Sunday was an eventful day for Clover and I.  Since a bout of insomnia royally screwed up my Saturday, the day I usually get weekend projects done, everything got crammed into Sunday.   We started out with an invitation to take Clover to a local hospice, on a trial basis, to see some patients and show the staff how a therapy bunny would work well for patients that don’t like or are potentially allergic to cats and dogs.  She saw 2 patients, and laid quietly beside them while they petted her.  One lady told me about how she had rabbits as a young girl and how it brought back memories for her.  We spent an hour and a half there, and Clover was a big hit with “her” patients and the staff.  They were all surprised at how calm and outgoing she was.  I guess they expected panicky and flighty.  Several people held her, and she seemed to accept the worshipping as her due as Queen Bunny.  (All hail!)

From there, we took a trip to PetSmart to buy her a harness and her and Dawn some toys (Because a bored bun is a destructive bun!).  The staff all know Clover and were happy to see her, but there were also a lot of families in there, so again, we had to stop and let her be worshipped and answered a lot of questions about house bunnies.  I think we made more than a couple of converts, people who wanted an “Indoor” pet but didn’t want a cat.  I promoted adopting rescued former show/breeding rabbits,  because those bunnies need loving homes instead of spending their lives in cages.     It’s such a delight to see people’s faces light up when they pet her, or when she half periscopes to sniff their faces and hair.  She’s really a very outgoing and engaging rabbit.

From there, I WAS going to take her home and run to the grocery store, but since it was right next door to PS, I said “Eh!  What the heck” and took her into Publix.  Now, before anyone gets upset about taking an animal into a grocery store, let me say this.  She IS a therapy rabbit (In training, although I’m not real sure what else I can do to make her a better ambassador…) and the first thing I did was take her to the store manager and asked them if it would be ok to bring her in the store.  As long as she stayed in the cart on her own travel blanket, they were fine with it.  So I took Clover shopping, and let her pick out some greens for herself and her sister.  We got some nice Greenleaf lettuce, snow peas, and the very nice produce lady happily hacked the tops off some turnips and gave them to her.   And as usual, the families in the store noticed her and asked lots of questions, kids got to pet her, and everyone got a smile out of seeing her.  It is astonishing to me how many people have never even seen a rabbit close up, and how many misconceptions there exist about rabbits.  I did my best to answer all the questions I could, and referred several people to this boards FAQ section, as it’s been a huge help for me.

All in all, a wonderful day, but Clover and I were both tuckered out by the end of it.   I think she enjoys the interaction and travel.  We cuddled up in my recliner and watched a movie.  Popcorn, no salt or butter.

(Addendum:  I never travel with Clover without water and hay for her, and her favorite travel blanket.  When she shows signs that she’s tired or had enough for a while, I feed and water her, and let her flop out in her basket with her blanket.  Her well being comes first.)

Also, while people took a lot of pictures of Clover, I didn’t think to take any myself.  Too busy answering questions.  I really need to take some next time.