Tag Archives: holland lop

Grow Pixie, Grow!

In the race to perfection, there will always be imperfections. I would like to see Pixie Blu as a perfect imperfection. Not sure if that make sense but it doesn’t matter, my own definition that is – 😛

I believe most of us will spend more time and effort just to save the problematic babies. Something that is not recommended if you are a staunch follower of “survival of the fittest” school of thought. Compassion gets the best of us sometimes so for me, I was putting a lot of effort into ensuring Pixie Blu survives and I am glad it is working well.

Here’s some photo updates:

As long as a pencil?

This is what you get when a little girl loves her rabbit. Shower it with lotsa girlie toys!

On the other hand, Tru-Luv Sassy went to a very good home today. I am really pleased that she will get VIB (Very Important Bunny) treatment at her new home.

Though having a major molt, she still looks awesome!

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Life’s Purpose

I have been searching for a very touching video but all I found was another version that I don’t think would give quite as much as an impact for the point that I would like to put across. Nonetheless, I will write a short narration of what it is all about. A couple of years ago, Oprah Winfrey embarked on a project called Christmas Kindness. Oprah and her crew flew to Africa to organize 3 massive parties for the poor children of Africa especially the children victimized by AIDS. It was a random act of kindness where all children are invited to the parties. Some were just picked up while taking long walks. Some of these children are left to fend for themselves after losing both their parents to AIDS. Some after hearing news of the parties, walked bare footed for hours to the huge tents that Oprah and her crew has set up. Underneath these tents, the children were mesmerized with a wonderland filled with what most of these children yearns for, true happiness and a glimpse of what a perfect childhood should be. Though it was just for a a few hours, the happiness shown through the faces on these children were priceless as most of them wear a pair of shoes for the first time, have their photos taken for the very first time and most of all, no children left without a present and are fed (some the only meal for the day).

Due to the immense emotions, even Oprah herself broke down and cried. That was in fact the most moving part of the show for me. It is hard holding back tears because the emotions were so raw and intense. Oprah must have felt and question what she can do to save every single one of these children. Though she was not able to bring happiness to every single child in Africa, what she did is enough to bring love to those that was lucky enough to experience that wonderful day.

It has been 25 years since Oprah Winfrey first started her talk show and it came to an end early this year. Out of that 25 years, I am happy to say that I have followed her since I was 8 years old, the same time when the first pet rabbit came into my life. And since then, I have watched some of her talk shows that touched on very interesting and provocative subjects. I am not ashamed to say that Oprah Winfrey is a great influence and also the greatest inspiration of my life. It is hard to imagine me being a big fan of Oprah Winfrey because most will only agree that the queen of talk shows is not for a macho man. I prefer to differ.

Perceptions of life

I spent this weekend reflecting on life and realized that success and failure are only states of mind. At times, it does feel that this hobby has became a little of a drag for me lately mainly because I have been so consumed by all the negativity that I have allowed to cloud my vision. Life is filled with ups and downs and it is common to go through hard times occasionally. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Talking about perseverance! And the genius in Albert Einstein also have his opinion about mistakes in life quoting, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

One of the things that made Oprah so successful while doing what she loves is the discovery of her passion & purpose. I must admit that there was a defining moment when I first decided to start raising Holland Lops. It is hard to explain but it is the “AHA!” moment when a little bulb just lights up out of a sudden! I am also sure it is not just about the rabbits but instead it is my passion in writing about them as well. I am not sure how many have been inspired by reading through my blog and started in the hobby but either way I believe some did start raising Holland Lops because of this blog. Some may be inspired by the photos of the cute and beautiful rabbits that I post up occasionally and some may have started the hobby to proof a point that they can raise nicer rabbits due to my “arrogance”. Either way, I am glad that I have played a role getting people started in this hobby or at least learn how to treat their rabbit(s) better by being well informed owners.

My purpose is indeed sharing and educating others about the rabbit raising hobby. If it not my purpose, I will not find myself sitting on a bench writing this blog post and aboout how I feel in the midst of the hustling and bustling of a mall on a Sunday morning. A quiet weekend away from work really does wonders to one’s mind and soul. To top it off, I was so moved and inspired watching Oprah Winfrey’s 25th year finale episodes.

The child in us

It is the same perception “imposed” on men that made us all lose that inner child in us. I am not sure if you will agree with me when I say that we love to do certain things because it gives us that certain escape that we yearn for. That certain escape that brings out the child in us. Raising rabbits for me is in fact that little “comfort zone” for me. It brings me back to that little space where I can be who I really am without being superficial. And when I meet another person who raises rabbit, that is exactly what brings us closer together because our little space expands and we find ourselves in the midst of another child in a bigger space. As more join us in the hobby, we have a huge playground. We are no longer ashamed of being “childish”, speaking and sharing things that others who are not in the hobby do not understand nor appreciate. It is for that one moment in time, that we free and liberate ourselves from being labelled. In our playground, we are no longer forced to be or act “mature”.

Pay it forward

We learn new things every day and I am not bashful to admit that I only learn these 3 important words in my 30s. These 3 words are – PAY IT FORWARD. Many of us have used these 3 words without realizing it at one point or another, as any act of charity and kindness represents these 3 words. And I am very lucky to have many people using “PAY IT FORWARD” on me in my life. Oprah Winfrey has done this for the past 25 years. She “PAID IT FORWARD” many times over and we can clearly see that during her 25th year finale episodes, the fruit of her labor. One of which that stood out was her contribution to the community in the form of Morehouse College where it educates poor African American. The impact of just educating over 400 of these poor students at Morehouse College, Oprah’s contribution has done great things in their lives. From the education obtained, the men have the opportunity to be professionals like lawyers, doctors and engineers to name a few. And talking about “PAY IT FORWARD”, these men went on to contribute their own money for the next generation of students!

Here’s a video of some of the men from Morehouse making a dedication to Oprah:

Amidst all the negativity in this world, I am happy to see the joy when these 3 words are practised in actions. Generosity really goes a long way. Life is nothing near a bed of roses but it is our choice to see the roses or to be consumed by all the thorns. It feels good blinding myself from viewing the thorns and be amongst those that plant roses instead. Being at the forefront of the rabbit blogger sphere, I realized how important it is to continue to inspire and give hope to the many readers who visit my blog fervently. I have to apologize because I have been so self absorbed lately especially in the unhappiness. It is only human to fall but whatever that cannot break, will only make us stronger.

Go forth and be inspired and to inspire in all things great and small!

The next generation of Tru-Luv rabbits!

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Filed under Everyday Life, Random Topics

Blogging is a privilege

Work has been taking up most of my time and mind off blogging lately. Right now as I sit with my breakfast right in front of me and when I finally find that I have the time to write, all I have on my mind is, BLANK. Not blank by nature but in fact, blank by choice. Each topic that comes unto my mind somehow have a “counter effect” on it telling me not to write.

I am now “blogging conscious” as I would like to put it. What does that mean? It means that every single word that I write is scrutinized and if I am not careful can easily be used as materials to go against me. Of course there are those that appreciates what I write and also, in this world we can never please everyone at the same time.

So what should I do about it? I really do not know but I do know that everyone is much smarter now and perhaps it is a sign that my work to share my knowledge is done. Should this blog cease its operation I wonder. There will naturally be 2 reactions here. The first should be from those who enjoy reading this blog and appreciate what I write, I am sure they will disagree that I stop blogging. The second should be a resounding YES from TLR haters. But who cares about the latter anyway?

If it to reclaim my freedom to write calls for the need for me to relinquish all earthly positions/titles, I rather not hold any positions so that I am able to write and express my inner feelings. At least I am able to relief myself from harboring and keeping my feelings/opinions. Writing is very therapeutic to some including myself. And it makes me wonder, why can’t I write about what I love and most of all, why can’t I write about my experience raising rabbits be it good or bad? Why can’t I express my own opinion in my own space?

I believe that as we move towards higher level in everything, there bound  to be some hurdles/challenges. I have learn that sometimes in order to move forward 10 steps, I will need to take 2 steps backwards.

And now that I have expressed what I wanted this beautiful Saturday morning, I bid everyone a happy and clean weekend!

Pixie Blu says, "Hello everyone!"

"See, I am fast catching up!"

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Filed under Ramblings, Random Topics

An End To An Era

I received an sms that I dread this morning. It brought news of death. An accident and we have lost Holly Hope forever.

Sorry for my lack of words, I am still lost for words just like all those that have came to know her through the years. That sweet tiny lifeless thing I first met back in 17th April 2008. I still remember that faithful day very clearly. I thought she will never survive being alone and seemed to be frail. She not only survived but captured our hearts as she grew up.

Days and months passed…

And just a blink of an eye, you turned 3 years this year. I am sure it’s beautiful where you are right now. Green lush meadow where you see many that have gone before you.

Binky free my little hope…

Sorely missed...

GONE TOO SOON….

P.S.: Please give Clark a bunny smooch for me.

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Filed under Does, Rainbow Bridge

Pixie Blu updates

After the previous post about Pixie Blu, I thought we’ll be losing this little cute fellow and as usual, Rabbit Nutri-Drops proved to be a very good supplement. Touch wood, little Pixie Blu is gaining some weight now but still is relatively small for a bunny its age.

Having a little run time. This little fellow only run within the parameter of the carpet. It didn't like the smooth surface beyond the carpet - LOL!

Really short and cute little ears....

Cutest!

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Filed under In The Nestbox

Meet Pixie Blu

Seemed to be a normal little kit

I was really excited to find a little broken blue tort kit in the nest box 4 weeks ago. The little kit grew up just like any other ordinary kit but at 2nd week, its growth somehow took a little halt. Apparently it stop suckling and seemed to be a little fader. We sometimes call these faders, pixie and generally, they do not live a long life. Nonetheless, I kept on trying.

Cute little 2 week old

While looking at little Pixie Blu, I cannot stop but to wonder about a theory I once read on how the 3 sizes of the Poodle dog breed was produced. Apparently in each litter of puppies in dogs, they bound to be 25% of the puppies exhibiting dwarfism traits. From the Standard Poodle, the 25% dwarfs are used for breeding and that produced the Miniature Poodle and the process is repeated until they obtained the Toy Poodle. And rumours has it that they have successfully produced the Teacup Poodle. Not sure how far that is true.

Teacup Holland Lop

Anyway, we all know the reason behind Pixie Blu. Sadly, it is the double dwarf gene acting up and sometimes they are called a runt. Perhaps a peanut that lived a little longer?

Look out down under!

I sure hope Pixie Blu live a long and normal life as I am doing all that I can to keep it alive and healthy. I do not mind having the smallest and cutest Holland Lop in town.

A comparison of 2 kits almost the same age (4 weeks old)

How not to love such an adorable and lovable little thing?

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Where do we go from here?

Cleaning time for the past few days has been a little awkward. The feeling of something missing – Thunder. I clean each bunny quarter in order and somehow Thunder is always the last and I do spend some time with the little fellow. And since he left, I did stop for a moment at his empty cage and wonder where did our little friend go. Thunder has been the “face” of Tru-Luv Rabbitry for the past 2 years and it is really hard not seeing him around.

There are many reasons and motivations behind this hobby. My motivation from the start is to share this wonderful hobby with a fellow enthusiast that is serious in developing the breed and most importantly to prove that ethical breeding is possible in the smallest of pets.

Thunder came to Tru-Luv Rabbitry in the 1st quarter of 2009 and with just one litter, he has improved the quality of my herd tremendously. Having Thunder really sets a high standard for the herd as each of his offspring tends to be compared against his overall disposition. His traits are mostly inherited by his descendants and you can recognize Thunder in Trudi, Trudle, Fred and Barney just to name a few.

Talking about quality, I can remember very clearly that approximately 5 years back, we were discussing and arguing about whether or not rabbits without pedigree purchased from the pet stores are pure breeds. We even argue whether or not they are of show quality. Fast forward today, we no longer argue about whether they are pedigree or not. We are able to distinguish almost immediately whether a rabbit is imported or bred locally. We discuss about breed standards. We no longer talk about Hay being the staple food of rabbits. The general public is so well informed now.

 I believe very strongly that many factors has contributed to this improvement and competition has been the key factor. Be it competition in sales or even competition in quality itself. The better informed the public is, the more demanding they are in choosing their rabbits. Lately I have been getting quite a number of inquiries for “Show Quality” rabbits. I seldom receive inquiries about pet rabbits. Many is learning the right lingo so to speak, which is a good thing.

Today I no longer feel lonely in this hobby as I have local bunny buddies to have rabbit chats with. I even get some reminders and opinions on my own rabbits. In short, we have grown tremendously in this hobby. I now not only admire my own rabbits but I am able to drop by a bunny friend’s place to admire theirs as well. I can now share a bunny or two with a fellow enthusiast to help improved his/her herd. And likewise, I am able to get a rabbit to improve my herd too!

I believe many enthusiasts have worked hard over the years that contributed to the improvement of the Show rabbit circuit here in Malaysia. Most have spent a fortune for this wonderful hobby. Some may not spend as much but has also made progress through their own limited resources. The bunny world seemed to be doing really well as far as my human eyes can perceive.

And as for Thunder, my momma always say, “Love Isn’t Love Until You Give It Away“…

Continue the bunny lovin’ peeps!

"We make them everyday?"

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Filed under Bucks, Bunny Business

Thunderous Farewell

Today we say goodbye to 2 long time residents here in Meadow Haven. We say farewell to Thunder and Holly Hope. They are going to their retirement homes. It was a difficult decision but was made easy knowing that both of them will be loved. They will not be too far away and I can visit.

Thunder is going to where Barney, his son is. I am sure he will enjoy the rest of his retirement there in a huge bunny mansion fit for the King & Queen Buns! He will also be bonded to 2 other beautiful bunnies and perhaps get to meet 2 goofy “little” French Lops! I feel a little tickled by the fact that I am responsible for increasing the size of the rabbit herd at this family’s home from 2 bunnies to now 6 bunnies – LOL!

Always the cutest and chunkiest buck for me. I like to call him the "Stumps"

Stumps for front feet!

Gonna miss those cheeks!

And as a token of appreciation for Thunder, I receive a little gift in the form of a pair of chopstick rests by Royal Selangor. I have always love the pewter by Royal Selangor and I absolutely love this gift! Thank you very much to the Sun family.

Gorgeous!

Holly Hope will be a familiar face at XOXO Pets Store. She shall be the ambassador of XOXO’s Rabbit Boarding service – LOL! 🙂

Time to enjoy retirement...

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Filed under Bucks, Does, For Adoption, Friends Of Tru-Luv

It’s Tru-Luv!

I stumbled across Faith Evan’s True Love by accident and while listening to it, I can’t help but to feel how much it relates to me in this hobby. At the end of the day it is not about other people it’s about the rabbits, that’s the reason why I started this blog.

When I first started this blog, there were so much to write about and sometimes I still get the inspiration to write long articles but now, most of the time, I am in a hiatus. I guess when you have a strong following, you really have to mind what you write because it is no longer your own domain. You are bound to public opinion and sometimes the pressure can be drowning.

It is very easy for people to take things out of context and even more so when jealousy is at play. But people fail to understand that when there is truth, there are followers. And that is exactly what Tru-Luv Rabbitry blog is all about – sincere, truthful and in-depth personal thoughts/opinions. To be honest, I prefer writing just about anything and everything I like but life ain’t that simple any more I guess.

Peter Parker once said, “With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility”. I would say that, “With Great Following, Comes Diminished Freedom To Write”. This is because you may not know that somewhere, somehow and some way, your article may just fall unto the eyes of those who have ill feelings against you. And if you are unlucky, some may be very influential and may cause you some trouble. So you just don’t have a choice but to clean up some crap and move along in life.

And when that happens, I just say with a smile, “Sure, you win”.

For every person that wants me to stop sharing, hundreds more truly appreciate my writings. That’s all I can say and it is for the hundreds that this blog matters! If you are reading this, you need not comment and tell me, I know and I appreciate you being my faithful reader. Thank you for your support so far and I am glad that I could be of great assistance and help to you.

Tru-Luv knows no bounds…

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Filed under Random Topics

What Happen to the Points?

Let’s start off with the question – WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE(S) OF A RABBIT SHOW?

Answer: CONFORMATION

The reason why rabbits entered in show must not be neutered, is because, sound specimens must be reproduced. The conformation show emphasizes and even amplifies this fact. A show indirectly promotes the breeding of the best animals and therefore, a rabbit that is disqualified (DQ) must be made known so that the breeder will not be lead to believe that it is alright to breed his/her rabbit. The saying, “be cruel to be kind” holds true here. In my opinion, a judge should be extremely honest though it may make them unpopular. If a judge is really for the betterment of the breed(s), being popular should be the last thing on his/her mind.

The main objective of a rabbit show or any sort of shows e.g. dog & cat is none other than CONFORMATION to the STANDARD OF PERFECTION. I am sure most of us have the Standard Of Perfection booklet by now and let’s take a look at the latest Standard Of Perfection for the Holland Lop breed. Each breed comes together with its schedule of points:

General Type….84 Body
Head
Ears
Crown
Feet,Legs,Bone
32
24
10
8
10
Fur……………..7
Color & Markings….4
Condition………..5
TOTAL POINTS….100

And now let’s look at a typical ARBA show result slip:

Another question, where are the points?

I am not saying that this is the practice by only certain judge but I believe this is a common practice in any ARBA show at the moment (please correct me if I am wrong). I am also not sure if the point system has ever been used. Please bear in mind that I am not trying to challenge the integrity or worthiness of judges here but I believe by just stating one’s opinion is not justifiable in selecting the best rabbit. If the win is not justifiable, it makes no difference of just organizing a rabbit beauty pageant where no merits are given to adherence to standards.

The point system would satisfy nay-sayers like me when it comes to justifying a winning rabbit. The only reason I can think of why the point system has since be obsolete is because of time constraints. But I also believe that there is a reason why we have RAMRODS (writers). Instead of standing around looking pretty and writing a few lines on each result slip, the job of the ramrod should also include calculating the points for each rabbit. But do we risk jeopardizing the quality of rabbits in exchange for convenience? How can a judge possibly have a number crunching brain capable of storing the scores for hundreds of rabbits that he/she touches and feel? Even if he/she have the super natural power, let’s try to think of an instance where there are 2 very identical rabbits.

If rabbit A has the same crown as rabbit B, under the point system, both should have the same points! And if that is written down and tabulated, it will give a clearer justification where one of the rabbit loses out. It just doesn’t make sense to me to hear the judge telling his writer, “This is a fine representation of the breed, such an amazing doe” but the rabbit gets the 1st place from bottom up – LAST so to speak!

I am sure by now, you get the point that I am trying to put forth and I wonder if there is any plans of re-enforcing the point system judging which promotes better transparency and leave no room for “favouritism”. Or is it?

I feel that it defeats the purpose of having the Standard Of Perfection schedule of points if the points are not being used during judging.

I was once told that if the judge wants you to lose, he/she will ensure you lose. I wonder what other ways we can help improve the system so to promote real “CONFORMATION” for the betterment of the breed rather than the relationships. If a relationship can’t last beyond winning or losing, it is a relationship not worth having!

Just my 2 cents worth.

Why so complicated when they are not?

================================================================

Apakah objective mengadakan pertandingan arnab?

Tiada jawapan lain kecuali PENGESAHAN.

Ia adalah pengesahan bahawa arnab yang terbaik diagung2kan. Dan tahukah anda, mengapa arnab yang bertanding dalam Show ARBA tidak dibenarkan kembiri?

Ia adalah kerana arnab yang paling dekat mewakili standard yang dikemukakan oleh ARBA digalakkan digunakan dalam program pembiakan rabbitry.

Saya rasa judge sepatutnya memberi pandangan yang jujur dan tidak segan dibenci kerana pandangan yang bernasnya. Maklumlah, ada kala judge ni nak jadi popular maka tidak berani mengatakan arnab kawannya sudahpun DISQUALIFY. Untuk saya, kalau disqualify lebih baik diberitahu kerana kalau tidak, pemilik arnab tersebut akan berfikir arnabnya wajar dibiak apabila ia mempunyai masalah genetik yang akan diwarisi, sejaligus tidak menolong pemilik tersebut meningkatkan kualiti arnabnya malah memburukkan seluruh program pembiakannya.

Jom kita semua renung apakah yang dikemukakan oleh ARBA dimana setiap baka diberi jadual markah asing2. Di bawah adalah jadual markah untuk baka Holland Lop:

General Type….84 Body
Head
Ears
Crown
Feet,Legs,Bone
32
24
10
8
10
Fur……………..7
Color & Markings….4
Condition………..5
TOTAL POINTS….100

Apa kata kita lihat slip keputusan pertanding arnab pula:

Dimana pergi markahnya?

Saya tidak bermaksud untuk mengatakan bahawa kita semua telah dikelentong oleh para penganjur atau judge yang hadir untuk show kita kelmarin akan tetapi, ini adalah amalan am di mana2 pertanding arnab ARBA (kalau tak silap saya). Saya lebih gemar dengan sistem markah jikalau ia pernah diamalkan seketika dahulunya. Kalau tidak, apa gunanya Standard of Perfection kan?

Alasan yang dapat saya fikirkan mengapa sistem markah ini tidak digunakan adalah kerana kesuntukan masa semasa pertandingan. Akan tetapi, semasa show kan kita ada penulis markah. Selain daripada jadi model yang cantik mungkin penulis markah ni boleh buat perhitungan markah untuk setiap slip keputusan?

Dengan mengabaikan sistem markah untuk kemudahan tidak wajar malah menjejaskan objective kita untuk menggalakkan pembiakan arnab yang berkualiti. Tidak mengguna sistem markah seumpama judge main tikam sahaja dalam memilih pemenangnya sekaligus memberi ruang kepada penyalahgunaan kedudukannya sebagai seorang pengadil yang sepatutnya adil dan saksama.

Tidak masuk akal pabila judge mengatakan arnab ini sangat cantik tetapi apabila melihat slip keputusan, arnab tersebut dapat Nombor 1 dari belakang (belakang mali ke? terakhir namanya). Dan ia tidak masuk akal langsung kerana di dalam lebih ratusan arnab, pengadil boleh ingat markah secara maya dalam otaknya. Tidak mungkin dan oleh kerana itu, sistem markah sepatutnya digunakan.

Saya rasa tidak perlu adanya buku Standard Of Perfection jikalau sistem pemarkahannya tidak digunakan. Pengadil terus tunjuk dengan jari sahaja yang mana pemenangnya.

Boleh?

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Filed under Rabbit Education, Rabbit Show