Columbus Local Kids November 2011

2 Columbus Kids | November 2011 ColumbusLocalKids.com

ADublin family who inherited a heavy-weight house rabbit didn’t know a lot

about how to care for the newest family pet,

but found a lot of answers at a unique eventin Whitehall.

Whitehall Community Park hosted the2011 Midwest Bunfest on Oct. 9.

The event drew house rabbit rescue organ-izations, house rabbit lovers and would-beadopters of house rabbits from throughoutOhio and surrounding states.

Ohio House Rabbit Rescue organized the2011 Midwest Bunfest.

It is one of only three such events in NorthAmerica, modeled after shows in San Diegoand Toronto.

Mary Beth Parisi, a member of the plan-ning team for Ohio House Rabbit Rescue, at-tended the Toronto event in 2010 andimmediately began working with other mem-bers of Ohio House Rabbit Rescue to organ-ize an event in Central Ohio.

Ohio House Rabbit Rescue was foundedin August 2009 to strengthen awareness andsupport for house rabbits and their owners,but also to begin a campaign to build a dedi-cated shelter for house rabbits.

Another organization, the ColumbusHouse Rabbit Society, works to place aban-doned house rabbits in foster homes, butOhio House Rabbit Rescue also accepts sur-rendered house rabbits and has launched acapital campaign to build a shelter for them.

“About 900 house rabbits are offered forsurrender at the Capital Area Humane Soci-ety each year or the Franklin County AnimalShelter,” Parisi said.

Surrendered house rabbits might not beadopted, but those that aren’t surrendered toan animal shelter likely suffer a worse fate.

“Domestic rabbits are an entirely differentspecies than wild rabbits,” Parisi said, andnot at all equipped to survive in the wild.

“A house rabbit might live only a few daysat most. They can’t find food or shelter, and

they can’t defend themselves. It’s really morehumane to (put them down),” Parisi said.

House rabbits are turned loose for a num-ber of reasons, Parisi said.

The novelty wears off, especially if thehouse rabbit was an impulse buy or boughtfor a special occasion, typically Easter.

New owners also learn that house rabbitsaren’t the best pet for children and are moreexpensive than many people consider.

“Rabbits must be seen by exotic veterinar-ians,” Parisi said.

Standard family veterinarians treat catsand dogs, but exotic veterinarians, such as

those who might treat amphibians, also treathouse rabbits, and those treatments are morecostly.

“House rabbits are wonderful indoor pets,and can be trained to use a litter box, but theyare not the best pets for small children,”Parisi said, as they do not like to be held orconfined.

But they thrive on interaction and even re-spond to simple commands such as “no” and“out,” said Parisi, who allows her five houserabbits to roam freely at her Hilliard-area res-

Bunfest brings rabbits, families together in Whitehall

SNP photo by Tim Johnson

Ellen Eder, owner of Bolt and Frolic Rabbity Giftables, pets Mikaela Trowbridge’s rabbit Gig-gles during the 2011 Midwest Bunfest.

When the holiday season arrives, par-ents usually spend more time away

from home. Parties, shopping, celebra-tions and other events for Mom and Dadmean more babysitting time for the kids.That’s why it’s important for parents toset aside some time to share fire safetytips with their babysitter. It’s easy to as-sume that your babysitter will be familiarwith your house and your escape planjust because you are. But in fact, thebabysitter is at a disadvantage right fromthe start – unless you take the time toshare your fire safety know-how.

Here are some items you won’t want tooverlook:

■ Share your fire escape plan withthe babysitter. Walk her through theprocess and make sure she is familiarwith the layout of the house, includingthe location of all exits and smoke alarms

and the proper way to lock and unlockwindows and doors. Show her where es-cape ladders are located; explain howfire extinguishers work; and let her in onyour family’s outside meeting place.

■ Provide the babysitter with a list ofemergency contact numbers. In addition,he should have the phone number whereyou can be reached and the number of aneighbor who will be home while you’regone.

Review these basic fire safety tipswith your babysitter. Don’t assume he orshe is familiar with this information:

■ Leave the house immediately if yousmell smoke or see flames – or if the firealarm goes off. Lead the way but makesure the children follow closely behind.If a fire breaks out and you can’t get tothe children in their rooms, go directly toa neighbor’s house and call the fire de-

partment. ■ Exercise caution when escaping

from a house that is on fire. If you mustmove through a smoke-filled room, crawlon your hands and knees and keep yourhead near the floor where it will be easi-er to breathe. If your clothing is on fire,stop, drop and roll. This should help toextinguish the flames. Once you’re out ofthe house, don’t go back inside for anyreason.

■ Be smart in the kitchen. It’s diffi-cult to cook and keep an eye on smallchildren at the same time. But it’s impor-tant to never leave your cooking unat-tended. Make sure pot handles are turnedin so little hands can’t reach up and grabthem, and keep children a safe distancefrom hot objects.

■ Keep matches, lighters, candles andother flammable materials away from the

children. Lock them away where the chil-dren can’t find them, or at least put themin a place they can’t possibly reach.

■ Use appliances safely. Since youmay not be as familiar with these appli-ances, be sure to ask any questions aboutoperating them before the parents leave.Otherwise, read and follow directionscarefully, and don’t forget to turn appli-ances off when you’re done using them.

■ Pay special attention to spaceheaters. Keep anything that can burn sev-eral feet away from these heaters, and becareful that the children don’t get tooclose to them. Turn the heaters off whenyou leave the room.

■ Watch the kids. Remember, youwere hired to do a job, and that job is tak-ing care of the children. Never leavethem unattended, and check on themafter they’ve gone to bed.

Would your babysitter know what to do if fire breaks out?

SNP photo by Tim Johnson

Gretta Parker holds her rabbit, Flopsy Park-er, a lionhead mix, during the 2011 MidwestBunfest. See BUNFEST, Page 7

■ The event was designedto raise awareness of rabbits’needs as house pets and to findhomes for abandoned bunnies.

By KEVIN CORVOSuburban News Publications

ColumbusLocalKids.com November2011 | Columbus Kids 3

Phone: 614-766-6321

Phone: 614-457-6461

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As in school districts across CentralOhio, Westerville elementary studentswalked their way toward fun field trips,new playground equipment and enrichedactivities by raising money for their localPTAs through fall walk-a-thons.

The annual fundraising events organizedby local PTAs help pay for extras at indi-vidual schools – things beyond what thedistrict funds through tax dollars.

The walk-a-thons mix healthy outdoorexercise with a little competition betweenclasses and students to gather pledges,usually from students’ families and neigh-bors.

Money raised can be used by the PTAsto pay for whatever the school needs, fromauthor visits to playground equipment, andall sorts of enrichment programming dur-ing the school year.

Students collect donations after pledg-ing to walk a certain distance alongsideteachers and classmates.

Three Westerville elementary schoolsstaged walk-a-thons in a two-day span inlate September.

On Sept. 28 Longfellow Elementary

held its seventh annual walk-a-thon.Longfellow Principal Scott Ebbrecht

said that students walked more than 520laps on their way to reaching theirfundraising target of $5,200.

Elementary students, PTAs ridethe ankle express to fund extras


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AJ the gorilla, school mascot for High PointElementary, gets students fired up upontheir arrival at the walk-a-thon held Oct. 7.

See EXTRAS, Page 8

By BRETT NUCKLESSuburban News Publications


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As the leaves change and the aircools, fall festivals spring up aroundCentral Ohio featuring music, games,

and, of course, lots of pumpkins

ABOVE: Dalton Vanderpool shows off his skills with a Chinese yo yo while at the New Albany Harvest the Arts Festival at Doran’s Farm Market.

LEFT: Hannah Bates months, checks out the pumpkin displayat the Harvest the Arts Festival.

ABOVE: Siblings (from left) John, 17; Anne Marie,19; and Gary Jackson, 15; of the band LonesomeMeadow sing during Apple Butter Day in Groveport.

BELOW: Mana Ishikawa is supported by her fa-ther, Gen, during the Fall Fest at Fancyburg Parkin Upper Arlington.

Fishermen try their luck during the cane pole fishing derby at the Apple Butter Day festival in Groveport.

Photos by

Kurtis Boggs, Tim Johnson and Dan Trittschuh


There are some things that everybodyknows about cats, such as they purr

when they’re happy. But you might be sur-prised to learn that many of the “facts”you know about cats are actually untrue.For example, while cats often purr whenthey’re happy, they may also purr whenthey’re anxious or uncomfortable.

Do you know fact from fiction aboutyour cat? Here are a few common cat

myths debunked:Myth 1 – Cats should drink cow’s milk.

Cats do not need to drink milk. In fact,cats typically lose the ability to drink milkafter they’re weaned, so feeding them milkcan give them diarrhea.

Myth 2 – Cats should eat fish. It’s per-fectly fine to give Fluffy fish every oncein awhile, but it’s far from kitty’s idealfood. Cats need an amino acid called tau-

rine in their diet, and fish do not provideit. Fish, as a regular part of the diet, couldmake your cat sick.

Myth 3 – It is natural for cats to havebad breath. If kitty’s “morning breath”makes you want to heave, it’s a sign thatyour cat has an oral health problem andshould see a veterinarian. You can pre-vent dental problems by brushing yourcat’s teeth. If your cat is uncooperative,try adding oral care probiotics. Theyflood pets’ mouths with good bacteria,so harmful bacteria are less able togrow.

Myth 4 – Cats always land on their feet.Cats are agile creatures with the ability to

twist in mid-air, but if they’re falling froma short height, they won’t have time to putthemselves feet-first. A fall from a greatheight could kill or seriously injure a cat,whether it lands on its feet or not.

Myth 5 – Cats gain weight if they arespayed or neutered. Cats’ metabolisms dochange after they are fixed, but weightgain can be easily avoided by simply de-creasing the amount of food that you feedthem. Spaying or neutering is one of thethe best things you can do for your cat, asit reduces the risk of some types of cancerand helps your cat avoid contributing tothe pet overpopulation problem.

–NewsUSA

Five feline falsehoods: Debunking common cat myths

idence.House rabbits often are abandoned in

parks, said Kim Banks, a member of OhioHouse Rabbit Rescue.

Banks has five house rabbits, three ofwhich are foster house rabbits waiting for apermanent home.

As a member of the Ohio House RabbitRescue planning team, Parisi is involved withsearching for grants and soliciting donationstoward the goal of building a shelter.

The Oct. 9 event at Whitehall CommunityPark served as a fundraiser for the project, toeducate people about house rabbits, and helpa few find homes.

Joe and Patty Giammarco of Dublin andtheir daughter, Alisa, brought Bentley, an 8-pound house rabbit, to Bunfest to learn moreabout maintenance and care.

The family inherited Bentley from a fami-ly at Dublin Baptist Church, where Mrs. Gi-ammarco is a preschool teacher, because afamily member was allergic to Bentley.

“We saw a brochure at a pet store andthought it would be a great way to learn aboutrabbits,” Mr. Giammarco said.

Shannon Coleman and her daughter,Kayla, 10, traveled from Huber Heights, aDayton suburb, to find a new house rabbit, asone of the family’s two house rabbits recent-

ly died.Coleman said she learned about the event

from the Dayton Area Rabbit Network.The mother and daughter visited with

Olivia, a rabbit up for adoption that had beenpurchased as a 4H project, but ultimately notkept by her owner.

Bunfest included numerous seminars andlectures led by veterinarians, as well as pre-sentations on house rabbit care, such asgrooming and nail clipping.

Organizers hope to make it an annual eventin the Central Ohio area.


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BUNFEST

Parents can sometimes forget that they areraising adults, not children. The goal is to

equip kids with the skills and increasing re-sponsibility for managing their lives withoutconstant vigilance, according to Dr. MichelleMay, author, board-certified family physician,and expert for Take Off Pounds Sensibly ClubInc. TOPS is a nonprofit weight-loss supportorganization.

One key life skill is the ability to navigate anabundant food environment while maintainingoptimal health. Here are seven things that well-meaning parents commonly say that may have un-intended consequences – and what to say instead:

1. “You are such a good eater!” – Childrenwant nothing more than to please their parents.While mealtime should be a pleasant time toconnect with your children, eating should re-main intrinsically driven to meet your child’sfuel needs, NOT to earn your praise.

What you could say instead: “You musthave been really hungry today!” Or, “I love

spending time with you while we have dinner.”2. “You are such a picky eater!” – All chil-

dren (and adults) have some foods that theyjust don’t like. Some children are highly tasteand/or texture sensitive, but most will outgrowit. Picky eating becomes an entrenched behav-ior when we berate, beg, bribe – or worse, feedkids only what they say they’ll eat.

What you could say instead: “I know you did-n’t like it last time; Tell me what you think aboutit today after you have one polite bite.” Or, “Didyou know your taste buds grow up just like youdo? I wonder if you like this big kid food yet?”

3. “Clean your plate; there are starvingchildren in ________.” – Avoid teaching chil-dren scarcity eating behaviors in our plentifulfood environment.

What you could say instead: “It’s importantto not be wasteful, so please only take as muchas you think you need.” Or, “If you’re full, wecan save the rest for later.”

4. “You have to eat all your vegetables or

there will be no dessert.” – Kids are smart.When you bribe them for eating certain foods,they quickly realize that those foods must beyucky and that dessert is the reward. They alsolearn to hold out until a reward is offered.

What you could say instead: “I love all kindsof different foods – some that make me healthyand strong and some that are just for fun. Whatkinds of foods do you like?” Or, “Enjoy your din-ner. We’ll be having dessert in a couple hours.”

5. “Eat all your dinner or you don’t getdessert.” – This variation on the threat abovetranslates to, “You must overeat and I will re-ward you by giving you more to eat!” Childrennaturally love sweet foods, so they can learn tooverride their fullness signals. As an adult, theymight be tempted to order a 1,200-calorie saladto “earn” a 1,200-calorie piece of cheesecake.

What you could say instead: “Save room fordessert tonight!”

6. “I was so bad at lunch today! Now I haveto spend an extra hour on the treadmill.” –

Children are born to move. They naturally loveexploring their environment, challengingthemselves, and playing actively. Unfortunate-ly, the messages they get from adults teachthem that exercise is punishment for eating.

What you could say instead: “I ate morethan I needed and now I feel too full and un-comfortable. I think a walk would make mefeel better. Want to join me?” Or, “Anybody upfor a bike ride?”

7. “I am so gross and fat!” Or, “I can’t be-lieve _______ has let herself go!” – Kids learnfrom us even when we think they aren’t listen-ing. Statements like this teach kids that it’sokay to put yourself and others down andjudge people for their weight or other physicalattributes. Perhaps they also secretly wonderwhat you really think about them.

What you could say instead: “I’m not per-fect, but I do my best to make healthy choices.”

And whatever else you say, remember to sayoften, “I love you just the way you are.”

Things parents, grandparents say can cause eating problems

Though donations are still coming in,Ebbrecht said he is optimistic they willreach the goal.

The walking aspect of the event is justas important as the fundraising, he said,because it promotes outdoor exercise andfitness.

“We want our kids to be physically fit,and at the same time they’re helping usenrich our school through monetary do-nations,” Ebbrecht said.

Also on Sept. 28, Robert Frost Elemen-tary held its sixth annual walk-a-thon.

Students far surpassed a $10,000 goal,with the final fundraising tally coming inat $11,485, according to PTA PresidentBecky Jaeger.

Principal Sarah Berka said that dona-tions generated from the yearly eventhave been used to pay for school up-grades like new bike racks, in addition to

funding field trips and programming.“Our PTA does quite a bit to help sup-

port our school,” Berka said. “We arevery fortunate to have them.”

On Sept. 29 Cherrington Elementaryheld its third annual walk-a-thon.

Students raised more than $10,600 thisyear, surpassing a $10,000 goal, accord-ing to Principal Andy Heck.

The donations will help the school’sPTA put together fun and educational en-richment opportunities for studentsthroughout the coming school year, Hecksaid.

“Every student walked,” he said. “Theyall really came together to show off theirCherrington pride.”

Gahanna’s High Point Elementarystaged its walk-a-thon Oct. 7, at GahannaMiddle School East.

The school’s gym teacher gave eachstudent a grade-level walking goal and apersonal goal, ranging from nine laps for

kindergartners to 35 laps for fifth-graders.

“It is inspiring to see their excitementand dedication,” said High Point physicaleducation teacher Rachel Coldwell. “Youcan tell they were proud to get out therein front of their classmates, teachers andfamily, knowing their efforts directly helpHigh Point.”

Pledges raised by the High Point stu-dents goes to the school’s PTA classroomfund, which pays for student assemblies,classroom activities, playground equip-ment and classroom supplies. The event

raised $28,000 in 2010 and had a goal of$22,000 for this year.

High Point Principal Kathleen Erhardsaid the walk-a-thon is the only time theschool asks students to help withfundraising.

“The students and their families partic-ipate with incredible energy and spirit,”she said. “That energy and spirit meanswe will have the resources to pay forbasic needs and possibly other items tomake students’ educational experiencesas rich and rewarding as possible.”–with reports from Pamela Willis


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EXTRAS

Columbus Local Kids photo by Tim Johnson

Students teachers and parents at High Point Elementary School in Gahanna walk and run thetrack at Gahanna Middle School East during the the annual walk-a-thon fundraiser for theschool Oct. 7.

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Columbus Local Kids November 2011