We have about 45 rabbits here. They weren’t originally ours: someone let them multiply, and when we got an SOS, we took them in. With so many, I haven’t managed to care for each one properly. A supporter took a weak one to the vet, and all we learned was that there are bugs in their fur and a possible illness, so I’m tackling the bugs first.
One drop, 45 times
The medicine works like the kind used for dogs and cats: one drop on the back, where the mouth can’t reach, and the bugs in the fur go away. Doubling up would be dangerous, so everyone moved to another room and we went one at a time. Male Group 1 went fine, then came the girls, who are more strong-willed. Now repeat 45 times!
It isn’t really a rabbit medicine, so even the vet isn’t sure of the dose: bigger rabbits get slightly more, smaller ones slightly less. There was the Boss (the biggest, and scary), a tiny one like a doll, a beautiful all-black girl with blue eyes, and the Boss’s henchman, whose eyes are half brown and half blue. The last girl struggled so hard the medicine flew off, and we had to start over. Ouch!
Ohana, Miffy and the boys
Male Group 2 is the smaller boys, plus Ohana, a spayed girl and the only one who came from somewhere else. I got her from an animal welfare group. Her fur gets bleached by the sun. Then there’s Miffy, my personal favorite: all white, a bit weak and dreamy, with a haircut I gave the other day. Overlong fur is bad for rabbits because they swallow it, but with more than 15 long-haired ones I can’t clip them all.
The back of the neck is a vital spot for a rabbit, so they must hate this, but they handled it well. (Ohana nearly took my finger off.) The medicine goes on once a month, so until everyone found a home, this terribly hard job was waiting on the first of every month. At the time, we were looking for homes in Hawaii for these rabbits.
The cats’ turn
Under our vet’s instructions, the cats got medicine too. Ao had a tremendous number of fleas. Natsu is lighter, so she got a little less, and her collar came off, since fleas pile up under it. Then Shimako, Ao’s sibling, who is a little chubby. Our four other cats are too feisty to film. Madara, who was a little underdeveloped, is recovering from an illness at home right now, and running around happily.
Thanks for watching Chicken Paradise Hawaii! See you next time.