| 兔兔年輕時的淘氣可愛，最易獲取大家的歡心。可是，當牠們年老失去活力，身體毛病陸續出現的時候，你還會愛護牠嗎？兔兔把一生最美好的歲月都奉獻給我們，為什麼仍有不少人決定將年老的兔兔遺棄？
最近，兔協的棄兔大軍增加了一位年紀不輕的成員，牠的名字是「米寶」。八歲的米寶是一隻淺啡色的賓尼兔，因患有白內障而失去視力。在前主人家裡牠只有日本糧作為主食，從沒有未吃過草，飲食習慣絕對談不上健康。由於米寶年紀較大，雙目失明，缺乏安全感，我們擔心牠不能適應新環境之餘，更希望幫牠重新建立良好的飲食習慣，便安排暫養家庭照顧牠。在悉心的照顧下，米寶不但適應了新環境，還逐步以timothy hay取代日本糧成為日常主食，吃得越來越健康。 米寶的故事並不算一個最悲慘的故事，但請別輕言放棄你家的兔兔，尤其是年老的兔兔。因老兔身心的適應力較差，而且牠們餘下的歲月已不多，何不陪牠們走到最後呢?我們曾經接受過一隻名為煲煲的9歲賓尼兔，被安排到暫養家庭一星期後就開始側頭。雖已經馬上接受治療，卻不夠兩天就已經撒手塵寰。其實兔兔需要的東西很簡單。一個活動及起居作息的地方、足夠的糧草，還有你的愛就足已令兔兔感到幸福。還記得你跟牠一起渡過的快樂時光嗎? 米寶的故事還教曉了我們一個道理：「只要我們決不放棄，即使是一個已超過8年的不良飲食習慣，亦可透過適當的誘導而得到改善。」大家別再抱怨自己的兔兔有甚麼陳年壞習慣，只透過耐性及愛心，牠們還是有機會加以改善的。不論是正在幫助兔兔重建良好的習慣，還是照顧著老兔的你，都堅持下去，別輕易放棄！ Recently, we have received an abandoned lop who is 8 years old,called “米寶”. As he has cataract, so he has totally lost his sight.What’s more, he has never try timothy hay before. His former masteronly fed him some Japanese Brand Pellets as principal food! We concerned much that 米寶is an aged lop, and his former diet habitis not so satisfactory, so we arranged a provisional foster family totake care him. It is glad that he can adapt to the new environment, andhis unsatisfactory diet habit has gradually changed under the care ofprovisional foster family. He now takes timothy hay as his principalfood and enjoys his new life much. However, it is not every aged rabbit can easily adapt to newenvironment. Elder rabbits usually have lower adaptability andresistance against diseases. If you abandon an elder rabbit, it may bea great disaster to the rabbit. To site a case, there was a lop called煲煲abandoned by his master before. He was 9 years old and arranged toprovisional foster family as well. He could not adapt to newenvironment. Head tilt problem occurred after living at provisionalfoster home for a week, even received proper medical treatment, he dead2 days after having head tilt problem. What a rabbit need is so simple! They just need a space for activityand sleeping, unlimited proper hays and your care. Do not give up yourrabbit so easily. And, the story of 米寶teaches us one more thing that “if we don’t give up, even a bad diet habit for 8 years, can also becorrected gradually. “By the implication of story, please do not giveyourselves any excuse to abandon your rabbit or give up teaching it agood habit. All problems can be solved if you are determined.  香港兔友協會網站: http://hkrabbit.org |
