Issue X, Fall 2002

IN THIS ISSUE

How I Bonded A Trioby Suzanne Medairy .....................1

Geena’s Legacy ..................................3

What Do Rabbits See?by Dana Krempels ...........................4

Postmortems: A Delicate Subjectby Susan Brown, DVM...................10

“I Am Comforted Somewhat” .......11

Final Arrangementsby Jennie Langdon .........................12

Rabbit Catalog ................................13

Origin of the Word “Bunny”.........16

DEPARTMENTSChapter Update ................................6

Rabbits for Adoption .......................8

Happy Adoption Letters ..................8

Layout/Graphic Design: Deborah Miles-HoytEditor: Jennie Langdon

Special thanks to Patti Henningsen for her workin assembling the Rabbit Catalog.

Visit us online: www.rabbitsinthehouse.org

How I Bonded A Trioby Suzanne Medairy

There is nothing better than see-ing a “pile of bunnies” snug-gling together. When it’s hard to

see where one bunny ends and the nextbegins because they’re all lying togeth-er, content, it makes me happy to knowmy three have each other. That said, itcan take a lot of work to get just twobunnies bonded, let alone three.Following are some tips and tricks thatworked for me. But some of the bestadvice is in the House Rabbit Hand-book: Expect your bunnies to hate eachother at first, but at the same time,know they will eventually becomefriends. Knowing that fighting wasnearly inevitable helped me to go intothe project.

I got my first bunny, Bob, nearly sixyears ago. During his first severalmonths with us, I ran across an HRSarticle about the benefits of having abonded pair. So along came Lucy fromHRS. Kathleen Wilsbach took care ofthe bonding for us, and afterward wewere still fairly ignorant about what ittakes to get bunnies to be friends. Wesaw only the end results, and Bob wasmuch calmer and happier with his newbuddy. A year later, we “inherited”Amos. We thought, “How hard can this‘bonding stuff ’ be?” Ugh! Little did we

know! Within minutes after Amosentered our home, Bob attacked Lucyand suddenly Lucy had Bob on his backwhile little Amos sat cowering in thecorner, knowing he’d better stay out ofthe way. We quickly separated all threeand had to go through bonding with allof them. We hadn’t realized that bring-ing in the new guy would unbond ourpair.

Before you start bonding, make sureall your bunnies are spayed/neutered.That was mistake number one for us. Sowe put off bonding until Amos hadhealed from his neutering. Then westarted by finding neutral territory. Thearea that worked best was our guestbathroom. First, we found if the spacewas too large the bunnies would run toseparate corners and wouldn’t need tointeract with each other, and the bond-ing would take much longer. Second, thebathroom had a tile floor. The bunniescouldn’t get much traction, so theirfights didn’t accelerate quickly. Finally,it was an area that none of the bunnieshad “claimed,” as they’d never been inthat room before.

Once you’ve found a good locationfor bonding, arm yourself with “ammu-nition.” I kept a weak water pistol and abroom handy. If the bunnies began cir-

cling I’d wait to see ifthey ironed things out ontheir own. If the circlingcontinued I’d give them acouple of light spraysfrom the water pistol sothey’d associate the cir-cling with the dreadedwater. If things got worse,I’d use the broom to sep-

continued on next page

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Bob, Molly, and Amos enjoy a typical snuggle.

House Rabbit Society is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization

2 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

arate them. I used the broom afterpainfully learning that the bunniesdon’t distinguish between my handsand each other. Also, the bunnies hatedthe broom, so it was another means ofusing something that they didn’t like todiscourage the fighting. Toward the endof bonding, you’ll start to see onebunny back down and become submis-sive to the more dominant bunny.

If the periods between fights getshorter and the fights get more serious,don’t give up quickly. As much as youwant the squabbling to stop, the bun-nies will begin to associate fightingwith getting their own space. What Idid was take the three of them for a carride, all in one carrier. That methodputs them in a scary situation wherethey want to cuddle with each other forcomfort. Placing them in the carrier orputting them on the washing machineworks just as well (I did a lot of laundrywhile bonding!). Kathleen said she tookBob and Lucy shopping for Christmastrees. She said that was a turning pointfor them, being made to cuddle in a carall day.

As you’re bonding your three, keep aclose eye on their diet and how muchthey’re eating and drinking. Lucywould avoid the food bowl on occasionbecause her eating would upset Bob.

continued from page 1 Sometimes we put her in her own spacewith her own food to make sure she ate.Bonding is quite stressful for the bun-nies, so they might tend to eat less, butmake sure that they are still taking infood. In addition, we had a couple ofquick runs to the vet. Amos would fightdirty and go for Bob’s ears. The vet toldus that one of the major arteries runsthrough bunnies’ ears and Amos camereally close to hitting that artery on oneoccasion.

Be aware that different situations canunbond a pair or trio. When we lostLucy, Bob and Amos, after being bondedfor over a year, started fighting. Theyessentially had to begin working outtheir pecking order again. Also, for acouple of years it seemed like the chang-ing seasons in the spring and fall wouldcause the bunnies to start fighting, andwe would go through mini-rebondingsessions.

When Molly joined us we approachedthe bonding with a little more experi-ence. However, every bonding situationis different. While Lucy and Bob wereboth extremely stubborn bunnies, Molly,from the beginning, was a very submis-sive bunny who would just sit therewhile Bob displayed his dominance byhumping her. We essentially had nofighting with the initial bonding. We didgo through a couple of rebonding ses-

sions though, when the boysgot “spring fever” each year.

I absolutely love watchingthe dynamics among mythree. Bob has become the“dad.” I joke that he’s the“godfather” of his littleposse. Amos and Molly havemore of a boyfriend/girl-friend relationship.When wefirst got Molly, we kept herupstairs since she wasn’tspayed yet. Amos would

sneak upstairs and sit staring at her in hercage for hours. It was like watching“puppy love,” and he still seems to not beable to get enough of her. He follows hereverywhere, smothering her with kisses.Both he and Molly have respect for “thegodfather.”When Bob hops over they stoplicking each other and both begin lickingBob. Seeing the three of them stretchedout cheek to cheek, in “bunny smiles,”makes all the work of bonding worthevery bit of it.

UpcomingEvents

Please check our Website fordetails on all the events:

www.rabbitsinthehouse.org

HRS will participate in another

National Geographic Passport

Friday on December 27, 2002, at

Explorers Hall in Washington, DC.

We will have a booth at the World

of Pets Expo Jan. 31–Feb. 2, 2003, at

the Maryland State Fairgrounds in

Timonium, MD.

www.worldofpets.org

And we will also have a booth at

the Super Pet Expo April 4–6, 2003,

at the Dulles Expo Center in

Chantilly, VA.

www.superpetexpo.com

The three happily eat together from the same food bowl.

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 3

Geena—gorgeous, big, red, soft,affectionate, demanding, queen-ly—succumbed to renal failure

on November 3, 2002.Each of our rabbits is special. So why

do we single out Geena to memorialize?Partly because so many of our fosterersand members knew her and admiredher. But mainly because in spite of herpopularity, we were not able to fulfill forher our ultimate goal of permanentadoption into a loving home, and wetake this sad opportunity both to reflectand to renew our resolve.

Geena was a New Zealand Red, largein size and in spirit. She had been infoster care with a volunteer from theMontgomery County Humane Societyfor a year when we took her into anHRS foster home in June of 2000. Atthat time she was named Digger; thatcould not have increased her adoptionchances! Susan Easton renamed herafter the actor Geena Davis because ofher long-legged good looks and beauti-ful red hair.

A lot of adopters passed her overbecause of her size, nine pounds. Also,she tended to be somewhat aggressivewith the rab-bits we intro-duced to her.She had arocky rela-tionship witha prospectivebuddy, Bailey;after a fewmonths theirpartnershipwas deemedto have failedfor reasons ofirreconcilabledifferences,

and Geena, with great regret, wasreturned to foster care.

In all, we knew Geena longer than twoyears. Those who shared their homeswith her were always reluctant when cir-cumstances required us to swap her toanother foster home. She was very affec-tionate in her commanding way.

Geena’s presence was large. Now sheis large in her absence, and memories ofher have sparked a thoughtful discus-sion about what she means to us. Shehas inspired a wide variety of com-ments and tributes:

“Although Geena never had a foreverhome, she was adored by all of us fosterers.”

“Her demanding nature and feisti-ness toward the other bunnies made herstand out and shine. If she had been awoman, no doubt she would have beena feminist! She gave true meaning to thephrase ‘Rabbits do have personality!’”

“Even though Geena never found apermanent home, she got lots of love andgood care from many people, and who-ever fostered her and was fond of hershould be proud of that.”

“It was certainly better than her

never having been taken in by HRS atall. I think we should feel that wayabout any animal—rabbit or other—that passes away while in foster care.”

“I was very sad that no one at thematch even took Geena out to see herother than me.”

“I especially love the large bunnies,and Geena was no exception. Kurt and Iboth feel blessed that we were given thetime to be with her, time to love her andplay with her. She melted my heartevery morning with her big bright eyesgreeting me for her morning greens.”

“I too have a large rabbit; unfortu-nately, she and Geena did not get along,or I would have taken her in a second.”

“Geena was in foster care a long, longtime, and perhaps that issomething to consider whenchoosing a rabbit to adopt.”

“Fosters receive the best med-ical care and postmortem fol-low-up, and this is yet anotherreason to make a donation andrenew membership.”

Rest easy, Geena. You areour inspiration to continuehelping the big bunnies, thebunnies who are hard toplace, the bunnies who liveout their lives in foster care.We thank you. We miss you.

Geena’s Legacy

4 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

Many house rabbit “parents” arecurious to know what theworld looks like to their lago-

morph companion. Why does it seemdifficult for my bunny to find food rightin front of his face? Why is my bunny soeasily startled or frightened if I walkinto the room holding a box or a gro-cery bag? Can my rabbit see colors?

The first thing to remember is that arabbit’s visual system evolved underevolutionary pressures completely dif-ferent from those which “designed” youreyes. We human primates, like our simi-an cousins, have forward-placed eyeswhich confer binocular vision anddepth perception. This is essential foran animal originally designed to leapthrough the trees. Also, we have excel-lent color vision, a trait which helpedour ancestors to find ripe fruit and tastyflowers in the forest canopy.

On the other hand, the rabbit visualsystem is designed—not for foragingand locomotion—but to quickly andeffectively detect approaching predatorsfrom almost any direction. The eyes areplaced high and to the sides of the skull,allowing the rabbit to see nearly 360degrees, as well as far above her head.Rabbits tend to be farsighted, whichexplains why they may be frightened byan airplane flying overhead even if theirhuman companion can barely see it. (Itcould be a hawk! Run!)

The price the bunny pays for thisremarkable field of vision is a smallblind spot directly in front of his face,but forward-placed nostrils and large,spooning ears compensate for that

minor loss of predator-detecting space.For an animal to have binocular vision,the fields of view of both eyes mustoverlap to some degree. The centralblind spot in the rabbit’s field of viewprecludes a three-dimensional view ofnearby objects. When your bunny cocksher head and seems to be looking at you“sideways,” she is actually looking asstraight at you as is possible for abunny. As far as we know, she does nothave a primate’s level of depth percep-tion at such close range.

What about color vision? In general,vertebrates have two different types ofphotoreceptor cells in their retinas: rodsand cones. Cones confer high resolu-tion, and, if more than one cone type ispresent, they also confer the ability toperceive various wavelengths of light asdistinct colors. For example, we humanshave three different categories ofcone—their maximum sensitivities inthe red, blue and green regions of thespectrum. The differing sensitivities ofeach cone type enable us to perceivedifferent (visible) wavelengths of lightas the colors of the rainbow.

Behavioral studies published in theearly 1970s indicate that rabbits do havea limited ability to discriminatebetween some wavelengths of light, per-ceiving them as different colors.Evidently, they can discriminatebetween the wavelengths we call “green”and “blue.” Although rabbits may notperceive green and blue the way we do,they can tell them apart. This meansthey have limited color vision, probably

conferred by two different categories ofcone cells (blue and green).

The other type of photoreceptor, therod cell, confers high visual sensitivityin low light situations, but relativelypoor resolution (i.e., a “grainy” picture).The rabbit retina has a much higherratio of rods to cones than the humanretina has. Although a rabbit can seebetter than a human in low light condi-tions, his low light image has muchpoorer resolution (clarity) than the day-time images formed by your cone-rich,primate retina.

Now you may wonder: “Can my rab-bit see me clearly, or am I just a bigblur?” As you read this page, you arefocusing on the letters with a very tinypart of your retina called the fovea. Thisis a minuscule, cone-shaped depressionin the retina, lined wall-to-wall withhigh resolution cone cells.

Rabbits, too, have small retinal areaswith more cones than rods. However,this area centralis is not indented, and ithas far lower cone density than ourfovea has. The image formed by the areacentralis is relatively “grainy” comparedto the one formed by your fovea, but itserves the rabbit well. Using this image,your voice, body movements and scentas cues, your rabbit can recognize you(his favorite human)—as long as you’renot carrying a scary box that completelychanges your familiar shape!

Knowing a little more about howanother creature sees the world allowsus to come one step closer to under-standing its behavior—and modifyingour own to make life happier for every-one. Remember that the next time yourrabbit gazes at you with those deep,ancient eyes.

© 1998 Dana Krempels, Ph.D.Department of Biology, University of MiamiChapter Manager, Miami chapter, HRSReprinted with permission of the author.

What DoRabbits See?by Dana Krempels

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 5

Hay

Regular Timothy . . . . . . . . .$8.00/baleGreen Timothy . . . . . . . . .$20.00/baleOxbow Timothy 2.5 lb . . . . . . . .$6.00Oxbow Timothy 9 lb . . . . . . . . .$18.00Oxbow Timothy 25 lb . . . . . . . .$30.00Oxbow Timothy 50 lb . . . . . . . .$40.00

Pellets

Oxbow Bunny Basics/T 5 lb . . . .$5.00Oxbow Bunny Basics/T 10 lb . . .$8.00Oxbow Bunny Basics/T 50 lb . .$38.00Harlan Hi-Fiber 33 lb . . . . . . . .$15.00

Feeding Supplies

Crock-Loc Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00Ceramic Crock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00Water Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00Non-Drip “Travel” Bottle . . . . . .$4.50

Litter

Tek-Fresh/CareFresh 50 liters . .$13.00Tek-Chip (pelleted paper) 50 lb . . .$16.00EcoFresh (recycled paper) 10 lb . . . .$4.50

Papaya Enzyme Tablets

Oxbow 200 tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.00Oxbow 500 tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12.00

Grooming Supplies

Slicker Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7.00Metal Loop Brush . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00Detangler Comb . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.00Nail Clippers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7.00Scissors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.00

Litter Pans

Small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4.00Medium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.00Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00

Housing

Exercise Pen 24" . . . . . . . . . . . .$55.00Exercise Pen 30" . . . . . . . . . . . .$65.00

House Rabbit Handbook

Drollery Press Videos

Toys

Rabbit Supplies Soldby Our Chapter

Supply Volunteers to contact for more infoand to arrange pickup

Baltimore, MD: Kathleen Wilsbach, 410/889-4104, kathleen@rabbit.org

Olney, MD: Susan Wong, 301/570-9152, Sbunny@erols.com

Bel Air, MD: Jodi Robertson, 410/838-3761, lapinblanc@comcast.net

Woodbridge, VA: Liz DiNorma, 703/670-3659, liz@rabbit.org

Alexandria, VA: Karen Jones, 703/619-1062, kjsmy@yahoo.com

GIFTS

IN

REMEMBRANCE

Nick & Claire Milando

in Memory of

Frankie�

Frank Branchini

in Memory of

Rowan�

Marie Hartke

in Memory of

Rowan�

Joan Gilkerson

in Memory of

Daniel�

Anne Imboden

in Memory of

Daniel�

These items are available only by pickup. Prices include sales tax.

6 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

We have to start this column bypointing out some sobering numbers.So far this year we have adopted out54 rabbits and taken in 29 from localshelters. The adoption number is onlyabout half of the figures we achieved inprevious years, and the rescue figure isless than half. Further, this year we havetaken in fourteen rabbits returnedfrom earlier adoptions, and we gladlyaccepted four additional rabbits who,although not originally adopted out byus, were buddies of returnees. We nowhave the task of trying to determinewhy our adoption figure is down, andas a chapter established for some years,we have the growing challenge of help-ing returnees. In spite of our efforts,these returned rabbits were not shownthe devotion we sought for them. Ourchapter's commitment to rabbits weadopt out is lifelong, and with yourhelp, we will find ways to help ourreturnees, either by adopting them outagain or, if necessary, by maintainingthem in loving sanctuary care.

We also have some excellent news.Chapter Manager Kathleen Wilsbachrecently received notice from the IRSthat we have completed our five-yearprobationary period and the finaldetermination has been made: Ourchapter has been approved as a full-fledged 501(c)(3) charitable organi-zation! Kathleen said,“I would espe-cially like to acknowledge JamieJohnston Sargent, our treasurer, for allher hard work on the chapter’s account-ing, which is the most important partexamined for the determination. GreatJob! We couldn’t have done it withoutyou! I’d also like to acknowledge all of

our volunteers for helping us carry outour stated goals—educating the publicand rescuing rabbits—and all ourdonors and fundraisers for helping usgarner the required public support.”

Our rabbits for adoption are nowpresented not only on our Website andin the Clover Leaf, but also, thanks tothe work of Patti Henningsen, onwww.Petfinder.org, the Internet’s mostheavily used national, searchable list ofcompanion animals for adoption. Colorphotos of the rabbits described in theClover Leaf can be seen both on ourWebsite and on Petfinder.

In March, HRS was invited to presenta rabbit care information program at a4-H meeting in Fairfax, VA. LizDiNorma and Judi Lainer took fosterbunnies and did two presentations atthe 4-H March Madness event. The pre-sentations were very well received, andfoster rabbit Gregory was adopted as adirect result! In addition, in July Liz didtwo more rabbit care presentationsfrom invitations that came out of theoriginal March Madness event: Shetaught rabbit care programs both at a4-H camp in Virginia and then at asummer school program at SwansonMiddle School in Arlington, VA.

Also in March, HRS was invited to bethe featured group for NationalGeographic’s Passport Friday pro-gram. As usual, thanks to Nancy Boydfor inviting us! We really enjoy doingthese programs. National GeographicExplorers Hall is in a prime locationdowntown, and many people stop byon their lunch breaks. We talked topeople from around the Washington,DC metro area, as well as people from

all across the country. It’s always fun tobe able to direct someone to their localHRS chapter— in Florida, or Ohio, orColorado, for example. We always askpeople to mention to the other HRSchapters that they heard it here first!

April was a big month. HRS had abooth at the Super Pet Expo inChantilly, VA, April 6–7. These eventsare exhausting, but are very worth-while, especially from an educationstandpoint. Then, Kathy Brooks-Denny set up a booth at the TakomaPark Co-Op Earth Day celebration inTakoma Park, MD. And to round outthe month, the Spring Fling was heldat Connie Tjoumas’s house inColumbia, MD.

We continued our work with theAnimal Welfare League of Arlingtonby having a booth at their Animal Walkon May 11. And then in August, AWLAasked HRS to be a featured guest attheir booth at the Arlington CountyFair.

This summer we began offeringsome different events and educationalopportunities for our members. InJune, HRS member and TellingtonTouch practitioner Sandy River, whois also a certified animal acupuncturist,presented an introductory TTouchworkshop for rabbit caretakers. Manythanks to Diane Reich and her familyfor volunteering their company’s con-ference room for this and other events.The workshop was very interesting andwas enjoyed by bunnies and their peo-ple alike. Participant Anne Imbodensaid,“So many people sitting in a circle,smiling at their bunnies, who werelying contentedly on their laps, was a

CChhaapptteerr UUppddaattee

PLEASE JOIN OUR CHAPTER'S VOLUNTEER NETWORK AND/OR MAKE A DONATION TO SUPPORTOUR FOSTER RABBITS. SEE THE FORM ON PAGE 15.

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 7

scene not to be forgotten.” This work-shop took place in Hanover, MD; we arelooking into being able to do workshopsin other areas around the chapter.

Another new program was theBunny Tune-Up in June in McLean, VA.Bunnies were weighed and diet was dis-cussed with their people, then the bun-nies were groomed and had their nailstrimmed, and then, the big treat: a mas-sage by massage therapist AlexisBillstone. Alexis works as a veterinarytechnician at Healthy Paws AnimalHospital in Haymarket, VA, and gener-ously donated her massage skills for thisevent. Participant Natalie Medinareported that “Blackberry and Chip hada great time at the Bunny Tune-Up. EvenRose, who normally protests, had a goodtime getting a massage and could notresist enjoying it. I would definitelytake them to another Tune-Up.” Thisis certainly an event we are working torepeat around the Chapter.

In July we again worked together withMetroPets Online to present a DisasterPreparedness for Pet Owners Seminarin Fairfax County, VA. This event waseven written up in the weekly Fairfaxsection of the Washington Post.

We did not participate in theMontgomery County Fair this year. Thefair is sponsored by 4-H, and as HRS’sphilosophies about rescue vs. breedingare in opposition to 4-H’s philosophies,we were asked not to participate. We

found this interesting, considering thatwe have been asked to do care presenta-tions at other 4-H events in other loca-tions. We are, of course, happy to partic-ipate in those events and to give anyeducational assistance we can to 4-Hmembers.

Another event that did not take placethis year is the annual Fall Festival.Between scheduling problems and lackof volunteers, it became too difficult totry to make it happen this year.

For the second year, AmberWinningham was in charge of ourannual autumn Uncle Ralph’s CookieSale. This year’s sale raised nearly$1,500 to help pay for the care of our fos-ter rabbits. The sale involves a consider-able amount of work; thank you, Amber!

If you’re looking for an opportunity tointeract with other chapter members,albeit electronically, consider signing upfor the rabbit_chat mailing list. Thelist is for local members only, and it hasturned out to be a great source of infor-mation and support for the people par-ticipating. Sometimes we talk about“fluffy” things, like the cute antics thatour rabbits share with us, but oftenwe’re talking about more substantialtopics such as health and diet issues.And always the group is there for sup-port when someone is going through atough illness with their bunny or losestheir beloved rabbit friend.You can signup on the front page of our chapterWebsite at www.rabbitsinthehouse.org.If you’re concerned about your e-mailinbox filling up with messages from thechat group, choose the Digest optionwhen signing up. You’ll then get one e-mail daily, containing all of the mes-sages posted that day to the chat group.

Another privilege for local membersonly is our bunnysitting mailing list.Whether you need a bunnysitter or canoffer to bunnysit, this is a good group tojoin, especially with the holiday seasonupon us. Sign up from the first page ofour chapter Website.

We have a third Internet mailing list

that you can join from our Website, thisone not restricted to chapter membersonly. It is a low-volume announcementlist to keep you updated on upcomingactivities. The list is a good way to bereminded of our spring candy sale andautumn cookie sale, training and educa-tional opportunities that the chapter isorganizing, and other important events.

Now we have two special stories torelate, concerning rabbits whoseadopters did not mean it seriously whenthey agreed to give lifelong care to theirrabbits.

Bart was adopted in our area by afamily with a young daughter. We don’tadopt out rabbits as pets for children,but we do adopt out rabbits to familieswho have children. Unfortunately, in thisinstance we were fooled into thinkingthat at least one parent had an emotion-al commitment to Bart and would be incharge of his daily care. Over a year agothe family moved to Washington State,where the father contacted the HRSchapter about putting Bart up for adop-tion. The young girl, now a teenager,

Bunny Tune-Up: Alexis Billstone massages NatalieMedina's Blackberry.

ShadowLink, an Internet accessprovider, will donate $1 permonth per active account to theMD/DC/NoVA chapter of HRSand give a discounted price of$14.95 per month to people whosign up through our link. Thisis a nationwide dial-up service.You can check out informationabout the service at:

www.shadowlink.com

But if you sign up, please do itthrough our link at the bottomof our home page:

www.rabbitsinthehouse.org

continued on page 15

DIAMOND AND PANDA, both girls, can be adopt-ed separately. We adopted them out in the autumnof 1998. The adopter moved to Arizona, and twoyears later she decided not to keep the rabbits. Weare grateful that Brambley Hedge, an independentrabbit rescue in Phoenix, accepted Diamond andPanda on our behalf and cared for them until wefound Carol Thielen to fly and escort them back tous. They arrived at BWI safely and now they needpermanent homes.

KEVIN AND MIKEY are tiny guys but big charmers and full ofenergy, and they have excellent personal habits. Littermates,they’ve always been together and are close pals.

SUE ELLEN ANDPAMELA are a prettymother-daughter pair whowere turned in to a shelterby a breeder. SueEllen, theyoung mother and a lop, isthe more outgoing of thetwo. Pamela, the uppy-eared daughter, is some-what more reserved.

MARBLE is a beautiful harlequin rex. Approximately a year old,

he was found as a stray. He is very active and curious,eagerly running to see what humans are up to. He dancesfor treats and carries his carrot across the room.

QUIGLEY is a lively young dwarf,very inquisitive and fun-loving. Heis always sitting his haunches so hewill not miss anything that is hap-pening around him.If he can getyour attention for a few pets, that's

great, too!

SHERWOOD is a friendly, curious, andsociable little boy with a beautiful coat ofmixed pumpkin-orange and gray. Once hegets to know you, if you sit on the floor he’lleagerly hop into your lap for petting ortreats.

AVRIL is a tiny harlequin (orange with black stripes) 6-month-old dwarf, brought into the shelter after the children grew tired ofthem. She is a friendly, loving, sensitive girl who gets along wellwith other rabbits. Because of her small size, she would do best ina home with adults or older children.

CORETTA loves to play with her toys, especially her soccer ball.She likes to see what is going on and will run from room to room.She will sit for pets when she is ready to rest between dances.

RABBITS FOR

SUE ELLEN AND PAMELA

���������� Happy AdopDear HRS,

Peppen is doing quite well. He certainly is no longer the shy littlebunny who wouldn’t come out of his travel cage. We are reallyenjoying him. He has a very strong personality. He isn’t a cuddlybunny. Rachel was a little disappointed about that at first. She getsa big kick out of him now. He has no time for cuddling, althoughhe does like an ear rub, and he is always around checking out thetoys and what we are doing.—Linda Lowitz

Dear HRS,It was a little rocky the first few days, but I am happy to report

that today Alice was seen grooming Theodore and last night theyspent the night together in peace! They are now a happy pair.—Kathy Brooks-Denny

Dear HRS,Remember when you brought that whole passel of bunnies over

here to meet Tristan? He liked Myrtle, so we went with her. Myrtleand Tristan are practically inseparable now. She seems to just lovehim and spends a great deal of time grooming him. She’s evenbecome friendly with her human companions.—Deb Hoyt

Dear HRS,Zoot and Aspen seem to have worked out their differences.

Aspen has been a good influence on Zoot. He used to just liearound all the time; he’s much more vivacious now. I’m so glad wewere able to take Aspen in.—Emily Ayers

Dear HRS,So far Trinket and Rocky are hitting it off in their bonding. I’m

keeping my fingers crossed as I like her and think she’d be goodfor him. She initiated a nose rub the moment they met, hoppedaway and then came back and groomed his face! Since he’s neverhad a companion and can be shy until he gets comfortablesomewhere, I think he didn’t know what to make of hergreeting.—Colleen Coughlin

Dear HRS,Samantha and Evelyn are doing great. This morning the cutest

thing happened. Shea wanted to sit with them and color, and I wasin the other room. I heard a lot of racket and went to discover whatwas going on. Shea had put a slinky on the top shelf with both ofthem. Samantha kept going to it and throwing it down and

All rabbits are to be adopted as HOUSE RABBITS only—no exceptions! $60 donYour other rabbits must be spayed or neutered. Pictures of all our foster rabbits ca

8 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

SHERWOOD

QUIGLEY

HONEY is a lovely Dutch mix with a strongliking for ear and cheek rubs. Althoughshe is a sweetheart, families with youngchildren may not appreciate the boxingtalents she exhibits every now andthen. She is a keen explorer and lovesto run everywhere, binky, and run backto her favorite people.

JOSIE is a small rabbit with a big attitude.She knows what she wants and when she wantsit. You will find her in the middle of all activity, telling you how todo things or asking for ear rubs.

JULIET is a sweet, kissing mini-lop with the most beautiful gray/lavender coloring. She loves to explore and follow people aroundand will immediately lie down if she thinks she is going to get pet-ting and kissing. Juliet is young, born this year. Shewas found in a park with an empty water bottle andan empty food dish by her side.

KAATJE is a medium-size Dutch-rex mix, about 10months old. She loves her toys and always wants toknow what is going on around her. She is still a littleskittish but is starting to really like to be petted andwill give bunny kisses sometimes. She does not seem

to mind well-behaved dogs.

LEONA is a beautiful red, white, and gray French lop.Although she's only about 6 months old, she's at least 12pounds of bunny! She's a little shy at first, but after shewarms up to you, watch out because all she wants to do iseither snuggle or play with you. She has excellent litterbox

habits and she's full of energy and curiosity.

MARCIE is 20 lbs. of energy stuffed into a 4-lb. lop rabbit.She loves to run and dance but will not hesitate to stop for pets.

Her favorite toy is the phone book.

BRONWYN is a dilute harlequin-colored rex. She has been in fos-ter care for a very long time. Once she gets to know you, she is areal sweetie. She is on the medium to large side.

VANESSA, HUGO, AND FIGARO have been together for almost ayear. Although we would like to keep them together,

we are willing to adopt out one of the bunniesto join another bunny looking for a friend.Vanessa is a beautiful red and white rex, assweet as she is lovely to look at. Hugo is anadorable multi-colored mini-lop, a happyexplorer who enjoys exercise. Figaro is a hand-somely multicolored bunny who enjoys strokesand head rubs.

watching it fall. She would even reach for it as Shea was putting itback up for her. I’ve been surprised by his patience and desire tojust sit with them. He gets out of bed for school with excitementnow because I let him have five minutes to sit with them and theyusually come and eat some of their morning pellets from hishand.—Melinda Long

Dear HRS,Rocky still has some moments of jumping Bella but it gets less

and less. He has become a bit more adventurous — doesn’t runand hide like he used to. Spends a lot of time grooming her; sheloves that. She also loves the bathroom — spends a lot of timeplaying in there. All in all, it has been a success!—Marilyn Calfee

Dear HRS,Everything is going pretty well. Brownie chases Jules

occasionally but usually only after we’ve looked in on them. Whenthey are left alone, they are usually quiet. Fortunately Jules is fasterthan Brownie and Brownie gets lazy after awhile, so she nevercatches him. Every once in a while, we see them sitting next to eachother. It is very cute. So overall, I’d say they are progressing and will

at least tolerate each other until they become friends. It is reallynice having civil bunnies.—Jess and Ken Michael

Dear HRS,Quinna is making friends with all of us. The cats seem to think

that it’s normal to have a bunny in the kitchen again. Quinna comesrunning up to us for treats and loves it when Caroline and I pat her.She even let our dinner guests admire her and pat her (they allcommented on what a handsome and sweet bunny she is). She hasbeen slowly letting the sweetness of her temperament come out.—Cathy Gotschall

Dear HRS,Your little energizer bunny Jingle is still running on full

batteries! He is still a very messy housekeeper, but he makes up forit with his hysterical antics. He is definitely the king of the roostover here! He still seems to be pulling out Catherine’s hair on theback of her neck. But they do hide out together inside thecardboard castle and groom each other a lot, and I’m sure theyenjoy the bunny companionship.—Wendy Matson

MARCIE

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 9

ADOPTION!!!

ption Letters! ����������

nation per rabbit or $100 for a pair, plus $18 HRS membership for non-members.an be viewed at our Website www.rabbitsinthehouse.org and at www.petfinder.org.

KAATJE

10 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

The correct name for the exami-nation of the physical body afterdeath is a postmortem, post

meaning after and mortem meaningdeath. The term autopsy is used onlyfor humans. A postmortem is animportant diagnostic tool withoutwhich our knowledge of pet medicinewould be sorely lacking.

A postmortem should be performedwithin 48 hours of death. It is best toget the pet to the veterinarian as soonas possible after death and to keep thebody cool (below 60 degrees if possi-ble), but not frozen. If the tissuesfreeze, the sharp ice crystals can dam-age them. This may affect the ability ofa pathologist to assess microscopic tis-sue samples accurately.

What actually happens during thepostmortem examination? Most oftenthe entire animal will be examinedbecause we have found that sometimeswhat is obvious during life is maskingother disease that is only discoveredafter death. To get the whole or “holis-tic” picture, it is best to look at all theorgan systems. To do this, it is neces-sary to make an incision on the under-side of the pet from the neck to theanus in order to be able to open up thebody cavity and take a look.

Initially organs are examined inplace to look for gross abnormalities.Eventually the organs will be removedfor closer examination. The cause ofdisease may be obvious to the nakedeye, but often it is necessary to take

small samples of tissue and performfurther testing such as microscopicexamination, bacterial culture, viralisolation, or toxin assessment.

It is possible for the veterinarian tosew up the incision after the post-mortem is completed. This is referredto as a “cosmetic postmortem” whichreturns the animal’s physical body toas normal appearing a state as possi-ble.

Why should a postmortem be per-formed? The following are some of theimportant reasons to consider a post-mortem examination for your pet:

MULTI-PET HOUSEHOLDS. A post-mortem may reveal disease that couldpotentially spread to others in thehousehold. If disease is diagnosedthrough a postmortem, preventativemeasures can be taken.

ZOONOTIC DISEASE. A postmortemcan reveal potential zoonotic disease,which is disease transmissible fromanimals to man. This is particularlyimportant for human members of thehousehold with immunosuppresantdiseases such as HIV or hepatitis.

CAUSE OF UNEXPECTED DEATH. When apet dies suddenly or without obviouscause, owners often blame themselvesfor negligence or oversight. Usually thisguilt is unwarranted but without apostmortem, the cause of death willremain unknown. Not only do ownersand veterinarians continue to torturethemselves with second guesses, butalso without the postmortem there is

no information available to prevent thesame problem with future pets if theproblem is preventable. It is often arelief for clients to know that the deathwas not something they could alter orprevent in any way.

EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT

REGIMENS. Without this feedback, vet-erinarians cannot know for certain iftreatments that are used, includingmedications, diets and surgeries, areeffective. With information from apostmortem, veterinarians can makeimproved therapeutic choices in thefuture.

GENETIC/DIETARY/ENVIRONMENTAL

PROBLEMS. We have learned a greatdeal, for instance, about appropriatediets in rabbits from postmortemexaminations of pets that succumbeddue to the poor diets we fed in thepast. We can thank those early petsthat passed on and the veterinarianswho examined them for the improvedhealth and longevity of these animalstoday related to improved diets.

A postmortem examination can bean extremely useful tool in continuingour quest for knowledge on theimprovement of health in our pets.Often veterinarians are hesitant tobring up the subject because it is sodifficult to think about at the time ofdeath and grief. Try to think about thissubject and come to a decision abouthow you will proceed before the timecomes. If you are not comfortable witha postmortem, your veterinarian willrespect your decision. This was yourfriend in life and it is ultimately yourdecision as to what happens afterdeath.

Condensed and printed with permission ofthe author. The full text is available atwww.VeterinaryPartner.com.

Postmortems:A Delicate Subjectby Susan Brown, DVMMidwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital, Westchester, IL

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 11

Apostmortem exam can providemany benefits. Here, in theirown grief-stricken words, are

thoughts expressed by chapter mem-bers after the death of a beloved rab-bit.

“Besides feeling terrible for losingsuch a sweet friend, I feel guiltybecause I wonder if I’ve missed somesigns somewhere about her impendingdeath. How could a vibrant bunny justplop dead like that within a couple ofdays?… How can I find any closure towhat’s happened to our sweet bunny?”

“I have no idea what happened…. Isure wish rabbits could talk…. If onlyhe had given me some indication Icould have rushed him to the vet, butthere was nothing. Is this normal?”

“The doctor has absolutely no ideawhatsoever what the problem was. X-rays revealed nothing!”

“I want everything examined to findout what went wrong. I did everythingwith no money limit as to their gettingwell.”

“Dr. Giebel reported his post-mortem results. He states thatWabbadoo died from liver failure. Heacknowledged that the spay surgeryanesthesia set the deadly events inmotion. However, when performingthe surgery he noticed that Wabbadoohad an abnormally high level of fatdeposits most probably caused by amalfunctioning liver that was improp-erly metabolizing food. In retrospect,

and after performing the postmortem,he was able to point to this problem.”

“Dr. Engel just called. She had theresults of Lindoro’s postmortem. He haddigestive and renal lymphoma. Thatwas quite a surprise in such a young,seemingly healthy rabbit. There wasnothing she did to cause this illness andnothing she could have done to savehim…. I would never have guessed in amillion years that it would be cancer.”

“Those little white spots were notcalcium. They were anaplastic sarcoma(giant cell type), a very aggressivekind of cancer. That is why we weren’table to buy Rowan any time with fluidtherapy. Dr. Gold said that kind of can-cer spreads and grows very quickly….I know guilt is a natural part of grief. Iwas feeling guilty that maybe I shouldhave taken Rowan for more acupunc-ture to see if we could get him off theRimadyl…. Dr. Gold was glad to learnthe kidney failure was in no way con-nected to Rimadyl…. He said this typeof cancer is very rare in rabbits, but Iwonder if partly it is just not diag-nosed. I hope this knowledge willsomeday help another rabbit.”

“Dr. Stahl was able to do a necropsyon Phillip this evening…. There wasnothing anyone could have done, soneither he nor I should beat ourselvesup about it…. He told me that if I hadbrought him in earlier, they still wouldnot have been able to save him…. So,we finally have closure and I think thatthe vet and I are both feeling better

because there was nothing either of uscould have done.”

“The vet called me today withCammie’s histopathology results….There was no suggestion of infectiousdisease…. He said that it was anunfortunate fluke that both bunnieshad two different terminal diseaseprocesses going on at the same timeand that none of it showed up in theblood tests.”

“Mischief was suddenly unwilling toeat; I rushed him to Dr. Stahl but hedidn’t respond to medical care and keptdeteriorating during the day. He died inmy arms at the vet’s that evening.Postmortem showed probable cause ofdeath to be a ruptured liver.”

“Jerry and I knew we had to havethis done because we have two morerabbits at home…. I am comfortedsomewhat by the fact that Thomas didindeed have something that explainedhis sudden demise…. We can onlylearn from it, and rabbit researchneeds the information postmortemsprovide.”

Our deep appreciation goes to allwho wrote to share their experiences,feelings, and findings.

“I Am ComfortedSomewhat”

12 HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter

In the grief of having just lost arabbit, choosing final arrange-ments can be a challenge.

Experience has shown that veteri-narians are not familiar with all theoptions in our area. It is better toinform yourself and choose beforethe need is immediate. Any of thefollowing choices is possible even ifyou choose to have a cosmetic post-mortem done.

• Burial on your property; checkwith your county Animal Controloffice about legality, althoughthese laws are rarely enforced.Before choosing this option, con-sider that you might move in thefuture; what would you do thenwith your rabbit’s final restingplace?

• Burial at a pet cemetery. Some areowned and managed commercial-ly, as adjuncts to human cemeter-ies or as separate entities; othersare run by humane societies.

• Cremation, either individual orgroup, with several additionalchoices, such as:

- having the body picked up at theveterinarian’s office or your home

- taking the body to the cremato-ry yourself

- participating, any way you wishto, in the process of individual

cremation, which takes abouttwo hours

You can either purchase or pro-vide a casket or urn. Even a prettytea tin, about 4.5" x 3.5" x 3.5", issufficiently spacious for the cremat-ed remains of a ten-pound rabbit.You can purchase a memorial mark-er or headstone and have itengraved. You can have ashes scat-tered, or scatter them yourself.

You can also choose to leave thebody at the veterinarian’s office forfinal disposal. None of these choicesis either right or wrong. The one thatmeets your own emotional needsand your budget and gives you asense of peace is the correct one.

Look in the yellow pages underboth “Pet Cemeteries &Crematories” and “Cemeteries” tofind the services near you. Calloffices; visit cemeteries; ask aboutpre-need arrangements (choosingand financing ahead of time). Thereare differences among the entrieslisted for our area in availability ofservice, timing, cost, and willing-ness to meet any individual requeststhat are important to you.

May you have a long and happytogetherness with your rabbit, andmay you have chosen final arrange-ments before the day you needthem.

FinalArrangementsby Jennie Langdon

Thanks to the following Special Friends who donated $24 ormore to help the rabbits:

JOYCE E. AIVALOTIS

KIMBERLY J. ANDERSON

JEANETTE CERTANO

VICTORIA CLEMENTS

COLLEEN COUGHLIN

JULIA G. EDWARDS

PATRICIA L. FLYNN

EDDIE & DOLLY GUNNEAUX

MARA HURWITT

IGIVE.COM

JOHN & ANNE IMBODEN

KARL KAUFFMAN & RANDIE JOHNSON

DEBORAH KENNY

CAPPY & PAM KIDD

CATHERINE KIEFFER

PATRICIA KING

ERINN KRAVITZ

TOM & CHERYL KUCSERA

JESSICA MICHAEL

JOYCE A. MULLINS

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

RUTH SOCHARD PITT

NICOLE L. ROBERTS

M. GREGORY SPENCER

CONSTANCE TJOUMAS

UNITED WAY

BEVERLY WEINSTEIN

WILEY REIN & FIELDING, LLPJEAN E. YOUNG

Special thanks to the followingveterinarians who provideddiscount services, making it

possible for us to rescue many needy rabbits:

BLUE RIDGE VETERINARY ASSOCIATES

BROOKEVILLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

FALLS ROAD ANIMAL HOSPITAL

24-HOUR SHOCK TRAUMA

FALLSTON VETERINARY HOSPITAL

KENTLANDS VETERINARY HOSPITAL

KINGSBROOKE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

OLD FARM VETERINARY HOSPITAL

RIDGE LAKE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

We also thank the chaptermembers who bunnysat forother members and,

instead of payment, requested thatthey donate to the chapter.

Season’s Greetings!

Those happy moments spent with our companion animalsseem to have even more meaning now, reminding us that no matter what happens in this world, our rabbits and others likethem will always need our help. So we have put together a little Rabbit Catalog for you. The items on these pages include somethat are familiar and others that are new. All purchases will help our chapter to continue rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehom-ing shelter rabbits into carefully screened homes, giving them happy lives in a permanent situation. All proceeds will directlyimpact the lives of rabbits in need.

Won’t you show your pride in your companion rabbit by ordering today? Simply fill out the order form and mail it in with yourcheck or money order.You can expect shipment within three weeks. Then you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re help-ing rabbits. And, oh yes: it’s also a good time to renew your membership and to join our Volunteer Network.

Many thanks for your continued support. Hoppy Holidays!

Kathleen Wilsbach, ManagerMaryland/DC/Northern Virginia ChapterHouse Rabbit Society

Rabbits 2003 Calendar Photos by Mimi CotterNYC HRS

$12.60

RRabbitabbitCatalogCatalog

Red Button $1

Your First House RabbitA vital resource for immediate and continuing reference.VHS Video by Marinell Harriman, 40 min. $20

Introducing RabbitsIntroducing pairs, adding to a group, and how-to’s for friendshipswith cats, dogs, and guinea pigs. VHS Video by Marinell Harriman, 30 min. $20

House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman, 3rdEdition. Understanding, appreciating, and caring for rab-bits: health care, litterbox training, diet, exercise, toys,and behavior. $10

Nail-Trimming and HandlingA gentle technique, simple and straightforward, without tranc-ing or restraining. VHS Video by NYC HRS, 38 min. $20

Shaping Your Rabbit's Space: THE FINE ART OF INTE-GRATING LIFESTYLES. Inventive solutions and thoughtfulideas for practical cohabitation with a rabbit. By Marinell Harriman. Indicate Video, Video CD, or CD for Mac, 10 min. $14

Knowing Your Rabbit's Routines: WHAT TO EXPECT ANDWHEN TO WORRY. Creating routines to help with training andusing them as monitors of health and well-being. By Marinell Harriman. Indicate Video, Video CD, or CD for Mac, 10 min. $14

Rabbit Activist T-shirt Artwork by Laura-Lynn Renner, MD/DC/NoVA HRS. Small HRS national logo on front. Text on back introducesHRS and gives 10 facts about rabbits. Designed to beread by a person standing in back of you. White. Available in S M L XL $15

A Rabbit’s Place is in the HouseArtwork by Lara Byers, MD/DC/NoVA HRS. Forest Green. T-shirt: 100% cotton, available in S M L XL 2X 3X. $15Sweatshirt: 90% cotton/10% poly, available in M L XL $25

Bunny in the Moon T-shirtArtwork by Carolyn Long, WI HRS, illustrates the Eastern folk tale of the rabbit in the moon. White with bluesky around moon. Available in S M L XL 2X. $15

NEW!

Would You Like to Become a Member of HRS? Is Your Membership Current? Has Your Address Changed?

Is it your TIME TO RENEW? Please check the expiration date on your mailing label. If your membership has expired, please renew by filling out the form below.

I'd like to become a member of HRS! / Please change my mailing address to:

Ship to:

Name

Address

City State ZIP

Evening phone no. or e-mail(in case we need to contact you about this order; your info will not be shared)

NEW!

A Rabbit’s Place Is in the HouseBumper Sticker $1

Buy a Bunny a Little Time Bumper Sticker $1

NEW!

Poster 1' x 3' $10

OrdOrder Fer Formorm

Owned by a RabbitPicture-Frame Magnet $3

Item Size Quantity Price Each Total Price

If you are not currently a member of HouseRabbit Society, we invite you to join! SeeMembership Area below.

�

� Local and National HRS membership ..............$26� National HRS membership...............................$18

Members receive the House Rabbit Journal

� Local HRS membership .....................................$8Must also be a national member

Mail to: House Rabbit Society, P.O. Box 50311, Baltimore, MD 21211

Name

City

Address

State ZIP

Rabbit Catalog

Total $Prices include sales tax.

Total Remittance for Rabbit Catalog and Membership $

Make check or money order payable to House Rabbit Society

A Rabbit’s Place Is in the HouseMagnet $2

HOP TO IT!You can become more active in House Rabbit Society by joining our chapter's Volunteer Network. As a member of theVolunteer Network you will learn more about House Rabbit Society goals and activities by working directly with chapterveterans. Volunteer activities include assisting with foster rabbit care, fundraising, community outreach, newsletterproduction, and chapter activities such as Spring Fling and Fall Festival. To join the Network, please e-mailVolunteer Coordinator Nicole Koller at bunerabbit@comcast.net, call 410/889-4104, go to our Websitewww.rabbitsinthehouse.org and fill out the online volunteer form, or fill out the form below and mail itto House Rabbit Society, P.O. Box 50311, Baltimore, MD 21211.

If you would like to volunteer, check all that apply:

� Pet Expos/public events � Fundraising(staffing education tables) � Bunnysitting

� Driving rabbits between � FosteringMD, DC and NoVA � Hosting rabbit

� Bonding rabbits matches

� Hosting and organizing � Graphic design projectssocial events � Mailing

� Newsletter � Counseling� Classes and/or seminars � Working with shelters� Distributing literature � Assisting fosterers with rabbit care

THANKS!

Make check payable to House Rabbit Society

MAIL TO: HOUSE RABBIT SOCIETY, P.O. BOX 50311, BALTIMORE, MD 21211�

HRS Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Chapter 15

I would also like to make a donation of $

wasn’t taking care of him anymore. Bart,a sweet lop who is now 6 years old andhas been solo all his life, has been inHRS foster care in Seattle ever since. Hecan be seen on that chapter’s Web pageof adoptable rabbits, although now thathe is entering senior age, his chance ofbeing adopted is reduced.

Mercedes was adopted from us by awoman who then moved to Indiana,married, had a baby, and no longerwanted the beautiful, six-year-old, chin-chilla-colored Mercedes. Hearing thatthe new HRS chapter in Indiana wasbeing asked to take in an older returnedrabbit originally from our chapter,Kathleen discussed the situation with

our former Fostering Director, KateMcGinley, who had also moved toIndiana. Kate then adopted Mercedes!Even as we face the distressing problemsof rabbits returned to us, sanctuary rab-bits, and rabbits adopted from us andthen dumped in other parts of the coun-try, Kate’s words give us reason to smile:“Mercedes is fantastic; she gets alonggreat with Ziggy and Miles. After a cou-ple of months, I just took down the bar-rier and they were an old married trioright off the bat. She is very loving andsweet. I’m sure she could jump over thebarrier that contains the boys and her,but she doesn’t. I think she is just happy,you know?”

Wishing You

and

Your Rabbits

Happy and

Safe Holidays!

continued from page 7

NameAddressCity State ZIPPhone E-mail

W

Ne

wsletter

o

f the MD/DC/NoVA Chapter of HouseRab

bit

Soc

iety

Has yourmembershipexpired?Please help the rabbits

and renew now.

See coupon on page 14.

e can only guess at the origin of “bunny.” Bun was an English dialect

word, recorded from the sixteenth century, which was used for a squir-

rel or rabbit. It seems that the word turned into the endearment bunny

in the following century, and only later was it transferred back to the

rabbit. There is a suggestion that the word may have originally referred

to the small tail of the rabbit, in the same way that a tight coil of hair at

the back of the neck was also called a bun, because both were roughly

the shape and size of the cake. Others argue that the origin was the

Gaelic word bun that meant a stump or root, and which could refer to

the tail of a hare. But neither origin explains why it was applied to a

squirrel, whose tail looks rather different. But then, we don’t know for

sure where the word bun in the sense of the cake comes from either, so

it’s all quite obscure.

Taken by permission from Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words site, www.worldwidewords.org.

Origin of the Word “Bunny”

INSIDEGeena’s Legacy

What Do Rabbits See?

Postmortems

Rabbit Catalog

HOUSE RABBIT SOCIETYP.O. Box 50311

Baltimore, MD 21211

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Woodbridge, VAPERMIT NO. 70