Busy Bunny Blog

Happy Autumn to you all! Hope everyone had a good summer.

Now that the holidays are approaching we wanted to share some new items with you and let you know about our current promotion. We have two exciting things going on: a free gift with qualified orders and we are making a donation to Friends of the Oakland Animal Shelter.

Exciting thing number 1: Free Gift!

All retail orders with a merchandise total of $50.00 or more placed between Sept. 21 and 26 will receive a FREE Willow Tree basket in your order (Note: must be $50.00 subtotal BEFORE SHIPPING COSTS). We will add this item after we receive your order, so you do not need to add this to your cart (unless you want more than 1).

If you already ordered,  Don’t Panic! Any order that has not already shipped and meets the promotion criteria will be included.

Exciting thing number 2: 20% of proceeds donated to FOAS!

In the spirit of giving, 20% of the proceeds from orders placed between 9/21 and 9/26 will be donated to the “Bunny Jumping For Joy Project” of the Friends of the Oakland Animal Shelter. These donations will help improve the quality of life of bunnies at the Shelter. The funds will be used for a patio cover, lights and new bunny runs so that the bunnies can get fresh air, light and exercise every day! If you would also like to donate directly to this project, I know they would be very grateful! Every little bit will help them reach their goal. Here is a link to their site.

We have some fun new items that bunnies everywhere are talking about:

The new Maze Haven from Binkybunny is the hottest new item…
…the Timothy Bungalow from Oxbow is also quite the hit…
…and we now carry some new healthy treats from Critter Cookies that are the perfect bunny bite size treats.

We are now working on some holiday items:

We have these adorable Holiday Wreaths from Funny Bunny…
…and our 2008 Filled Playhouse Basket with $10.00 BunnyBuck Coupon for those super spoiled bunnies. Check our site in mid-October for some more new holiday items for bunnies.

For those bunny loving humans we have some new gift items such as:

The cute and useful Bunnies and Carrot Hooks…
…these adorable little Angel Bunnies…
…many great 2009 Calendars including the 2009 Rabbit Rescue Wall Calendar…
…and a new book to add to your bunny library When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care by Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith.

For the holidays we have…

…a new Holiday Kitchen Towel…
…many Christmas and Holiday cards that you will find in the Holiday cards section…
…and we are also happy to report that the 2008 Arthur Court Collectible Ornament is a bunny!

We are always thankful to our wonderful customers who have made our Busy Bunny business such a success.

Wishing you all the best this fall and winter season.

Many Thanks!

Lisa and I have strong opinions, but long ago we decided that we should keep our politics separate from the business. We do, however, want to encourage everyone to vote and to make informed choices. This coming election is arguably one of the most important in a very long time. As in any campaign, there are a lot of exaggerations, half-truths, and falsehoods being circulated about both candidates - we have begun to rely upon FactCheck.org to discover the truth.

One opinion we have that may be a little unpopular is that we are not opposed to 3rd party candidates, nor do we feel they should withdraw from the race. We believe that our votes belong to us and that the candidates have to earn them. In addition to Senator McCain and Senator Obama, Ralph Nader and Bob Barr are 2 other candidates that are running in this election. A list of all candidates can be found at Project Vote Smart. Historically, 3rd party candidates seldom win national elections but they often draw attention to issues the other parties are not addressing.

Remember - elected officials are our employees; they work for us. One of the greatest things about America is that we have the freedom to vote and the freedom to criticize our leaders. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the candidates and their stands on the issues that matter to you - then VOTE!

Resources:

• FactCheck.org
• McCain/Palin
• Obama/Biden
• Nader/Gonzalez
• Barr/Root
• Project Vote Smart
• 2008 Republican Convention Speeches on iTunes
• 2008 Democratic Convention Speeches on iTunes
• All convention speeches are also available at Audible (if that link doesn’t work, go to Audible.com and search for ‘2008 convention’)

If you really want to know which candidate we support, click more - but please don’t get mad at us if we disagree with you.

(more…)

We added another set of great bunny photos:

This is Miss Bunny and she has her own blog here!

Three new 2009 calendars:

New notecards:

New Christmas and Holiday cards:

We have been long anticipating this new book by Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith and it is now available!

When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care is an illustrated guide to the care and behavior of rabbits with special needs. This book provides information on topics as diverse as how to administer subcutaneous fluids to how sounds and color help promote healing.

This book includes quotes from top rabbit veterinarians, alternative healing practitioners, as well as useful tips from rabbit owners who have had experience in dealing with particular medical conditions. The text is illustrated with both photographs and drawings, making it easy for readers to follow.

Authors Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith provide owners of special-needs rabbits with information on basic care, pain control, digestive system problems, chronic illnesses, physically challenged rabbits, progressive disabilities causing mobility problems, dental care, elderbuns, and emotional issues. 456 pages, 6 x 9 inches (15.24 x 22.86 cm), paperback.

Several months ago Lisa and I were lucky to be chosen as beta testers for Binky Bunny’s newest product, the Maze Haven. Since Lisa did all of the hard work (she drove there and back so that I could have a drink at Forbidden Island) I got to be the one who put it together.

Even for a beta version, the instructions were quite good. I opted for the 2-story configuration as our bunny room is long and narrow, and they share it with our laundry area. We received our test maze back in December 2007, and it is still structurally sound - in spite of all of the remodeling that has been done (without a building permit or plans!) by Eddie and Candy.

Lisa received this message today:

Can you post this on your blog? The fire depleted our bunny toy stash in a day and we are out! More evacuated critters are expected. Will be doing a regular order soon but need the basics ASAP.

WATSONVILLE ANIMAL SHELTER FIRE UPDATE

Supplies and Donations Needed for Evacuated Pets

The Santa Cruz County Animal Services in Watsonville is currently providing emergency shelter to pets evacuated or displaced by the Santa Cruz County Summit Fire. On May 22nd and 23rd 2008, the Watsonville Shelter received over 60 dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, chickens, birds, and even fish displaced by the fire. As the fire grows, more animals are expected and we want to be prepared.

Immediate supplies needed include:

1. Heavy Ceramic Water Bowls
2. Bottled Water
3. Purina Rabbit Chow
4. Litterboxes
5. Cat Litter
6. Woodstove pellets (for litter)
7. CareFresh Litter
8. Fresh Vegetables for Rabbits and Small Animals
9. Straw for Bedding
10. Safeway Giftcards for Fresh Vegetable and Supplies
11. Gas Giftcards for Rescue Transports
12. Used Towels, Blankets, and Sheets
13. Cat and Dog Toys and Beds
14. Chicken and Livestock Feed
15. Snacks and Drinks for Staff and Volunteers

Supplies and Donations can be dropped off at:

Watsonville Animal Shelter
580 Airport Blvd
Watsonville, CA 95076

Donations can be made using PayPal at www.FOWAS.org

- or -

mailed to:

The Friends of the Watsonville Animal Shelter (FOWAS)
PO Box 1930
Watsonville, CA 95077

Lisa and I will be on vacation from June 3 until June 18. The Busy Bunny will be staffed with a skeleton crew (not actual skeletons - just fewer people) and orders will ship out, but complicated orders or problems may be deferred until we return.

We will be visiting our friends at Just4Bun and I will be attending a large (the largest) commercial print trade show.

Lisa and I both just finished reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. This is the most inspiring book I have read in a very long time. I think it should be required reading for everyone. 

We are happy to say that the following items are now back in stock and can be ordered online, fax or phone…

• Unpeeled Tents Tunnels BB-18
• Unpeeled Round Tunnels BB-15
• Willow Bowls BB-13
• Willow Mini Balls BB-30
• Willow Cubes BB-52
• Willow Playhouses BB-77

The following items are currently sold out but should be back in stock by end of May…

• Unpeeled Medium Willow Ball BB-55
• Extra Large Straw Mat BB-70
• Small Straw Mat BB-11
• Empty Deluxe Baskets BB-7E