YOUTH COAST: REFLECTIONS FROM A YOUNGER RESIDENT.
Did you know that bunnies make great pets?
With some rules and supervision, they can happily live in the house with your cats and dogs. They can even use a litter box! Crazy, right?!
Last year, I really wanted a bunny so I decided to look into adopting a rescue. It turns out the SPCA, a place where you can adopt all sorts of rescued animals, also has bunnies along with their cats and dogs. They have online profiles for all of the animals and I came across a bunny named Latte. She was white with some grey patches. She was perfect.
When I asked my mom, she said no. So did my dad. I tried to convince them, but they still said no. One day, I was tricked into coming home to do chores, but instead there was little Latte in my room.
I couldn’t believe it. My dream had come true.
After having Latte for about 10 minutes, I decided that was not the name for her. I was really into a movie at the time with a character named Judy who was a bunny police officer. The first bunny cop of “Zootopia” to be precise. I decided to re-name her Judy. She moved into my bedroom and we became roommates. It took her a while to get used to the set-up and settle in because her best bunny friend had recently passed away. Bunnies make best friends for life.
With Judy living in my bedroom, she had to eat, sleep, and you-know-what in there too, so we had to find her a litter box. She got the hang of it very quickly. There were no accidents! For her food, we give her mostly fresh hay and some fruit and veggies like lettuce, carrots, apples, parsley, and the odd strawberry top. When I decided to try and make her treats, it did not go well. The kitchen was a mess, but Judy did enjoy them.
One day, around Christmas, I left my door open. We were all in the living room and heard some scratching. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Judy under the Christmas tree!
After a while of roaming the house, plant tops suddenly disappeared and the dog food was mysteriously gone. What’s that wet spot? You don’t wanna know. Then she went on more of an adventure, found the cat’s litter box, and cleverly shared it with her.
“Pets might only be one chapter in our lives, but to them we are their whole world”
I also decided to teach her some tricks. She learned how to spin and stand on command, and best of all, to come to her new name. She follows me down the hallway to get treats every day. She knows the sound of the fridge door opening and begs for food with the dog, her very good friend.
Having a roommate has been fun, and even though she cannot talk, she occasionally will stomp her back legs if she’s mad at me or make a light purring sound when I pet her. She has recently found a new sleeping spot at the end of my bed, so she’s there when I wake up.
I think that having a pet bunny is just as good, if not better, than having a dog or a cat. Just remember, pets might only be one chapter in our lives, but to them we are their whole world.
Everyone deserves their own Judy, just please don’t take mine!
