How to Train Your Rabbit: My Adventure There and Back Again

I had a rabbit once, for two weeks. Why? Because I’m a sucker for stray animals. One night I found a stray black rabbit down the street from my house. A few pieces of lettuce later, I have the rabbit in my possession and safely ensconced in a tall laundry hamper, with lid. I figured it was the safest thing to keep him in temporarily. Fortunately for the rabbit, we always have an extra kennel and I have plenty of plastic shoe boxes. The poor rabbit lived in the ghetto with his shredded newspaper litter and iceberg lettuce and carrots for food. I decided that he needed proper care, so $40 later, he had real rabbit food, fresh aspen shavings litter, sweet potato sticks, sea grass sticks, wood blocks, timothy hay cubes, and a willow stick ball. Yep, this rabbit was livin’ large. And then the fun started.

Rabbits can be litter box trained; just don’t come out knowing to use it, like cats. So for the first few days, the whole cage was his litter box. Gradually, after throwing his poop in the box and wiping up his pee, which is toxic in my opinion, I came to realize that the box was both too small and in the wrong corner of the cage. Apparently rabbits are very picky and function better when each corner, or half, of the cage is set with a specific function, ie bathroom, food, water, toys. And the rabbit will let you know where the bathroom shall be. Once you get past this initial hurdle, however, there’s smooth sailing.

Rabbits are fairly easy to care for indoors. Start with a good sixed cage that is easy to transport or take apart for cleaning. Smaller rabbits need a larger cage as they tend to be more active whereas a larger rabbit is more sedentary. For the litter box, get a plastic shoebox or washtub big enough for the rabbit to set comfortably. For the litter itself, use aspen shavings or pellet style cat litter. Also put a bit of hay, timothy for adults, on one side of the box. They hay is good for them and rabbits tend to poop while they’re eating so this serves a dual purpose. Get some nutritious food and a few snacks, but don’t over feed the rabbit either! Fresh water should of course be available at all times. Make sure to get some wood blocks or cardboard and toys to keep him busy.

Cleaning the cage doesn’t take long. Go ahead and let the rabbit run around for his exercise while you’re cleaning. Keep an eye on him, though! Rabbits can get into some tight spaces. I opted to clean the cage everyday to cut down on any odors, so I only placed enough litter to cover well the bottom of the box. Either way, dump the litter out, wash the pan (remember, rabbit pee is disgusting), refill and replace. Sweep up any stray poops and litter. Wipe off food bowls and the bottom of the cage. Refill water and replace everything as it was. See, that was easy!

Now that you’re done cleaning, play with the rabbit! He may be more interested in hopping arounf the room but he will get back around to you and would love some head scratches before hipping off again. If you want to pick him up for cuddles, make sure you support his back legs, otherwise he’ll lick out. Once you’ve got a secure hold on him, cuddle away! When playtime is over, gently put the rabbit back in the cage and give him a treat. This will reinforce the idea that it’s okay to go back in the cage.

And that, my friends, is how to care for a rabbit. At least, for two weeks. Long term, find a vet and get it fixed. Yes, you can spay or neuter a rabbit and it’s inexpensive! If you’re getting a rabbit for your kid, be sure to show them the proper way to hold the rabbit and remember that you’ll be doing all the work. The internet is your friend for info but always ask the vet if something goes horribly wrong.

To help cut down on rabbit over breeding, adopt a rabbit from your local rescue group! The adoption fee will include a snip or spay and will make room for another rabbit to be rescued. Please remember that pet rabbits are domestic animals and don’t have the necessary skills anymore to survive in the wild, so please don’t release them.

Links:
Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue
PetSmart Rabbit Care & Nutrition

A Study of Art: Photography

A Study of Art: Photography

Many say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or that artists see the world differently. But of course, everyone has their own opinion, and is rightfully entitled to it. Thus is the world of art.

Photography is a relatively young art form. It had to wait to be invented and improved. Even now new cameras and technologies are being developed that will again make previous models obsolete. However, with all the changes in medium, the concept of the photograph stays the same: to capture a moment in time. No other art form does quite the same thing without taking a considerable amount of time to produce the same effect as a single click of a button.

Anyone ca be a photographer whether young or old. My nephew centers images well and my grandmother would cut off peoples heads. Myself, I prefer inanimate objects so that I know it’s my fault if the image is blurry. The more serious of us will set up with tripods and extra lighting to achieve that “perfect” shot. Fortunately, the beauty of art is that anything can be perfect.

Location and subject matter will influence the quality of photo. Living in New Orleans, I’ve been lucky to have such a photogenic city. Sometimes though, I like to look for my inspiration in places other than the French Quarter. Crazy, right? You‘d be surprises to find plenty of subject matter right in your own backyard! All you have to do is pay a bit more attention to your surroundings and you’ll find plenty to photograph.

Sometimes photography isn’t just about subject matter, but about how you take the picture. Some pictures call for dramatic black and white while others need vibrant color. Focus is also changed to achieve a soft or full look. Lighting is important in how it plays on the subject. Changing any one of these settings can result in a completely different feeling picture.

The best tip I could give an aspiring photographer is to quite simply have fun. There’s no need to be all serious about pushing the little button. Enjoy taking pictures and enjoy your surroundings and your company, should you have any. Just smile and click!

To see the inspiration for my latest photos, visit http://www.photoworksneworleans.com/ to see the art of Louis Sahuc, local photographer of New Orleans.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Going Green in New Orleans

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Going Green in New Orleans

Recycling is one of those concepts with which some people would associate with tree-hugging hippies. Others with do-good citizens trying to help out Planet Earth. And still more who thing we’re just plain crazy. In this post-Katrina New Orleans, recyclers are the brave few who are willing to commit their monthly income to a service we took for granted, like many other things.

If you’re of the ‘Save the Earth’ mindset, there are ways to act! Although budget cuts have shut down city run recycling centers, there are two private curb-side pickup service companies: Phoenix Recycling and SDT Waste and Debris. By paying a nominal monthly fee, these companies will pass twice a month to pick up what you set out on the curb. There are restriction to what recyclable materials will be picked up, which can be found on the website or by calling and asking. In most cases, you will be asked to pre-sort and separate, and crush when available.

One recurring complaint I’ve heard is of the cost of the curb-side service, which is much higher in post-Katrina New Orleans. Yes, it’s a bit high, but isn’t saving the planet worth it? Or, look at it this way: if you’re interested in recycling but worried about the cost, have family and friends chip in with goods and money. This way you’re guaranteed to have enough recyclables to put out and the fee gets broken down into a more manageable, and less exorbitant, amount. Another option may be to talk to your employer about starting a recycling program at work. Of course the budget may be an issue, but if you get enough people to show interest in the program there’s a good chance your employer will consider a recycling program.

I believe it is important to bring recycling back to New Orleans. It should be considered another step in the process of rebuilding and restoring our city. We have the opportunity to integrate recycling into the sanitation systems of the city as we rebuild the city, instead of leaving it as an auxiliary program that can be cut from the budget, like it has been. Recycling also teaches our young to respect the earth that we live on, which can ultimately lead to less littering and trash around the city. Recycling can bring together people in a local area for a cause which extends over a global area. it is the ultimate unifier for the salvation of Planet Earth.

Join me in the fight to save the earth. Start recycling today.