Chuckles wants a rabbit
Chuckles is my animal loving child. She loves animals intensely and desires to be surrounded by them. As a baby she befriended large, scary looking dogs. People have been scary to her but not animals. So when she wants a new animal in her menagerie, there is almost nothing that will stop her.
My initial reaction to having a new pet is no, definately not. Well, we acquired two guinea pigs 3 weeks ago that my husband promised her when she became ill and he always gets her a pet when she is sick. He promised her a horse if she could swim the length of the lake (where our country house is) and she did it. When a pet dies we replace it. If we see a underfed gecko in the pet shop we rescue it. All of these animals are quite a handful to take care of and as she isn’t the only one doing it…I thought it was time to say NO to the rabbit.
Well…she was on a play date the other day and it turns out that the neighbor of her friend needs to find a home for his rabbit.
“They are moving to Maine and it desperately needs a home, Mummy and it is soooo cute. I knew when I saw it that I have to be the new owner to take care of it. It’s name is Pip.”
For the last week or so she has become rabbit obsessed. She has taken out 7 library books on rabbits, 3 of them from the adults section and she had been reading them cover to cover. She has drawn up a care plan and measurements for making a new hutch, worked out quantities of wood required, wire, latches and so on and so forth. She is begging me to take her to Home Depot to get supplies.
“It is already 9 years old, quite elderly after all. It may only have a year or two left.”
Finally yesterday after being worn down by her constant pleading and desire to have this rabbit, my husband gave in.
“She has really worked hard for this one,” he said.
Last night, I was reading her Tuck Everlasting. In chapter 3 (I am guessing) there was a quote saying:
“Things are only interesting to you if you don’t own them.”
We pondered this little saying. And then she said: “….but I still want the rabbit.”
