8/7/2019 Melbourne Rabbit Clinic A4 Newsletter - Autumn 2011
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The Chinese New YearWith 2011 being the Chinese year of the
rabbit we have decided to take a look at
rabbits in mythology to fi nd out who else
thinks they are exciting creatures.
Chinese Zodiac.It is said that Buddha invited all of the
animals in the world to join him for the
New Year celebrations but only 12
animals bothered to turn up. As a great
reward, Buddha named a year after each
one of them. The zodiac is important for
two reasons. Those born during the
year of a particular animal would inherit
some of the good and bad personality
traits of that animal and the year itself is
infl uenced by these traits as well.People born in the year of
the Rabbit are
private individuals and a bit introverted.
They are enjoy the company of good
friends, are good teachers, counselors
and communicators, but also need their
own space. Now what bunny doesnt??
Rabbits are wise, fragile, tranquil, serene,
considerate, fashionable and kind.
Moon RabbitsRabbits are often
connected with the
moon in mythology.
The Moon Rabbit or
Jade Rabbit lives on
the moon in Chinese
and Japanese folk lore. The rabbit is
pounding a mortar and pestle for the elixir
of life (China) or moon cakes (Japan)
Hares and rabbits were also closely
associated with the cycles of the moon in
Egypt. The waxing moon was masculineand the waning
feminine.
In native American
m y t h o l o g y ,
Nanzbozho, or
Great Rabbit,
is an important
fi gure who helps
create the world.
In another American tribe a young rabbit
rides to the moon holding on to a cranes
legs. It is said this is why cranes have
long legs!!
In Siberia, Kaltes,
a moon goddess
roamed the hills
in the form of a
rabbit. Kaltes was
a fertility goddessand the deity of
rejuvenation.
Even moon landings of the American
space race welcomed the rabbit.
Houston: Among the large headlines
concerning Apollo this morning there's
one asking that you watch for a lovely girl
with a big rabbit. An ancient legend says
a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-o
has been living there for 4000 years. It
seems she was banished to the moonbecause she stole the pill for
immortality
from her husband. You might also look for
her companion, a large Chinese rabbit,
who is easy to spot since he is only
standing on his hind feet in the shade of
a cinnamon tree. The name of the rabbit
is not recorded.
Collins: Okay, we'll keep a close eye for
the bunny girl.
Party time!History also records rabbits as tricksters
or party goers! In Aztec history the Divine
Rabbits, the Centzon Totochtin ("four-
hundred rabbits were party rabbits,
meeting for frequent parties. They were
the gods of drunkenness. Not a particular
rabbit like characteristic! In Africa, "Kalulu"
the rabbit is known as a tricky character
always getting the better of bargains
Fertility and Love!The ancients often considered these
strong rabbit characteristics. In ancient
Rome, rabbits were sacred to Aphrodite,
the goddess of love, beauty, and
marriagefor rabbits had the gift of
Aphrodite (fertility) in great abundance.In Greece the gift of a
rabbit was a love
token!
Rabbits and hares were sacred to the
ancient Celts and Saxons. They were
linked to The Goddess of Spring calledEostre (celts), Ostara
(Saxons) or Eastre.
Eostre was connected with renewal,
dawn and fertility. A rabbit gave gifts of
eggs to children at the start of spring.
Rabbits and hares were thought to be
taboo foods of the celtic tribes.
But not all rabbits in history where
thought of with love. On an island in
Dorset, England, the rabbit is thought
to be so unlucky, speaking their name
could bring bad luck. This is thought tooriginate from quarrying
on the island.
Unwanted stones were built into walls,
rabbits burrowing amongst these would
cause them to weaken and collapse on
miners.
www.melbournerabbitclinic.com
NEWSLETTER OF MELBOURNE RABBIT CLINIC AUTUMN NEWSLETTER
20112011the Year of the Golden Rabbit
Melbourne
Rabbit Clinic
8/7/2019 Melbourne Rabbit Clinic A4 Newsletter - Autumn 2011
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Empathy Education and Training provides
an animal assisted therapy program
to children who have been affected
by trauma. Nerys Lewis who runs thisworthwhile organization
works usually
with children whose trauma comes from
living with family violence, abuse, neglect
and/or homelessness. Over the last few
years survivors of Black Saturday have
also obtained a healing hand from one of
our much loved creatures.
Nerys began this integrated healing
program as an answer of how to prevent
the long term pattern that can arise,
where young people raised with violence
can pass it on towards animals and to
other humans. The theorists tell us that
violence is about power and control, and
that those who choose to frequently use
violence tend to test low in empathy.
Offering young people a strong positive
experience with animals allows them
to strengthen their innate empathy and
to associate power with kindness and
gentleness. The chance to experience
the best of the human animal bond in a
safe, supervised setting is also hoped to
create lifelong associations for children
about the good feelings that come from
caring interactions with animals.
On an average working day ten to twelveguinea pig colleagues
accompany
Nerys to work. Interacting with groups
of eight to ten children, each child can
observe the social interactions of a guinea
pig family, and each child can choose to
have close contact with an animal.
The children are taught to look for signs
of a relaxed animal for guinea pigs this
means displays of normal behaviours
like grooming and eating, or even going
to sleep in someones lap after being
brushed and fed. The initial activity is for
the children to observe the guinea pigs
quietly in their family group. The guinea
pigs then choose to come and make
contact for a pat or some food. Of
course, if there are children who are loud
or moving about too much, they dont
get many visits.
Usually by the end of the session the
children and guinea pigs are having a
wonderful time. One of the rewarding
parts of this interaction must be to see
a guinea pig washing its face while a
kid brushes its back, and the ultimate is
when they curl up and go to sleep after a
feed and a brush.Nerys has a strong respect for these little
creatures. There would be little point in
trying to strengthen empathy and teach
respect for animals if we did not live by
that creed ourselves. The welfare of
the animals is always paramount to us
we have been determined since the
beginning that our animal therapists
would never be put in danger and that
they would have lives as normal as
possible, with plenty of time to behavenormally as animals.
Keeping her
guinea pig co-workers safe and healthy
is a major focus of Nerys time.
All of the guinea pigs involved in this
program are adopted from animal
shelters. Prior to being engaged as a
therapist all the guinea pigs undertake a
series of training exercises to familiarize
them with the transport boxes and human
interaction. Some of Nerys guinea pigs
are so keen they jump into the carry
boxes even when not working!
It is clear that Nerys knows all about the
benefi ts from spending so much time
with guinea pigs. (I am) .. constantly
blown away by the different personalities,
adaptability and humour that they show.
For the next month we are selling cute
guinea pig buttons to help raise money
for this worthwhile activity.
www.melbournerabbitclinic.com
Guinea Pigs lend a healing hand.
ON CAMERA RABBIT CLINIC NEWS! CONTACT USDo you have a great
photo of your rabbit
or guinea pig?
Please email us one today to add to their
hospital fi le!
We are pleased to announce that Dr.
Alice Phan has extended her hours with
us at the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic. Alice
has been seen on alternate Saturdays for
a while but is now joining us three days
during the week as well. Alice has recently
fi nished a surgical internship with one
of Melbournes top
veterinary specialists,
but the bunnies and
guinea pigs have
tempted her into a
career change
745 Burwood Highway
Ferntree Gully 3156
Ph (03) 9758 9879
Fax (03) 9758 1193
Email: [email protected]
If you would like
to receive future
publications of this
newsletter by email
please write to us at:
[email protected]
UPDATED
Notallgreen
sareallright
!!
www.melb
ournerabb
itclinic.com
Summer
Edition
Melbou
rne
RabbitCl
inic
NEWSLETTE
ROFMELB
OURNERAB
BITCLINIC
SUMMERN
EWS2010
Photo
s aboveare
springonion
s, chives an
dwildonion
grass(Thre
e Cornered
Garlic)
Weall know
that our rabb
itsandguin
eapigs like g
reens,
but rememb
er thatnote
verything gr
een isokay.
Plants
in the onion
andgarlic
family can
damage red
blood
cel ls. This
canhappen
tosuch an
extentthata
blood
transfusion
isrequired.
LittleFlops
y belowcam
einto
us quiet an
dwithdraw
n, her gums
where ver
y pale.
We undertoo
k a blood
countand t
hiswas far
below
the normal
levelof red
blood cells
seenin he
althy
rabbits. Mo
st healthy r
abbitshave
a blood co
unt of
35-55% of
their blood.
Flopsy had
abloodcou
ntof
11%.Furthe
r investigati
on revealed
that Flopsy
had
inadvertently
snackedo
n some spri
ng onions. A
fter a
bloodtransf
usionshe s
lowlyrecove
red over th
enext
few daystill
shewas ba
cktoher bou
ncyself.
Summerisco
ming
andwe have
togetinto th
ehabit of che
ckingour ou
tside
rabbitsregularly to
prevent flys
trike.Fliesa
reattracted
to rabbitsth
at arewet (after a b
ath), have p
oo or urine
stuckto the
irfur orthos
ethat havewounds.
Although
flystrike can
be deadly a
ndneedsto
be treated straight
awaywe of
tenneedto
lookat theu
nderlying pr
oblem.
Faecesor ur
inestuckto
thefurcan b
eearlysigns
of a
poor diet, ar
thritis,kidney
problemso
r spinal prob
lems.
So check o
nce a day
and if you
see any fly
eggs,
maggotsor
even just a p
ooeybottom
giveusac
all to
checkout yo
urfurryfrien
d!!
Please con
tact the clin
ic for a ha
ndout on d
ealing
withsumme
r andrabbi
tsand guine
apigs. Th
isis a
greatlittle
bit of inform
ationcover
ing flystrike
and
how to get
yourrabbi
ts and guin
ea pigs co
ol this
summer. If
yourfurry
friends are
beinglooke
d after
oversumme
r, thisises
sential inform
ationformi
nders
Melbou
rne
RabbitCli
nic
