Suzi's 2nd HTML experimentation page!
Okay, I got really really bored typing in all that HTML stuff... :) So I've created this page,
which will probably be a lot more free form, as I had originally intended. If anyone was actually
following that page, it has moved to here.
It has been updated to include the color tables that were previously part of this page.
You can reach them directly by clicking here for the unspecified
background and here for the black background.
This document currently consists of the following sections:
- A collection of poems demonstrating some basic text manipulations.
- An article on bunny play with Scamper photos demonstrating basic
image manipulations.
- A clickable image map of the solar system.
More items will be added to this list as I get to them.
A few other links I visit frequently:
Be sure to check out these legends that are actually true:
And some true sap stories:
And some false ones that are just toooooo funny to pass up!
If you find others you'd like me to add to this list, just send me the URL.
And now for something completely different...
Patterns
In my hand are three white pebbles
picked earlier today
from the sand.
Warm they are now
from being held by me today.
But now in moonlight's foggy glow
I shall let them go
one
by
one
into my lazy stretch of river.
Plop................plop...............plop
Concentric Circles
creating infinite patterns
of moolight broken
waters ripple.
Weaving an endless tapestry of design
my warm hand
pebble--sand
the water
and the moon.
--Carolee Erickson
One day when walking down the stair
I met a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I think he's from the CIA?
If the Earth
were only a few feet in diameter,
floating
a few feet above
a field somewhere,
people would
come from everywhere to
marvel
at it. People would
walk around it
marveling at its
big pools
of water, its little pools and the
water flowing
between.
People would marvel at the
bumps on it and
the
holes in it.
They would marvel at the very thin
layer of gas
surrounding it
and the water suspended in the gas.
The people
would marvel at
all the creatures walking
around the surface of
the ball and at all
the creatures in the water.
The people would
declare it as sacred
because it was the only
one, and they would
protect it so that it
would not be hurt.
The ball would be the
greatest wonder
known, and people would
come to pray to
it, to be healed, to gain knowledge,
to know beauty and to
wonder how it could be. People would
love it and defend
it with their lives
because they would somehow
know that their lives could
be nothing
without it. If the Earth were
only
a few feet in diameter.
--by Joe Miller, an artist who lives in Washington State
Dusk
above the
water hang the
loud
flies
Here
O so
gray
then
what A pale signal will appear
when Soon before its shadow fades
where Here in this pool of opened eye
in us No upon us As at the very edges
of where we take shape in the dark air
This object bares its image awakening
ripples of recognition that will
brush darkness up into light
even after this bird this hour both drift by atop the perfect
sad instant now already passing out of sight
toward yet-untroubled reflection
this image bares its object darkening
into memorial shades scattered bits of
light No of water Or something across
water Breaking up no being regathered
soon Yet by then a swan will have
gone yes out of mind into what
vast
pale
hush
of a
place
past
sudden dark as
if a swan
sang
_____ _____ _ _ _
O | __ \ | __ \ | | (_) | | O
/\/| | | | _ __ | |__) | | |__ _ | |\/|
/ | | | | | '__| | ___/ | '_ \ | | | | |
/\ | |__| | | | _ | | | | | | | | | | /\
/_/_ |_____/ |_|(_) |_| |_| |_| |_| |_|_\_\
drphil@bihs.net
More Than Just a Chew Stick
Margo DeMello, PhD
(The original version of this article can be found at
the House Rabbit Soceity homepage. I have made a few small changes in wording and titles.
Photos are of our rabbit, Scamper)
As a House Rabbit Society fosterer, I often receive calls from people who are trying to find
homes for their rabbits. Except for those who didn't really want a rabbit in the first place,
the number-one reason for discarding the rabbits is destructiveness. Even more frustrating are
the calls from people wanting to adopt a rabbit as a house pet, even though they already have a
rabbit, who lives out back in a hutch. When I ask why they can't bring their outside rabbit in,
the answer is always the same: "Oh, she chews on our furniture. We're looking for a rabbit that
won't do that." These phone calls are particularly heartbreaking because many of these lives
could be saved if the callers provided the proper environment for the rabbit, an environment
which centers around toys.
Why Playthings Matter
Toys for rabbits are necessities, along with a proper diet, a well thought out living set-up,
and excellent medical care. Why? Toys are the key to three fundamental aspects of life with a
house rabbit:
Mental stimulation.
Without challenging activities, your rabbit will get bored, especially if she has no nonhuman
friends to keep her company. This feeling of isolation often leads to depression and/or
destructiveness. Even senior and disabled rabbits need an environment that gives them things
to do besides eating and sleeping.
Physical exercise.
Your rabbit needs safe activities to keep her body in shape as well as her mind. She needs
things to climb on, crawl under, hop on and around, dig into, and chew on. Without outlets for
these physical needs, she may become fat or depressed, or may create jumping, chewing, or
crawling diversions with your furniture. My foster rabbits have used carpeted ramps for years,
to enter and exit high cages, to get from one floor of a cage to another, and to enter--via
the window--our rabbit-proofed back yard to play. These days, they have a Little Tykes
playground with a ramp (actually a slide) whose only purpose is to climb on, and the rabbits
appreciate the extra exercise.
Bunny proofing for your home.
Toys are not just for your rabbit; they also keep your house safe. By providing him with a
selection of toys chosen to meet his age, sex, and temperament, you will fulfill most of the
requirements for bunny-proofing your home. When people call me to complain about their rabbit's
destructiveness, I always ask what they have done to bunny-proof their home. While many have
done the obvious--covering phone and electrical cords, eliminating poisonous plants--they have
not provided safe chewing and digging alternatives. It is not enough to remove all dangerous
chewables from the premises. These must be replaced with safe toys; otherwise the rabbit's
needs will not be met.
Important as toys are, they are no panacea. A rabbit who is frustrated because he never gets
out of his cage, never gets any attention, or because he craves the company of a rabbit friend,
is going to be a destructive rabbit. Make sure that you provide lots of stimulation, in the
form of exercise and social contact, as well as toys.
How to Choose Toys
If you have ever bought a new toy for a cat, and, after removing the wrapping (and price tag!)
found that Sweet Pea would rather pee on than play with her new ball, tunnel, mouse, or fishing
pole, you know the frustration of having your toy rejected. Because all rabbits are different,
all will not like the same kinds of toys, and some rabbits will use a toy differently than
others. Rabbit toys can be extremely elaborate or very simple and can cost anywhere from
nothing to hundreds of dollars.
Luckily, rabbits don't care whether you spend your daughter's
tuition funds on their toys or if you build them yourself out of discarded wood, cardboard and
paper. Your rabbit will tell you what her own toy needs are. Does he like to hide in the
stuffing under the recliner? Does she like to climb on top of the desk and poke around the
printer? Does she dig furiously in the corner of the carpet? Does he run up and down the stairs
with abandon? Have you ever noticed that the minute you let him out of the cage in the morning,
he races to the refrigerator or the couch to continue the redecorating job he left off
yesterday? HRS fosterer Holly O'Meara has pointed out that many rabbits are project-oriented
and are only interested in an activity if it is going to occupy their mind and body for quite
some time. I imagine it must be very satisfying for a bunny to finally complete a major
architectural or interior-decorating job with which he has been occupied for a period of days
or weeks. All of these behaviors warrant different kinds of toys.
Providing a lot of toys to an untrained or young rabbit doesn't mean that you can leave him
loose for 8 hours and come home to an intact apartment. Don't give too much freedom too soon.
Work with your rabbit and his personal tendencies, to set up a schedule of freedom that suits
both of you. As he gets older, and after he's been neutered, he won't need as much discipline
and he can be left out alone for longer periods of time, but don't rush it!
Toys and Temperaments
Here are some ideas based on types of activity. These are natural behaviors that need an
outlet. By providing safe, non-destructive opportunities, you ensure that the rabbit will not
be forced to improvise.
Tunneling
and Burrowing
Rabbits are burrowing animals, and most enjoy digging tunnels, or digging at the end of
pre-made tunnels. You can get cardboard concrete forms from building suppliers (or from
contractor friends), which make great, inexpensive, chewable tunnels. You can also stuff
newspaper into one end of the tunnel, providing lots of digging opportunities. For rabbits who
like to lie in, rather than dig in, a tunnel, you can buy cat tunnels made of nylon and
synthetic sheepskin. These are extremely comfy, and one or another of our three bedroom rabbits
occupies ours at all times. You can give your bun a long, narrow cardboard box, open at both
ends, or just open at one. You can create a tunnel by setting up a running space between your
couch and your wall, just big enough for Phoebe.
Digging
Along with tunneling goes digging. Some rabbits enjoy digging at the end of a tunnel; others
will dig wherever they can. World-class diggers need lots of opportunities to dig, and
fortunately, these are easy to provide. A cardboard box, large litterbox or dishpan, or even a
large wicker basket filled with hay, shredded newspapers, old magazines or junk mail, and any
other safe shreddable, should do the trick. If there is a particular spot on the carpet that
your rabbit likes to dig, you can cover it with furniture, a carpet scrap, or a piece of grass
mat, but make sure to provide a digging box as well.
Shredding
Does Zippy peel the wallpaper or sheetrock? Rabbits who like to shred need to have paper
products aplenty. An urban Yellow Pages is one of the best shredding choices. Unless your
rabbit eats a great deal of the paper, shredding itself is not harmful, except to your house
and possessions. You can give him the Yellow Pages on their own, or in a box or basket, with
other shreddable items. Like many other rabbit activities, unfortunately shredding is not
particularly neat, so keeping the shreddables in a box may keep your home a bit neater. A whisk
broom, or full size broom (made of straw, not plastic) also provides a fun shredding toy.
Throwing
All kinds of rabbits, from aggressive to mellow, like to throw things. [Suzi adds, all except
ours. *sigh*] Baby toys, keys, batta balls, and slinkies are all throwable
alternatives to the food dish or litterbox. Make sure the toys are made of hard plastic or
metal and have no edible parts. Some rabbits will even play toss with you, if you start the
game.
Climbing
Outgoing, rambunctious rabbits like to climb furniture, challenging the general statement that
rabbits are happiest on the ground. Like mountain climbers, they enjoy both the thrill of the
climb and the view from the top. Set up a series of boxes which are stabilized at the bottom,
so that your rabbit can safely climb from level to level. Some commercial cat trees are great
for rabbits as well, as they provide perches at the top of each level. You can use ramps to
help your little explorer get onto the tops of things (his cage, for example, covered with a
rug), or you can use a ramp and perch combination as an end in itself. And you can easily
build a little condo, out of wood or (for temporary use until it's destroyed) cardboard, with
holes in the side for lookouts, ramps connecting the floors, and a "sundeck" on top to view
the world.
Chewing!
Chewing!
Chewing!
This is perhaps the central concern of most bunny caretakers. Rabbits need to chew, both for
physical and psychological reasons. Wicker baskets, non-poisonous logs and sticks, cardboard,
paper, straw, and pine cones are all good choices. If Potato enjoys chewing holes into the back
of the couch, give her a closed cardboard box filled with paper or straw, with a small hole in
it to start, and let her finish the job. Be imaginative! Provide a toy box of untreated wicker
or cardboard full of different sizes and shapes and textures of wood, dried-out pine cones,
cardboard tubes or other safe items.
Do not give just a chew stick! People often buy these strange orange-and-green wooden sticks
from the pet-supply store for their new rabbit, and are surprised to see that Thumper barely
sniffs his before starting in on the baseboards. Especially for a young rabbit, or a
particularly chew-conscious rabbit, chew-toys need to be interesting (which a chew stick is
not, even if it's dyed orange and shaped like a carrot) and plentiful. The more toys, and the
greater variety, the better. A rabbit who has only a stick, a log, or a piece of two-by-four
to chew on, is going to be a bored rabbit. And a bored rabbit is a naughty rabbit.
Bunching
Some rabbits like to "organize" rugs, bedding, pillows, or towels. If your rabbit spends a lot
of time on the bed, pushing, pulling, and biting the sheets and blankets until they're just
right, he will probably enjoy his own towel to bunch around on the floor. This could be an old
hand towel, preferably with low nubs, or it could be more extravagant, such as a pillow or
two. Make sure that he's not actually eating the towel, which would be dangerous, and is just
biting, pushing, bunching and pulling it.
Hitting
Aggressive rabbits who lunge, growl, threaten, snort, and box often enjoy having toys on which
they can take out their aggressions. Anything that is partially immobile, yet is flexible
enough to move when hit, is fun. Hanging parrot toys (don't get the small-bird toys, like
those made for cockatiels, because the plastic can be easily chewed apart), hanging baby toys
(a mobile is the best!), or plastic rainbow slinkies which have been hung on the top of the
cage, all provide a high-energy rabbit with a suitable outlet for her emotions.
Rolling, nudging
Some rabbits like to play with balls. The large, rubber balls work the best, the ones that you
find in large baskets at drug/discount stores. Some people like to give their rabbits balloons,
but these are too dangerous, given the loud noise when the balloon breaks, and the small
pieces of plastic that result.
When it comes to toys, always give too much, not too little. Observing your rabbit's preferred
activities, and devising toys that will engage him, can be a mutually enjoyable experience, a
game within a game. And always remember: A bored rabbit is a naughty rabbit!
Solar System Facts at your "fingers"
Simply click anywhere on the image below to link to information on the objects in our solar
system and beyond.
You may note that Pluto
and it's "moon" Charon
do not appear in my image map. That is because Pluto is not quite a planet (and also
because there are no pretty pics of Pluto out there!). It can be more appropriately
thought of as the largest of the Kuiper Belt objects,
a second asteroid belt that never quite formed into a full planet because the Kuiper belt
is in a 3:2 resonance orbit with Neptune. Pluto can most accurately be though of as a
"protoplanet".
This page created by Suzi Anvin
on 6/27/01 and last updated on 7/14/01.
