Scruff's Scribbles with Einstein - 12/24/2005

Ho Ho Ho, and a merry Christmas to you all.

I’m sitting here on Christmas Eve writing this little message to you while my beloved Flossie is charging round the living room ripping apart presents and pulling at the Christmas tree like a dog with a bone.

We’re both so excited because we’ve never had a Christmas like this before. There’s naughtiness everywhere you turn. If it’s not the tree that’s to be attacked, there’s food to steal, presents to open, cards to chew (or lick in my toothless case). I bet there’s a lot of buns who don’t see the fun side of Christmas but it’s thanks to Bobtails that the lucky ones do.

Anyway, enough of that. The Bobtails buns have been having a great time in the run up to Christmas. Those wacky volunteer aunties have been wearing festive headgear and hopefully techno-idea Jim will have taken a photo to put on the website. We had the usual reindeer antlers and the like, and then there was Auntie Pat who had a full turkey on her head. Not a real one, a hat one, but the lads up in the top sheds soon backed away when she put her head in to clean them out – I mean you would if a woman with turkey legs dangling down the side of her face and a full pecking turkey beak coming out of her forehead put her head in your hutch to wish you a merry Christmas.

Double trouble Florence and Dougal are also in full festive flow unwrapping presents as soon as Delia’s back is turned – now there is one woman who you’d think would know better than to leave tempting parcels and cards lying about the place.

While it would be very easy to get carried away with the wonder of the festive season, Bobtails is still dealing with some very sad cases at the moment.

We had a very sweet guinea pig called Clooney who came in stinking to high heaven. He stank the med shed out bless him, through no fault of his own. He was covered in old scabs, bites and abscesses, and was very underweight. Delia was really concerned about him and didn’t think he was going to make it, but thankfully he has. He came in with seven others who weren’t in as bad a state as he was. They were all in a cardboard box which fell apart as their owner was delivering them to Bobtails. There were guinea pigs everywhere – even up the neighbouring drives to the rescue.

This just shows how it’s a good idea to transport us pets in proper carriers because a bit of nervous wee in the car will soon have the bottom of any cardboard box falling out – and we all suffer from a bit of nervous wee in the car.

Some of the messages Delia has been getting on the answer phone from people wanting to give up their buns and guinea pigs this Christmas have been amazing. I heard her telling my mum that one of the big issues is people getting another pet and it’s sadly out with the old and in with the new. Why on earth would anyone want to do that?

A three-year-old rabbit who was loved dearly came in recently. Her hutch wouldn’t fit in the owner’s new shed so she had to move out. It’s so so sad, even more so because it’s Christmas. She’s a lovely little girl called Soots and she will be looking for a new home in the New Year.

Delia’s also had loads of people calling and asking if she can deliver rabbits as presents for children on Christmas morning. This makes my blood boil. What do people think we are? Sadly, a lot of these people would be looking for a new home for the rabbit in the New Year along with all their other unwanted gifts. Nutters the lot of ’em. Apart from anything else, Bobtails doesn’t rehome rabbits as presents.
Sponsorship would have been a much better option. I know my mum would love it if someone bought her sponsorship of a Bobtails bun for a year. Sadly I saw dad wrapping her Christmas present and let’s just say he’s not going to be getting much turkey this year.

They’ve been behaving a big strangely recently. I heard them talking about us getting a baby and I was wondering whether there would be room for it on the litter tray in the kitchen with me and Floss – until, that is, mum sat down and told us it wasn’t a baby bunny but a baby human.

I don’t know what to make of this news but I do know that a lot of rabbits are chucked out into the garden, or even worse rescue, when a baby human comes along. Mum told us not to worry and that we would still be as big a part of the family as we are now, which was a huge relief. I’d like to see a baby human in a battle for attention with my Floss.

Let’s just say life’s going to be interesting from now on in.

Everyone and everybun at Bobtails asked me to pass on a massive thanks to all the rescue’s supporters, especially the naughty volunteer aunties for all their time. We’d also like to say thanks for all the Christmas donations of cash and toys, and to Will, Sarah and Auntie Pat for their presents which will be dished out to the buns and piggies on Christmas morning.

Jim and Delia haven’t decided when they’re reopening after Christmas but they will post a note on the website to let you know. However, visits can be made by appointment over the festive period.

It’s time to go now. I’ve got to get ready for bed as Father Christmas is due tonight. I’ve never seen him before but mum says he looks a bit like techno-idea Jim but a bit bigger and only leaves a present if you’re well behaved. He comes down the chimney, which is a mystery to me, and has flying reindeer – another mystery – but hey ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas and a hoppy hoppy New Year. xx