Weather Extremes and Your RabbitWritten by Sarah Giers
Rabbits do well both indoors and outdoors, but they cannot handle certain weather extremes.Hot Weather Rabbits do not handle hot weather well at all. To them, 80 degrees is hot. In order to prevent your rabbit from suffering in heat, there are several things you can do. 1. Make sure it has fresh, cool water throughout day. 2. Put water in plastic soda bottles or milk jugs and freeze them. Place onein cage and rabbit will lean against it to stay cool. 3. Make sure rabbit's hutch or cage is fully shaded. 4. Set up a mister system or a fan near your bunny's cage. Those things will generally keep your rabbit cool enough. However, be on lookout for signs of heatstroke. These include heavy panting and wet mouths. Another side affect of heat is in reguards to breeding rabbits. Bucks may go temporarily sterile, especially older bucks. Does may refuse to breed or loose litters. Cold Weather Rabbits usually handle cold weather a lot better than they do hot weather. So long as they are kept out of wind and are kept dry, they usually do fine. However, if they are not used to cold weather, or are particularly sensetive to it, there are some things you can do to help. 1. Provide hay for them to eat and to dig into. The hay will create extra calories for them to burn, which makes more body heat. They will also nest in it, trapping body heat close to them. 2. Be sure they have fresh water at all times. If water freezes, get ice out and give rabbit fresh water. Ice is not enough for a rabbit. Do not give them warm water, as that actually freezes down faster than lukewarm water does. 3. If you do bring your rabbit inside, do not put it in a warm room. Keep it in coolest room you have, or when you take it back outside, temperature change will be a drastic shock on its system. 4. Place tarps or blankets over hutch or cage, leaving a corner open for fresh air. This helps retain rabbit's body heat in cage, increasing temperature a bit.
| | Dating Your Spouse: Planning an evening on the town--no kidsWritten by Alyice Edrich
When was last time you went out on a real “date” with your significant other? And no, a real date doesn’t mean taking kids to movies with you and sitting them in front row, while you sit five rows back to cuddle, eat popcorn, and share a large soda. If your date nights have consisted of squeezing in a little time while kids play or go off to bed then it’s time to dust off your dancing shoes and find a sitter!Spending time with your better half can not only save your marriage, but bring it back to life. To add a little spark to romance department of your marriage, follow these simple steps to a romantic evening two of you will never forget: 1.Find a sitter. If you can’t afford to hire a sitter because money is too tight, enroll help of a trusted friend or family member. If you feel guilty, offer to swap sitter duties. 2.Listen to your spouse. What is your better half constantly wishing she could do? Is that something you can turn into an evening of fun? 3.Ask your spouse out on a date. Don’t just tell your loved one that you two are going out without kids, get romantic and ask her out on a date. 4.Buy a gift. Is there something your loved one has been eyeing but just couldn’t justify buying? Is it in your “cash only” budget? If it is, buy it. If it’s not, find something comparable and unique, then wrap it up in a real elegant box, tie a ribbon around it, and place a bow on top. 5.Handwrite a love note. Hallmark is famous for offering cards that pull on one’s heartstrings. If you can’t think of something romantic to say on your own, spend a little time in card section and find perfect card to say it for you. But don’t just sign your name to card, adlib by writing a few extra special lines to personalize that card for your spouse.
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