Tag Archives: Hobby

by | April 28, 2013 · 9:28 am

Luv One Another

In exactly another week, we will be going to the polls in what is dubbed the most crucial general election in the history of Malaysia.

It is through LUV that this hobby came about. The core reason why Tru-Luv Rabbitry came into existence is to prove to the world that responsible/ethical breeding is not only achievable but can be fun at the same time.

To say it is non-political would be inaccurate because when we stand for something, it is crucial to share the principles to fellow like-minded friends.

We all know what is at stake in this general election and for many of us, it is not for ourselves but our next generation. Like how I would like to leave this world with healthy and beautiful rabbits but that is beside the point and petty even.

Our country must be liberated with good education for our future generation so that our country will move forward in unity.

I am going to leave the political ceramah to the experts but all I hope is to see all my fellow Malaysians make an informed decision despite all the biased reports on the mainstream medias.

Vote for one that can tell you their plans and how they want to execute it. Vote for people who can bring forth good ideas.

Make a decision out of the LUV for Malaysia.

Ini Kalilah, UBAH!

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by | April 8, 2013 · 12:23 am

How Far Will You Take This Craze?

I am very grateful to have many amazing mentors in this bunny hobby throughout the years and I will never forget what one of my mentors told me about Holland Lop rabbits living against the odds in the warmer climate here in Malaysia and the high humidity level that do have adverse effect on them as well. This mentor of mine illustrated verbally exactly how imported rabbits will “transform” in their next generations.

Over the years I can clearly see the toll it (the weather) has taken on many imported rabbits. One issue clearly stands out among the many issues raising “show quality” rabbits here in Malaysia. Of course it does not take a genius to question such issues but the most prominent problem faced by seasoned breeders here is BREEDING.

There are many theories that has been derived through experiences and observations but tonight I would like to share my opinions on some of the problems that I have observed throughout the years.

We all know that breeding is an act by living creatures to increase the numbers of the species and I strongly believe that it will be successful only if the environment is conducive. There should be a certain level of comfort before any living organism can thrive.

Even if the environment is conducive, prey animals like rabbits tend to “adapt” faster compared to animals higher in the food chain. The need to survive can quickly affect the physical traits of prey animals.

In order to conform to the “breed standards”, physical traits make up almost 90% of the judging criteria for fancy rabbits like the Holland Lop and Netherland Dwarf breeds. And this is where Malaysian bred rabbits fair poorly against the imports. And for the imports, it depends on how fresh they are from the “import oven” and how close they are between landing in the airport and on the show tables.

Ear Length

I have seen pictures taken of Netherland Dwarfs with perfect short ears prior to importation and after 6 months, the same show winning Netherland Dwarfs can look like any regular “mongrel” rabbits here in Malaysia.

I realized that it is not because the ears have grown much longer since arrival but in fact, have lost so much fur that the base of the ears are exposed making them look longer than desired. And because physical traits are judged based on how they look to the naked eye, such “length” can be deemed as a fault.

Flesh Condition

I can safely say that it is summer all year round for Malaysia and rabbits tend to eat less in warmer climate. Feeding less nutritious pellets can make matters worst as far as flesh condition is concerned because less food intake will only make rabbits look scrawny. I have found that Genesis Ultra Premium pellets helped a lot as compared to all other brands that I have tried so far. The nutrition needed to maintain a reasonable amount of flesh condition can be achieve because of the wholesome nutrition offered by the pellets. But the fact remains the same that rabbits will not be as massive compared to those living in cooler condition where they eat more and put on more mass thus making them look massive.

Breeding

As for breeding, I have many observations and there are many reasons that I can see affecting the rabbits in this area. I believe cooler temperature does help to a certain extend and bucks can go sterile easily in the heat.

Solutions?

I have learned that if you are going to complain about something, the least you can do is offer solution but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the solution. If heat is the problem, then deal with it. Duh! I am just stating the obvious. If breeding is the problem, then deal with it. There are many alternatives to infertility. You can really do Artificial Insemination and they really have a lot of success with the Pandas. You can also do In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) but that is really an insult to the human community because it is such an expensive procedure to be done on RABBITS! And the latest craze is of course hormone injections. OMG, it is just like administering BOTOX!

But do you really want to do that?

My stand with unnatural intervention is very clear. If a rabbit have problems, it only means that the environment is not conducive and unsuitable. Don’t you think that there is something wrong with the picture? “Breed Like Rabbits” is a very valid statement but why don’t certain rabbits breed like rabbits?

And the desperation for fancy breeders to get their rabbits to reproduce is absolutely unbelievable because of the distance they will go to “squeeze” babies out of these imported rabbits. It has come to a point that this hobby is fast becoming questionable. “Passion vs. Greed”, “Return On Investment”, or even “Do They Really Belong Here?”

I think we all really have to pause a little moment to think about life and what is really important here. If you want any animal to thrive naturally, it must be adaptable even if it means losing certain “desired” physical traits.

Can’t we settle for how a rabbit look, naturally?

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When I Am Tired Of Writing…

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by | April 1, 2013 · 10:27 pm
by | March 22, 2013 · 8:47 am

What is quality anymore?

boolean bQuality = false;

if (BunnyPrice == Expensive) {
     bQuality = true; // bullshit imho
} else if (Breeder == Famous) {
     bQuality = true; // more bullshit imho
} else if (Breeder == SweetTalker) {
     bQuality = true; // even more bullshit imho
} else if (Breeder == DumbBimbo) {
     bQuality = true; // a truckload of bullshit imho
} else if (BunnyParents == GrandChampions) {
     bQuality = true; // not necessarily
} else if (Buyer == Blur) {
     bQuality = true; // good victim for all the above
} else if (Rabbit == Imported) {
     bQuality = true; // even humans have different grades
}

Wow, the possibilities are endless but nuff said…

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by | March 18, 2013 · 4:53 pm

Changing For The Better

RABBITS FOR ADOPTION:

I am currently assisting a dear friend to re-home two very special bunnies. These two bunnies are to be re-home together because they are a bonded pair. They are neutered and enjoy roaming freely in the house. Very suitable for apartment living. The following are (not so) recent photos of them:-

Buttons

Yohji

Interested to give these two a good home? Please email furrybutts@hotmail.com.

On to another unrelated topic…

It feels like I have abandoned this weblog for a very long time. It is so difficult to juggle with so many things in life which is actually a very good thing because that proves that I have a life – ROFL. My life does not only evolve around rabbits and I really love the vast varieties of experiences in life. The many commitments in life often take my mind off my rabbits but somehow, someway, when I least expects it, something will turn up and remind me of them.

rbt

I was traveling (again) recently and I encountered this “symbolic” reminder that my rabbits exist. Funny how rabbits seemed to be attracted to me or should I say, I am attracted to the bunnies. For most part, life is wonderful at this point of time and I am grateful for every part of it. I have a couple of young ones growing up in the rabbitry and the numbers are kept at a controlled level (thank goodness!).

I have been wanting to write about a particular topic for quite some time now but did not really have the luxury of time to do it. Now that I have some time to spare, I would like to write about a particular situation that tends to happen to pet lovers in general (me in particular).

I remembered that back in the old days, I tend to keep “herds” of rabbits. Due to the reason that there was no one particular breed back then, I have a variety of individual mixed breed rabbits in the herd. There was once that my father visited a friend who coincidentally kept rabbits as pets and brought back a couple of rabbits to add to my “collection”. These rabbits have since passed on but I remembered one incident in particular and it serves as a very good reminder to me to be cautious when adding a new rabbit to the herd. The “ecosystem” in my rabbitry is very important for me. I try my best not to “contaminate” the environment. The incident took place more than 10 years ago when I was keeping a particular herd of rabbits. All of them are very healthy and one fine day, I was told by a close friend that her friend raises a “new dwarf” breed. Naturally, I was interested and after bringing the little bunny home, I discovered that new kit on the block was infested with mites. The herd went through a full blown mites infestation and much was spent to eradicate the problem.

What I am trying to say is that, there tend to be an “evolution” in the rabbitry where new rabbit(s) will be added to the herd occasionally. We have to be very careful from where we obtain the new individual(s) from and on the other hands, we can never 100% eradicate mites as their presence is everywhere. We can only control their numbers by taking some precautionary steps.

We tend to go through “evolution” by adding and removing pets throughout our lifetime. Some of us need such experiences before settling down with the most suitable pets. I do not mean to encourage “testing” out pets but keeping them to their full lifespan before venturing to the next breed/species. Most important to remember is that “evolution” means to evolve for the better and not for the worst. We want to improve our hobby for the better not the other way around. In order for us to make things better, we must make good decisions.

Happy Evolving!

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by | March 3, 2013 · 2:57 pm

The Unnatural Intervention

Kudos to the people at Bunny’s Journal for another successful bunny gathering that is still ongoing as I write this piece. I am happy to see that the committee is on auto pilot now having had a lot of experience organizing such events. Due to other commitments, I was only able to stay for the Bunny Clinic by Dr. Nor Azam from Global Veterinary Sdn Bhd.

A good session by Dr. Nor Azam.

A good session by Dr. Nor Azam.

The Bunny Clinic session was very good especially for those who are interested and with rabbits needing medical concerns. I did ask a couple of questions and Dr. Nor Azam was more than willing to share his knowledge.

One topic that got everyone perked up was regarding reproduction problems and today we were introduced to a couple of Vitamins and drugs that can help in inducing ovulation. It seemed as though most of us present are facing reproduction problems especially in does – low libido and uninterested to mate seemed to be on everyone’s minds. At the back of my mind, I was asking myself “Why induce ovulation when rabbits are already induced ovulators themselves?”. What that means is that going through the act of copulation triggers the does to release eggs. And that got me wondering if ovulation can rouse the interest of does to copulate.

I guess we have to test it out to know if the reverse will be successful.

Testing it out or not is really besides the point of what I want to write today. The question is whether it is worth the trouble and is it right naturally to exercise such “unnatural intervention”. I feel that there is a reason why the rabbits are acting that way and even with human intervention, the low production traits will be inherited genetically.

If need be, I would really like to try out the hormone shots on the bunnies but at the same time I still hold on to the objective/goal of producing strong and versatile rabbits here in Malaysia while still retaining competitive physical traits. That is for me, I am not sure about you.

The BJ Mascot and me.

The BJ Mascot and me.

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by | February 17, 2013 · 4:18 pm

Available Now

copperfield

 

DOB: 21/12/2012

Gender: Buck

Interested, please email truluvrabbitry@gmail.com.

 

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by | February 15, 2013 · 2:09 pm

What Makes You A True Rabbit Lover?

First of all, I must thank Ms. Aisya Ridha for asking this simple yet difficult question.

“What Makes You A True Rabbit Lover?”

Frankly, I am dumbfounded by her question. It is simple but it touches the many facets of the hobby.

I must admit and to be brutally honest, I fall short of being a true rabbit lover because I have seen many true rabbit lovers throughout the years. What have I seen so far?

The definition of a true rabbit lover can vary from individual to individual and what I write here are just a few of my observation and what I believe to be the definition of a true rabbit lover.

A true rabbit lover understands the commitment and responsibilities needed to keep a rabbit (or any type of pet for the matter). He or she knows what is required of him/her taking on a pet way before bringing little furry home. Most of the time, the true rabbit lover that I know keeps only a single rabbit as companion. Both rabbit and owner are so in tuned in terms of the rhythm of lifestyle that any abnormal activity by either will trigger off a sense of worry and stress. A true rabbit lover is able to read the behavior of his/her companion rabbit.

1) Till Death Do Us Part

We hear this statement all too often during weddings and it is exactly what a true rabbit lover would vow to his or her companion rabbit. With a clear decision made before acquiring the pet, he/she has already decided and have the “end” in mind. No matter what the circumstances are, it is “till death do us part”. The true rabbit lover see to it that his/her rabbit live out its full life span that leads up to death with the least sufferings. Even upon death, the cremated ashes of bunny is kept in an urn for good memories (this is optional though).

2) The Blind

Have you ever come in contact with a blind person? The first thing that you would notice is how nonjudgmental a blind person is as far as looks is concerned. Like a blind person, a true rabbit lover sees beyond any shortcomings, disabilities, faults and disqualifications. Something definitely is hard for me to do. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to know owners of rabbits with malocclusion, blindness, splayed legs, wry neck and many other forms of disabilities. I have respect for these owner because instead of choosing the shortcut of ending the lives of these rabbits prematurely, they make the decision to care for them, for life!

3) The Everlasting Lover

A true rabbit lover tends to the needs of his/her rabbit by giving them not only the best homes but also nutrition wise. The best rabbit feed available, the best groomer and not forgetting the 5 different types of vegetables every night chopped to perfection. The rabbit live in the comfort of the home roaming freely without any supervision and comfortably sits on the couch during movie hours. I could understand how this will start to add up to the month expenses but giving the best rabbit food is really the least that we can do for our rabbits.

Honestly speaking, I can only achieve about 50% of what is stated above because it is pretty obvious that I do not only have just one companion rabbit. If I am not a “True Rabbit Lover”, what is my role as a breeder?

I am sure you would agree that to a certain extent, none of the above can be achieved without the “main actor” – the rabbit. That is where I come in. My responsibilities to name a few are as follows:-

1) To provide the true rabbit lover a healthy and beautiful rabbit to begin their lifelong journey.

2) To provide the support in terms of advice and recommendations that the true rabbit lover needs to raise his/her companion until the end of its lifespan.

3) To provide the true rabbit lover directions to seek professional help and only use DIY remedies as a last resort when all else fails.

And that is the reason behind the name…

tru – RABBIT – luv

Does it not make you wonder if I have thought about it all before embarking on this journey as a breeder and not a companion rabbit owner?

The answer is YES, and I have the unscrupulous breeders to thank. Tru-Luv Rabbitry was made to existence because I was once sold a little puppy that died 3 months after purchase to Canine Distemper (AIDS in the dog’s world), another puppy that died 3 months after purchase due to collapsed lungs which according to the vet is congenital and another puppy was killed by an unqualified vet. These are just a few heart wrenching incidents that inspired me to start Tru-Luv Rabbitry. My mission is to help the TRUE RABBIT LOVER not to have to go through the heartaches I experienced. All you have to do is trust me when I say Yes and when I say No.

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Luv Is In The Air

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by | February 14, 2013 · 11:42 pm
by | February 13, 2013 · 9:15 pm

Just Thoughts & Feelings

In a blink of an eye, this weblog is entering its 6th year. Who would have thought that this hobby can endure for such a long time, I for one did not know it can when I first started. I guess once you are bugged, you will be stuck with it for life. Raising animals as pets can be quite an addiction because of how attached we become and it feels awkward without a furry friend beside us.

It has been a while since I posted photos of my rabbits. It is mainly because how busy work life can be and other parts of life that need my attention.

The one thing that I am glad and also the reason why the hobby is sustainable after 6 years is how manageable it is. I believe the reason is that it has remained nothing more than a hobby for me. Which means, I keep both my day job and the hobby. There is no pressure in worrying if it is profitable or otherwise.

I am also grateful that for more than 2 years now that TinyCritterz.com has become a platform for wonderful products to be shared among rabbit enthusiasts here in Malaysia. It feels wonderful to be able to provide such a service beside from educating rabbit owner through this blog. My wish is for TinyCritterz.com to continue providing rabbit owners easy access to good small animal products.

So where are we now after 6 years?

Of course there are more to learn and share. Experiences may repeat but there are always opportunities to learn new things.

For almost 6 years, this blog has acted as an information portal for many bunny enthusiasts both local and abroad. I have shared details of my every experience. To be honest, when I first started blogging about my rabbit raising experiences, it was not intended to benefit anyone except myself. I have difficulty remembering things and needed a journal to pen down my experiences so that I have a point of reference. Little did I know that from that simple function, truluvrabbitry.com has grown to be a reference site for many new comers in the hobby. Sometimes when I hear certain terms and ideas, they do sound familiar to me. Certain advice shared among rabbit owners sounded familiar as well and sometimes I do feel tickled knowing very well where the information come from.

Then there are those moments when you read slogans, tag lines or even promotional quotes that sound way too familiar e.g. Quality Holland Lops, We Breed Out Of “LOVE” and etc. These are but a few that make the hair at the back of my neck stand because I feel so touched how much impact this weblog have on those lacking creativity. It can be devastating to know that these terms are used (or should I say abused) for all the wrong reasons.

As much as I enjoy this hobby there are a few things that I dislike witnessing and the top 10 things I love to hate hearing and observing are:-

1) Irresponsible breeders selling sick rabbits to new comers in dark places to hide problems

2) Irresponsible breeders selling pets at show quality prices dubbing the term “potential”

3) Rogue breeders treating rabbits like commodity without any interest to developing the breed for the better

4) Breeders advocating that imported stocks equates to the best quality. I feel sadder for the buyers not knowing that even imported rabbits can be of inferior quality.

5) Breeders who imitate and use the lingo to cheat new comers.

6) Wannabe breeders who does not know better passing on the wrong knowledge to new comers like themselves.

7)  New comers that moves around the bunny circle asking the same questions and quoting comments causing misunderstandings among breeders.

8) New comers that choose the wrong “mentors”.

9) New comers that are lazy to do research before embarking in the hobby.

10) Fakers that are full of praises just because they need help or advice.

So as I close my eyes today to make a wish, I wish that Tru-Luv Rabbitry will continue to be at the forefront in terms of raising quality Holland Lops here in Malaysia. When I say quality, I mean the styles, the overall type, the color, disposition and health that I like to see in my rabbits.  In short, I want Holland Lops, MY WAY…

Have you found yours?

IMG_4960

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