Time flies but i'm still here (me n my pets)

They are so small and innocent when i brought them home, but now i couldn't believe my eyes on how much they've changed. This little kids still as small as i remembered, but i noticed something different when they grown up. 

This is my first duo i got after several weeks dreaming to adopt them. To be honest i'm not a kind of person that like to talk and call pets with their name, it just sound weird talking to a pet but they can't talk to me back. Nevertheless, i still gave name to them just to make sure they don't feel sad (^_^).

On the left is Kass (boar) and Akai (sow). Boar is a term for male and sow is female for guinea pig. Both are peruvian breed which has a long, forward hair. 

Hair dried Akai after a bath.....this is one of troublesome work to do

Kass with after-wake-up-from-sleep-hair style...not bad huh

Now their age are over 8 months and their hair start growing longer from day to day. Akai (top) and Kass (below). The most troublesome part in having a long hair breed is they need regular grooming, but i usually groom them after their bath.

In the following weeks, i adopt three little bunnies since i can't resist their cuteness. At first i thought ..."i just wanna buy a pair, better than single so they can cuddle with each other.." At last i couldn't make up my mind an ended buying those three bunnies.

Her name is Shiro. Sadly she died 2 weeks after i brought her home due to serious diarrhea.

This active buck named Kuro is Netherland Dwarf breed. I just lost him 2 day before Raya. The reason of the death is because heart attack...seriously....i don't believe it either...damn

This is Hai (doe), mix breed between angora and teddy bear. She's the one that still accompany me and hopefully she will have a long and healthy life.

She's grown into a fine looking bunny. 

She looks like a mom for 4 cute little piggies

The more i learn about people, the more i like my pets

At first i didn't understand why, as i grow older this quote is so true.....

Past and Present

Last Time

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 Too much free time

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Now

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too much journal to read

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read....write...read...write...sleep read again...write again.....

Sorry guys...i don't really have much time for blogwalking. Next time I will

Rabbit 101: Angora

Assalamualaikum wbt

History

There're several stories regarding the origin of Angora rabbit. One of the accepted theory said that the origin of Angora was date back to the early 18th century, approximately in 1723. A sight seeing sailors from France who pulled into Turkish port called Angora (now Ankara) saw a native women wearing really beautiful shawls  that they never seen before.  

The fitness and silkiness are surpassed the shawls in their country of France. So they ask about the shawls and to their surprised it was made from Angora wool. So the sailors take some of the rabbit back to France. Later, other country also start to develop Angora rabbit which was specifically breed for their fine and excellent wool. 

Care

Angora rabbit needs special attention compare to other breeds. Believe it or not, its long hair is the real enemy    face by the rabbit and its owner. If left ungroomed, the rabbit will attempt to groom itself. Too much grooming will cause a wool block, where the rabbit's digestive system will be greatly impeded by the rabbit's hair.

Rabbit can die from serious wool block. Cat and dog can vomit when they have hair ball, but unfortunately rabbit can't. 

How to overcome hair balls?

Prevention is better than cure. Several precautions should be taken in mind when keeping this breed:

1. Regular grooming

2. Provide a proper diet (feed them hay, various fruits and veggies)

3. Give them pineapple juice and papaya treats (contain enzyme that can prevent wool block)

4. Cut their long hair properly

Fur Mites

Chances for Angora to has fur mites is quite high. If the rabbit's skin turn red, irritated and constantly scratching, or you notice a bad case of dandruff, then fur mites may be the major cause. Once you notice this problems, it's best to consult professional breeders for advice and treatment. Otherwise, you may also take your rabbit to the vet before the disease become awfully worse.

Exercise

Don't prison your rabbit in the cage all the time. They need regular exercise (just like us so we don't end being unhealthy) which also can help to prevent wool block. If you don't have a good time monitoring them playing outdoor, allow your rabbit running in a fenced area, e.g.play pen. The bigger the better.

Predators

For those who keep this prey animal as a pet, they should really concern about the predators as well. No matter where you live, town or rural areas, predators will be your major problems. Dogs are the most common problems and potential killer. Even when you keep your rabbit in the cage, there's no guarantee for your rabbit safety. You must put your rabbit in a very safe place (inside your house) or a place where predators cannot reach them. 

Dogs can be surprisingly determined to get access to rabbit. There's always a report about dog attack; cages ripped apart, head lost, rabbit still alive with part of their body was eaten, skin ripped off rabbits etc. Thus, don't be such a naive about the possibility of dog attacks or else you'll be regret.

English Angora

French Angora

Giant Angora

Satin Angora

Rabbit Disease: Snuffles

Assalamualaikum wbt

Snuffles is a respiratory tract problem which is similar to the common cold in man. This disease is highly contagious and can become worse if left untreated. My first rabbit, Aoi, died because of this disease. At first I did some research about rabbit snuffles when I notice Aoi had a runny nose. Then I came across of one rabbit owner that said his rabbit also had a snuffle. He just isolate the infected rabbit, place it in warm place and soon the rabbit will recover itself.  

Well I try to follow his advice but I noticed that Aoi's condition is worsening from day to day. At last I decided to bring Aoi to vet since I saw her become hard to breath. From snuffles it leads to pneumonia which made Aoi gasping for air. But I'm too late! That evening when I'm just about to take Aoi to the vet, I saw her lying breathless in the cage. She's dead. I kept blaming myself for her death. If I take her to the vet early she would be alive and never end her life in such a terrible condition. It's such a painful lesson to me. 

What is the cause?

It can be caused by different factors but the most common one is infection with the bacteria Pasteurella multocida. There're different strain of this gram negative bacteria and depend on the strain the signs can be either mild to severe. Rabbits can be easily infected by this bacteria when they're stressed or has suppressed immune system. 

What are the signs of snuffles ?

The infected rabbit will develop a watery discharge followed by sneezing and then thick whitish to yellowish nasal discharge. In some severe cases the rabbit will develop pneumonia or bacteremia (a bacteria enter the bloodstream). 

How to treat?

Bring the rabbit to the vet is the best you can do. Usually the treatment is by giving the infected rabbit an antibiotics for 14-30 days. If the infection goes for days or weeks without treatment, this disease will become chronic and very difficult to eliminate. 

How to prevent?

Before buying a rabbit, ensure that the rabbit is free from any infection, especially runny nose. Observe all rabbits on location and make sure snuffles is not present. However, a healthy appearance rabbit can also develop signs of sickness later on if she's stressed. 

Reducing stress is crucial to prevent a rabbit become infected. Common causes of stress in rabbits are:

-improper housing

-long journey

-chill condition

-improper diet

-overcrowd

-aggression from other rabbits

Rabbit owner should be aware of the signs of this disease and seek veterinary attention at the first sign of illness.

Beware, I'm watching you!

Rabbit 101 Part 4

Assalamualaikum wbt

Siberian Rabbit

It is a very graceful rabbit with an attractive coat, coloured black, blue, brown or lilac. The siberian was first bred in the UK around 1930 but its ancestral is unknown. They're bred mainly for its nice fur and also as a pet. 

Silver Fox

The Silver Fox's fur is coarser than the fur of other rabbits, one and half to two inches long, and when stroked from tail to head, the fur stands up. It has an unusual unique coat. This combined with the length and coarseness of the fur resembles the fur of the Arctic Silver Fox for which the Silver Fox rabbit is named.

Tan

The color marking of the Tan are reminiscent of a Doberman pinscher, especially the black and chocolate varieties. The undersides of this rabbit, which include the tail, stomach, chin, and ears, are colored in "tan" fur (almost more of a bright orange). The rest of the rabbit is colored in black, blue, chocolate, or lilac. They are very energetic rabbits.

Jerry Woody

Originated from Thailand. It's a crossbreed from local rabbit in Thailand and English angora. The purpose of this breed is to enhance the short fur of local rabbit and make it become more fluffy and attractive.

Teddy Bear

Originated from Thailand. It's a hybrid from Jerry Woody and other hairy breed. Teddy bear rabbit is very popular in Thailand and Malaysia not only because of its attractive coat color and long hair, but also because of its price that's affordable (the price in Thailand is far more cheaper than Malaysia, hence it's affordable). 

Woody Toy

Also from Tailand. It's developed from Teddy bear rabbit but Woody Toy is smaller in size compare to Teddy bear because of dwarf gene (come from Netherland dwarf's gene).Its appearance is similar to Teddy bear in term of their long fur, only their ears is shorter and bodyweight is lighter. 

P/S. All these three breeds (jerry woody, teddy bear, woody toy) is not in the list of ARBA (american rabbit association) and only popular in Thailand and Malaysia. So you'll never found this rabbit in other country. Their names also is not very popular in google compare to other breed. But for sure they're very cute and fluffy! 

Rabbit Coat Color

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Self family: A rabbit that's one solid color all over its body

E.g: black, chocolate, blue, lilac, ruby eyed white, blue eyed white

note: REW and BEW are not true self family color

Blue 

Black

Red eyed white (REW)

Blue eyed white (BEW)

Lilac

Shaded family: Has a darker color on it's nose/muzzle, ears, feet and tail.

E.g: siamese, seal, marten, chinchilla, smoke pearl

sable marten

siamese sable point

Chinchilla

smoke pearl

Agouti family: Has bands of different color on each hair shaft.

E.g: chestnut agouti, shaded agouti, frosted pearl, lynx, opal.

opal

chestnut agouti

lynx

frosted pearl

Tan pattern family: Has silver marking on belly, underside of the tail, marking by the nostrils,circles around the eyes.

E.g: black otter, blue otter, tortoise otter, sable point marten.

Blue otter

black otter

Tan

Harlequin: Had band of orange or white with color.

E.g: Japanese harlequin, magpie harlequin

magpie harlequin

Japanese harlequin

Other color variation:

Cinnamon

Broken color (black)