NEWSLETTER - West Michigan Critter Haven

Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
WEST MICHIGAN CRITTER HAVEN
NEWSLETTER
wmicritterhaven.org
WANT TO BE A HERO?
I used to work in an emergency room surrounded by men and women who were
heroes daily. The police officers, firefighters and paramedics put their lives on the line
to try and save those who needed them. The doctors and nurses routinely made split
second decisions under grueling circumstances. There were technicians who went
above and beyond the call of duty to provide care and comfort for their patients and
patient families. If any of these colleagues were asked, none of them would admit to
being a hero. They would humbly say they were just doing their job.
I’ve found heroes come in many forms. I have seen nearly a thousand lives saved since
the conception of West Michigan Critter Haven. It starts with a call for help. It may be
from a family who no longer wants to commit to a pet. It may be from another shelter that cannot accommodate an exotic pet properly or one that is too full and would
euthanize if a transfer cannot be implemented quickly. It may be from a good citizen
who found an abandoned pet and knows that if they do not act that pet will die.
Then the heroes step in. The people who choose to give of themselves to save a life.
The people who can open their hearts and homes and look past the nervous eyes of
a newly rescued pet, the fur dull from neglect, the shyness of a pet who has never
known a gentle hand. These heroes bring the pet into their home and give them
peace they’ve never had before. The transformation from a frightened, desperate animal into a social, inquisitive, glossy pet is phenomenal. Where would these animals
be if there had not been someone willing to step up and open their door to them?
The choice to foster is almost always a life or death decision for that animal. Fostering
saves lives.
As a foster-based rescue, we can only take in as many pets as there are foster homes
available. We have constant wait lists. There have been times when a relinquish request has waited a full year before we could offer an opening in a foster home. More
often, people drop off the wait lists having found a different way to dispose of their
unwanted pet. If you have ever wanted to be a hero, we ask that you visit our website
at www.wmicritterhaven.org and apply to be a foster parent. It’s a simple way to save
a life and make the world a better place for a pet in need.
All of us at West Michigan Critter Haven hope you enjoy our 2015 newsletter edition.
You will find small pet care articles, happy success story updates and adoptable pet
spotlights. We thank you for your support of the rescue as we continue to save lives
one hop at a time! Mellissa DiCarlo, WMCH Director
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
ADOPTABLE RABBIT
SPOTLIGHT
The House Rabbit Society is an international,
non-profit organization that is dedicated
to rescuing rabbits from shelters as well as
educating the public about proper care of
rabbits and their behaviors. For more information on the philosophies, educational
mission and care resources of The House
Rabbit Society visit: www.rabbit.org. Becoming a member allows the organization
continue to reach their amazing rescue and
educational goals. To become a House
Rabbit Society member visit rabbit.org.
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Willa is a female, spayed, house rabbit. She
was born in 2013. She has a beautiful onyx
coat and weighs about four pounds. Her
personality is larger than she is, and she likes
being the boss. Willa is smart and adventurous girl, who keeps a tidy enclosure. Like
most rabbits, Willa prefers not to be held. Although, she is quick to greet you at her pen
and snuggle next to you while she demands
gentle head pets. Willa is a favorite amongst
our volunteers and deserves a home that will
treat her like the queen she is.
Willa’s adoption fee is $75. For more information on adopting Willa please email us at
[email protected]. Adopters must be
at least 18 years old.
WMCH ALMUNI CHINCHILLAS,
YIN & YANG.
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
15 THINGS YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT RABBITS
Last August, I applied to become a House
Rabbit Society Educator. I was honored to
have my application accepted and have
thrown myself into learning as much as I
can so that I can share that knowledge with
other people interested in rabbits. Here are
some of the most common questions from
adopters or most surprising things I have
learned from fostering rabbits:
8) Female rabbits are induced ovulators so,
technically, they can get pregnant every
time it “happens”. That’s why breeders typically only have males and females together
for 3 days. No baby is more than three days
apart when gestation occurs for the oldest
bred baby. A fellow HRS educator once had
a female come in that had about 15 babies
ranging from full development (4 of them)
on down in various stages of pregnancy to
tiny embryos because once birth starts they
all come out no matter what stage of pregnancy.
1) Rabbits do not like to be held or restrained. They are similar to 2 year old children, any restraint must be fought.
2) Rabbits are very fragile. The act of fighting
off restraint can easily break bones. Even a
small fall to the floor can easily break bones.
3) Rabbits molt twice a year. You can literally pull handfuls of hair off your rabbits in
the fall and spring. Bald spots may appear
during this time, but the skin underneath
is white and clean. New hair quickly follows
this molt.
9) Rabbits can get pregnant as soon as they
give birth.
4) Rabbits mourn the loss of their owners
acutely. I have had two foster rabbits since
December of this year who had to be force
fed when they came into my care. They
refused to eat anything and sat listlessly
mourning the life they lost through no fault
of their own.
10) Even if a rabbit has been with our rescue
for 3 years doesn’t mean she (or he) won’t
find a wonderful adoptive home.
11) Just because you adopt 4 rabbits out
doesn’t mean you’ll reduce the wait list by
4 rabbits, there are always more rabbits to
rescue.
5) Some rabbits will spray they object of their
affection even after they are neutered.
12) Rabbits have a blind spot directly in
front of their noses. If you hold a raisin out to
them they can smell it, but not see it. They
may attack you for the raisin.
6) If the president of WMCH says she has a
funny feeling about an adopter, don’t ignore
her.
13) Some rabbits will always resent the fact
that they are in foster care. They will consistently attack their foster parent, and lick and
love visitors. We call these rabbits buns with
‘toods. And love them for being themselves.
7) Rabbits can get “bladder sludge” from eating too much food rich in calcium. Getting
rid of this sludge is disgusting.
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
I was elated at that moment since I knew we
would bond quickly. We returned the following day to take her home – she and I rode
in the backseat of the car together on that
long drive home while Mike was in the front,
driving. I made sure to keep her calm and
safe, and well-hydrated. I will never forget
the day – January 31, 2010.
14) Rabbits should never be taken outside,
not even for a second. Hawks are bold and
will take them off of porches, and you never
know where a raccoon has stepped shedding microbes that aren’t good for rabbits.
15) Rabbits will make liars out of you. Telling
a potential adopter that a specific rabbit is
sweet, guarantees that rabbit will bite during a meet and greet. Warning a potential
adopter that a specific rabbit will bite will
guarantee that rabbit will be sweet.
Rebecca Lloyd, WMCH Director
It took a few days for Cali to get adjusted to
her new home, but eventually she grew to
be comfortable and happy! She explored
a ton and would come over and “watch tv”
with us. Within days she was doing all sorts
of binkies. Jumping in the air, running at
fast speeds around the living room, circling
objects she liked, etc. I was so happy to see
this because I knew I was on the right track
of providing her a happy home.
CALI’S STORY
Years later, and a couple of different apartments/houses along the way, she is happy
as ever. Currently, she and I are living at
home with my parents, where she's extra
spoiled. My mom feeds her lots of treats, and
of course buys her many veggies. She has a
little palace of her own right now – mostly
made out of cardboard boxes. We go outside in the backyard to play and run around.
She likes to mostly lay and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
I still remember the day I came across Cali's
pictures online, while searching for a rabbit
to adopt. I had viewed pictures of many rabbits, all within the vicinity of Chicago and its
neighboring suburbs, but I then came across
Cali's picture from the West Michigan Critter
Haven, and it was love at first sight. I had an
instinct that she and I were meant to be together, and so I went ahead and submitted
my application that night. The day I was approved to adopt her, I was ecstatic. My fiancé
Mike, soon-to-be husband, and I drove the 3
½ hours to Grand Rapids, Mich. to meet her
at the foster home she was living in at the
time. I was so excited, anticipating the moment I was to finally see her in person. We
were welcomed inside and lead to the kitchen, where I finally saw Cali for the first time,
sitting on the kitchen floor. I was in awe! She
seemed surprisingly calm, and as I sat down
to join her on the kitchen floor, she came
right to me out of curiosity.
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
We have had so many memories- I have
walked her outside in the neighborhood of
Chicago on many occasions – everyone that
sees her falls in love. I know some are talking
about that “crazy bunny lady” as well since
it's not every day people see a rabbit on a
leash. Cali is a very happy bunny – but I do
have to admit, she is pretty naughty and I'll
even admit that I spoil her just a tad bit. OK,
a lot! She sure has a ton of personality, which
makes her even cuter and entertaining. She
has no problem letting me know when she's
mad by thumping. We also play together.
One of her favorites is when she boxes a
newspaper or paper towel rolls. She will box
it, dig at it, and try to grab it with her teeth
to start chewing, all while grunting happily.
She also loves to be pet and even sometimes
loves being carried. I love cuddling with her
– she likes the closeness, especially when I
cover her with a sheet over her head so she
feels “safe”.
since she is pretty naughty and likes to chew
on things.
She gets a variety of foods too and treats,
including banana chips and her ultimate
favorite: Craisins. She goes nuts over them.
The moment she hears me pick up the bag,
she runs over to me, grunting nonstop, letting me know she wants some. This is a
moment I adore every day. However, once
I introduced her to American Pet Diner's
Smak Treats (Berry-flavored rabbit cookies),
she prefers those over Craisins – to a point
that she'll get disappointed that they're not
the cookies and walks away from them. That
spoiled rabbit! She of course gets her daily
intake of hay, veggies (kale, parsley, cilantro,
green leaf lettuce, romaine, etc.), and pellets,
as well as water.
Words cannot describe how much I adore
Cali. She has a few nicknames – I call her
Calibuns and Calipatoots, while my mom
calls her Kali (insert Arabic accent), and my
personal favorite is what Mike calls her: Mr.
Bunny. So funny and cute! Every day I grow
to love her more and more. My family and
friends would say I'm obsessed--they are
probably right. She is the cutest little thing
and I cannot imagine my life without her.
I'm so grateful to the West Michigan Critter
Haven for doing what they do, and bringing
the two of us together. I'm happy she has
a good home with me where she’s well-fed,
loved, spoiled, and happy. My Calibuns!
Huda Dabbouseh
“WITHIN DAYS SHE WAS
DOING ALL SORTS OF BINKIES.
JUMPING IN THE AIR,
RUNNING AT FAST SPEEDS
AROUND THE LIVING ROOM,
CIRCLING OBJECTS
SHE LIKED!”
Cali has a ton of living space. I bought a
large dog plan pen fence to enclose her area
so that she has lots of room when I have to
close up on her when I leave the room, but
as soon as back, I open up for her and she
can roam freely. Plus, she loves having a
separation for her “territory”. One of her favorite spots is her “three story condo”, which I
bought on binkybunny.com. She loves sitting on the bottom floor when we play our
boxing game, and sometimes goes to the
“rooftop” to get a view of the room from a
different perspective. She is a curious rabbit, and hops on the couch with me, but I
do have to keep a close eye on her, though,
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
GENETIC VARIATION
BETWEEN DOMESTIC
AND WILD RABBITS
Behavior in domestic rabbits is also drastically different. For example, our rescue educates concerned callers that wild rabbits
wean and leave the nest at the age of four
weeks, while in contrast domestic rabbits
are not weaned until the age of eight to ten
weeks depending upon breed type. This
article speculated that rabbit domestication
occurred in a way to allow rabbits to emotionally and physically be able to deal with
the forced close contact with a perceived
predatory species- humans. The researchers
felt rabbits, more than other domestic species, were an excellent subject to compare
domestic versus wild genome because domestication of rabbits occurred relatively recently and in a defined area in France where
their wild ancestors still reside.
Most people have stories regarding their
interactions with domestic rabbits. They
are the third most popular pet in our country and sadly they are the third most often
relinquished pet to shelters. As a director
of a non-profit animal rescue that primarily
focuses on rabbits, calls regarding domestic
rabbit care and behavior consistently pour
into the rescue. Understanding domestic
rabbit behavior and how it originates from
their wild cottontail ancestors is the key to
helping these pets remain in their homes
instead of being abandoned outdoors or
relinquished at shelters.
The research found that domestication
did not occur via mutations or variations in
coding sequences of the phenotype of wild
rabbits but rather that the produced domestic rabbits had differences in their regulatory sites. They found the genes that were
effected most significantly were ones that
controlled brain and neurological development. While wild rabbits and domestic rabbits do not have the same number of chromosomes, the researchers concluded gene
loss was not significant to domestic rabbit
behavior or phenotypical changes. Because
domestic rabbits evolved in their regulatory
systems to vary from their wild ancestors
instead of purely a simple variation trend
in appearance, researchers concluded that
rabbit domestication occurred based off of
behavioral traits that were then propagated
in subsequent generations. The evolution occurred gradually as a result of many different
mutations rather than by a large change of
just a few genes.
In order to further understand the underlying instinctual base that domestic rabbits
have to wild rabbits the article, “Rabbit Genome Analysis Reveals A Polygenic Basis for
Phenotypic Change During Domestication”
was reviewed. This article noted that the
external observation of domestic rabbits is
obviously different than wild rabbits. Domestic rabbits have a wide variety of colors
compared to the camouflaged browns of
the wild rabbits. Domestic body shapes and
features are vastly different than their wild
cousins.
Understanding domestic rabbits instinctually maintain some of their wild cousin’s
behavior traits but are also vastly different
physiologically is instrumental in keeping
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
Domestic rabbits’ bodies are not made to
withstand the rigors of outdoor weather,
parasites or predators. Setting a domestic
rabbit “free” is literally a death sentence to
that pet. Domestic and wild rabbits are both
grazing herbivores and prey animals. Their
bodies are made to continuously ingest fiber
and they dislike being picked up, loud noises
or quick movements in their direction. Much
can be learned about our pet rabbits
from their wild ancestors with the caveat
that they have evolved into distinctly separate lifeforms. Mellissa DiCarlo
MR. PIGGLES
Reference:
Rabbit Genome Analysis Reveals a Polygenic Basis for Phenotypic Change During Domestication.
Miguel Carneiro et al. Science 345, 1074 (2014).
2015 ADOPTIONS
SNICKERS
A look at a few West Michigan Critter Haven
fosters adopted in the past year.
ELSA
SVEN
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
HOW TO DONATE
West Michigan Critter Haven is a
501(c) 3 non-profit organization.
We gratefully accept monetary
donations and gift cards.
Monetary donations can be
made through Paypal or by mail.
You may designate your donation be used for an individual
foster pet, type of pet or type
of care items to be purchased
if you wish. Donations without
specific designation will be used
towards our veterinary care fund
as needed. Our foster pets thank
you!
FLASH
DONATIONS BY MAIL
PRINCESS
P.O. BOX 40
SPRING LAKE, MI 49456
Visit our Amazon wishlist
to donate goodies
directly to our fosters.
GRETA
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Small Animal News & Updates
September 2015
THANK YOU!
WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE
TO ALL OF THOSE WHO
HAVE DONATED, VOLUNTEERED, FOSTERED, AND
ADOPTED FROM WEST
MICHIGAN CRITTER HAVEN IN 2015. WE ARE
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
SUPPORT.
WMCH ALUMNI GUINEA PIG,
STRATTON
HANDCRAFTED
HAY RACKS
Support West Michigan Critter Haven by
purchasing a 6.5 “ x 11” handcrafted pine
hay rack for your small animals. Forget
flimsy, small pet store hay racks, these
hay holders provide pets with a buffet
of hay and withstand loving chews. Hay
racks are available for $30. A portion of
proceeds are donated directly to West
Michigan Critter Haven. To purchase,
email [email protected]. You
can arrange for drop-off or pay for shipping.
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