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| Sunday, 17 October 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Rabbits - easy to love but not easy to care for
If you have rabbits as pets, then you must learn as much as you could about their needs. Most people make the mistake of thinking that rabbits do not need a lot of space just because they are so small. They need room to roam. For instance a run or cage for a six-pound rabbit should be at least 18 inches high, two feet wide and two feet deep. Cages with wire flooring are hard on rabbits' feet which do not have protective pads like those of dogs and cats. If you have a wire cage, make sure to cover the floor area with a cardboard or thick paper. Like all animals, rabbits too need quiet times so respect the animal's needs and place a cardboard box or make a special nook for it to rest and hide. Always keep rabbits indoors and maintain comfortable room temperature because rabbits do not tolerate extreme temperatures. Rabbits are fragile creatures who should be handled with care. Never squeeze them when you are petting them. Their bones are so delicate that the muscles in their powerful hind legs can easily overcome the strength of their skeletons. Struggling rabbits can break their spines. One way to take a rabbit out of a cage is to gently gather a handful of loose skin at the scruff of its neck, turn its face away while pulling his body toward you, and immediately place your other hand underneath its rump (tail end) to support its body weight. You can also place your hands above and underneath it and lift carefully. Make sure you never let a rabbit's body hang free, lift him by the stomach or pick him up by the ears. Rabbits need a balanced diet. Hay, leafy dark green vegetables such as parsley and carrot tops are what they like most. They need fresh water too. Rabbits usually sleep during the day and night and become playful at dawn and dusk. As rabbits groom each other around eyes, ears, top of the nose and head, they will love it when you pat them in these places.
Colin - the Cat of the Year More than 40 feline breeds and 25,000 devoted cat lovers were at the Annual Cat Show held in New York last weekend. The two-year-old Colin Powel, the Cat of the Year (2004), is seen posing with John Clark in front of a poster of his namesake at the preview of the show. Pic. Reuters.
Your pet goldfish can spy more than you might think In its natural habitat the goldfish often inhabits murky, vegetation choked stretches of freshwater. It has therefore adapted to detect fra-red and infrared light. It's able to do so because of the composition of the retinae in its eyes. Although these contain cone cells that are sensitive to different colours, the red sensitive cones are dominant. As a result, red signals override other signals. So your pet gold fish can spy more than you might think. For instance it can see invisible infrared beams from household gadgets such as television remotes and trip beams from intruder alarms. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
Rabbits are social creatures and wonderful companions. They are easy to
love but not so easy to take care of.
