Cheyenne

The hot weather was knocking my chocolate angora doe Cheyenne around so I removed her coat in early January to make her comfortable and get her back on her food. This seemed to work for a while but a few days ago she became weak in her hind legs and her kidneys began to fail. She passed away yesterday morning aged four and a half years. The symptoms were very similar to those her grandmother Morticia who had a kidney infection at the same age. The vet had treated her with antibiotics but one night three weeks later she passed away as well so obviously there was a weakness there. Morticia was the first of my new batch of angoras bought in as a baby in 1999. What is strange is that I still have Cheyenne's parents who are now elderly but still going strong. The photo shows her at eight weeks with her brother Cadbury.

Meadow has been having problems with her left eye so last week I took her to the vet. Dye was put in the eye and it showed up a corneal scratch from a piece of hay. An infection had developed so I had to administer Tricin eye ointment for a week before she returned to the vet yesterday. He was really pleased as the inflammation and the lesion had gone so now she is having steroidal drops and tricin three times a day just to get the eye fully back to normal. Obviously it's not my favourite job as Meadow has a temper on her if you're doing anything like that. As her cage hasn't got a hay rack I will pull one from one of the other cages and wire it on to stop her pulling hay in with her and rolling in it!

A woman who had answered my ad for a cottage two weeks ago (she didn't like cats or the sound of my dog so I wiped her from my mind) decided to ring me back Monday. It wasn't to say she had changed her mind but to say her husband says I have too many animals. She finished the conversation by saying no one would want me as a tenant. I was floored by such a nasty comment. I am fast becoming one of those people who prefer their pets to people.

This week I emailed the real estate agent who sold my parent's place nine years ago. He replied saying he'll alert all his rural agents to keep an eye out for a place. I'm not too hopeful as I find landlords don't usually put their places through agents but it was worth a shot. I've also put an advert in Hawkes Bay Today for Saturday. $26! Kereru school replied to an email I sent a month ago saying yes they do have a newsletter and I'm welcome to advertise in it. My mailman came in late afternoon and mentioned the tenants in the other rental down the road were moving and I should ring the owners. He gave me their name and I tentatively called the farm. The owner was very nice and said they'd found a new tenant weeks ago but they have another cottage coming free in mid April although it would only be for a couple of months. She did take my phone number though and said she'll ask around for me which I thought was very kind. Restored my faith in human nature a bit.

I have also been told RHD is back in the bay. In short it's raging through the areas where I'm hoping to move. Although my bunnies were vaccinated in 2005 and I was told it was life long I keep wondering if I should get a booster shot done. I hate that virus.