The Deal in Walmart

Everyone knows that no matter how hard you try to escape them, we all have responsibilities. To most of us, some of the responsibilities are taking care of our pets. Being an owner of a new pet is a large and sometimes difficult responsibility, especially when you have never had that kind of animal before. It can also be very difficult when you haven’t done enough thorough research on them. This isn’t always a bad thing, but if you're not careful enough, you or your pet may end up with a problem.
The first two bunnies my family owned were Smokey and Bandit, which were named after the movie “Smokey and the Bandit”. “Smokey and the Bandit” was one of my family’s favorite movies at the time, so we decided to bestow them with those names. We got them in either 2015 or 2016 from a farmer, who agreed to give them to us if we met at the Walmart parking lot. It was extremely sketchy, but we agreed to it. The farmer gave them to us in a cardboard box and confirmed that they were both males. He was a man of few words, but one thing he did tell us was, “Don’t get any rabbit food from Walmart ‘cause it is bad for them. Get them from pet supply stores like Blue Seal Feed.”

My family felt like we bought something off the black market; a secret deal in a suspicious place. But since they were two harmless bunnies, we took them in and introduced them to their new home. Thanks to the farmer, we made sure to never get any rabbit food from Walmart.

The bunnies were both mini-lops with white fur, brownish-grey ears, and brown spots on each side of their nose, which made them look like they had a mustache. They were brothers and looked identical, but there were two ways to tell them apart. Smokey had three grey spots along his back while Bandit only had one. The other way of telling them apart was by observing their behavior. Smokey was a spazz who ran everywhere and would jump out of his cage, which made us have to get a top for it. Bandit, on the other hand, was a lump that enjoyed sleeping and eating; quite the relatable rabbit. My sisters quickly became a fan of Bandit due to the fact that he loved to cuddle with us for hours. Unlike my sisters, I became a fan of Smokey, even though his athletic nature did not fit my own laziness. I loved to watch him zig-zag around the garden and jump up into the air and kick happily. He would sometimes follow me as well. I didn’t give Bandit much attention, due to the fact that he got plenty of attention from my sisters.
We certainly had a lot of fun memories with them, especially the time we dropped them into a foot of snow and we almost lost them because they began to make tunnels. However, things went downhill for Smokey. A few years after getting them, Smokey showed a few signs of sickness. I wanted to get him looked at by a vet. But, since my parents felt it wasn’t urgent, we put it off. Then, one day, he passed away in his sleep.
Ever since then, I was more cautious and worried over every possible sign of sickness in Bandit. So, I began to educate myself about illnesses bunnies can get and what signs to look out for. I promised myself that I will never make the same mistake again for any future rabbits my family will have.
Bandit became slightly depressed and lonely after that. He still eats and drinks normally, but he became moodier. When he is not getting attention, he thumps and grunts and sometimes chew at our clothing or blankets. But, other than that, he is still the same cuddly fluff-ball he is. Lately, I’ve noticed he has been breathing a bit more heavily and louder than usual, which could be a sign of a respiratory issue. I want to take him to the vet for a check-up. So I decided to talk to my mom about it.

“Hey, mom, can we bring Bandit to the vet for a check-up? I’ve noticed he’s been breathing a bit heavier than usual and I’m worried he may have a respiratory issue?”

“Well,” My mom stated, “We don’t have the money right now. But, we can bring him to the vet once we get tax returns.”

I was glad that my mom agreed with this. It was a huge relief knowing that Bandit will be able to get some help if he needs it. We refuse to make the same mistake again.

We all have responsibilities, and for some of us they are pets. One thing you should always do when thinking of buying one is to do research on it to see if it is the right pet for you, how to take care of it, what kind of sicknesses to look out for, and many others. People sometimes don’t do research on them and realize that they were not truly ready to own a pet or it was not their type of companion. Pets need a lot of care and attention, so it is our jobs as owners to try our best to look after them and make sure they live happy lives.