Jazzie on a quiet Saturday eveningCopyright 2009 Lydia Hinshaw
ORMOND BEACH, FL -- The daycare center had a pet rabbit for a while before I even knew about her.
Someone "donated" Jazzie to the kids, and for a while her cage was kept indoors. Jazzie didn't appreciate air-conditioned comfort. Instead, she practiced creative ways to spray the wall behind her cage. I don't blame her. She was spending her days trapped in a room full of 3-year-olds.
So one day I came to work and Jazzie's cage was outdoors, sitting on a sidewalk against a west-facing wall of the building, where she would endure scorching sunshine throughout the afternoon and early evening.
In another lifetime I raised rabbits, and I know that it's important to protect them from the heat.
So I spoke up about the location of Jazzie's cage and was immediately offered the opportunity to take Jazzie home with me. For good.
Well, no. My cats do not want another pet. Neither does Prince Charming and neither do I.
So a co-worker and I moved the cage to a shadier spot, and last week the daycare center's handyman built a frame to transform the metal cage into a true rabbit hutch, three feet off the ground, complete with a rainproof roof.
Friday it was suggested that I might like to take Jazzie home for the weekend.
Well, no. But I would be willing to stop by a couple of times to top off her water and food, and let her know someone cares. My house is only three blocks away, and I often pass by on foot or bicycle.
My next project is to convince some 60 children, ages 5-10, that it is not cool to run screaming up to Jazzie's cage.
Maybe she will learn to spray the screamers.
Someone "donated" Jazzie to the kids, and for a while her cage was kept indoors. Jazzie didn't appreciate air-conditioned comfort. Instead, she practiced creative ways to spray the wall behind her cage. I don't blame her. She was spending her days trapped in a room full of 3-year-olds.
So one day I came to work and Jazzie's cage was outdoors, sitting on a sidewalk against a west-facing wall of the building, where she would endure scorching sunshine throughout the afternoon and early evening.
In another lifetime I raised rabbits, and I know that it's important to protect them from the heat.
So I spoke up about the location of Jazzie's cage and was immediately offered the opportunity to take Jazzie home with me. For good.
Well, no. My cats do not want another pet. Neither does Prince Charming and neither do I.
So a co-worker and I moved the cage to a shadier spot, and last week the daycare center's handyman built a frame to transform the metal cage into a true rabbit hutch, three feet off the ground, complete with a rainproof roof.
Friday it was suggested that I might like to take Jazzie home for the weekend.
Well, no. But I would be willing to stop by a couple of times to top off her water and food, and let her know someone cares. My house is only three blocks away, and I often pass by on foot or bicycle.
My next project is to convince some 60 children, ages 5-10, that it is not cool to run screaming up to Jazzie's cage.
Maybe she will learn to spray the screamers.
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