Bad Dream

I had the most horrific dream last night!

I was riding a bike (who knows where) with Umbra inside a basket on the back. I stopped at a gas station (I don't know why, I obviously didn't need gas) and at the gas station there were baby bunnies for sale for Easter. The bunnies kept escaping and I caught them and alerted the store manager and began to lecture them on responsible bun ownership. I was quite proud of myself and even persuaded the bunny seller to be more responsible!

Then I continued on my journey and very soon the weather began to turn for the worse. My bike was blown over and Umbra escaped. I turned and saw a tornado was coming, but Umbra was nowhere to be seen!

After screaming and searching relentlessly for Umbra, crying all the while, I finally had to take shelter at the nearest house.

Soon the storm passed, and everyone was unharmed, but I was still frantic about finding Umbra. Come to find out the woman's, who's house I had taken refuge in, had found Umbra and brought her inside!

We were happily reunited, and but I'm glad it was just a dream.

lettuce

Wow! I've been way to busy this week, in fact I just got off an 11 hour shift!

Thought I should come up with some sort of update. Last Sunday I finally got around to planting a variety of lettuce in a planter that I've set on a window sill. I definitely didn't inherit my mom's green thumb, but they sprouted a couple days ago! I hope they grow quick, I can cut down on my grocery bill.

More soon (hopefully)!

Pet Store Problem

So lately I've buying my rabbit supplies at Uncle Bill's Pet Center, a local chain of pet stores in Indianapolis. It is convenient because it lies in route to my grocery store, but whenever I go there I'm overcome with dread. This store is full of animals! especially bunnies.. half a dozen in each glass cage and there are usually 4 to 8 of these designated to rabbits alone. There are others for guinea pigs and chinchillas as well as wire crates with puppies etc. In fact I feel comfortable estimating that no more than half of the square footage is dedicated to the supplies you need for the pets. On all my visits there has never been more than 2 of the large bags of Oxbow timothy hay (the small ones would hardly last a day).

Another problem I have is the lack of info about the pets available. I've noticed that even the national pet store chains have begun posting basic facts and care information on enclosures.

I would like to add that I don't know much about Uncle Bill's Pet Centers policies and what not, but it has made me concerned on a larger scale. Is there any legislation (passed or in the process) which requires pet stores to educate patrons bringing an animal into their home? If not there should be, because I doubt the majority of people do the research themselves. I'm not saying this would eliminate the problem of abandoned and neglected pets, but it is something to think about (and maybe get the ball rolling), especially with Easter coming up (which all bunny lovers know is just a few months prior to an influx of unwanted rabbits in shelters).

I love..

.. coming home after a long day of work and cuddling under the bed with Umbra. And then getting a bunny facial

Bun Proofing Electrical Cords

Today I mourn the loss of my 3rd pair of headphones that fell victim to the incisors of a certain bunny.

I thought this would be as good a time as any to talk about bunny-proofing your electronics.

There's not much I can do about my headphones, except keeping them out of Umbra's reach (my recent loss was due to my roommate's carelessness), but it's more important to protect your bun from cords that plug into the wall. Don't assume that you can keep any wire out of reach; buns are great at getting into mischief. When it comes to rabbits and electricity, it's better safe than sorry.

The best thing to do is to instal some sort of cover. There are a couple popular options that I've heard of.

Pictured above is probably the most rabbit-proof option. They are made of rigid plastic, so don't expect you're bun to chew through these anytime soon! Drawbacks are they're hard to hide (although they are advertised as being paintable), plus they are the pricier option.

This is option two, which is what I use. This less expensive option is also more flexible, and less permanent. This fits my living situation in an apartment, plus these are easy to stuff behind furniture. I've also found that the bumpy texture discourages chewing (Umbra doesn't even try chewing these), and the wider the diameter of the tubing, the more difficult for your bun to get their mouth around it. One draw back I've heard, is that some brands use thinner plastic which can be chewed, so inspect before you buy (and don't go with the cheapest option).

Which ever you choose, your bun will be safer and you both will be happier.

Un-Grounded!!!

Now that Umbra has fully recovered from her surgery she has regained living-room playtime privileges. Today is her second day of freedom and she has been thuroughly enjoying herself. Countless binkies and laps around the room faster than the speed of sound.

So far no puddles on the couch, but she did knock a glass of grape juice off the coffee table.

One Pricy Pal

Would I have gotten a rabbit if I had known the price? Yes, I feel like the benefits are worth it but it is definitely something you should consider (seriously) if you are looking for any kind of pet. Especially with "small pets", people think that they will be less expensive than, say, a dog. In my opinion, this is a big reason rabbits do not make good "starter" pets, although I use the term grudgingly: it makes a living thing sound like furniture.

I don't want to completely give rabbits a bad name though. As I said, I have benefited a lot from bringing Umbra into my life. The most obvious are the feeling of fulfillment from caring for another living thing and receiving affection in return. For me personally, Umbra has made me a bit neater: I can't just leaving things laying around and expect that they won't be destroyed by time I return. We also share a lot of fresh veggies. Finally, owning a dog or cat requires a $500 pet deposit at my apartment, and not for buns (because they are "caged pets"... but I think you can keep a secret.. Umbra doesn't live in a cage).