How to Let Rabbits Take Over Your Home, Part 3: The Resilient Rabbit

The rabbits, they have taken over my home! It started with Squid in March, then Orca the foster-turned-permanent-bunny in August. We were almost a full house with two rabbits and their pens and Squiddy's general goodness and Orca's unpredictable bladder. And my pup with anxiety. And my husband's busy life and my busy life. I did not fully understand what a "takeover" meant until Pilot came along.

In the fall of 2013, a young girl witnessed two boys/monsters actually throwing and kicking a small brown rabbit around in a school yard and told her mom (what an awesome girl!). Mom brought the rabbit to Chicago Exotics where he was treated for cuts and abrasions on his abdomen. He was transferred to Red Door and affectionately named Tumble after his ordeal with the boys. I'm not sure what it was about his story and his survival and resilience, but he seemed like a very special rabbit and one I very much looked forward to seeing when I visited the shelter. Although I very much wanted to adopt him, the practical side of my brain spoke up and told me no, he'd find a wonderful family and a wonderful home to call his own. He will be ok.

Ouch! Pilot's badly injured belly.

Pilot enjoying exercise time at Red Door

Red Door is very crowded around the holidays with boarding bunnies. At Thanksgiving, volunteers were asked to foster adoptable rabbits to make space for the vacationers. Liz, knowing that I was very fond of Tumble, sent me home with him. Friends and family joked, "Oh, by 'fostering' do you mean you're adopting him like the last one?"

Shut it.

Pilot on Thanksgiving hanging out in the bathroom.

Tumble was an excellent house guest; he was (to my surprise) a snuggler and would crawl into anyone's lap to get some nice pets on his head. He was not as in your face like Orca, and he was not shy like Squid. We joked that he was a 'medium' bunny and that he would be a good middle ground between our two rabbits who had very different personalities. His run time took place in our small bathroom, and we found him on top of our toilet a few times (thank goodness the seat was down).

It only took a week in our home to decide that we were going to adopt him. On the day we made the commitment we noticed that he was having some GI issues, and because he was still a foster rabbit at the time, we brought him back to Red Door so they could have him vet checked before his adoption. His GI issues were minor: sensitivities to certain greens and treats, so we just had to keep his diet mild with Romaine and flat leaf parsley. Phew. He was going to be ok. We also found out he was much younger than we thought - only about 8 months old. To this day it is still so unbelievable that he was so cruelly abused at such a tiny age (6 months).

All three of our rabbits have new names; we loved the names that Red Door chose for them. They were clever and fit a part of their physical description or story. But we felt like new names should come with the new chapter in their lives, the new home and the new family. And all of our rabbits have ocean themed names, so Tumble is now Pilot Renji Tumble, or more commonly just Pilot... or Pi... or P-Pi. Or Piiiiiiiiloooooooooooot when he is getting into something he's not supposed to.

The only photo of Pilot, Orca & Squid being uncivilized rabbits.

Since Orca had effectively gotten himself kicked out of the pen he shared with Squid we thought to try bonding Squid and Pilot. The first time we put them together things seemed ok; Pilot humped Squid and Squid just kind of laid there like a bunlump. The second time did not go as well. Squid decided being humped once was enough, she tried to retaliate, which made Pilot aggressive, and their date ended with my husband and I halfheartedly joking that Pilot tried to eat Squiddy (in the wild the main food source for pilot whales are squid).

We tried Pilot and Orca together, and guess what? They got along as if they were old friends! The first day they spent a few [monitored] hours together hanging out in the bathroom, munchin' on hay and making lots of poops in Orca's litterbox.

Hi friend!

We eventually moved them into a pen together, but the happiness didn't last long. In early February 2014, I heard rumblings of a scuffle going on in the kitchen - and much to my surprise (and horror) Orca and Pilot were in a full out spinning rabbit fight. Both came out of it ok with only a few missing tufts of hair, but we immediately split them up into different pens. We are still unsure what caused the rift, but to this day they are still out to get each other. About a month after their separation Pilot stealthily wiggled his way into Orca's pen on Pen Cleaning Day and got pretty beat up. After all that beautiful fur had grown back from his first injury he lost it all again so that the wounds Orca inflicted could be treated. Pilot's injuries were [thankfully] only superficial. After an overnight stay at Blue Pearl he was happy to be back home and, despite his new stitches and abrasions, was eager to binky around the house and continue his explorations.

Pilot's new 'do courtesy of Orca's teeth.

Everyone is happy now. Each rabbit has their own pen, and there are more rabbit pens than places to sit in my living room. Now that Pilot is fully healed he is the busiest rabbit in my warren. Every day when he comes out to check things off his to-do list (which is neverending, much like this story, omg) you can find him bouncing from the front to the back of the house, up on the couch trolling Wicket-the-dog-brother, on the kitchen chairs and table, inside the linen cabinets, UNDER THE FREAKING COUCH, and a myriad of other places we most likely don't know about. He's like a runner on the stock exchange floor. And he is so unbelievably fearless. But he still snuggles sometimes, so that's nice - but, oh, sorry mom, I gotta go check something out.

Bye! Thanks for reading my story!

And that is how rabbits took over my home.

Pilot says, "My mom is such a sucker, lol."

How to Let Rabbits Take Over Your Home, Part 2: Orca the Rabbit that Peed (But Is Really An Awesome Bunny)

Before I tell the tale of Orca the Rabbit That Peed (But Is Really An Awesome Bunny) I should tell you that I have never fostered an animal in my entire life, largely because I could never wrap my head around "But I have to give it back?". Obviously I did not bring Orca back to Red Door, since I am about to tell you how he ended up living with us all the time forever.

So. The tale of Orca the Rabbit That Peed (But Is Really An Awesome Bunny). 

Orca waits for lettuce to fall from the sky

After adopting Squid in March 2013, I thought I'd offer up some fostering space in my home to give a Red Door bun a break from shelter life. Liz and Toni were super stoked; "Rayn Man" was a shelter favorite and had a very rough start when Red Door found him.

Rayn Man was Easter Bun #4, found in late April after Chicago received an absurd amount of rain, hopping around in Gompers Park. His weight was low, he was dirty, but worst of all were his feet and the underside of his body: Rayn's feet were blackened and burnt by a chemical or hot asphalt and those burns affected some of his genitalia and belly. He was in so much pain.

Poor little guy.

Was he even going to survive? Red Door wasn't sure. But after several visits to Chicago Exotics, cold laser therapy to his injured feet, and many oral and topical meds later, Rayn Man started to improve. In August 2013, after Rayn had grown most of the fur on his feet back (yay!!) and he had his neuter and was healed, he came home for a spoiled vacation with my family. He was friendly to everyone who visited with him. It was clear he loved people. When we had to put cream on his bald hocks he let us trance him to treat his feet. Wow - so easy!

Orca's first day

But then there was his pen, which after the first 24 hours was soaked in pee. He was using his litterbox too, but in his brain I think he was under the impression that the entire pen was his litterbox. And anything else soft, like carpet, was also a litterbox. And people were his litterbox. In short, the entire world was his litterbox. So we changed the blankets and cleaned up the vinyl and cleaned the carpet. No big deal. New living space, new territory to mark. I get it. I'm just glad that humans don't pee on things to establish themselves. Ew. Anyway.

How to make sure no one steals your food: stand on all of it

My husband left town for 4 days for work. In the 4 days he was gone, I went from being completely overwhelmed by Rayn and his pee (and jumping out of his 3' pen when he heard a bag of treats shaking and not being able to trance him on my own to get his foot cream on and cleaning up pee after pee after pee) to asking my husband over the phone if Rayn could become a permanent rabbit in our home.

Rayn Man is now Orca Kenpachi Rayn Man, because of his black and white coloring, his [secret] intelligence, his size, and predatory drive for food. He has gotten loads better about using his litterbox exclusively. It is still funny when I hear "ORCAAAAAA" from the other room because HE HAS JUST PEED ON MY HUSBAND, but it is not so funny when he pees on me. Despite his accidents he is my only rabbit that understands "go potty"; he will jump in his litterbox and pee or give you a look kind of like a 2-year old does when he/she doesn't have to pee. He juices lettuce, is a little green around the mouth sometimes, and then makes Jackson Pollock paintings on everything in my home with lettuce juice while he air drums his paws dry. 

Have you ever seen a green rabbit? Well now you have.

Orca has zero rabbit etiquette and has [unfortunately] been rejected by both of my other rabbits as a suitable penmate. However, Squid has decided that he is ok to share her living room with, so they can both be out together, even if she's poking him in the butt with her nose every few minutes (I secretly think that she does this to provoke a giant Orca pop-straight-up-in-the-air binky, which happens every time).

Squid thinks, "Dude, you are such a mess."

We're not exactly sure if Orca is a rabbit. It is very possible that he is an alien like the Disney character, Stitch. It's ok though - he is the best snuggler, he will periscope to kiss your nose, and he is the most expressive rabbit in our warren. Despite his resilience to, well, almost everything, he is still terrified of thunder [most likely from spending all that time outside in the storm], and he loathes the screech that cardboard boxes make when you are folding the sides of them in.

Stitch and Orca: separated at birth

So I failed with my first foster. That's ok, right? Because he got a furever family? Maybe I'll try fostering again someday...

Orca today - cleaner than ever with his trademark green chin

How to Let Rabbits Take Over Your Home, Part 1: The First Bunneh

In late March 2013, my husband and I decided we needed a change in our lives. We were a family of three: me, him, and our 8-year old Maltese, Wicket. What about being a family of four? We weren't ready to take on another canine kid; Wicket struggles with anxiety, and we weren't sure if he would even enjoy having a puppy brother or sister. But Wicket grew up with rabbits - 2 Dutches, Happy and Cody. We were sure for the first few years of his life he thought he was a rabbit, or maybe he thought the rabbits were dogs? He didn't have a normal puppy socialization, but he knew that rabbits didn't mind him grooming them or relaxing with him.

Squid and her Maltese brother, Wicket.

We browsed the Red Door adoptable buns, and two stood out: Porsche, a pretty Dutch girl, and Alfalfa, a handsome little chinchilla mix boy. When we visited the shelter for the first time, Liz took us around and introduced us to all of the rabbits looking for furever homes. It was a little overwhelming to see all of the rabbits that people had given up on, but they all looked content to be safely housed and cared for at Red Door. Porsche was out being fostered, but we got to spend time with Alfalfa. 

Squid alert! Squid alert! It's Easter 2014!

Liz also suggested a Rex rabbit, Bumblebee, who had been taken in earlier in the month after being abandoned in a trailer park in Des Plaines. She was found overweight with nails that should have been trimmed yesterday. And Bumblebee certainly did seem like a busy little bee; she hopped around us in the pen, checking us out, periscoping to see her surroundings better, and she poked us with her nose a lot. It only took a couple days to decide that she would be our fourth family member.

Squid on her couch that she shares with us

Squid Anemone Bumblebee, or Squiddy Momo as she is most frequently called, came home with us shy and reserved - very different than her shelter personality. We assume she may not have been socialized much/at all at her previous home. In a year she has really come a long way from the shy rabbit we first brought home. Most of the time she is gentle and sweet, she binkies often and runs the Bunny 500 with the best of them. She always eats her cilantro or parsley before the rest of her salad, and she is VERY curious about the closed doors (ie., non-rabbit proofed rooms). She's also very mischievous; she loves to throw remotes and other things off the couch, she digs on our blankets and rearranges them to her liking, and she nips the soft part of your side when she wants to get through a tight space. And most recently she peed repeatedly in the same spot to get us to move her pen back to where she wanted it. We also sometimes think she is plotting our demise.

Squid has a crush on Dexter's Michael C. Hall and thinks he's a super cool murderer.

Squiddy was so predictable and good and easy that when Red Door asked if we could foster a rabbit in the summer of 2013 we thought nothing of it! This was only the beginning of our rabbit journey...

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!

Adopting a Cat Called "Badge of Honor" by NY Times. We Knew That!

At the shelter, Abigail is bored by the "news" in a recent New York Times article called "I'm a Cat Lady? Thank You."

The story says that the image of a "cat lady," once a term used to connote loneliness in women, is now getting an upgrade--thanks to people like singer Taylor Swift, who loves cats, and the cable TV series Girls, which also features a cat in what the NYT writer considers a hip, young way.

Of course, we've always thought that adopting a cat was a terrific badge of honor! Now tell Abigail something new.

Lucy & Desi Do Glamorous Fashion Shoot

Lucy and Desi snuggle during their break

We are all about romance! And some great fashion thrown in doesn't hurt, either. So Red Door was happy when Glossed & Found asked us to bring a rabbit to their bridal fashion photography session at The Savoy Flea, a vintage curiosity shop located in Chicago's West Town neighborhood.

We did them one better - we brought madly-in-love rabbit couple Lucy and Desi (hint: Lucy is the stunning redhead above) to the shoot. The two bunnies, who were under the strict watch of rabbit-experienced chaperones the whole time, had a great time. And so did all the G&F people, too.

The gowns were stunning, but we think the rabbits were the most gorgeous ones on the set.

Graham Kostic, creative & editorial director of Glossed & Found, offered the rabbits a Red Door credit line. "And we will also support Red Door's "Respect the Rabbit" campaign via our social media channels, plus we will do a dedicated video interview about the "Respect the Rabbit" project."

Graham Kostic and stylist Helen Burken pose with Lucy.

Thanks, Graham! (He had pet rabbits as a child, so the subject is near and dear to his heart.)

Check the final results at the Glossed & Gowned issue and watch the Fashion Film.

Before NCAA Basketball, Hares Invented March Madness

It's that time of year when basketball fans (and those who just enjoy a good office pool), start filling out their brackets for the NCAA Basketball March Madness playoffs.

But first we should pay homage to the original creators of this month's annual frenzy: Hares found in Europe. The first use of the expression "mad as a March hare" dates back to the 16th century.
But the descriptive phrase truly became part of the English lexicon when it appeared in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865.

The madness of hares (similar but not the same as U.S. cottontails) starts exhibiting itself in springtime, the beginning of the hare mating season; scientists in Scotland believe that the longer daylight hours and the availability of food occurring in March triggers some kind of hormonal switch in hares.

The animals will stand on their back feet and box each other or bowl headfirst into each other. They also exhibit other signs of rambunctiousness and unpredictable behavior.

In the United Kingdom, the BBC publishes a schedule of when and where observers might best be able to watch March hares going at it--and it doesn't require any filling out of brackets to be part of the fun.

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

It's National Pig Day! We Remember Rescuing Artie.

Since March 1 is National Pig Day, it only seems right that Red Door tells its own Pig Tale -- the pink baby pig we rescued years ago. We called him Artie.

Artie was only about 10 days old when he turned up in need of some emergency care. The story about where Artie came from was kind of -- pardon our joke -- fishy. Several young men, who appeared to be from a nearby fraternity, said they just wanted to help this poor little guy out after finding him. We think Artie was probably stolen from a farmer as part of a fraternity prank.

Artie had cuts on his foreleg, something that looked like it could have been caused by the pig being pulled under a fence. We got him emergency treatment and a lot of baby toys. Artie was capable of doing the toddler-level activity toys that required ringing bells or pushing buttons!

He looked just like Babe, but Artie was destined to grow to over 1000 pounds.

We also got a foster home for Artie and then moved him to a wonderful, rural no-kill pig sanctuary, where Artie like to hang out with -- drumroll -- the dogs who lived in the house at the sanctuary. Turned out Artie had bonded with the dogs in his foster home.

Pigs can be fun as pets, but they are smart and will grow up to be very large and often willful pets--even the ones that are promoted as "small" or "teacup" may remain. Taking one on is a huge commitment. We're happy we got to meet Artie and to help him find the right home. We think of him often-how he ran around the room on his hooves, which looked like tiny little high heels.

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.

What Does Your Cat Think About You? Here's the Answer.

Admit it...you have always wondered what your cat thinks about you. According to The New York Times, a new book has the answer. Titled Cat Sense by John Bradshaw, the book explores new feline behavior and science, translating it to how you can improve your relationship with your cat.

And the work is going to be all yours, according to  Bradshaw, a biologist at the University of Bristol in England. Bradshaw, who has studied feline behavior for the past 30 years, says that cats make up their minds, based on their natural instincts, on how they are going to interact with humans. And, unlike dogs, cats like to maintain their independence.

Of course, we knew all this. But the book is a good read--particularly with a feline friend nearby. According to Bradshaw, cats probably look at us as either a mother substitute or a very large, non-rival cat.

Check out the NYT's article Cat Sense explains what they're really thinking

Or read this excerpt Inside the Cat Brain

Over the River and Through the Woods - How to Travel with your Pet

It is that time of year, when everyone is taking a trip. If you are planning to travel with your cat, dog or rabbit, you should check out this great story [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/travel/were-heading-to-london-but-how-to-bring-the-dog.html in the New York Times about traveling with your dog.

You may not be heading overseas, as the author is, but at the end of his story there is a great reference list that can apply to taking a shorter-distance trip in this country.

Have questions about how to travel with your rabbit or your cat? Email us and we would be happy to help you out.

Want a safe place for your rabbit to go while you're on the road? A place your bunny can have individual attention and all the comforts of home? Red Door does Bunny Boarding, with Oxbow timothy hay, two fresh salads a day, and an individual playpen for exercise time. We can give meds, too.

Easter Amnesty Partner 2013

Easter Amnesty Campaign 2013

For the second year in a row, Red Door has teamed up with local pet stores to discourage impulse purchases of pet rabbits at Easter. The Easter Amnesty campaign works to raise awareness of rabbit welfare issues, as well as educate the public on proper care. It is an opportunity for retailers to openly demonstrate that they take their animal care responsibilities seriously, and that they are 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, a customer 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! 

As part of this year's campaign, Red Door spoke with Amnesty partner, Kenn Bearman, owner of The Animal Store. This family-friendly pet shop is located at 4364 W. Touhy Avenue in Lincolnwood. 

What is the history of The Animal Store?

I bought The Animal Store (formerly known as The Sea Shell) in 1992. We renamed it after a poem by Rachel Fields called "The Animal Store" and expanded the business from being primarily dedicated to fish, to serving the needs of all kinds of pets and their owners. 

How did your family get into this business?

I managed a pet store right after college and have always loved animals. After more than 20 years in retail, I wanted to own my own business and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Having living inventory is a labor of love. There's no such thing as a day off or a snow day. There's always something new and surprising that our animals have to show me. Our customers love to visit us and our animals. On any given day, we welcome parents and their children, scout troops, day camps, classroom fields trips and passersby. We love to answer their questions and tell them all about our animals.

What type of animals do you sell?

We sell everything except dogs. Education is an cornerstone of our mission. We want people to find the right pet to fit into their lives and families. It's important to understand what it takes to keep that animal happy and healthy. Taking care of animals means knowing more than just what they eat:

• How long will they live? 
• What kind of attention do they need? 
• Are they good pets for an apartment? 
• Do they board well? 
• Can they bond with more than one person? 
• Do they do well with other animals? 

Answers to these questions are vital for making the right pet choice. We are all animal lovers here, and our staff is very knowledgeable. We even have a group of young volunteers called the Jr. Critter Crew. These are kids who love being around animals, and their job is to learn about the animals so they can answer questions, and to handle and socialize our animals so that they will be great family pets. 

What small animal products do you sell?

We sell everything you need for the health and happiness of all pets. We have treats and food, habitats and toys, and all kinds of accessories for small animals, from furry friends, to reptiles, fish and amphibians, to birds large and small. 

What is your favorite part of owning a pet shop?

Watching the smiles on people's faces when they find the pet they want to bring home. Pets are important members of our families. There's a lot of joy in playing matchmaker between people and pets, and we love to bring them together.

Check out The Animal Store blog on Wordless Wednesdays for great pictures of happy people with their new pets. They post lots of great information on pet care, new products, and pets in the news. The Animal Store is open seven days a week at 10 a.m. You can also visit their website, TheAnimalStore.com, find them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter @TheAnimalStore. 

Hechos reales sobre los conejos (real facts about rabbits)

Hechos reales sobre los conejos (real facts about rabbits)
Originally uploaded by reddoorshelter

Check out our new Rabbit Fast Facts sheet in Spanish!

Hechos reales sobre los conejos

Huey the Mascot needs your love

Huey has always been a character!

If you've been to Red Door in the past 13 years, you've met Huey. He's the friendly ocicat who is our official mascot and greeter.   He is a hilarious cat, and definitely our most popular cat at the shelter. He is on the A-list and likes to be at the center of the action, which is why he often tries to escape into the front office.

Huey came to us as a kitten when Red Door first opened in 2000; he had been badly abused--including being thrown against the wall--so he had lost some feeling in his hindquarters. His tail droops and he doesn't always make it to the litterbox in time. Despite his cruel history, Huey is a happy-go-lucky guy who loves life and gets along with everyone. He is an inspiration to us all.

We're sad to report that Huey has developed diabetes. We will be providing him with all of the medical treatment (and love) he requires. Please keep our beloved Huey in your thoughts, or better yet, stop by and visit him.  No treats allowed, but hugs are always welcome.
You can even make a donation in honor of Huey through our website:
https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=993

Huey is the sweetest, friendliest cat in Red Door history.

 

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.