Residents of the Forbidden City
Attempted to take some photos of my 4 rabbits but it was difficult! The minute i let them out of their cages, they hop about non-stop. I can never get a good shot of them. Here's what i got so far...
For more photos, please click : Forbidden City Photos
"Forbidden City"
Having just watched War & Beauty (a HK TV serial) on SCV, Clown & i now term my backyard as the Forbidden City. Bazhang, the emperor has just passed away & the Crown Prince, Coffee is still too young to ascend the throne.
While Chinese emperors used to have "hou gong san qian" (后宫三千 - harem of 3000), Coffee has "hou gong san zhi" (后宫三只 - harem of 3).
Muah Chee is the empress 'cos she's the boss of the harem... and there's Concubine Horlicks & Concubine Peanut. Heh.
Here're some photos of them. (Not very clear 'cos taken with hp camera.)
Photo of Emperor BZ in his final days - i was carrying him so Clown could use a syringe to feed him his medicine. I think Emperor BZ is so absolutely cute. He was like a big baby. :(
Hamdsome & stately BZ in healthier days...
Empress Dowager Tangyuan who passed away before the Emperor.
Crown Prince Coffee
The harem (clockwise from bottom): Concubine Horlicks (the brown & white lop), Empress Muah Chee, Concubine Peanut & Crown Prince Coffee!
Yet another visit to the pet shop...
Clown & i went to the pet shop again tonight. We brought Pepsi back to the pet shop and the china woman who sold her to us insisted that she was an obedient and sweet-natured rabbit. Pepsi was obviously unhappy that we brought her back 'cos she stomped her foot thrice when she was returned to the cage at the pet shop. At first she got along ok with the other 2 rabbits in the cage... but 15min later, 1 of the rabbits attacked her and had to be removed.
The guy at the pet shop (who looks like a rabbit himself) said that he observed that Pepsi is very protective of her territory. Although she's the newbie in the cage, she sniffed every corner and pooped at all 4 corners to mark her territory. That was probably what pissed the existing rabbit off and sparked off the attack. After the attacker & Pepsi were separated, Pepsi got mad & stomped her foot again. She was curled up like a ball, with her ears back and glaring at everyone. I tried to pet her to calm her down but she shrank away from me. It was as though she was afraid, yet totally pissed off.
Sigh... that convinced me that we had to give her up. I kinda miss her & couldn't really bear to leave her behind at the pet shop. I told Pepsi to be guai and behave herself otherwise her new owners wouldn't like her either. I don't know if she'll learn but i hope she'll find a happy home soon.
In exchange for Pepsi, I got a lionhead-dwarf. (Had to top up $90 :( for it). We've named the lionhead-dwarf, Peanut (think the chinese dessert - peanut paste - same colour). After leaving that pet shop, Clown & i spotted a really really cute lop ear rabbit (I think it's a holland lop. Will call the shop to check tomorrow). And so we bought it too! This new lop ear is called Horlicks (it's white and brown).
The introduction of Peanut & Horlicks went smoothly. MC is obviously in heat 'cos she's been trying to hump Horlicks though both Peanut & Horlicks are gals. I'm not sure if i want to neuter MC 'cos she's been so guai. I asked the pet shop guy if it's ok to have 1 male rabbit and 3 females... he paused for a sec & replied, "i think the male rabbit will be very happy". Haha... i guess Coffee will be.... but he's the youngest & smallest now so i call him the "toy boy". Heh.
Anyway, all 4 rabbits were ok so i left them unseparated in 2 cages (i joined 2 cages to form a bigger t-shape cage). I think they'll be ok.
Am too darn tired after spend the past week cleaning up after my rabbits & taking care of the house. Have been averaging 4 hours of sleep daily... oh dear, my eyes are closing as i type. Ok... will post more photos next time.
:)
The Story of Bazhang & Tangyuan
I've had rabbits for the longest time... since i was a young kid, i've always liked rabbits. I used to keep the local white rabbits till the last one, June, died when i was in sec sch. Although i always wanted to keep rabbits as pets again, i never quite got down to it till BZ & TY came along.
BZ & TY came to be part of my family by chance. They were owned initially by a local breeder who were hoping they would mate. Unfortunately, one (or both) of them was sterile and hence they never got to breed. The breeder then gave them to my friend, Archangel.
After keeping them for about 1 month, Archangel decided to go overseas to study & when he found out that i liked rabbits, he decided to let me foster them. I was supposed to only care for them till he came back... heh... but i ended up kidnapping the rabbits for good.
I'm ashamed to say that i wasn't the one who took the most care of BZ & TY. They were really my dad's rabbits... he was the one who fed them and changed their bedding regularly. I only petted them when i came home late at night, and did the occassional changing of bedding. I enjoyed playing with the rabbits but i wasn't the caregiver. BZ & TY obeyed my dad the most. It's quite amazing how rabbits can understand simple commands.
BZ & TY were very good looking rabbits (though BZ was an oversized dwarf). I think they led happy lives while they were at my house. In the morning, my dad would give them pellets for breakfast and then let them out into the garden. After doing a little morning exercise, they would find a cool spot to rest. In the afternoons, when the sun shone strongly in the front garden, they would retire to their brick hide-out at the side of my house. There, in the cool shade, they were nap till it was time for lunch.
Lunch was usually fresh veggie like carrots & cabbage. Both of them loved to eat carrots. After their lunch, it would be time for their late afternoon siesta back at the hideout. Sometimes they would also snack on my mom's plants along the side of my house. And when it was dinner time, they would automatically go back to their cage to wait for food. Poor rabbits... sometimes when my dad went out to meet clients and came back only after having dinner with my mom, then the rabbits would only get their dinner at 9pm or so. By then they were usually starving and would come running helter skelter when they hear my dad shake the biscuit tin containing the pellets.
TY died in a very tragic accident in Sep '05. Although everyone says that rabbits don't cry, i can personally testify that her death affected BZ a lot. The big guy threw tantrums and went into depression after that. I'm 100% sure it was 'cos he missed his childhood partner.
BZ has since passed away... and it's like a whole generation of rabbits gone. I'm positive they went to rabbit heaven. I'm not as upset now as when BZ was struggling to stay alive. He was a fighter till the end. Had he survived and gone blind (he was developing cataracts in his eyes), i would have gladly taken care of him. But it's ok. He's with TY now.
Coffee
Just a quick update on the latest addition to my family. I've been so troubled by BZ the past few days that i didn't have time to write about him - Coffee. That's the latest rabbit to join our family. He's a lionhead dwarf... about the same size as Pepsi (maybe slightly shorter) but he's so darn timid! Pepsi's been a big bully since he came... charges & chases him non-stop. Coffee is very traumatised by her.
We tried various means to get them to introduce themselves amicably but it didn't work out. Noticed that Pepsi is a very individualistic rabbit. She likes to imitate Muah Chee but that's about it. She was never chummy with Coke nor BZ... and now she's bullying Coffee.
Sigh... i feel bad about sending her back... but now i know that it was my mistake to buy a rabbit that i wasn't instinctively attracted to. Sorry Pepsi... i know you're happy 'cos u get to play in a garden but u can't be a big bully at the playground... :(
Farewell to Bazhang
My mom woke me up at 6:50am this morning and told me that BZ passed away. I went down to see him and saw him lying down in a position he was sleeping in last night, but with his head resting on his litter pan. His body was stiff when we found him though he belly was warm. My mom and i dug a hole in our backyard next to TY and laid BZ to rest there.
I miss my BZ. He was like a big baby in his last days and would let me cradle and feed him. He was good boy... in fact he was the most obedient to commands - he understands what's "sleep", "drink water", "go garden", and "go home". Smart huh?
It's going to be tough training the other rabbits to be as obedient as him. Oh btw, Clown & i decided to bring Pepsi back to the petshop 'cos she is very aggressive towards Coffee, and is quite ill-disciplined. I feel bad 'cos i know she's very happy at my place... but if she keeps attacking Coffee, who's really timid, then i guess she'll have to go. Feel guilty 'cos i know i didn't like her that much when i bought her... she was more of "company for Coke".
Sigh... 3 rabbit deaths in 2 months. Bye bye Tangyuan, Coke, Bazhang....
I love Bazhang
BZ hasn't been well for the past week. It started with a fussy appetite but knowing that he's not well, we obliged him by giving him a different type of veg everyday - cabbage, carrot, parsley, celery, xiao bai cai... but as of last night, he has refused to eat anything we feed him. I saw him reaching for some of the plants in the garden so out of desperation, i plucked a few leaves and he ate them!
I was really quite happy... after all, better for him to take less nutritional food, than not to take food at all. However, since this morning, BZ has rejected all the different types of veg & garden plants i gave him. He's on a liquid diet now - mixture of honey water + medicine & celery / apple / carrot juice.
I called the vet this afternoon to ask if there's anything more i can do for him. The vet said no... he told me to just make BZ as comfortable as possible. Despite trying my best to control my tears, i couldn't help but cry when i heard that. BZ is a well loved member of my family. My dad wanted to fly home from Dubai today but was asked to do more work there so he can't come back. I'm not sure if my dad will get back to SG in time for BZ & him to meet one last time.
BZ was so tired tonight. He can't stay awake for even 1 min before dozing off. He tried to eat some of the fern leaves i plucked for him but he only chewed twice before dozing off. Eventually, he gave up and surrendered himself to sleep. Sadly, BZ can't seem to get a good rest... his sleep is interrupted and he can never sleep soundly for more than 3mins. My heart hurts so much when i see him so tired. I wonder if he's waiting for my dad to come home 'cos my dad took care of him the most.
I really love BZ a lot. It's like watching a family member die and there's nothing you can do to help. I wish i could take more leave or off days from work 'cos i'm perpetually thinking and worrying about him. I prayed to God for a miracle but it doesn't seem to be happening. When i tried to feed BZ (using a syringe) more juice just now, most of it just flowed down his chest.
I wish i could spend all day with BZ but i can't get off from work tomorrow. I'm so scared i'll come home and find that he's passed away. I want to be with him right till the end. I want to pet his head & tell him that it's ok and that death is just a place where he can finally get good rest. I don't want BZ to die alone.
It's been a long time since i got down to my knees to pray. But i prayed very hard for BZ. There's nothing more the vet nor i can do. Only God can work a miracle and return his health. I really love BZ.
A moment of silence for Coke.
Coke passed away today. Found him cold & lifeless on the floor of his cage when i came home. Poor boy still had the runs on his tail. I'm not sure but Coke may have died of dehydration from diarrhoea 'cos he wasn't taking in enough water. I feel bad... i should've left a dish of water in his cage but i didn't 'cos i saw him drinking from his bottle last night.
Poor poor Coke. Pepsi's still ok. I hope i can find another rabbit that looks just like Coke... though i may never find another one as obedient & sweet-natured. :(
Kg vs Kati
Left - picture of Coke on his house!
As Coke is so tiny, Clown & i were curious how much he weighed so we took his weight just now. Little Coke is a mere 115g! That's super light. In contrast, Pepsi weighs 400g - i'm pretty sure she's grown a little since she came.
I also realised just now that previously, when i was taking BZ & MC's weight, i read the wrong scale. Instead of reading the one for KG, i was reading the scale for KATI. Hence, BZ & MC's correct weight should be 1.6kg & 1 kg respectively.
This would also mean that MC was about 600g when she first came. She's all grown up and like an adult now! Heh.
What i find so amazing is that each of the rabbits have their own personality. BZ is obedient but extremely timid and doesn't like to be carried. MC is confident & intelligent. She always gives in to BZ, and she doesn't bully the "soft drinks." But when BZ tries to get it on with her, she always runs away. Cute rabbi. :)
Pepsi is also very intelligent but she's more cautious towards humans. Coke is the most obedient and sweet natured. I wonder if it's 'cos he's so tiny that he knows it's pointless to retaliate when a human being wants to carry him. But he's really so darn adorable!!
Animal Clinic
Coke, Bazhang, Pepsi & i made a trip to the vet yesterday. 2 nights ago, I noticed that Coke had diarrhoea. As diarrhoea can be life threatening to a rabbit, i decided to take him to a vet the next day (i.e. yesterday). I also noticed that Bazhang was wheezing / coughing intermittently so i decided to take him to the vet too.
As for Pepsi, i brought her along as well 'cos she was being insufferably temperamental and her tummy seemed to bulge a little, which led Clown to think that she might be pregnant.
After examining them, the vet's conclusion was this:
1) Coke was really ill - and was given antibiotics & charcoal+glucose to drink.
2) Pepsi is not pregnant. She's just... heavy bottom... typical asian female...
3) BZ didn't wheeze but was given antibiotics just in case he had a cough... but he does have a fungal infection affecting his ears & nose. The vet cleaned out his ears and prescribed antibiotics & anti-fungal medication for him.
BZ was the most traumatised at the vet's. As he was having an infection (which affected his ears, eyes & skin), the vet was concerned that it might cause a fever so we had to take his temperature. Poor boy had a themometer stuck into his ass... u should've seen the look of anguish on his face. He was trembling as the vet was checking him. Poor poor fella. I feel so sorry for him.
After we all got home, i spent most of the day cleaning up their cages, sweeping the yard and so on. It was easy to administer the medicine to Coke. I just had to carry Coke with his tummy facing upwards and point the syringe towards his mouth. The little fella would grab & start chewing on the syringe.. he seemed to really enjoy the medicine.
BZ was the tough one. As he's so big, i needed both hands to carry him... and he struggle and struggled (guess he was afraid we'll stick something up his ass again)... in the end, i had to rope in Clown to use the syringe to feed him while i carried him. But BZ refused to eat the medicine and we had to force feed him.
This morning, i tried hard to get BZ to eat his medicine but he dead refused. I gave up after a few tries 'cos i didn't want to traumatise him further.
After i got back from work just now, i thought of an idea to get BZ to eat his medicine. I placed the medicine on a spoon and shoved it in his face. BZ's instant reaction was to bite onto the spoon to "throw" it out of his sight (as he does with all foreign objects). The minute he bit the spoon, i tipped it so that the medicine would flow into his mouth. That worked... but he quickly learnt that he got tricked into eating medicine so when i tried it again with the 2nd medicine, he used his nose to push the spoon away instead of biting onto it.
This cause his nose to be dirtied by the medicine and he got annoyed and started cleaning his face. All i managed to do was to get him to lick the spoon once. Sigh. Too tough... i gave up after a whlie.
I'm going to have to feed BZ this medicine again tomorrow... not sure if he'll fall for the spoon trick again. Really can't think of any other ways to feed him... if anyone thinks of something, do let me know!!
1 Big Happy Family
Muah Chee's water bottle cracked last night and we couldn't stop the leak so my dad asked me to get her a new one. After work, Clown & i went to the pet shop and that's when Clown spotted 2 cutest little tiny rabbits that he took a liking to immediately.
Without much consideration, Pepsi (female) & Coke (male) came to join Bazhang & Muah Chee. Clown hasn't exactly decided if he's going to leave them at my house or take them home. The main problem about leaving them at my place is that my dad bound to overfeed them... and Pepsi isn't going to be the super mini dwarf that she's supposed to be... and Coke will be a dwarf no more.
I mean, i've told my dad tons of times not to overfeed the rabbits but he insists on feeding them 3 meals a day. As he's the one who's home most of the time, i can't jolly well stop him either. Would u believe me if i told u that Bazhang's a dwarf rabbit too? Sigh....
Anyway, BZ didn't take too kindly to the new rabbits at first. He kept throwing a tantrum & stomped the night away. Muah Chee was more positive. She was real curious & kept sniffing them. No bullying though (unlike BZ). I think BZ was real jealous 'cos MC was paying them so much attention... and of 'cos he tried to hump MC but failed (as usual). So... poor old guy just sulked & stomped.
The funniest part when we were setting up home for Pepsi & Coke just now was when Coke & Pepsi started sneaking out of their cage! We apparently bought a cage with grilles that were too wide & so the little rascals could just squeeze right out! Pepsi only did her houdini act once and after i caught hold of her & put her back in the cage, she didn't make a 2nd attempt. Coke however, was the brazen one. He escaped over & over again, till Clown and my dad had to use wire mesh to fence up their entire cage. Haha... it was really funny.
Another thing i observed was that all the rabbits like to congregate in MC's cage... as though she has the coolest bachelor's pad or something. Haha. Everyone hip must hang out there... heh.
Here're some photos of them... a little blurry 'cos i haven't used my digital camera for ages... so i sort of forgot what modes to use & so on. Will have better pictures next time!
Click here to see photos of : 1 Big Happy Family
Weighty Issues
My mom's going to China for holiday for a week and my dad will be going to Dubai for 2 weeks... thus the heavy responsibility of caring fully for the rabbits will rest wholly on my shoulders. I'm going to have to wake up early every morning to feed them before going to work, as well as come home straight after work to feed them again, before i go for any appointments at night.
I hope the rabbits will get used to having only 2 meals a day. They better learn fast that breakfast is a very important meal of the day 'cos if they don't eat finish their breakfast cereal (read: pellets), the nasty birds will come & finish the pellets and they'll have to go hungry. On the other hand, it may not be a bad idea for these rabbits to only have 2 meals a day for the next 2 weeks 'cos rabbits don't really need 3 meals a day, just that my dad's spoilt these rabbits.
Muah Chee has grown a staggering 500gm in 3.5 weeks! She joined our family on 6 Sep 2005 and as of 1 Oct 2005, she had grown from 1.1kg to 1.6kg! Her cheeks are puffy now and her ass is definitely a lot bigger. She's becoming a JLo i tell you!
As for Bazhang, he's always been a sumo wrestler of a rabbit so i guess it's good that he goes on a diet too! As for myself, i'm definitely going to get a good workout with all the chores - feeding rabbits, chasing them about, watering the garden / plants, washing & ironing.... ahhhhhh!!!
Irony is, while i know how to iron my own clothes... i haven't figured out how to operate the washing machine... heh....
Attempted to take some photos of my 4 rabbits but it was difficult! The minute i let them out of their cages, they hop about non-stop. I can never get a good shot of them. Here's what i got so far...
