Heart of Sylvester sanctuary

14/02/2023

💔❤️

11/01/2023

Who's got the best and most helpful attitude?! Everyone has the ability to become a better bunny carer. It may be small adjustments or it could be big changes. Noone is perfect and all bunny lovers have made mistakes at some point in the past. What's important is to ensure our rabbits are happy now and in future. We have a duty to ensure their basic needs are met and permanent safe space is one of them.

13/12/2022

Today Albert left to rainbow bridges. Goodbye my sweet boy. Rest in eternal love and freedom.
I love you. 🌈❤️🐹

12/12/2022

A 'pet' is a convenience. Family is here to stay 😍. Do you agree?

27/11/2022

Respect animals.

Sentenced to life for a crime they didn't commit...

I wake up early in the morning and look around sadly at the enclosed bare walls of my room. I get up and wash myself, ready for another day. As always there's something to eat. Now what? There’s no-one here for company or even to watch. I look around, eager to get up and move about. The door’s locked, I can’t get out. It’s so claustrophobic in here, I long to be free, to run around out in the fresh air. Here he comes, my captor, come to let me out? No, just passing by. I sit and wait. Bored. I wait some more. Lie down. Sit up. Lie down. Sit up. I’m restless. I can’t wait to get out. I sit and nibble at some food. Wait, here he comes again. Yes, let out into the yard. Freedom! (For an hour at least, anyway). It feels so good to finally stretch my legs and have a larger area to play in. Today I don't want to run, I want to explore. Then it's over, here he is to take me back. I don’t want to go back inside. I try to tell him, but he won’t listen, he doesn’t understand me. I have to return to my cell, I’m not allowed to stay out. Locked away again, all on my own. I’m so lonely sat here with nothing to do and barely any space to move. I lie down and relax for a bit, but I’m not tired yet. I want to go out again, but I can’t. What else can I do but lie here, try to make myself comfortable, stretch out as best I can, and drift off to sleep?

I’m a rabbit living in the average hutch, sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime I didn't commit. It doesn't have to be this way. Just because I can’t talk, doesn’t mean I don’t matter. I have feelings, I’m a living and breathing creature that deserves a happy and fulfilling life too. Yes, something bigger than a cell costs more but I’m not just a rabbit, I’m part of the family. I have only one chance at life, just like you, so please give me the best life you can. All life should be valued, no matter how small. We rabbits have been misunderstood for far too long. Enough is enough, the time for change is long overdue. Just because people are used to seeing us living in these small cramped conditions, it doesn't mean that’s how it should be. Help me, you can make a difference, please don’t sentence me to a miserable life. The assumption is 'my rabbit rarely runs', that's true, just like you rarely run. But you can, if you want, I can't if I'm in prison...

Find adequate rabbit housing at https://dunsterhouse.co.uk/rabbitopia

18/11/2022

Who are they fooling?! Certainly not us!

16/11/2022

As her litter of babies is dispatched to the pet shop, she is left behind to produce more. Please don't fuel her slavery. Don't pay for her misery. Don't buy her babies.

02/11/2022

Gut stasis is one of the most serious conditions a rabbit could have, and it deserves to be taken seriously by both the owner and veterinary staff. Because there are many possible causes (many of them external to the gut itself), it must be highlighted that it is a symptom and not a final diagnosis....

01/11/2022

Rabbits are vegan. They don't hurt anybody. We humans have that choice too. If we treated all animals with respect and compassion instead of hunting them, exploiting them, killing them, breeding them, eating them, farming them, experimenting on them, wearing their fur, wearing their skin, using them for entertainment, you name it, the world would be a much better place, not just for them but for us and for the planet too.

24/10/2022

Teach your children respect for animals. Teach your children that animals are not ours to breed and keep captive for our entertainment. It is not fair on them. They are not toys. Animals should be free, not forced to breed in captivity etc.
If you take your kids to a workshop organised by a pet shop, they will teach them the opposite.
Be the responsible parent. Be the one who genuinely cares about animals.
If you plan on adopting animals from a rescue, then great! Your choice, your responsibility and your children will learn that there are animals who need homes.

12/10/2022

‼️

As prey animals, rabbits will often hide signs of pain and distress, so it is important as a responsible rabbit owner to regularly check your rabbits to identify any signs for concern.

Please familiarise yourself with the signs that your rabbit needs to see a rabbit-savvy vet, and if you are worried about any of the below, please take them to the vets ASAP.

30/09/2022

🐰🥰

30/09/2022

The one and only, Sylvester, in 2018. ❤️❤️🌈

17/09/2022

Breeding is selfish.

That's all folks!

11/09/2022

!

02/09/2022

True.

No further comment needed...

01/09/2022

"Many people simply expect too much from their rabbits, how?

One way you may expect too much is by expecting your rabbit to conform to your home and lifestyle - not chewing or digging your house and new furniture to shreds for example, when their natural instinct tells them to build a home underground and gnaw through anything in their way.

Another way would be in expecting too much of their sleep patterns - expecting your rabbit to ‘go to bed’ at night just as you would and close them away, when their natural instincts tell them to be constantly busy and active to avoid predators, especially through the night.

Yet another way someone could expect too much of their rabbit would be in their social habits - expecting them to instantly get along with a new family member, new animal or new rabbit that enters the home, when their natural instincts tell them to avoid new creatures, approach with caution and chase any foreign rabbit out of their territory.

Remembering who our rabbits are and what is ‘natural behaviour’ for them as a species can help you to keep your expectations of them on a rabbit level, and not on a human one. Otherwise frankly, you’ll be disappointed."

Many people simply expect too much from their rabbits, how?

One way you may expect too much is by expecting your rabbit to conform to your home and lifestyle - not chewing or digging your house and new furniture to shreds for example, when their natural instinct tells them to build a home underground and gnaw through anything in their way.

Another way would be in expecting too much of their sleep patterns - expecting your rabbit to ‘go to bed’ at night just as you would and close them away, when their natural instincts tell them to be constantly busy and active to avoid predators, especially through the night.

Yet another way someone could expect too much of their rabbit would be in their social habits - expecting them to instantly get along with a new family member, new animal or new rabbit that enters the home, when their natural instincts tell them to avoid new creatures, approach with caution and chase any foreign rabbit out of their territory.

Remembering who our rabbits are and what is ‘natural behaviour’ for them as a species can help you to keep your expectations of them on a rabbit level, and not on a human one. Otherwise frankly, you’ll be disappointed.

30/08/2022

The cost of living is no excuse! You wouldn't abandon your child outside, you would find a way!

27/08/2022

Breeders' logic. Nope, they're not a problem, even though they sell unneutered, often mis-sexed baby rabbits to clueless owners who will end up with 'accidental litters' or fighting rabbits or neglected rabbits sitting in small hutches or cages when the kids are bored or the situation changes. But no, it's never their fault. It's always some worse breeder or pet shops or bad owners. So let's carry on producing more rabbits regardless 'cos I'm better than everyone else!' The arrogance!

24/08/2022

Freedom. ✊❤️

21/08/2022

Beautiful news: ALL THE RABBITS HAVE BEEN FREED FROM T&S TODAY! 🎊

but now urgent funds are needed for the rabbit's safety and care before they are rehomed 🐇

Each individual will need:
Neutering: £100
Vaccine x2: £150
Parasite meds (dewormer & mites meds): £40

Please give if you can: https://donorbox.org/t-s-bunny-fund
support Shut Down T&S Rabbits 🐰

A drawing in protest of the rabbit fur and flesh farm 🩸🐇

Shut Down T&S Rabbits
🐰⛓🗝

18/08/2022

Help needed!

HELP THE T&S RABBITS GET THE MEDICAL CARE THEY NEED!After the news that T&S is shutting down and letting all buns go to loving homes, the rescues are going to need a lot of support to be able to cover costs of neutering, vaccines, parasite...

10/08/2022

Everybunny Counts Rabbit Rescue

🆘🆘 rabbit savvy veterinarian needed!!! 🆘🆘
We need everyone who reads this post to share it. We were told today that one of the two veterinary practices we bring rabbits to will no longer be able to provide services to us. This practice did our spay and neuter surgeries, which means we are unable to take unaltered rabbits into rescue. The other practice we work with is too overloaded to take on these appointments.
We need you to share this post in hopes it will reach a rabbit-savvy vet in Connecticut or the Springfield, MA area who is willing and able to work with a fully non-profit rescue. Our primary need is for spays and neuters. We know this special person is out there- we just have to reach them.

Pic of Sq**rt (now Marshmallow), who only found his forever home because he was able to receive veterinary care.

10/08/2022

Let's talk about emotional blackmail.

Sounds cheery, doesn't it? On top of the hours we spend driving across the state to pick up rabbits in need, the minutes we spend answering emails, texts, and phone calls during our lunch hours and bathroom breaks, the plans we cancel with our friends and family, the tears we cry at the vet, the sleepless nights while we clean and medicate and tend to the needs of what feels like anyone and anything but ourselves, we're often forced to call your bluff when you threaten to euthanize, dump, or otherwise abuse your rabbit unless we jump immediately at the snap of your fingers.

And here's the thing - not a single one of us does this because we want praise, thanks, or applause. In fact, sometimes it makes us uncomfortable to see comment after comment flood in, thanking us for all we do - because this isn't about us. It's about the rabbits, the animals who don't have a voice, who don't have a chance.

But not one bit of that makes it okay when you contact us and say that you really don't want to euthanize your rabbits, but...you'd really hate to let them go outside, but...you don't want to take them to the livestock auction, but....

Just. Stop.

If you don't want to, then don't.

Emotionally blackmailing us to help you when we're overwhelmed only means that the rabbits suffer more. When we're burnt out, we need rest. When we're overfull, we need to pause intakes. Using manipulative tactics to try to force us into helping when we're not able to do so doesn't serve any of us. So many nightmares begin because someone who wanted to help just got in over their head. We're not going to do that. Sometimes, we simply have to say no.

Because we're here to keep a promise. 💕

02/08/2022

28/07/2022

Hey breeders, stop crying that you are working hard and not making any money! Rescues are losing money every day because of you!

24/07/2022

Sleep in peace my love. 🌈🐰
Marja-Leena. 💔😭❤️

21/07/2022

06/07/2022

❓WE WERE ASKED – What can I do about my rabbit's chewing?

Birds gotta sing, bunnies gotta chew!

They need to chew, since their teeth continually grow (and continually need to be ground down). Besides, it's fun and provides stress relief. It's just like us chewing taffy or gum – only a lot more so!

So, okay, chewing is normal. But how do you protect your stuff? And what *should* they chew?

You can protect baseboards and furniture legs by covering them with clear packing tape; it ruins the texture and takes all the fun out of it.

For phone cables and other electrical cords (AKA "spicy hay"), your first line of defense is to keep cords as much as possible AWAY from places your rabbit can get to. You can also protect cords and cables with conduit, ridged tubing, or by wrapping them with clear packing tape.

Also, you should understand that any houseplants left at snacking level *will* be eaten. It's your responsibility to keep them high enough that neither the plants nor your buns are at risk (some houseplants are poisonous to rabbits).

Rabbits love to chew paper, so keep important documents and favorite books out of reach.

As for what they can be allowed to chew, you can provide cardboard boxes – boxes printed in the US are safe but those from other countries should be discarded as they're likely impregnated with pesticides.

You can also provide fresh small branches or shoots from unsprayed apple and pear trees, unsprayed blackberry canes (thorns and all) and trimmings from unsprayed rose bushes (again, thorns and all).

You can buy fruit branch chew sticks for rabbits, but there's no guarantee they haven't been sprayed with pesticides.

There are bunny chew toys, too, but not everything marketed as "for rabbits" is actually safe. Some toys have small, chokable parts, are made of materials that can splinter or shatter and injure your friend, or are made with paints or stains that are unsafe.

We recommend toys from Oxbow. All their toys are safe, and provide good clean chewing fun.

🐰😍🐇
(registered 501c3 non-profit)
PLEASE DONATE:
Venmo
or
PayPal.me/Bunanza

04/07/2022

!

BURN OUT is common in rescuers

Here at SNORS we can honestly say there has never been such a DIRE SITUATION in the rescue world. Many rescues have closed, so many physically and financially struggling and a massive network of people giving their all, day and often night, to try and save as many lives as possible.

The relentless PRESSURE to take more animals, help more people, to do better is not only physically and emotionally draining but it's also DAMAGING. Long term stresses of being a rescuer often result in 'burn out' where we feel we have nothing more to give, no more energy, we simply cannot stem the tide of unwanted animals no matter how hard we try. The HOPELESSNESS can be all consuming. This is often the time where rescues and rescuers collapse because they simply cannot take any more.

Why should rescuers SACRIFICE their health and wellbeing, and the public that support them, their money, only for pet shops and breeders to produce a never ending sea of seemingly disposable animals? Its simple, they shouldn't! These animals are often abandoned, given away for free or if they are lucky, they secure a rescue space where they will be neutered vaccinated and rehabilitated.

The answer is simple. If less animals are bred, less sold, then less would end up at rescue. So why would anyone continue to breed when there is clearly such an enormous problem? HUMAN SELFISHNESS and GREED, to make a profit, be the best breeder, to win prizes at shows etc with no regard for the bigger picture, the future health and wellbeing of their rehomed or surplus animals or care that they have a happy life.

Rescuers aren't trying to benefit themselves in any way with their selfless acts, they are desperately trying to help animals have a healthy happy future by rescuing as many as they possibly can.

Please, please support your local rescue who may be on their knees and desperate for help whether physically, emotionally or financially Be proud of what they do and tell them. Kind words cost nothing but mean everything. Donate your time or a pound or two. Please help care for the rescuers out there as they are caring for hundreds of souls which don't have a voice.

Above all please continue to tell people that contribute to this enormous problem that its no longer acceptable to breed.

NO REASON IS ACCEPTABLE TO BREED ITS JUST A SELFISH ACT AND PATHETIC EXCUSE.

16/06/2022

❤️

09/06/2022

Stop breeding animals. 🆘✋⛔

04/06/2022

Rabbits aren't for everyone.

They're expensive, high maintenance and caring for them properly can be incredibly stressful.

Rabbits can have difficulties in their relationships which require long nights of supervision, the smallest things can set off a freeze or flight response and no one knows stress until they're in the middle of a stasis episode!

As wonderful as they are, rabbits are not easy companion animals. We're lucky to have such a wonderful community surrounding the rescue where we can all benefit from sharing difficulties and providing advice and support.

31/05/2022

Rest in freedom my love Aava.
❤️🌈

31/05/2022

30/05/2022

Breeders and pet shops set a bad example. They will have you believe that rabbits are happy locked up in a cage or a hutch and can just be let out for a couple of hours a day. This is cruel. Rabbits need space at all times, such as a large room or large shed + attached predator-proof run. To leave them unsupervised in a garden is never safe.

Breeders and pet shops set a bad example. They will have you believe that rabbits are happy locked up in a cage or a hutch and can just be let out for a couple of hours a day. This is cruel. Rabbits need space at all times, such as a large room or large shed + attached predator-proof run. Leaving them unsupervised in a garden is never safe.

18/05/2022

A smile from Aava. 🐹😍❤️
Cheek scratches are 🔥

12/05/2022

🦊❤️

Another design I came up with for Keep The Ban 🖤🦊🌜 I wanted to do something more serene and peaceful 💤

11/05/2022

Friends, we need to find fosters to take in the final 2 rabbits from a research lab. We don’t want to see them euthanized because we don’t have space. These poor New Zealand female bunnies had testing done on them. The lab is willing to release them but we have to find space. Can you help? They look like Lola (pictured). These precious rabbits deserve a chance at a hoppy life. Will you help us? Please DM us or send an email to [email protected] if you live in the Northern California area and have indoor house rabbit experience. Save a life, foster 🐇

Friends, we need to find fosters to take in the final 2 rabbits from a research lab. We don’t want to see them euthanized because we don’t have space. These poor New Zealand female bunnies had testing done on them. The lab is willing to release them but we have to find space. Can you help? They look like Lola (pictured). These precious rabbits deserve a chance at a hoppy life. Will you help us? Please DM us or send an email to [email protected] if you live in the Northern California area and have indoor house rabbit experience. Save a life, foster 🐇