Petra

Sweet girl is home tonight. She'll be spending the night in her cage, and tomorrow we'll get her settled in. If she can get used to the dog, she might come sit in the living room with us. That way she'll get more socialization and won't upset Sky. Once Tiger Lily left, he started to eat more. After he tried to mount her, he may have been too agitated to relax. If he starts eating less again, Petra will definitely have to come down.

I'm looking forward to having her. She's very sweet and very cute.

waiting

Petra has a potential family going to see her tomorrow. She is spending one more night at the shelter. We'll find out tomorrow. She was out today, exploring and being social. Hopefully, she'll go home.

Tiger Lily has settled in and is looking cute for a new home.

The ol' switcheroo

Tomorrow, I'll be taking Tiger Lily back to the shelter. I'll be bringing home Petra, fka Peter, an emaciated rabbit.

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If you look at the picture, you can see some dark lines on her side. That's where her fur is clinging to her bones. A rabbit has to be pretty skinny to be able to tell through their fur.

Here's her story:

Her previous owner was told by her vet that the rabbit's teeth were overgrown and needed to be trimmed. She was told to bring the rabbit in once a month for trimmings. At one of these trimmings, one of the rabbit's teeth were cracked. That made it painful for her to eat and caused some more vet visits. You can see in her photo how her chin is messy, which is a big sign that the owner tried to feed her a liquid diet (Bailey used to have a strawberry mustache).

In addition, at another visit, the rabbit's gum was cut. The owner was not told, did not know, and the cut got infected. She had to pay to have the abscess treated. She was also told to bring the rabbit in every two weeks. At this point, it became difficult for her to pay for the frequent vet visits and subsequent injuries.

At the time of surrender, the owner was so upset that she sat out in the parking lot and cried for at least half an hour.

What I don't understand is why, if the lady was so upset, she didn't bother to fill out a surrender form. We know nothing about this sweet girl other than her sob story. I guess we'll just have to get to know her.

Sky

This is Sky.

His spine is broken. He can't feel or move his back legs. He has no control over his bowels or bladder.

He is only 9 months old and has no idea that anything is "wrong" with him. He knows that he can still scoot around and doesn't know why we won't let him out for a little freedom.

He eats and drinks like a normal rabbit. He loves treats and is getting used to being handled. In his previous home, he lived in a small, wire-bottom cage with his sister. Their cage was not cleaned very often and was covered in urine. It was so small that they could barely move around. They were being fed mostly baby carrots, which makes their stool very soft and unhealthy.

Since he has come to live with us, his diet is much better and his stool has improved. He has more space and gets more attention. He and his sister, Tiger Lily, are both looking for homes. He would love a home with a companion. He also needs to be neutered.

Sky is in our care because he would have been euthanized at the shelter. Once he is healed enough for a wheelchair, he will be able to get around and play. Not the same as before his injury, but he will still be very happy. We are looking for anyone who can help, either a rescue or individual with the resources to ensure his quality of life is good. Please contact me at diadrascritters@gmail.com if you can help.

Tiger Lily

This is Tiger Lily.

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She is a 9 month old rabbit with very soft fur. She is litter box trained and is a very happy girl. She is quite dominant and is content being alone, though she has lived with another rabbit. She likes to do her own thing and explore.

Tiger Lily loves to run and jump and explore her surroundings. She's never peed outside her cage since she's been in foster. She test nibbles, but does not chew like some other rabbits.

If you'd like to adopt Tiger Lily, please email me to arrange a meeting: diadrascritters@gmail.com

Good news!

Roger was adopted today! A young couple visited the shelter yesterday and asked about him. I told them he would be at the adoption event at Petco in Durham from noon to 3 today. They were there right at 12. They decided they liked him and went to get supplies. I talked their ears off and they were very polite, so I'm hoping it all sank in and he'll be a good fit for them.

I had no idea they were from Fayetteville, but that shows dedication. He deserves people that will take time with him, so I'm optimistic.

Congratulations, Roger!

Roger's ideal home

Roger is still looking for his family.

He would do best in a home where he can get lots of attention and spend a lot of time outside his cage. He would also benefit from being litter box trained. He doesn't pee outside his cage anymore, but a litter box would be convenient for him so he can stay outside longer.

He also needs a large, wire bottom cage, at least until he is litter box trained.

He has his own room here, where he spends most of his time. There are no wires for him to chew and nothing that he can hurt himself on. Roger is very curious, so there are gates up to make sure he doesn't go where he can get stuck. He is always supervised when outside the cage.

Roger loves to run and would do great in a home where he has free range. It would be best to introduce him slowly to new places, however, to make sure he doesn't forget where his litter box is.

Roger has gotten along well with our dog and has even tried to play with her (she's a 40 lb pit bull). I think he would love to have a companion his own size and would benefit greatly from being neutered. Then he could be bonded with another rabbit and lead a longer, healthier life.

Hopefully the right family will come along for Roger. His adoption fee is only $20 and he's a very friendly boy.