Monday, 24 March 2008

A New Addition to the Family



DON'T PANIC!


It's not what you think. (At least, I hope to God it's not).


No, the new addition is The Noise's birthday present. A rabbit. Perhaps I should point out here that I am not an animal person. I wouldn't hurt one. I just don't like the idea of sharing a house with one. A rabbit, however, I can cope with, because it lives outside and I don't have to see it or have anything to do with it.


The Father of This Lot is most definitely an animal person. So it was he who was despatched to the pet shop with The Noise on Saturday morning in search of a nice, fluffy, baby rabbit. The Fixer and The Peacemaker were at a loose end and accompanied them.


I knew things had not gone to plan when the Father of This Lot burst through the door sometime later, trailed by various children with a box displaying the legend 'PORT-A-PET'.



Him: Seventy quid that's just cost me!
Me: FOR A RABBIT???
Him: No. Not for one rabbit. For three rabbits, bedding, a bag of rabbit food and a *@&*ing hutch.
Me: Three rabbits?
Them: Look Mum - we all got one!


And before I knew what had happened, there were three baby rabbits running around the living room floor. I admit to feeling rather queasy at this point and can't actually remember whether I stood on a chair shouting 'Get them out!' or words to that effect.


I rabbit-proofed the kitchen by means of an upturned chair and a broom handle and made a cup of tea.




Photographs by The Peacemaker



Him: What I can't understand about this lot is, when it's somebody's birthday, everybody gets a present.



What I thought was: Well which idiot stood in the pet shop and agreed to it? I'd have pointed out it was The Noise's birthday and made sure nobody else got anything. No whining, no complaining. Home.




What I said was: 'Well, that just shows what a nice, kind Dad you are, doesn't it?'



What I then thought was: Don't come crying to me mate, on the next birthday, when you've got to cough up for five presents. You're on your own.



25 comments:

Kitty said...

Awwww, cute bunnies. You'll have little bunny drop(ping)s all over the place soon!

Had to laugh - isn't that typical of a man? I'd have said the same as you: One birthday = one rabbit!

Have they got names? And are they all girls, all boys or are you at some risk from further additions to the family? :-O

x

Manic Mother Of Five said...

Hi love. Yet more we have in common - we have a rabiit too - Spotty came to us 6 Easters ago instead of eggs. He's a rabbit of considerable good taste in that he loves me and dances round my feet but bites the husband if he goes near him. You have three times the chance of getting one to keep the father of this lot under control!

Akelamalu said...

Aw they're beautiful. They are all the same gender aren't they? Did he bother to check??????? :)

Renae said...

Oh, dear. I know this sounds crazy, but the one animal I fear the most, that I absolutely panic around - is a rabbit!

When I was about four, my cousin had a rabbit. He convinced me to "poke my finger through the cage, and pet him." Well, that blasted bunny thought my finger was a carrot, and took a huge crunch!

If my memory serves me correctly, the pain was the worst of my life. In my mind, worse than childbirth, though I'm sure I must not be remembering correctly.

All that to say, if I ever come to visit you, please send the rabbits to stay with a distant relative . . .

--r

Grit said...

is this not a disaster if the first order? even worse than paint in the bath?! baby rabbits grow into adult rabbits! what if there are boys and girls? and what do you do with them then? dear me, just thinking about this one makes me want to open another bottle. And Dig had a very nasty experience with a rabbit. I'd better not tell him the news.

Cath said...

Only a man....

Ditto previous posts - did he get them sexed? If not, you are looking at another hutch and separating them!

Rabbits are rabbits you know... lol

I have done the same as you thought - one birthday, one rabbit! (or guinea pig).

They do look cute though.

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Oh lord, poor you! I wouldn't know if they were males or females, or a mixture, but look out for more rabbits! You could have a business going before very long - or several rabbit pies! M :)

Suburbia said...

Absoluitly beautiful bunnies. The bad news is........ you may find you will be their 'prime carer'! Mine are 4 years old!!

Autumn said...

This line - "Well which idiot stood in the pet shop and agreed to it?" Made me laugh out loud.
I too hope they are all the same gender.... you will find out soon enough if they are not!
Good luck with them, they are very cute.

Jennie said...

I had to chase a rabbit around the street the other day for a neighbour, the lovely fireman who lives up the road came to help and brought his friend so it wasn't all bad ;)
I'm not keen on rabbits to be honest, all to do with a rather large rabbit my mother had to look after when I was little and it's really nasty back legs going mad every time it was picked up.
Those three are cuties though.
I'm with everyone else, I hope that you know who is who because they breed like mad don't they. :O

Mrs. Fox said...

Absolutely hilarious! I do hope they are all bunnies of the same gender or you might find yourself running a rabbit farm. :)

Carolyn said...

Urp. I'm not into living with animals either. Strange, because I love animals. Just not in my house.

Sadly, our daughter just started asking for a pet today. She's only three. I guess I have about fifteen more years of this before I can legally say "move out if you want a pet so badly".

Amrita said...

Really when I read the title of the post I did sort of jump up.

The bunnies are really cute but 3 of them. Hope thay are all neutered otherwise you 'll have a warren within a month.

Well rabbits are OK as long as they are not chewing up your electrical cords and multiplying like Gremlins.. .and eating up your garden. Good luck.

Amrita said...

Actually 6 presents...one for you too Why Not!

Maggie May said...

They are beautiful! Cuddly, cute!
But ..... what a blimmen cheek! Really, I ask you! You are the one that will end up cleaning them out! Plus the fact you are not keen on them in the first place!
Just like a man that! He appears to be the marvelous dad flashing his money about! You are left holding the rabbit, or in this case, THREE! Phew!!!!!!!

Casdok said...

Ooops!! But they are cute!!

ChrisB said...

They look cute but then I don't have to look after them~ I'm sure you will come to love them!!

Maggie May said...

jackie .. just a thought! rRbbits need inoculating & I think you should take them all to the vet for inoculations & spaying/neutering & have the vet send the bill to the father of this lot!
That's only fair, isn't it!

Jennifer said...

They are kinda cute. And like everyone else...I have this funny feeling you'll end up with more than 3 bunnies soon!

Natalie said...

omg! that is too funny! I do not know what I would do if my dh came home with 3 bunnies! They are cute!

Adrienne said...

ditto maggie may - those rabbits need fixing and shots. Neutering males makes them better pets.

Anon said...

I do a lovely mild mustard sauce which goes just perfect with rabbit...

Jane said...

Goodness. I sympathise. That's how we got our 2 rabbits 6 mths ago. ExpatOwl insisted that DD2 would be caring for them as they were her present, but guess who's outside feeding them at the crack of dawn every day!
Good luck.

qualcosa di bello said...

all i can say is AWWWWWWWWWWW! so cute ;)

Anonymous said...

We have 2 guinea pigs. My question for the Father of This Lot is :
Is he going to KEEP paying for the food and bedding, because trust me, it ain't free!!!