the may 2014 newsletthe may 2014 newsletter ter ter from bunny...

I am not a suppositious person but I am known for my stress levels before the Hot Cross Bunny Day each year and this one took me to the limits. This was number 13 to be held on the 13th of April. To make matters worse we were to hold it in Richmond Town Hall and not as other years in the Market Hall. However it was the best event ever, the weather was kind, the hall is an amazing building full of history and charm. Thanks to the supporters and friends the event buzzed all day, none stop people, all chatting, drinking tea and coffee, eating sandwiches and cakes, some with guinea pigs on and some with rabbits. People stayed and chatted about everything but mostly the furry families they own. Cameras clicked there was warmth and friendship in abundance. Thanks to all who helped make the day amazing. Also thanks to the furries we took to meet the public, they behaved themselves and oozed love. We have asked Richmond Town Council if we can repeat the event in the Town Hall next year and they have sent out an application form. To round it off we made more money than in 2013. PURFECT! The following Saturday was Easter and BB Helpers, Nicky, Lisa and Rhianna went to the Lush store in Middlesbrough to sell charity pots of hand and body cream donated by Lush. They had an amazing re-sponse selling 511 pots at a £1 each. Lush are very generous and after taking off the vat they donated the money to us. It is refreshing to find a successful company being generous to a small charity. This year 5 of the 7 tortoises hibernated from October to April the other 2 were not healthy enough to go into hibernation. The problem now is the weather is not warm enough for them to be outside for long spells and the wind is too cold. They are happily misbehaving in the conservatory and eating well. Of course what goes in comes out I

www.bunnyburrows.btck.co.uk

Sponsor a pet And help bunny burrows

MAY 2014 PAGE 12

Sponsoring a pet is a super way of helping Bunny Bur-rows. Sponsorship lasts for one year and costs £20, the equiva-lent of only 39p a week. You will receive an A5 sponsor certificate card with a colour photo, an Easter card, Christmas card and an up-dated photo in the form of a fridge magnet. Also our newsletter, four times a year. Take a look at the long term resi-dents who will never be rehomed because of on-going health prob-lems. If you are interested please let us have your name, address and who you would like to sponsor. Please send your details with a cheque to Bunny Burrows 68 Whitefields Drive Richmond North Yorkshire DL10 7DL GIFT AID is tax relief on money donated to UK Charities, please tell us if you will allow us to claim this back from your £20.

BURROWINGS T H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E T T E R T E R T E R T E R

F R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W S

News from the Burrow

tyson

mercury

dizzy

barney

evie

clarissa titch

Talbot bunny news From john talbot

One of our rabbits, Clover, has recently attended the vets surgery. It had been over 2 years since her last dental. She had been leaving the pelleted food recently. There had been no other sign of problems and had seemed very well. Vets will often say that any sign of a rabbit dribbling is a sign of a dental problem. We have had many rabbits over the years requiring dentals but very few had dribbled. When the vet looked into Clovers mouth, he spotted some nasty sharp pointed spurs. They had not caused any damage but probably touched the tongue when she ate. The procedure was carried out the following day, and al-though she was tired for 24 hours or so, she soon began eat-ing normally. How lucky we are today, to enjoy relatively low risk surgery to our pets. We have kept pet rabbits since 1970. At that time they were consid-ered to be mostly a childrens’ pet. Administering anaesthetic to a rabbit at that time was a very risky business, usually only considered by vets if in a serious or life threatening situation. In around 1975 we had a rabbit Bobtail who had a molar removed. Apparently this was a very difficult procedure at that time. When we collected him, he looked terrible and rather bloodied. There was no pain relief administered then but thankfully he survived ok. Spaying and castrations were certainly not routinely carried out. None of our pets were 'done' until the early 1990's. I certainly would not want to go back to those days. These are much nicer times for pets and their owners. Marcia and I very much enjoyed the Hot Cross Bunny Day in Rich-mond Town Hall. After missing the last two events, it was nice to meet all the Bunny Burrows supporters again. Well done to all those who put in so much hard work to make it a success. Many thanks also to Kaz for the hours of work she does for the web-site, Bunny Burrows Sponsoring and of course Burrowings.

CLOVERCLOVERCLOVERCLOVER

MAY 2014 PAGE 11

Naming a rabbit From anne suttie

would much rather clean up after the rabbits the task is much sim-pler with a dust pan and brush. I will be as happy as them when they go outside. Tanner is still the EBay king we are both busy selling the most amaz-ing items donated to the charity. He sometimes gets a little impatient when he tries to groom my arms and I want to use the key board or measure the inside leg of a pair of trousers. I am told repeatedly by so many I spoil him. I suppose I have to agree but he looks at me with those big eyes and I just melt. We are in the midst of getting sorted for the coffee morning in Northallerton on the 21st. of June. We have so many wonderful things to sell we just need to get it into order, also the Tombola to ticket up, there’s never a dull moment. The big problem at the moment is ME! I am struggling and unable to walk very far as I am in a great deal of pain. I have been told I need a hip replacement but don't know when or any other details until I have seen a consultant. I reckon I would be better off seeing Trudi the vet and getting a large bottle of Metacam! I do hope you have made a note in your diary for the coffee morning 21st June and we also have another on the 24th October. Thanks once again for all of the help and support..

MAY 2014 PAGE 2

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News from the burrow Continued ...

The Times recently published an article on names which are becom-ing ‘extinct’. A follow-up suggested using these names for pets to keep them alive. The names are, Cecil, Rowland, Willie, Bertha, Blod-wen, Fanny, Gertrude, Gladys, Margery, Marjorie and Muriel. The following names are considered ‘endangered’; Clifford, Horace, Harold, Leslie, Norman, Doris, Edna, Ethel, Hilda, Marion and Phyllis. ’At risk’ names include Bernard, Ann, Janet and Trevor. I can imagine a rabbit called Blodwen.

Howay in pet ! From kaz

Us humans have kept pets since ancient times, here are some extraor-dinary facts about our love for all kinds of creatures, furry, fishy, feline, equine and canine. Remains from around 10000 BC10000 BC10000 BC10000 BC, in Israel, found a puppy buried cra-dled in the hands of a human. 7500 BC7500 BC7500 BC7500 BC, a cat resembling an African wildcat was discovered buried with a human on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Around 3000 BC3000 BC3000 BC3000 BC, ancient Egyptian paintings depict house cats, which were first allowed into homes to catch mice, after the Egyptians began storing grain indoors. Cats were sacred in Egypt. In AD 168 AD 168 AD 168 AD 168 –––– 190190190190, Chinese Emperor, Ling Ti, fell in love with his dogs so much that he gave them the rank of senior court officials. That allowed them to eat the best food available, sleep on oriental rugs and have special bodyguards. AD 500 AD 500 AD 500 AD 500 ---- 1500150015001500 Pets were not uncommon in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Ren-aissance but were kept mainly by wealthy households. Towards the end of this period the word ‘pet’ (from ‘petty’ as in small) was introduced into Eng-lish. In 1369136913691369, Zhu Yuanzhang, known as China’s Hongwu Emperor, established a porcelain company that produced tubs for goldfish. The shape of the bowl today evolved from those tubs but they weren’t healthy environments for fish. On his return from South America in 1493149314931493, Christopher Columbus brought Queen Isabella of Spain a pair of Cuban Amazon parrots. When Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded in 1587158715871587, a tiny pet dog was hid-ing inside her dress. By the late 1800’s1800’s1800’s1800’s, birds were the most popular pet in America. During 1850185018501850, British chemist Robert Warington announced his discovery of adding plants to a large container would give off enough oxygen for fish to survive. In 1860186018601860 the first commercially prepared dog food was pro-duced in England. Anna Sewell published Black Beauty in 1877187718771877 and became one of the best selling books of all time.

SACRED CAT SACRED CAT SACRED CAT SACRED CAT

PET TREATSPET TREATSPET TREATSPET TREATS

MAY 2014 PAGE 3

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Jack’s story Continued ...

otherwise again he would need to be euthanised as he wouldn't sur-vive as they had been shut down for too long.

The deadline came, we rang, he had began to gurgle! At 6am he was still gurgling but he had to start eating or again the end was coming. 9am we rang he was being force fed, if he continued to fight we could pick him up. 12midday they said we could go and see him and if he

would take some food off us he could come home.

We arrived and I lost all hope. This was not Jack, he was so poorly. Was it the right choice? We asked him if he wanted to come home, we told him he had to eat, he took one bite that was enough for the vet to allow him home. The next 24 hours were critical he had to start eating and pooping. It felt like a lifetime each hour passing force feeding him, trying to get him to eat on his own and waiting for the poop for the blockage to pass. Waiting and waiting it was unbearable, we knew if he didn't, it would be the end again. Boy what a smile we had when finally 30 hours since the operation, he did a whoopsie! Yay And 3 month later he's not doing bad for a 9 year old bunny who shouldn't be here to tell his story. The vets are still amazed that he survived, they've never had a bunny ever survive the op. The paper-work we recieved afterwards said chance of survival- very low, suc-cess rate- very poor. Not sure how many lives a bunny has but Jacks definitely got a cou-ple of Guardian Angels watching over him! His survival was the best Christmas present ever.

COCO with JACKCOCO with JACKCOCO with JACKCOCO with JACK

MAY 2014 PAGE 10

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quickly rushed to the Emergency Vets where they checked him over and did a glucose count to determine which meds he would need but it was not good news.

Jack had a blockage and the only way it would move and possibly save his life was to operate. The vet told us we had to decide fast as he would not see the hour out, but even a young healthy bunny only had a 20% chance of surviving the operation. We either had to euthanise immediately or operate on a 9 year old bunny who has arthritis and possible kidney failure. On Christmas Day of all days (not that there is a good day for this choice) but a day that you will have to live with forever remembering the unopened presents and the what ifs. How do you make such a big decision? Luckily we had saved up over the years for Winston and Angel who had on-going health issues (never had pet insurance) and we still had their bank account. So that was that, Winnie and Angel had made the decision Jack was to have the op.

The vet said it would take about an hour to operate and she'd ring us but he was under for 3 at least. The blockage was in his small intes-tine and they had to ring all over the country to find out from other vets what they should do for the best.

Vets can't cut into the intestines like they would for other animals as bunnies don't heal the same way. So it was a choice of forcing the blockage upwards into his stomach and go in through his mouth or downwards into his large intestine where it would dissolve itself and pass.

Well, we got the news that he had survived the operation!

But now he had a 6 hour deadline (3am) for his guts to restart,

JACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMY

MAY 2014 PAGE 9

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Howay in pet ! Continued ...

In 1910191019101910, Country Life magazine told readers that it was more affordable to get around by car than horse. However, miniature horses and Shetland

ponies became popular for rich kids in the Twenties. In 1931193119311931, German Shepherd became the first dogs for the blind in Britain. The dogs were names Judy, Meta and Folly. Susan, a Pembroke corgi was given to the Queen as a gift for her 18th birthday in 1944194419441944 from her dad King George VI. Even

today all of the Queen’s corgis and dorgis (which are a cross be-tween corgis and dachshunds) are descended from Susan.

During the 1950’s1950’s1950’s1950’s women began dying their miniature poodles to match their clothes. British author, Dodie Smith’s novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians turned the spotted breed into a sensation during 1956195619561956. Sadly many owners later abandoned their dogs at animal shelters. Jason, the Blue Peter cat played the part of the Cheshire Cat in the 1975197519751975 Christmas production of Alice In Blue Peter Land. He did sound strangely similar to John Noakes ☺ The animated film, Watership Down spurred an interest in keeping rabbits as pets in 1978.1978.1978.1978. In 1984198419841984 the European Union banned the sale of wild-caught Mediterra-nean tortoises, stamping down on the tortoise as a pet fad. Australian Wally Cochran bred the first Labradoodle, a cross between a Poodle and a Labrador in 1988.1988.1988.1988. During 1990199019901990 the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie was released, sparking a Terrapin boom. During 2005200520052005, the city of Rome banned the giving away of goldfish and other animals as prizes at carnivals. New Zealand passed a law in 2006200620062006 that all licensed dogs be microchipped so they can be identified if they get lost. In 2009200920092009 the U.S. Pet Airways upgraded cats and dogs (the airline called then Pawsengers) from the cargo hold to the main cabin.

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MAY 2014 PAGE 4

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recipe From john talbot

POTATO and LEEK BAKE Trying to lose weight? then here is a tasty low fat meal for you. 1lb Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 8oz Leeks, trimmed and finely sliced 1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs 1/2 pint skimmed milk Salt and pepper to taste Heat oven to 190c Gas 5 Part boil the potato slices. Arrange the leeks and potatoes in layers in an oven proof dish with a lid. Sprinkle a pinch of the herbs between the layers and top with sliced potato. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid and cook for 30 mins or until the top is golden brown.

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Jack’s story

From jo hendry

The tale of one very lucky bunny! As you know Jack was rescued from a 'rescue' (not BB) back in 2010. He was aged about 5 years he hadn't had the best start to life. He screamed if you went near him, never mind touched him, and it was later confirmed (by x-rays) that at some point humans had tried to 'neck' him before he went to that so-called 'rescue' for the better life he was promised. At the 'rescue' he was left in a dirty dark cage/shed with a sore dirty bottom, nails overgrown (the shortest being 2cms) mites and fed a rubbish diet. But he did find his forever home other-wise I wouldn't be sharing this with you… October 2013 Jack and Coco had gone to play at their Nan-Nans (my Mam) for the day. But an hour later I got a phone call from her,, she was in a terri-ble state. It was Jack, he was choking! He was frothing from his mouth and nose, then suddenly he stopped moving. By the time I arrived (from our house which is only 5 minutes away), Jack was cold, hard and his nose was now black. I took hold of him (considering mouth to mouth,) luckily there was no need as he'd be-gan to come round. By the time we arrived at the Emergency Vets he was back to his old self and was fine. Not so sure my Mam and I were though! We laugh saying Uncle Winston and Aunty Angel were waiting for him at the gates and told him to "bugger off!" (They didn't really get on you see.) 25th December 2013 Christmas Day. It started off like every other year, Jack and Coco open presents, have some yummys and decide which present to eat/destroy first. (Always the wrapping paper which is the best gift), I was making dinner. Then within an hour Jack was feeling a little unwell. Jack over the years has suffered a lot of tummy troubles so Infacol, Pineapple juice and his Metacam (for his Spondylosis) are always on standby and he was quickly given this. Usually within an hour the grumbles start and then within a couple more the diarrhea begins. But today was not going to be like every other episode. At 6pm Jack's tummy had began to swell it was buldging and he was

JACKJACKJACKJACK

MAY 2014 PAGE 8

At 6pm At 6pm At 6pm At 6pm Jack's Jack's Jack's Jack's tummy tummy tummy tummy had began had began had began had began to swell ,it to swell ,it to swell ,it to swell ,it was was was was buldging. buldging. buldging. buldging.

Nothing wasted From anne suttie

What Can’t Gwen sell on E-Bay? Strangely, there are a few items Gwen has struggled to sell; used wine corks and rubber bands. But, we know someone who does want the following items! Chris, a.k.a. Captain Rummage, will take the fol-lowing items, pass them on to Oxfam and give Bunny Burrows craft materials in exchange. He will take: Mobile Phones, Inkjet Cartridges, Foreign Coins, Used Stamps, Spectacles or Glasses, Bettys & Tay-lors Rainforest Project Tokens, used Wine Corks, Broken Umbrellas, Rubber Bands, old Cards and Buttons. Items can be given to Gwen and either Gwen or I will take them to him at the Cone Exchange in Harrogate. If we can’t reuse or recycle, we don’t dump it..

Thank you Chris for printing our newsletter.

MAY 2014 PAGE 5

Marigold update Continued ...

minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, also has this effect as it reduces the shells strength and density so it becomes deformed more easily. Therefore, the first step towards preventing MBD is providing the tortoise with a good diet and plenty of UV light. Unfortunately for Marigold, her previous owner did not provide her with these, resulting in her shell deforming badly. However, she is slowly improving since her arrival at Bunny Burrows thanks to her varied diet and exposure to plenty of UV, and her shell is starting to grow back gradually. In comparison, Tommy’s shell, another of the resident tortoises at Bunny Burrows, is so different.

MAY 2014 PAGE 7

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Caring for a tortoise marigold update

From sophie webb

Marigold is the most recent resident tortoise to arrive at Bunny Bur-rows but unfortunately she has had health problems since the day

she arrived. When she came to Bunny Burrows, her shell was badly deformed and she was covered in dust. Mari-gold had a good bath at Bunny Burrows and was soon cleaned up but her misshapen shell was not so easily fixed. She has Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) which caused her shell to bulge and curl out of shape, similar to the human disease, rickets. MBD is mainly caused by incorrect diet (specifically high protein, vitamin, calcium and other min-eral deficient diets) and lack of humidity. As tortoises origi-nate from hot climates, it is important for them to get expo-

sure to the sun so that they get the vital vitamin D, UV rays and warmth necessary to make them active enough to eat and exercise. This is essential in initially preventing MBD as the nutrients from the food and resulting wear and abrasion of the shell grinds down the natural build-up of keratin (what the outer layer of their shells is made of), preventing the shell from starting to deform. As wild tor-toises are constantly active, digging in sand and wandering through vegetation, this is normally only a problem for captive tortoise’s which do not get the exercise they need, as many, like Marigold, are always kept inside, in small enclosed gardens or vivarium’s. While the UV light and warmth from vivariums are essential for tortoises in this country on cool, cloudy days, it is also important for tortoises to be outside in the natural sunlight as vivariums do not provide every-thing they need and are often not set at the correct temperature. It is very important the get the balance exactly right so that they are not too warm or too cold as both of these can damage their shells, mak-ing them either too soft or too brittle. The skeleton of a tortoise is on their outside (something which is unique to tortoises and turtles) and is protected by keratin shields (also known as scutes), which is one of the toughest biological materi-als known. However, due to the unnatural climate which captive tor-toises are often kept in, the keratin can become softened due to lack of humidity and therefore easily deformed by constant stresses such as the movement of limbs and lung expansion (this results in the common bulging effect on the upper body which can be seen in the photo of Marigold). A poor diet, lacking in essential vitamins and

MARIGOLDMARIGOLDMARIGOLDMARIGOLD

MAY 2014 PAGE 6

The The The The skeleton of skeleton of skeleton of skeleton of a tortoise a tortoise a tortoise a tortoise is on their is on their is on their is on their outside, outside, outside, outside, something something something something which is which is which is which is unique to unique to unique to unique to tortoises tortoises tortoises tortoises and and and and turtles turtles turtles turtles and is and is and is and is protected protected protected protected by keratin by keratin by keratin by keratin shields shields shields shields (also (also (also (also known as known as known as known as scutes).scutes).scutes).scutes).

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Did you know From kaz

The Old English word ‘eke’ – ‘e, k, e’ – (pronounced ‘eek’) – meant ‘in addition to’. In the old days people did not have last names (family name or surnames) so to avoid confusion, a person would add an eke name, an addition to his or her name. For instance, John the Black-smith, John the Baker, John from Jerusalem, John the son of Peter, and so on. Through time, an eke became pronounced as ‘neke’ – ‘n e k e’ which in turn became ‘nick’ name. These nicknames often became last names. Cooper - someone who made barrels Fletcher - a man who made arrows Mason - a man who worked with stone Naylor - a nailmaker Palfreyman - looked after horses Scrivener - a man who wrote out documents Napoleon is the reason for some awkward last names. When he in-vaded neighbouring countries he passed a law that everyone there should have a registered last name. In an attempt to make a mock-ery of Napoleon’s new law some people registered funny last names. When translated to English, there are family names such are ‘Cat’s elbow’, ‘Not today’, and ‘In my navel.’

recipe From john talbot

POTATO and LEEK BAKE Trying to lose weight? then here is a tasty low fat meal for you. 1lb Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 8oz Leeks, trimmed and finely sliced 1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs 1/2 pint skimmed milk Salt and pepper to taste Heat oven to 190c Gas 5 Part boil the potato slices. Arrange the leeks and potatoes in layers in an oven proof dish with a lid. Sprinkle a pinch of the herbs between the layers and top with sliced potato. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid and cook for 30 mins or until the top is golden brown.

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Jack’s story

From jo hendry

The tale of one very lucky bunny! As you know Jack was rescued from a 'rescue' (not BB) back in 2010. He was aged about 5 years he hadn't had the best start to life. He screamed if you went near him, never mind touched him, and it was later confirmed (by x-rays) that at some point humans had tried to 'neck' him before he went to that so-called 'rescue' for the better life he was promised. At the 'rescue' he was left in a dirty dark cage/shed with a sore dirty bottom, nails overgrown (the shortest being 2cms) mites and fed a rubbish diet. But he did find his forever home other-wise I wouldn't be sharing this with you… October 2013 Jack and Coco had gone to play at their Nan-Nans (my Mam) for the day. But an hour later I got a phone call from her,, she was in a terri-ble state. It was Jack, he was choking! He was frothing from his mouth and nose, then suddenly he stopped moving. By the time I arrived (from our house which is only 5 minutes away), Jack was cold, hard and his nose was now black. I took hold of him (considering mouth to mouth,) luckily there was no need as he'd be-gan to come round. By the time we arrived at the Emergency Vets he was back to his old self and was fine. Not so sure my Mam and I were though! We laugh saying Uncle Winston and Aunty Angel were waiting for him at the gates and told him to "bugger off!" (They didn't really get on you see.) 25th December 2013 Christmas Day. It started off like every other year, Jack and Coco open presents, have some yummys and decide which present to eat/destroy first. (Always the wrapping paper which is the best gift), I was making dinner. Then within an hour Jack was feeling a little unwell. Jack over the years has suffered a lot of tummy troubles so Infacol, Pineapple juice and his Metacam (for his Spondylosis) are always on standby and he was quickly given this. Usually within an hour the grumbles start and then within a couple more the diarrhea begins. But today was not going to be like every other episode. At 6pm Jack's tummy had began to swell it was buldging and he was

JACKJACKJACKJACK

MAY 2014 PAGE 8

At 6pm At 6pm At 6pm At 6pm Jack's Jack's Jack's Jack's tummy tummy tummy tummy had began had began had began had began to swell ,it to swell ,it to swell ,it to swell ,it was was was was buldging. buldging. buldging. buldging.

Nothing wasted From anne suttie

What Can’t Gwen sell on E-Bay? Strangely, there are a few items Gwen has struggled to sell; used wine corks and rubber bands. But, we know someone who does want the following items! Chris, a.k.a. Captain Rummage, will take the fol-lowing items, pass them on to Oxfam and give Bunny Burrows craft materials in exchange. He will take: Mobile Phones, Inkjet Cartridges, Foreign Coins, Used Stamps, Spectacles or Glasses, Bettys & Tay-lors Rainforest Project Tokens, used Wine Corks, Broken Umbrellas, Rubber Bands, old Cards and Buttons. Items can be given to Gwen and either Gwen or I will take them to him at the Cone Exchange in Harrogate. If we can’t reuse or recycle, we don’t dump it..

Thank you Chris for printing our newsletter.

MAY 2014 PAGE 5


quickly rushed to the Emergency Vets where they checked him over and did a glucose count to determine which meds he would need but it was not good news.

Jack had a blockage and the only way it would move and possibly save his life was to operate. The vet told us we had to decide fast as he would not see the hour out, but even a young healthy bunny only had a 20% chance of surviving the operation. We either had to euthanise immediately or operate on a 9 year old bunny who has arthritis and possible kidney failure. On Christmas Day of all days (not that there is a good day for this choice) but a day that you will have to live with forever remembering the unopened presents and the what ifs. How do you make such a big decision? Luckily we had saved up over the years for Winston and Angel who had on-going health issues (never had pet insurance) and we still had their bank account. So that was that, Winnie and Angel had made the decision Jack was to have the op.

The vet said it would take about an hour to operate and she'd ring us but he was under for 3 at least. The blockage was in his small intes-tine and they had to ring all over the country to find out from other vets what they should do for the best.

Vets can't cut into the intestines like they would for other animals as bunnies don't heal the same way. So it was a choice of forcing the blockage upwards into his stomach and go in through his mouth or downwards into his large intestine where it would dissolve itself and pass.

Well, we got the news that he had survived the operation!

But now he had a 6 hour deadline (3am) for his guts to restart,

JACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMYJACK’S TUMMY

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Howay in pet ! Continued ...

In 1910191019101910, Country Life magazine told readers that it was more affordable to get around by car than horse. However, miniature horses and Shetland

ponies became popular for rich kids in the Twenties. In 1931193119311931, German Shepherd became the first dogs for the blind in Britain. The dogs were names Judy, Meta and Folly. Susan, a Pembroke corgi was given to the Queen as a gift for her 18th birthday in 1944194419441944 from her dad King George VI. Even

today all of the Queen’s corgis and dorgis (which are a cross be-tween corgis and dachshunds) are descended from Susan.

During the 1950’s1950’s1950’s1950’s women began dying their miniature poodles to match their clothes. British author, Dodie Smith’s novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians turned the spotted breed into a sensation during 1956195619561956. Sadly many owners later abandoned their dogs at animal shelters. Jason, the Blue Peter cat played the part of the Cheshire Cat in the 1975197519751975 Christmas production of Alice In Blue Peter Land. He did sound strangely similar to John Noakes ☺ The animated film, Watership Down spurred an interest in keeping rabbits as pets in 1978.1978.1978.1978. In 1984198419841984 the European Union banned the sale of wild-caught Mediterra-nean tortoises, stamping down on the tortoise as a pet fad. Australian Wally Cochran bred the first Labradoodle, a cross between a Poodle and a Labrador in 1988.1988.1988.1988. During 1990199019901990 the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie was released, sparking a Terrapin boom. During 2005200520052005, the city of Rome banned the giving away of goldfish and other animals as prizes at carnivals. New Zealand passed a law in 2006200620062006 that all licensed dogs be microchipped so they can be identified if they get lost. In 2009200920092009 the U.S. Pet Airways upgraded cats and dogs (the airline called then Pawsengers) from the cargo hold to the main cabin.

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MAY 2014 PAGE 4

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Lupo, the Lupo, the Lupo, the Lupo, the Duke and Duke and Duke and Duke and Duchess of Duchess of Duchess of Duchess of Cambridge’s Cambridge’s Cambridge’s Cambridge’s cocker cocker cocker cocker spaniel was spaniel was spaniel was spaniel was born. In born. In born. In born. In 2011201120112011

Howay in pet ! From kaz

Us humans have kept pets since ancient times, here are some extraor-dinary facts about our love for all kinds of creatures, furry, fishy, feline, equine and canine. Remains from around 10000 BC10000 BC10000 BC10000 BC, in Israel, found a puppy buried cra-dled in the hands of a human. 7500 BC7500 BC7500 BC7500 BC, a cat resembling an African wildcat was discovered buried with a human on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Around 3000 BC3000 BC3000 BC3000 BC, ancient Egyptian paintings depict house cats, which were first allowed into homes to catch mice, after the Egyptians began storing grain indoors. Cats were sacred in Egypt. In AD 168 AD 168 AD 168 AD 168 –––– 190190190190, Chinese Emperor, Ling Ti, fell in love with his dogs so much that he gave them the rank of senior court officials. That allowed them to eat the best food available, sleep on oriental rugs and have special bodyguards. AD 500 AD 500 AD 500 AD 500 ---- 1500150015001500 Pets were not uncommon in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Ren-aissance but were kept mainly by wealthy households. Towards the end of this period the word ‘pet’ (from ‘petty’ as in small) was introduced into Eng-lish. In 1369136913691369, Zhu Yuanzhang, known as China’s Hongwu Emperor, established a porcelain company that produced tubs for goldfish. The shape of the bowl today evolved from those tubs but they weren’t healthy environments for fish. On his return from South America in 1493149314931493, Christopher Columbus brought Queen Isabella of Spain a pair of Cuban Amazon parrots. When Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded in 1587158715871587, a tiny pet dog was hid-ing inside her dress. By the late 1800’s1800’s1800’s1800’s, birds were the most popular pet in America. During 1850185018501850, British chemist Robert Warington announced his discovery of adding plants to a large container would give off enough oxygen for fish to survive. In 1860186018601860 the first commercially prepared dog food was pro-duced in England. Anna Sewell published Black Beauty in 1877187718771877 and became one of the best selling books of all time.

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PET TREATSPET TREATSPET TREATSPET TREATS

MAY 2014 PAGE 3

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otherwise again he would need to be euthanised as he wouldn't sur-vive as they had been shut down for too long.

The deadline came, we rang, he had began to gurgle! At 6am he was still gurgling but he had to start eating or again the end was coming. 9am we rang he was being force fed, if he continued to fight we could pick him up. 12midday they said we could go and see him and if he

would take some food off us he could come home.

We arrived and I lost all hope. This was not Jack, he was so poorly. Was it the right choice? We asked him if he wanted to come home, we told him he had to eat, he took one bite that was enough for the vet to allow him home. The next 24 hours were critical he had to start eating and pooping. It felt like a lifetime each hour passing force feeding him, trying to get him to eat on his own and waiting for the poop for the blockage to pass. Waiting and waiting it was unbearable, we knew if he didn't, it would be the end again. Boy what a smile we had when finally 30 hours since the operation, he did a whoopsie! Yay And 3 month later he's not doing bad for a 9 year old bunny who shouldn't be here to tell his story. The vets are still amazed that he survived, they've never had a bunny ever survive the op. The paper-work we recieved afterwards said chance of survival- very low, suc-cess rate- very poor. Not sure how many lives a bunny has but Jacks definitely got a cou-ple of Guardian Angels watching over him! His survival was the best Christmas present ever.

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MAY 2014 PAGE 10

Not sure Not sure Not sure Not sure how many how many how many how many lives a lives a lives a lives a bunny bunny bunny bunny has. has. has. has.

Talbot bunny news From john talbot

One of our rabbits, Clover, has recently attended the vets surgery. It had been over 2 years since her last dental. She had been leaving the pelleted food recently. There had been no other sign of problems and had seemed very well. Vets will often say that any sign of a rabbit dribbling is a sign of a dental problem. We have had many rabbits over the years requiring dentals but very few had dribbled. When the vet looked into Clovers mouth, he spotted some nasty sharp pointed spurs. They had not caused any damage but probably touched the tongue when she ate. The procedure was carried out the following day, and al-though she was tired for 24 hours or so, she soon began eat-ing normally. How lucky we are today, to enjoy relatively low risk surgery to our pets. We have kept pet rabbits since 1970. At that time they were consid-ered to be mostly a childrens’ pet. Administering anaesthetic to a rabbit at that time was a very risky business, usually only considered by vets if in a serious or life threatening situation. In around 1975 we had a rabbit Bobtail who had a molar removed. Apparently this was a very difficult procedure at that time. When we collected him, he looked terrible and rather bloodied. There was no pain relief administered then but thankfully he survived ok. Spaying and castrations were certainly not routinely carried out. None of our pets were 'done' until the early 1990's. I certainly would not want to go back to those days. These are much nicer times for pets and their owners. Marcia and I very much enjoyed the Hot Cross Bunny Day in Rich-mond Town Hall. After missing the last two events, it was nice to meet all the Bunny Burrows supporters again. Well done to all those who put in so much hard work to make it a success. Many thanks also to Kaz for the hours of work she does for the web-site, Bunny Burrows Sponsoring and of course Burrowings.

CLOVERCLOVERCLOVERCLOVER

MAY 2014 PAGE 11

Naming a rabbit From anne suttie

would much rather clean up after the rabbits the task is much sim-pler with a dust pan and brush. I will be as happy as them when they go outside. Tanner is still the EBay king we are both busy selling the most amaz-ing items donated to the charity. He sometimes gets a little impatient when he tries to groom my arms and I want to use the key board or measure the inside leg of a pair of trousers. I am told repeatedly by so many I spoil him. I suppose I have to agree but he looks at me with those big eyes and I just melt. We are in the midst of getting sorted for the coffee morning in Northallerton on the 21st. of June. We have so many wonderful things to sell we just need to get it into order, also the Tombola to ticket up, there’s never a dull moment. The big problem at the moment is ME! I am struggling and unable to walk very far as I am in a great deal of pain. I have been told I need a hip replacement but don't know when or any other details until I have seen a consultant. I reckon I would be better off seeing Trudi the vet and getting a large bottle of Metacam! I do hope you have made a note in your diary for the coffee morning 21st June and we also have another on the 24th October. Thanks once again for all of the help and support..

MAY 2014 PAGE 2

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News from the burrow Continued ...

The Times recently published an article on names which are becom-ing ‘extinct’. A follow-up suggested using these names for pets to keep them alive. The names are, Cecil, Rowland, Willie, Bertha, Blod-wen, Fanny, Gertrude, Gladys, Margery, Marjorie and Muriel. The following names are considered ‘endangered’; Clifford, Horace, Harold, Leslie, Norman, Doris, Edna, Ethel, Hilda, Marion and Phyllis. ’At risk’ names include Bernard, Ann, Janet and Trevor. I can imagine a rabbit called Blodwen.

I am not a suppositious person but I am known for my stress levels before the Hot Cross Bunny Day each year and this one took me to the limits. This was number 13 to be held on the 13th of April. To make matters worse we were to hold it in Richmond Town Hall and not as other years in the Market Hall. However it was the best event ever, the weather was kind, the hall is an amazing building full of history and charm. Thanks to the supporters and friends the event buzzed all day, none stop people, all chatting, drinking tea and coffee, eating sandwiches and cakes, some with guinea pigs on and some with rabbits. People stayed and chatted about everything but mostly the furry families they own. Cameras clicked there was warmth and friendship in abundance. Thanks to all who helped make the day amazing. Also thanks to the furries we took to meet the public, they behaved themselves and oozed love. We have asked Richmond Town Council if we can repeat the event in the Town Hall next year and they have sent out an application form. To round it off we made more money than in 2013. PURFECT! The following Saturday was Easter and BB Helpers, Nicky, Lisa and Rhianna went to the Lush store in Middlesbrough to sell charity pots of hand and body cream donated by Lush. They had an amazing re-sponse selling 511 pots at a £1 each. Lush are very generous and after taking off the vat they donated the money to us. It is refreshing to find a successful company being generous to a small charity. This year 5 of the 7 tortoises hibernated from October to April the other 2 were not healthy enough to go into hibernation. The problem now is the weather is not warm enough for them to be outside for long spells and the wind is too cold. They are happily misbehaving in the conservatory and eating well. Of course what goes in comes out I

www.bunnyburrows.btck.co.uk

Sponsor a pet And help bunny burrows

MAY 2014 PAGE 12

Sponsoring a pet is a super way of helping Bunny Bur-rows. Sponsorship lasts for one year and costs £20, the equiva-lent of only 39p a week. You will receive an A5 sponsor certificate card with a colour photo, an Easter card, Christmas card and an up-dated photo in the form of a fridge magnet. Also our newsletter, four times a year. Take a look at the long term resi-dents who will never be rehomed because of on-going health prob-lems. If you are interested please let us have your name, address and who you would like to sponsor. Please send your details with a cheque to Bunny Burrows 68 Whitefields Drive Richmond North Yorkshire DL10 7DL GIFT AID is tax relief on money donated to UK Charities, please tell us if you will allow us to claim this back from your £20.

BURROWINGS T H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E TT H E M A Y 2 0 1 4 N E W S L E T T E R T E R T E R T E R

F R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W SF R O M B U N N Y B U R R O W S

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