BunFest 2011

It's that time of year again - BunFest time!  Every year my mom spearheads Rabbit Rescue's biggest event of the year and this year is going to be super big and exciting!

It's been incredible watching BunFest grow since 2008.  We had no idea if anyone would even show up that first year we had it, but show up they did!  And word has been spreading - so every year it gets bigger and better.  It's so wonderful to see so many Bunny Slaves turn out to do some shopping, do some learning and having fun, all for the sake of bunnies.  And we have heard year after year how thankful they all are to have such a great event geared towards bunnies.  It's a great place for bunny people to meet other bunny people, to find all kinds of great resources like bunny savvy vets and products specifically for bunnies and a great place to shop for all kinds of unique bunny items.

Mom's been sick for the last week and is only now starting to feel better, just in time to get this show on the road.  For the first time, she has a BunFest Committee because the job just got to be too big for her to do on her own, and they have been so incredibly helpful, especially when mom was too sick to do much.

But one of the best things is watching BunFest grow - to other parts of the world!  Mom helped get MidWest BunFest (Ohio) off the ground and their first BunFest is in October!  Mom knows there is also another BunFest in Florida and someone in Maryland also emailed about wanting to have one there.  It would be mom's dream to see BunFest's pop up all over the place!  But mom can't take all the credit - mom based BunFest on San Dieog's Bunnyfest, so they are really the ones that deserve all the credit.

So if you are not in Toronto this Sunday (visit www.bunfest.ca if you are!), think of us and of all the fun things we will be doing.  Get together with your humans and other bunny friends and celebrate the joys of bunny guardianship!  And tell those humans to put their heads together and organize a BunFest in your area!

And check out our first ever commercial above!

Fluffy

Searching For Sassy

Sometimes these blogs can be funny.  Sometimes they can be ridiculous.  And sometimes, well....sometimes they are not.

Mom and Dad volunteer for Rabbit Rescue Inc..  On September 1st, one of their foster bunnies escaped from her foster home.  No one has seen her since.

Her name is Sassy, and she is a 3 month old Netherland Dwarf.  She is white with light grey ears and weighs less than a pound.  The odds against her are high.

There isn't one person in the rescue who is less than devastated about what has happened and the search for Sassy quickly became all-encompassing and driven with grief.  Many volunteers have spent untold hours searching for her - on foot, driving, day, night - trying to find our precious little girl.  Hundreds of flyers are plastered all over the neighbourhood and beyond, ads have been posted on websites and lost pet sites.  Missing alerts went out to every shelter, rescue and agency and they are called daily to see if maybe, just maybe, she is there.  Every single person out walking a dog, riding a bike, mowing a lawn or watering a yard has been approached by one of the volunteers, been handed a flyer and asked "Have you seen Sassy?  Please call the number if you do...."  There are so many pairs of eyes on the lookout for her.  But not one person has seen her.....

We have turned to an animal communicator for clues as to where she is.  We have used a tracking dog twice to follow her scent.  We have taken every ounce of information and followed every clue to try to figure out where wee Sassy has gone.  And we are all plagued with visions of worst-case scenarios.  It's been nothing short of heart wrenching and it's been very emotionally draining for everyone.

Is there anything good that can come of this tragedy?  Well, one thing has been inspiring - the display of commitment, hard work, love and co-operation of so many volunteers who have been brought together for a common cause - to find little Sassy.  And the hope.  Hope.  Much dwindled and ragged from it's initial, robust existence, it's still there.  We do still have hope.  Everyday we pray that someone out there is going to see her and call the number.  And we will be there to bring her home.

Mom has been beside herself wishing, hoping and praying.  She hugs us bunnies extra tight these days and tells us how much she loves us.  I can feel the sadness inside her and the love that she has for all of us and also for little Sassy, even though Sassy was not part of our family.  Sometimes mom gets so emotionally invested in things that it really takes it's toll on her, and this is one of those times.  Miss Binks and I are doing what we can to help mom feel better, letting her cuddle us longer and smooch us more than usual, squeeze us with hugs and kisses and allow her to wipe her tears in our fur.  It's the least we can do.

Please keep Sassy in your thoughts, light a candle for her so that she may find her way home again and pray that she is protected and safe until......until. 

Fluffy

Welcome To The BunnyDome

"Forget it!  I'm not getting in that thing!"
"But Fluffy, I got it for you and Binks!  It's a cool house to sleep in!"
"It's a cat litter bin!"
"Well, technically yes, but that's not to say it doesn't make an awesome place to hide!  Look, there's no litter in there, I put your nice soft bed in there!  It's like a bunny palace, with steps and everything!"

It's a litter bin for cats and I'm not going in.

Even though Miss Binks is blind, she is still always the first to explore something new that is placed in our playroom.  So of course, I let her check it out first.  Watch the video.  See her reaction?  That was a definite no.  No for her means no for me (unless it's treats, then no for her means more for me).

We have so much stuff.  Seriously.  We have so many places to hide, I don't know why Mom thought another place would be good.  "But it's nice and purple and stylish!  Just try it - I swear you will like it....."

We have a Maze Haven (well only half of one now.  Binky recently took it upon herself to demolish the lower level so Mom cut it down to just one level instead of two).  We have a willow tent.  We have a stuffed tree house.  We have TWO plush houses.  We have a tunnel.  And we have a coffee table. 

Now we also have a stupid purple igloo.

Wish she would have spent the money on bananas instead.....

Fluffy

Keeping Cool

Ugh.  The heat.......the heat is unbearable!  I flop all day.  Sometimes I can't even lift my head to get a drink of water......parched, overcome.......

"Fluffy, you live in an air conditioned basement."  Mom!  I'm trying to be dramatic!

Mom says it's way too hot out for any of us bunns to go outside so I pretty much spend the entire day looking out the patio doors watching the grass continue to turn yellow.  Nutters and Butters, the neighbourhood squirrels, haven't been around for days and even the birds are too hot to chirp.  You know it's hot when the sea gulls at the local Tim Hortons walk around with their beaks wide open.  Why do they continue to sit atop lampposts in the glaring heat?  They're birds.  They're seagulls.  Go fly to some water and go for a swim!  There must be a Tim Hortons somewhere along the lake.....

Yeah, Binks and I are pretty lucky to have the air conditioning.  Not a lot of snorgling is going on though - too much body heat.  "Fluffy, my whiskers are curling.  Let's cuddle later...."

So Mom decided to spoil us with a perfect summer treat - watermelon!  Now, it's been a year since we had watermelon so I think I forgot how good it is, as you can see in the video above.  Miss Binks pretty much turned up her nose at it, she says it makes her whiskers sticky.  Me?  I don't care.  Nothing a good face wash won't take care of.  And by the time morning rolled around, that watermelon was pretty much gone.

So here's to watermelon, yellow grass, parched seagulls and ridiculous humidex readings.  And of course, to the air conditioner that makes it all survivable.....

Fluffy