.  They are going to have their second date this coming Wednesday.




Red Door alumn Winslet was on her third date with Irving.  All continued to go well, with only a few tiny scuffles that were quickly defused.  He has now gone home to foster with her in hopes that everything works out on her home turf.

Irving and Winslet at home

  If you are interested in getting a companion for your rabbit, there is lots of great information online that can be helpful.  In particular, BinkyBunny has quite a few "bonding journals" on their forums, which can give you a realistic idea of the process.  Or just call or e-mail us - we'd be happy to play matchmaker for you!

The Class of 2012 - Top Ten

In the weeks since Easter, we've had TEN abandoned Easter Bunnies come through our doors.

Dewey has the distinction of being Red Door's first "Easter Bunny" of 2012.  He's been neutered, but then picked up a respiratory infection.  He's doing just fine, and should be healthy enough for adoption very soon.




Little Roo came in and then was adopted so quickly that we didn't even get a good photo of her! 

Rabberto loves everyone, and you're next!   He loves to be petted, and is happy to show his delight by flopping and tooth-purring.   This cheerful caramel-colored boy was recently featured at The Daily Bunny.

Check out Chestnut's classic Dutch markings of white t-shirt and dark pants!  This little boy is very inquisitive and likes to give bunny kisses.

This tiny Rex girl is Capri.  She ran right up to the bars looking for someone to play with!  She came in with a big oil stain on her back, probably from hiding under a car.  But she's all clean now, and will be spayed as soon as she is big enough.

It is REALLY hard to get a good photo of this tiny black and grey puffball!  This is Licorice, and he was found hiding in a parking lot.  Sadly, rescue came too late for his bunny-friend who was found deceased nearby.  Licorice is now over his case of coccidia and due to be neutered soon.

Maple was running loose near the Forest Preserve in Skokie.  She needs a bit of time to get healthy before she's ready to be adopted, but she's in good hands now!  She has a lovely little white kissing-spot on her chest..

Blackbeard arrived in a laundry basket, brought in by a good samaritan who found him in a Portage Park neighborhood.  He's a Rex with deep black velvet fur, and he loves to be petted.

And speaking of pettins!  This blissed-out bunny boy is Irving, another Rex boy.  He is white with brown markings and was found abandoned in the park.


All of these boys and girls should be ready for adoption soon.  We also have many other rabbits who are ready for immediate adoption. Contact us to make an appointment for an introduction!

Respect The Rabbit - Easter Amnesty Program

It's no secret to anyone who reads this blog that Easter can be a difficult time for rabbit rescue groups.  Every year we see rabbits who are purchased as impulse gifts for the holiday, and then neglected or discarded when the novelty wears off.  New rabbit owners are often ill-informed about proper rabbit care and the need for spaying or neutering.  The lucky ones are turned into Red Door or other rescue organizations, but too many are dumped in the wild under the mistaken impression that they will survive.

That's why we are excited about this year's new 'Respect The Rabbit' campaign!

   Through press releases, radio spots, and posters we are working to spread our message about rabbit education!

No Greg, that's not what we meant ...

"We want the public to become more familiar with rabbits and educate them on proper care" says Rabbit Adoption Coordinator Toni Greetis.  "Most people think of rabbits as low maintenance starter pets who only live for a couple of years. Red Door wants rabbits to have the same level respect that is given to dogs and cats. the more people know about rabbits, the less likely they are to make impulse purchases."

Stores participating in the Amnesty program agree not to sell any rabbits between April 1st and April 15th, and to display our poster in their store. 


The Amnesty simply prevents people from buying a rabbit on impulse just because it looks cute cuddly and fluffy. But the Amnesty also works to raise awareness of rabbit welfare issues. It is an idea opportunity for retailers to openly demonstrate how they take their animal care responsibilities seriously - and are both able and willing to put animal welfare before commercial profit. The Amnesty is also a great way of engaging customers, forging long-term relationships with customers and the local community through positive action...From the retailers perspective, acustomer who gives the rabbit up after a few weeks or months is only a very small and short-term financial benefit. A customer who is truly committed to the long-term care of their rabbit can be a great customer for 10 years or more!

  (from the program intro packet)

Over a dozen pet stores were approached, and we are pleased to announce that  The Animal Store  and Wilmette Pet Center have teamed up with us as part of this new campaign.  Each store will be featured in an upcoming blog entry, and we encourage you to choose them for your pet supply needs and to let them know how much you appreciate their taking part in this campaign. 

Girl Power!

In many ways, the rabbit world runs on Girl Power.  Domestic rabbits were originally bred from the European wild rabbits, which have a matriarchal social structure. In some breeds, the female is usually larger than the male. But no matter what the breed, there are a lot of girlbuns whose personalities are out of all proportion to their physical size.  A perfect example of this is Dora, who is currently living in a Red Door foster home.

I'm not quite sure about you yet...

Isadora was found outside in the spring of 2009. The person who found her was able to foster her for a short while until we had space available. She came to Red Door in April of 2009. She was adopted in June of 2009, only to be returned in June of 2011 when her mom moved to Louisiana.

Dora was not very happy to be back at the shelter, and she became increasingly irritable, so she was fostered by our own Toni.  Toni woke up one day to find a huge puddle of blood in Dora's pen. After a visit to Animal 911, it became apparent that Dora had a severe urinary tract infection and had passed a stone overnight. Poor baby must have been in pain for a while, and that's certainly enough to make a girl pretty cranky!

And what do YOU want?

Dora recovered from her UTI, but was still pretty fiesty when penned, so we sent her to be fostered with Victoria Velinski in September of 2011.  Victoria took to calling her Go-Go, after the character in Kill Bill, because of her aggression.   Female buns, particularly those from less-than-ideal backgrounds, can be VERY cage-protective.

Spring in the garden!

With some stability and patience in her living environment, she has made loads of progress.  She is still very opinionated, usually announcing her arrival in a room with an emphatic THUMP!  But she is also quite social with the animals she shares her foster home with - she likes to play tag with her kitty friends and even gets along well with their large Bernese Mountain Dog!  She can run hot-and-cold as far as other rabbits are concerned, but perhaps she just hasn't met the right guy yet.

Queen of the Castle

Of course, a woman needs her own space.  Dora is still picky about how her cage is arranged, but as long as you open it and let her leave on her own first,  you can clean it without being molested.  Just remember that once you're done, she is going to want some time to move and chin everything back to exactly the way she wants it.  Can you really blame her?  Would you want your living room rearranged every few days?

She will tolerate being picked up, as long as her butt is properly supported, and will even give bunny-kisses!  She is also quite the mountain-goat, once surprising Victoria from the top of the piano.

This confident bungirl is going to need someone who understands that at the age of 4 she has her own ideas about things and wants to be able to do things her own way.  She demands respect, but with her around life will certainly never be boring!

Dora is available for adoption.

.

Leap(ing) Year!

We had a great month of adoptions in the month of February.
Here are some of the cats and bunnies who found their forever homes in February:

 

Venetia

Venetia was found in some pretty rough shape. She had were patches of fur missing from her back, scabs all over her body, a small hard nodule just beneath her skin on her shoulder (later found to be a BB pellet), and a damaged left eye.  Now she sleeps in her new momma's bed and greets their 5 year-old with headbutts every morning!

Popeye

Highway

Popeye made a love connection on Valentines Day with a family who originally came in looking for a rabbit!  This charmer managed to change their minds.  (Hint hint - he gets along GREAT with bunnies....)



Little Highway was just a baby when he was found dumped on Dempster Street in Skokie, with a bad case of coccidia.  With time, loving care, and proper treatment he recovered, got his neuter, and now has a home of his own.

Swatch

Rolex

Swatch and Rolex have been Red Door buns from birth!  (Their mother Blossom was pregnant when she was rescued)   They have great homes now, but their brother Poke Chop will be ready for adoption soon.

Mr. Peppermint got to spend some quality time with Toni before finding his forever home.  Now this cuddly big boy is named Louie and he loves to tooth-purr for his new people.




Sir Paul was adopted by a single mom, and is really enjoying having the space to run and binky!  He's still a bit shy of his new people, but they are being patient with him and he should settle in just fine.

Congratulations to our latest Red Door Alumni!