When my eight year old son, Ethan, was told that he was going to have his wish granted by the Make A Wish foundation, there was no question on what his wish would be based upon. He had two passions: Harry Potter and his Thriantas. Ethan's first wish was to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and his second, or back up wish, was to have a air conditioned bunny barn built for his Thriantas. Since being told by Make A Wish that he would get to go to Florida for his 9th birthday to wander Hogsmeed Village and roam the halls of Hogwarts School, my husband and I got started on his dream home for his rabbits.
In a search for a hobby that our son, who was wheelchair bound, limited in speech, but not short on his love for animals, we began looking into showing rabbits. Ethan looked through all the breeds on the ARBA website and looked at what was available to us locally. Ethan was very insistent that he have “the red rabbit”, so I went and picked up our first Thrianta, who Ethan named Prince Lucian. During that first few months we were able to “train” him to sit on Ethan's lap while we pushed Ethan in his wheelchair, attend a few shows, where he claimed some blue ribbons and BOB certificates (as we had the only Thrianta) boosting Ethan's confidence and self esteem.
Thriantas were not always easy or rewarding. Our first two does did not want to care for their first litters and we lost one entire litter and saved two from the other litter, hand raising until another doe was able to foster when she kindled a week later. Then our summer heat in AZ claimed all but two, a buck and a doe. Resulting in Ethan's wish for an air conditioned bunny barn.
On New Years day, Ethan's new doe delivered her first litter. Thankfully she has been an excellent mother and is now working on weaning six healthy and spirited bunnies we affectionately call “the Weasley's”. Four ginger haired boys named Charlie, Fred, George, and Ron and two girls called Molly and Ginny, so named for a family of red heads from Ethan's favorite Harry Potter stories.
We have rabbits, too! Ethan's baby bunnies are sooo cute!
ReplyDeleteWe learned how to keep our bunnies alive during the Texas summer heat - we freeze water in liter-size soda bottles. Each bunny gets a bottle in the morning and afternoon. These are not to drink - but to reduce the temp in their hutch. They will lie right next to the bottle for as long as it is cool. If your bunny-a/c ever breaks down - ice in non-chewable containers! Barbara