Rascal the rabbit comes to stay

There was great excitement on Friday as we brought Rascal the rabbit home from Kindi. We’d been looking forward to it all week (though I was a little nervous that he’d live up to his name). We knew about his liking for cables, so cleared those away from sight. Anna, one of Sophie’s teachers, reassured me that he only poos in his hutch or run. So… home he came.

The girls opened his pet carrier and giggled as he twitched his nose and then turned round to wriggle his bottom in their faces. Charli said, ‘Rabbits sure are funny!’. He happily hopped out and explored the living room with eager ears.

He munched on lettuce and vegetables, preferring to upturn his bowl and eat the food off the floor (no table manners). He slept happily in his hutch and run at night and munched on grass out in the garden by day (in his run). The rest of the time he explored the lounge and Charli’s bedroom (discovering some great hiding places). He frequently hoped up to the girls and sat by their sides, loving the attention. He knew exactly where his hutch was and returned to it whenever he fancied food or a poo. A fabulous house pet with very little work involved (apart from daily change of the hay in his hutch and sweeping up hundreds of tiny pebble poos). Our cat, Blacky, didn’t think much of the new house guest – but kept her distance.

He really captured all our hearts and as Charli’s news for the week was ‘Free Choice’ she asked if we could take Rascal into school on Monday morning. Well, he was fabulous. He happily snuggled in my arms whilst the children had a stroke and then after Charli’s news talk everyone sat in a circle so we could let Rascal hop around. His first port of call was Charli, so his must have recognised her scent. Three of Charli’s classmates had also enjoyed having Rascal at their homes in the past (having attended Sophie’s Kindi), so it was a lovely reunion for them.

After his exciting start to the day Sophie and I bid the class farewell and went to Kindi to drop him off. Sophie would have loved to have stayed on with the morning children – but alas – no spaces yet (she will have to wait till next year).

Sophie and I then had other important animal business – our cat Blacky had a very sore mouth and wasn’t eating so we headed off to the vet (not without a few dramas and a leaky pet carrier – which Blacky did a wee in…. urgh – the car has now been cleaned, but that smell – pong!).

We have to take Blacky back on Thursday for a check-up, but in the meantime lots of soft food and oral, liquid antibiotics (mmm, I’m going to have fun administering that!).

At the vets we met a couple of lovely dogs and even a chicken!

Time to pick Charli up from school now (having had a chance to hoover up all remnants of hay from the lounge).