MORE STORIES
Nipper's favorite dog cookies recipe.
Holidays can be harmful to your 'hungry' pets
Exotic pets can creep, crawl and slither into your heart.
Where should sleeping dogs (and cats) lie?
Owners need to practice calm before (and during) the storm.
Everything Pets Expo brings pets and their people together.
Keeping paws warm and pets happy
Caring for a honey of a bunny.
Caring for a honey of a bunny.
"What in the world is that?" Nipper asked, sniffing my sweater suspiciously. His tail stopped mid-wag and stiffened. "Were you out playing with another animal?"
Maybe," I replied hesitantly, feeling a bit like I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.
"Out with it you two-timer," he said, heaving a sigh, then moving his nose onto my pants leg. "Don't lie to me, that'll just make it worse."
"Alright, it was a rabbit," I admitted.
"A rabbit," he repeated, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I see. Now I've heard it all. I can't turn my back on you for five minutes."
"It was a social petting need," I offered, lamely. "It didn't mean anything."
Well, actually it did, but Nipper doesn't to know that. I held a rabbit, cuddled it, even gave it a kiss or two because it was so darned cute.
The bunny in question was Hopper, a dark grey, lop-eared rabbit owned by Barbara Nagel of Fort Thomas, a fifth-grade student at Johnson Elementary School.
"Bunnies are cute," Barbara explained, "But they need a lot of care if you are going to keep one as a pet."
The 10-year-old is an expert rabbit keeper, having acquired Hopper from neighbors two years ago.
"They got a dog that was part retriever," she said, rolling her eyes, "And they didn't play very well together. So they had to find another home for the rabbit."
Barbara's mother, Sandy, said that before Barbara could take on the responsibility of a bunny, she had to do some research.
"I don't know nothing about birthin' no bunnies," she quipped. "Seriously, though, I wanted this to be a learning experience for Barbara. The bunny was going to be her sole responsibility, so I wanted to make certain that she was prepared."
So the little girl headed to the library and checked out a half dozen books on rabbits and their care. She took the opportunity to write a report for school which then went into her writing portfolio.
"She got a good grade on it," her mother added, proudly.
"I thought it would be super-easy to keep a bunny," Barbara recalled. "And I found out that it's not! There's a lot to it. The truth is, they poop a lot and you have to keep their cage really clean. I do it at least once a week with a little shovel. First, I scoop out everything then take the tray from underneath and scrub it and put fresh lining around the cage. She throws a lot of litter and I have to replace that a lot."
The little girl flinches. "Oooh, stop that," she gently rebuked the errant bunny, placing her finger gently on its nose, explaining, "She doesn't bite hard, just nibbles. I call it a love nibble."
"Now, now, Hopper," she coos, placing a kiss on the tip of one of its ears, "Be good, we have guests around. Bunnies are very loving animals. It just takes them awhile to get used to you."
Rabbits also shed, Barbara said, especially in the Spring and Fall. "That's when they change their fur, so you have to keep them brushed. They are very clean animals and lick themselves so you don't have to give them baths."
"The vet cuts her toenails once a year," she added, "And checks her teeth to make sure that they are OK." To ensure that her rabbit's teeth don't get too long, Barbara gives her chew sticks to gnaw on. This past Christmas, Hopper received several in the shape of pizza, burgers and soda bottles.
But, she believes that all the hard work is worth it because, "She's the best rabbit in the whole wide world!"
I'd like to see your photos and hear your stories. Send them to me at: marsolete@insightbb.com with your name, your pet's name, age, breed and a short explaination and I'll post them on my new Web site: www.marsiesmenagerie.com. You can also become a fan of Marsie's Menagerie on Facebook. Come join in the fun, but always remember, no nipping!
