Sally Has Her First Oscar!

I got my first Oscar last week. I’ve been writing screenplays for years and envisioned the golden statute residing proudly in the music room. Other times I thought I could have a special shelf made in my office. However, when Oscar came into my life I never expected that he would spend a lot of the day sitting proudly on the bottom shelf of an end table in the living room. I especially never thought that the floor under the table would be littered with poo balls.

Oh, I guess there is a detail I forgot to tell you. Oscar was not the result of an award-winning script. Oscar is our new pet bunny.

Our last bunny recently passed away. None of our bunnies ran to greet us at the door and wag their tails, or jump into our laps demanding attention. But life without a bunny was strangely sad and quiet. We missed the pitter patter of bunny paws, the slurp, slurp slurp from the water bottle and the clanging of toys being tossed around the cage. My spouse, CB, probably would have grieved longer after the passing of Tinkle Toes, our last bunny, but there are so many pets that need homes, I didn’t see the point in waiting. We adopted Oscar from the Bunny Rescue in East Mesa, AZ. I applaud the owner, Angel, and her devoted staff of volunteers. If you are looking to adopt a pet bunny or cat, or you are looking for a charitable organization to donate to, this is a very worthy cause.

But back to our bunny tale.

Oscar is quite the character. At times he stands up on his haunches and looks around, pokes his nose into anything new and occasionally makes us laugh when he jumps straight up into the air. Other times he seems quite content to sit quietly, wait until we are lulled into a false sense of security and sneak a nibble on the carpet or throw rug.

I have always enjoyed having a pet, but usually the animal of choice has been a dog. When I was a child we had both dogs and cats. But CB is allergic to cats and we travel too much for a dog, so bunnies have been our companions.

There isn’t anything cuter than a baby bunny, but this time I felt an adult rabbit, one who was friendly and enjoyed human interaction, would be a better choice. Oscar fit the bill.

Even though we have had pet bunnies in the past, I went online to read up on bunny care. I learned a few things. However, I didn’t feel too bad that I wasn’t an expert. I have two grown children and there are things that were acceptable for babies raised in the 1980s that are not in vogue today. One example is those cute bumper pads in the cribs. I had bumpers for each of my daughters and it even came with a matching baby quilt and curtains. Who would have expected that these cushy pads could become a choking hazard? So my granddaughters did not have bumper pads in their cribs and their mom didn't eat sushi during her pregnancy. Who knew? The point is there is always something new to learn, whether it's child care of bunny care, do your research.

I don’t want to make this an educational piece. If you google bunny rescue and include your state and city, you will find adoptable pets as well as information on pet care. The same is true for other critters such as dogs and cats and even ferrets.

Having a pet is an important responsibility and not something that should be taken lightly. However, if you have done your research, have realistic expectations and have room in your heart for a new pet, please consider adopting one from the humane society, animal shelter, or one of many rescue organizations.

To my friends and family members who saw the headline to this story and thought I earned the coveted “Golden Boy” for Best Script, I apologize. But don’t despair (I’m still hopeful.) My screenplays may not have earned a gold statuette (yet) but now that I have my Oscar in the house I have created my own wonderful story and we pleased to report that are all living “hoppily” ever after.