Abby

I plan to move my friend out of a mentally harmful familial arrangement the day of her 18th birthday. I will be 19 myself at the time and will be living with my parents until six months later, when both me and the friend plan to move away for college. In the six months between moving her out of her current house under her mom's supposed care and moving off across state to college, what would be lawfully required to move her into my household, assuming I have full support of my own parents? Should that fall through, what would we need to rent our own apartment together in the city?

I just started my small rabbitry at the beginning of this year. I bred out my first Mini Rex buck this summer, and since his father died, he's the only buck I have. He has a nice head, is a little long in the shoulders, but has a short body otherwise. He's almost four months old, but he's already filling out, his junior coat is finally coming in, but it still doesn't have the density we look for in Mini Rexes. Plus, he's tiny. He's about the same size, if smaller, than my big Netherland Dwarf, whom measured out at three pounds.

I have three does that I'll breed, but because of limited time and space, I can only breed one of them at the beginning of this year. One isn't going to be bred until next summer, which leaves me with two rabbits: Jillian and Isis.

Jillian is a big doe, measuring at about five pounds, and has mismatched toenails. The toenails don't bother me much because she is a lilac, and I breed lynxes. Mismatched toenails are common after they turn senior. Her coat density isn't that great, and I don't believe she has great texture either. She has a narrow head, but her type is beautiful. She has nice shoulders, which my buck lacks in, has great depth and beautiful width. Right now, that's something the buck doesn't much have. She's a little long, but I'd credit that to her age and the fact that she's had at least one litter before I bought her.

Isis, on the other hand, I bought specifically for her fur. Even in molt, she has great density. Since she's a lynx, a rare color, good density is hard to come by. She's a little long in type, lacks in the midsection, and has okay depth and could use a little more in width. She also happens to be the only rabbit out of the eight I currently own that is registered.

I want to breed the best bunnies for the end of this year to get me through the shows at the beginning of next year. Which doe would be a better choice?

I've had this Mini Rex buck for about two years now. I bought him when he was a junior from a reputable breeder, but since I wasn't into the rabbitry business then, I didn't ask for a pedigree. I free fed him for most of his life, but eventually weened him onto a diet once I learned that free feeding isn't the best way to go around. Either I was oblivious in my younger years, or my rabbits were extremely healthy, but I never had any health problems with almost any of my rabbits for as long as I had them. The same case extends to this boy - Cashmere, by name.

Over the past few months, I've been trying to keep his weight balanced, but I've been having some issues with him. His fur was rough and patchy at the beginning of the winter months, but I blamed that on shedding into his winter coat. It's no longer patchy, but it isn't the characteristic smoothness of a Rex coat. I don't have that same issue with the other four Mini Rex I have. He isn't chunky, but he is a solid rabbit. He may appear to be only slightly larger than the average Mini Rex, but he's probably about a pound heavier.

My main concern is that he drinks two dishes of water each day. I haven't been able to see if he's urinating more than is normal, however. The boy has been overweight in his life before, but thanks to a consistent diet, he's trimmed down. I don't believe he's ever had more than one bowl of water a day up until a couple months ago.

All I need to know is whether or not I should be concerned about this and whether this could lead to his premature death. He's my buddy rabbit, seeing as he's sterile and certainly not a showing rabbit.