Happy Hoppers - Maui Rabbit Grooming

22/07/2024

Update on Tokki 🐇❤️

I have some really wonderful news to share! Toki got her surgery yesterday and the polyps on her ear was removed. A biopsy will be done to determine whether it was cancerous. I hope and pray it’s not. We’ll know in 1-2 weeks.

I am immensely grateful that we were able to get some financial help with this surgery from a very kind charity. I’m not sure if they want to be named so I’ll have to check with them first before thanking them publicly. I’m just so grateful they were able to help because it would have been a great strain on our finances.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this journey. Tokki is a new resident and of course part of me was thinking, why did this have to happen? Why did I have to bring in a rabbit who ended up having this terrible ear infection and huge polyps in her ear just three weeks after she came here? And needing all this expensive surgery? Well, the answer that has come to me is that she needed to come here to get the care she needed. If she had stayed where she was, she never would have gotten the care she so badly needed. So I’m grateful that she was able to come to us and that we were able to get the help we needed to get her the care she needed. Thank you everybody who has helped with this! I appreciate every each and everyone of you so much. I couldn’t do all I do without the support of you, our community. 🙏😘❤️🙌

30/06/2024

Badger and Jewel are loving their new home! So many thanks to Brandy Baltazar, Jesse Foren and Donya Izbicki for helping to make this happen!

07/06/2024

Some rabbits have an instant bond, like Jewel and Badger, and some need several months of bonding dates before they’re ready to live together, like Vinny and Wenet.

09/05/2024

This week on Bunny Bachelorette, Toto decides between 3 pretty single rabbits. Bunny Bachelorette #1 is Tw***ie from Makawao. Bunny Bachelorette #2 is Sunny from Haiku. Bunny Bachelorette #3 is Lulu from Makawao. All 3 ladies are stunning, and I don’t know how Toto will ever choose one between them!

04/05/2024

🐇I’m looking for a larger female rabbit to join the sanctuary as Toto’s companion. Toto arrived here recently after losing his sister. I’d like to find a companion for him. Maui Humane Society doesn’t have any bigger rabbits right now.
🐇Please text me at 808-463-5533 if you know of a bigger female in need of a home. Mahalo!🙏

24/04/2024

We had an unexpected inspector at HARF today!

12/04/2024

Etti Lea was a wonderful helper today when I was grooming Rosie! She made sure the coconut oil cap was licked clean, inspected the brushes and other tools, then made herself comfortable in the chair next to me while she “supervised”/took a nap. 🙏❤️😂

05/04/2024

I just want to extend a huge shoutout of gratitude to Kitty Charm Farm for their support with our new resident Gar, who was displaced when his human lost her job because of the Lahaina fire and later lost her home. Kitty Charm Farm has kindly shared some of the donations they received for the fire victims so we can build Gar an extended enclosure. Thank you, Sarah Haynes and all the caring folks who donated to help the cats and other animals who were victims of these devastating fires. You have made a difference in so many lives, including the life of this sweet rabbit, who now has a loving forever home here at the sanctuary. 🙏❤️🙏❤️

20/01/2024

Pet groomer

17/01/2024

We’ve come a long way from the idea of rabbits living in a hutch outdoors… or even a cage at all! House rabbits can have free reign of a bunny-proofed area indoors, & many owners find a cage-free arrangement more enjoyable & easier to maintain. (And bunnies love having space for their own wee little bed.)

Find more inspiration here: https://rabbit.org/care/habitat/living-space-how-to-set-it-up/

09/01/2024

Wenet is totally twinning with Lulu!

Unfortunately, this breed of rabbit is being bred on Maui to be slaughtered for their meat. I drove by a heartbreaking operation in upcountry the other day. From the road, I could see several cages on the ground, each maybe 8 ft square. They were all crammed with white rabbits. Some cages had babies. This just broke my heart into pieces. 💔

To know rabbits is to understand that they need their personal space. They are highly sensitive beings, far more sensitive than most human beings. For them to be treated like this alone is atrocious. But to think of them being slaughtered for meat is abominable. I can’t wait for the day when humans treat animals better. I feel so helpless. But that’s why I have the sanctuary…so I can help out a few of them. I can’t save them all, but for those whose lives I can save and who end up here, it makes all the difference in the world for them.

Thank you to all of you who support us with your prayers, shares and donations. Your support makes a world of difference for us.

08/01/2024

I’m so happy to say that Wenet and Midnite have finally bonded, after 3 months of working on it during supervised bonding sessions. I started leaving them alone for short periods at a time last week, gradually working up to longer periods as they’ve done well and I trust there will be no fighting. Today they spent the entire day together, and did great! Wenet is still a little pushy and chases Midnite, but isn’t aggressive about it now…more like just “keeping him in his place.”

Like with many animals, rabbits generally have one partner who’s more dominant and one who’s more submissive. As Midnite has shown Wenet over and over that he will be submissive, she’s relaxed with being so aggressive. They adore each other and have since the beginning. She didn’t ever want to hurt him. It was just a natural way for her to express herself. This is common with a lot of rabbits. But fortunately they’ve worked things out and they’ve got their groove going.

Tomorrow they will spend the entire day together again. And then, as long as things continue going so well, I will expand this neutral space and supervise them after I do that. Then they’ll have more space to hop around and navigate their relationship dynamics within. Usually when I do that, there is a little bit of a setback, and they have to work through their same issues just a little bit again.

At that point, once they’re comfortable in the larger neutral space, I’ll start having them be together in their own spaces, which are connected to each other, and I can open up the gate between them. All of this will be supervised at first. It takes time and patience, but bunny bonding dates are totally worth the effort. Rabbits are one of the animals who generally really thrive best with another rabbit as a close companion. They will spend much of the day snuggling and laying close to each other usually.

The sanctuary has three other pairs of rabbits who are bonded with each other, and another pair who have been getting to know each other through a fence and will soon be bonded. My plan is to work on dates with them after Wenet and Midnite have moved in together, since my time really is so limited. I’m so grateful this is happening for them! 

05/01/2024

Folks have been asking how I pick up rabbits who are hard to approach and pick up. Some of my clients’ caregivers have no idea how to pick their own buns up. Rabbits are prey animals and generally don’t like to be removed from the ground, so it can be a real challenge when you need to pick them up for a vet or grooming appointment.

I’ve had a lot of experience with bunnies, so it’s easier for me. I’m going to share as many videos with folks as I can here, so you can get a better idea of how I’m approaching them so easily, and be able to do it with your own buns at home.

Here I am picking up Ginger, who’s shy and can be a challenge to approach. She’s given some lettuce to munch on in an easy-to-catch space, and after she eats for a while, I slowly approach her and explain what I’m going to do. I pet her and with a soft voice and gentle, slow approach, I pick her up.

16/12/2023

Here are two before and after shots typical of the client I see for the first time. Usually their caregivers don’t know that rabbits need to be groomed regularly. It’s a shock to most people who adopt rabbits. But many rabbits get extremely matted and even worse. I see awful unmanaged situations all the time. It’s horrifying and I should actually be taking more pictures! Of course the caregivers are even more shocked than me. And many of them don’t even know the extensive matting and buildup that’s happening because they’re not in the session with the rabbit and me. Scent glands that have been excreting for years and there’s sticky secretion all over the undersides, stuck to the fur, p**p everywhere on the undersides, huge, heavy clumps like an extra tail! I mean people don’t even realize it because they’re not turning the rabbits over. So I usually get a call when it’s in a pretty gnarly state already. Fortunately the rabbit caregivers I visit are immensely grateful and want me to come back and continue to give a regular care maintenance to their bunnies so they won’t ever get into this kind of condition again.

Nobody really knows how much maintenance rabbits take until they get pretty close and personal with them. If you have a rabbit in your family or know of one, please send their caregiver my way. They will need care every one to three months. I can also teach caregivers how to do what I do and show you the right tools to use so you can do it yourself. I do claw trimming because their claws do get overgrown quite quickly, scent gland cleaning, clipping of mats and dreadlocks, spray and wash cleaning of undersides like p**p and urine that’s gotten into mats, checking ears, eyes and teeth.

Please contact me for a session with your rabbit(s). Maui island mobile service
(808) 463-5533
Mahalo!

12/12/2023

I thought it would be fun to do a sample week in the life of a sanctuary caregiver. I’m runnning a small sanctuary by myself, with some good support from donors, but could definitely use more help with day-to-day tasks. Just reading what I do in a day makes my head spin! I’m making this list of my everyday life because I think it’s important for people to recognize that sanctuary and rescue caregivers do a lot of work and don’t get very many breaks at all. There’s no such thing as a day off! And yes, if you live on Maui and you would like to volunteer to help out regularly or even just once in a while, that would be much appreciated. Thank you! 

Here I am today at HARF grooming Oreo, who’s staying with them while her family who lost their home in the Lahaina fire is in transition. HARF (Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation) has been so kind to help any families in need of a temporary home for their family pets.

Monday:

5:45 — Wake up, snuggle kitties on bed, make bed, get dressed, pet kitties gathering for breakfast, pet Mu outside in bed

6:00 — Feed Mu, feed kitties, brush/braid hair, wash dishes from kitty food and dinner last night, continue giving cats more food and yeast on their food, continue scattering food for Mu

6:30 — Feed Nina and continue scattering food for Mu, snuggle K**a, clean up after cats’ meal, sweep floors, feed Kevin

7:00 — Rest for me with coffee and social media

7:15 — Get food ready for turtle Hawaii and red-footed tortoises Ellis and Loli’ana, scatter more cereal/feed for Nina, Mu and Kevin, and give cats dry food for the day

7:30 — Feed chickens and ducks

7:45 — Gather food for rabbits and tortoises

8:15 — Groom Jolene rabbit

8:45 — Give water to ducks and chickens (fill pool and dishes), feed rabbits and tortoises/change water, clean out Mana rabbit’s eyes

9:15 — Open gate for Mu and Nina, close gate for K**a and get Kevin to other side, give K**a her CBD sandwich, juice/water and cereal/feed

9:30 — Feed Kevin on the other side outside house, make salads for Jasper and Hamilton, get ready to go and leave, with rat in a live trap (who was fed and trap covered earlier)

10:30 — Release rat in Haiku, feed Jasper and Hamilton in Haiku (15 minutes away), clean out their food bin that got wet inside

11:00 — Meet friend briefly for talk story, etc., drive to town

11:45 — Arrive at HARF (Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation) and groom 5 rabbits

3:15 — Leave HARF and head to Del’s Tractor Supply for feed and bedding, drive back to the country

4:00 — Pick up bucket of scraps from Veg-Out in Haiku, go to Haiku grocery store, head to Jasper and Hamilton’s, stop at 2 fruit stands along the way for starfruit and avocado, feed Jasper and Hamilton and deliver new food to them (pig feed and apples), head home

5:00 — Arrive home, bring cart full of wood to sanctuary, say hi, feed piggies and kitties, help K**a get up and get juice/food, feed chickens and rabbits, unload cart, return to truck for another load, bring that down and unload it, continue feeding piggies, feed rabbits, distribute supplies throughout sanctuary and house

7:00 — Make pasta for Jasper and Hamilton’s breakfast and relax with Baba

05/12/2023

Maui, these two cuties are looking for their forever home. They are a bonded pair, so they need to stay together. Two males, one is fixed and litter trained.  Contact 808-446-6252

17/03/2023

Bunnies need the company of their own kind. It's a basic need! Rescues are full of single bunnies who are neutered, vaccinated and craving company. Please contact a genuine rescue centre for advice if you have a single bunny at home. Avoid breeders and pet shops who sell unneutered, unvaccinated and sometimes mis-sexed or sick animals. A reputable rescue centre will always be honest because welfare is their priority.

04/02/2023

A few of this week’s clients. When I visit rabbits, I trim nails, remove mats, clean scent glands, brush fur and wash it if necessary, as well as check ears, teeth and eyes. If you have a bunny at home, he or she will need regular grooming. Some need more than others, but all rabbits need help with grooming. You can contact me at (808) 463-5533 to book an appointment for your bunbun.

23/06/2022

Please take precautions!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture confirmed rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, type 2 (RHDV2) in a 4- to 5-year-old neutered male rabbit on a farm in Kula. Although fatal to rabbits, RHDV2 cannot be transmitted from animals to humans and does not impact huma...

04/10/2021

08/08/2021

We are ready to groom Maui rabbits…and we come to you! We offer monthly grooming (or more if your bunny needs it), which includes:

-Brushing
-Removing knots and mats
-Trimming nails
-Trimming fur if necessary
-Cleaning if necessary
-Scent gland cleaning
-Checking ears, eyes, teeth, and body for any signs of imbalance

Please contact us at (808) 463-5533

08/08/2021

A rabbit cannot possibly be happy, lonely in a cage, with nothing to do, nowhere to explore, no other bunny to interact with. Just sitting there in a prison cell, except when the kids occasionally want to play. For a rabbit this kind of life is torture!

Think about the kind of education you are giving to your children. This is not how to teach them love and kindness towards animals.

This stock photo is a very sad picture which unfortunately reflects the reality and life of thousands of rabbits in the UK right now. 💔

02/10/2020

We visited Ohana Ranch of Maui today and began grooming the family of rabbits who lives here. These 2 darling angora bunnies had lots of mats, which can easily happen with longhaired rabbits, especially angoras. We trimmed off most of their fur so they can have a fresh start, and we'll be able to keep them well-groomed now as we'll be visiting the ranch regularly. We also trimmed their nails, cleaned their scent glands, washed where needed, and checked for overgrown teeth.

20/09/2020

Did you know that rabbits need regular grooming for their health and well-being? Many people aren't aware of this, which is why we’ve started this service. Rabbits need a minimum of monthly grooming, including trimming of their nails, cleaning of their scent glands, checking for mats and other issues like urine scald, trimming their fur if necessary, brushing, checking their teeth to make sure they're not overgrowing, and checking their eyes and ears. We've been shocked to discover the serious problems that have resulted from neglecting to care for rabbits in the way they really need...and people don't know that this is necessary. So this service is actually educational, and we can teach you how to do everything we do with your own rabbits. That way you're not dependent on us. But of course you can always call on us. The important thing is that your rabbits get the care they need on a regular basis. This will prevent future health issues and discomfort for your sweet bunny rabbit.

Please call 463-5533
Maui Hawaii