Hello. It's Belinda.
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with a "hankering?"
I mean for a specific treat or snack.
If you want oat hay, I'm sorry to say this, but timothy isn't going to do.
If you want a County Loop, same thing. A snacker won't cut it.
The problem is, your stash might be "running low" on certain items.
What are you going to do?
That's the "pickle" I found myself in a few nights ago.
Awake in the middle of the night. Needing a little chew but not hay.
I was in the mood for some herbs and flowers.
If you guessed Belinda's Blend you're right. I love the stuff.
The problem was my roommate keeps it up high, on a shelf. I can't reach it.
Now usually when this happens I just go back to sleep. I don't want to act "spoiled" if you know what I mean.
I know I'm lucky to work for a hay company. Last thing I need to do is demand treats and snacks "at my whim" like some kind of movie star.
But I just couldn't shake the cravings this time.
And so I did something I never do.
First, I made my way slowly across the bottom level. It was dark so I let my whiskers lead the way. I didn't want to "bang" into anything.
Despite that, the English somehow heard me.
"Where are you going?"
I ignored him. Not in the mood.
Then I climbed the steps to the kitchen. Walked around the refrigerator into the dining room. Around the loveseat across the floor to the bottom step.
And that's where I stopped in my tracks.
I don't go upstairs to the bedroom level. I don't dare.
That "territory" belongs to the English. Even though he spends a lot of time on the bottom level.
I know my rabbit manners even if he doesn't. Not going to find one speck of evidence that I've been "snooping around" his things.
I could hear my roommate snoring. That's not gossip. It means she was asleep.
So I thumped.
That's right. I brought my foot down so hard.
Then I listened. Nothing.
So I thumped again.
"Hey!"
That worked.
I heard her feet hit the floor. Then the lights came on.
My roommate appeared at the top of the steps.
She looked like a windstorm.
She squinted at me.
"Belinda! Are you thumping?"
I just stood there. With my ears back.
"Is something wrong?"
She walked down to me and then rushed through the living room and around the corner.
All the lights were on by the time we hit the steps to the bottom level.
By the way, she forgot to put on her slippers. That's what waking to a good thump will do.
First she checked on the English and Little Fang. They were relaxing in their pens.
Then she turned and looked at me. She put her hands on her hips.
"You'd better have a good reason for waking me up."
I turned toward the shelf where she keeps my herbal mixes.
Then I looked at her. Then I turned toward the shelf again. Stared up at the bag of Belinda's Blend.
Now this next part of the story could have gone a lot of different ways. You never know if a roommate is going to remind you that you have a nice big pile of hay next to your sleeping rug. Or that you have a stash full of goodies and waking up with a hankering is the whole point of a stash.
But my roommate didn't say any of that.
Instead she walked to the shelf and picked up the bag. Next thing you know she was serving the Belinda's Blend on three little saucers. One for each of us.
She refilled our water bowls too.
By the time she was getting ready to go back up to bed, I was done eating and back on my rug. I knew I'd be "out like a light" in a few minutes.
"Good night, bunnies." My roommate walked up the steps. Then the room went dark.
I heard her walk across the ceiling. Then everything was quiet again.
As for me?
I was pleased with myself if you want to know the truth.
Usually I don't want to "rock the boat." You're not supposed to wake your housemates unless it's an emergency.
Well just for once I wanted something a little extra tasty. And a few minutes later I had it. So did the other two and they didn't even leave their pens.
All I had to do was ask.
Then it hit me. I still needed a "word of the year." To help me focus on something for 2025.
And bingo I had it.
"Ask."
Having a theme word could change everything. You never know.
I mean you never know until you ...
Sincerely,
Belinda
Spokesrabbit, Small Pet Select
Inventor of "First Chew"
Belinda@smallpetselect.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Would you like to read more of Belinda's weekly blogs? See them all HERE.
