Winter with Pets

     So what to do when it gets cold out? You just love taking your iguana for walks on a summer day or letting your bunny hop around in your backyard, but the 4 feet of snow seems to cause a problem. Luckily there are lots of animals that don't really know the difference between the changes of seasons other than what the windows look like and more blankets on the humans. However, those like my bunny, Wafer, who are used to going outside every other couple of days, get kindof anxious. 

      Luckily, you can give your smaller mammilian friends a winterization without losing their hipsterism, as seen below. 

     Lolz. Well on a more serious note, you really can bundle up your bunny and toss them out in the snow! Probably not quite so literally, but there are sweaters or shirts that you can buy for them (or make!) to keep a furry animal warm during a rare romp in the snow. Different animals will react in different ways. Some bunnies hate the snow while others thoroughly enjoy it. You just have to make sure that you keep track of them, because a bunny suddenly tunneling under the snow will be hard to...retrieve. It's probably not a good idea to keep them out for more than 10 minutes, though.

     Unfortunately, not all animals can neccessarily tolerate the cold. Reptiles or other cold-blooded animals could easily freeze out in the snow. Even mammals that are used to warmer weather (hedgehogs, primates, etc) should probably not go out either, unless you can fit a cozy sweater over them. :)

     Now here are some more cute pictures of pet bunnies keeping warm or playing in the snow. ^~^

     On that note, have a great rest of the week!

Bunny Food! Yum!

    First of all, I want to say that I've had crazy technology problems lately... My internal laptop battery died, and after taking it into best buy twice, I could only use my computer when it was plugged in. The instant I unplugged it, it would shut down. Anyway, I just got the new battery in the mail today. Yay!
    I'm going to just go over the specifics of a pet bunny's diet.
     Bunnies' rely on hay for most of their diet. You should make sure that they have hay at all times. Some people just put hay in the bowl, but I got a wire ball feeder similar to this. I just stuff that with hay whenever Wafer runs out. 

    In addition to hay, your pet will need pellets. <- That's the brand that I use. In the past, I also have purchased this, but that was almost $2 per lb, whereas my current brand is about .50 cents per lb. The more expensive brand probably has a slightly higher quality, but not so much that it's worth paying that much more for. Also, it is vital that you choose a brand without those colorful, crunchy things. Those are like lucky charms in a bowl of cheerios. Your bunny will love them and may even neglect the more natural pellets. They're like McDonald's for bunnies, and every hipster knows McDonald's is ucky. ^~^

    As with treats, again, try to stay away from fake-y, colorful stuff. Bunny owners often say, the thing you bunny will love the most is homemade. They're going to enjoy eating the packaging more than the actual stuff inside. If you do go the store-bought route, stick to the more natural brands or these great yogurt drops that Wafer loves. In fact, you can even try making your own bunny treats! <- I have made this recipe before, and Wafer loved them. It is a messy recipe, so plan on getting your hands dirty. Also remember that preservatives are not included (and rightfully so) so they won't last forever. 

    Finally, bunnies should get some veggies in their everyday diet. Many ask if this means that they need to buy veggies for their pet, but the answer is no, you do not. Even though every bunny is different, it doesn't need to be complicated. Some acceptable greens, to name a few, are: lettuce, cabbage, kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, sprouts, and dandelion leaves from your yard outside. Just remember to double check online if you're trying something different and to wash everything before you give it to your bunny. If he/she hasn't eaten it in 24 hours, try something else and throw away the wilted vegetable. Again, every bunny is different and probably won't like everything you give them. Wafer, for example, hates carrots but loves broccoli and rosemary. You just have to experiment a bit and find what is you buddy's favorites.

Where did the name come from?

You may be wondering, what relevance does, 'Hipster Hippo' have to my blog? Well, it's like this. 

I was originally looking for something like Hipster Animals, but that was a little...silly? Anyway, hippo kept popping up in my mind and I eventually landed on Hipster Hippo because of this article. That little hippo is like the mascot of this blog. :3 

Our family--pets.

I'm Mickey. We have 3 cats. There's Will and Grace who are siblings (I kind of claim Grace as my cat) and Charlie, who is about 17 years old. I personally have a bunny (wafer), a hedgehog (chai). I'm in 8th grade, and I love animals. I've been playing piano since I was two and cello since I was in 4th grade. I do watercolor paintings and drawings everywhere--here's my blog for my art.  ^^ Lastly, I crochet and knit. Fun, right? Fo sho.

Anyway, I've spent lots of time learning about contemporary pets such as frogs, exotic worms, shrimp, axolotls, etc. My research about hedgehogs is what eventually led to my mom letting me adopt one. I have tried, tested and perfected many pet care techniques that I haven't found in many places online. I figured I needed to channel it somehow... :)