PET PERSON
Pets have more love and compassion in them than most humans.
-- Robert Wagner
Pets have more love and compassion in them than most humans.
-- Robert Wagner
ONCE upon a time, a blogger and a rabbit lived under one roof. Almost four years have passed and the two, still together, shared their adventures exclusively online until one day when they stepped out of their cyber hole to visit a fair. Wendy Cheng, alias Xiaxue, is a popular blogger from Singapore who owns a pet rabbit named Igloo. She occasionally blogs about Igloo, a Holland lop bunny, who leapt to online stardom by virtue of her cuteness. They were among the VIP guests at last month's second Singapore Pet Expo where Xiaxue talked about Igloo and the life they share. In her early blog posts, Xiaxue tried to correct misconceptions about bunnies based on her experiences with Igloo. The petite lady with colorful hair (last month it was like periwinkle) didn't look like the kind who would get her hands too dirty (literally) to raise a pet, but she seemed pretty hands on with Igloo. “Do you know that bunnies can be toilet trained?” Xiaxue said in front of a crowd of pet lovers. “I was able to train Igloo to hop back to her litter box inside her cage when she needs to eliminate, and since then I could trust her enough to let her roam around the room.” Xiaxue said Igloo enjoys being out of her cage regularly. For Igloo's safety, Xiaxue said they fenced up half of her room so the little bunny can't go near and bite electrical wires and cables. Unlike cats and dogs' waste, bunnies' are not smelly at all, Xiaxue said, adding that she sometimes just use her own hands to pick up Igloo's excrement, which looks like tiny hard pellets. Igloo has the shape of an igloo, hence the name, said Xiaxue. She finds her little hopper smart after successfully training Igloo to come when called and to stand up when she clicks her tongue. “Igloo is very sweet. She loves to snuggle and sleep next to me. She likes it a lot when we scratch her ears. If I'm using the computer for too long and ignoring her, she'd nudge my feet with her nose or paws,” she said. After a failed dog ownership, Xiaxue is happy to have found the right pet in Igloo. “If I knew bunnies could be awesome I would have bought one long ago. I suppose different species of animals suit different people, and my character/lifestyle is just more suited for bunnies,” she wrote in her blog. At the Pet Expo, Xiaxue went on to say that bunnies are good pets because they are very clean by nature and love to wash themselves all the time. The intrepid blogger also gives rabbits a thumbs up for not making too much of a racket. She also loves the fact that bunnies can be trained to do “tricks” and do acrobatic binkies. “Before I got a bunny I never knew they do something called binkies when they are happy. Binkies are like hopping and sprinting and sometimes they twist their body in midair. Igloo always does it when we bring her out,” she said. Binkies are purring to cats and tail wagging to dogs. Xiaxue said that rabbits can also be very expressive.
“If you have won over your bun's love, he will groom you with licks, which will not be readily given to any stranger. When getting scratched/pet, they sometimes grind their teeth softly in contentment and close their eyes,” Xiaxue added. But she admits bunnies can also be naughty and destructive when bored. To stop them from biting, digging and chewing at your personal belongings, Xiaxue suggests giving them a cardboard box to tear apart. She noted, too, that rabbits are unlike cats and dogs that could be at ease in public places. Rabbits can be awkward when being walked on a leash and they are quite fearful of a lot of things new to them, she added. “But all these I don't mind because I love Igloo so much,” said Xiaxue who finished her outing with Igloo by judging the search for Singapore's fluffiest rabbit.
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![]() By Alma J. Buelva FOR decades now, one purebred dog has solely owned the hearts of most Americans and many other people in this world, myself included. There's no contest: the world loves the greathearted Lab. For the 24th straight year, the American Kennel Club declared the Labrador Retriever as the most popular breed among its members. Other purebreds enter or leave the group's Top 10 circle, but few can hold their place for long. Why are Labs so beloved? It's one big, beautiful dog. The Labrador has a sweet countenance and attitude that belie its physical strength. The fact that it is a very powerful dog that exercises great care to be gentle towards well-meaning folks and animals reveals its other finest qualities: loyal, obedient, amiable, patient. A Lab has ample girth that allows for fuller hugs. You can even rest your head partly against the side of its head and shoulder as you embrace it and, if you are lucky, it might graciously place its heavy paw on your shoulder. Take good care of a Lab and it will also do the same for you. They can and will protect you from anyone or anything that bothers you, be it a person or a frog! My own yellow Lab would not rest until she could find the frog that scared me to death. She would always come rushing at the slightest shriek I made. Even in the middle of merry distractions, a Labrador remains committed to its master 100 percent. At parties, despite the array of delicious food and friendly faces competing for its attention, the Lab will devotedly stick close to or at least keep an eye on its owner. Labs are highly energetic, outgoing dogs who love to play fetch, hide-and-seek and swim. They also know how to just chill out by quietly sitting next to you. They love to please and show their affection. Being patted on the head as a confirmation of their good behavior or accomplishment means the world to them. Labs laugh and smile. This is one dog that wears its emotions on its sleeves. Their happiness is infectious especially when they happily roll on their backs with their legs up in the air. They know how to live in the moment with total abandon. But they also know how to sulk. Aside from being left alone, Labs also feel bad and guilty when they know they did something wrong, or look terribly hurt when unduly scolded that you'd end up hating yourself. The charisma of Labradors works even when they are asleep. Get used to some funny snores coming from this broad-chested dog or you'd end up in stitches every time it snoozes. From its broad head to its “otter” tail, the Labrador Retriever, deserves all the admiration it gets. Covered in dense, weatherproof coat in Yellow, Black or Chocolate, the Lab is truly a dog of substance. Noble, warm, affectionate, intelligent, sensitive, the Labrador is top dog, bar none. ![]() (In memory of MacyGirl, a sweet Yellow lab, who left other dogs some big paw prints to fill three years ago.) |
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