We don’t keep a lot of animals as pets around the farm. We have so many things that require daily care that a sort of standard sets in as to whether the animals serve some higher purpose than simply companionship. 

It’s not a rule, but it goes unsaid.

There are, of course, exceptions as well, such as the family dog who arguably serves as a babysitter to the kids at times, and the cat who breaks records for his proficiency in pest control. The rest of our animals are solely livestock. Poultry for eggs and meat (minus the meat, since we put those in the freezer last week), and goats, which we recently put in the family freezer as well. 

New animals come and go over the years for farm purposes, including the end-of-summer, early-fall time in which we find ourselves. Sometimes the petting zoos do a little cleaning out, sometimes folks are just looking to rehome their own summer projects. In any case, I tend to get a few calls each year right around now, and as a result, we took a couple of rabbits and goats not too long ago. When I accepted them over the phone, I was given one impression of the animals—however, upon their delivery, I had quite another. 

The rabbits were accepted mainly because we have just begun custom processing rabbits, and I wanted to remind my palate what they tasted like, for reference when speaking to customers who were thinking of raising some for themselves. 

The rabbits that came in, however, were a dwarf species and not exactly fit for food. 

Well, now they were our problem, so the question became what to do with them. 

Luck did not seem to favor or disfavor them. They began their roller coaster ride by escaping their culinary fate—this was true—but within days of being outside in a cage, one of the rabbits presented symptoms of a bot fly infection. The other rabbit seemed healthy and active at first, but in the midst of treating the other rabbit, he succumbed to what appears to have been a cardiac event in the middle of the night. The rabbit with the bot fly assumed what remained of any good fortune between the two as my wife began to practice her veterinary skills and slowly cleaned and treated the infection, which eventually cleared and healed quite nicely. It was about this time that a decision was made to bring the rabbit home as a practice animal for the boys to care for. 

Rorick, my oldest, will be old enough to join 4-H for the first time. Whether or not raising this rabbit would constitute activity for the club, or simply provide him training for more down the road, the rabbit’s fate now rested with him (and the very animal-attentive Mrs. Hill).

Into our house the cage now traveled, closely followed by a series of small investments for his luxurious comfort. His new fancy cage was assembled right there in the living room, where I would not deem it worth moving to the basement for at least a week, until managing the poop tray became a problem. It was also noted that our cat and dog would be caught staring in at him as he huddled in his more enclosed portion of the cage. 

In any case, we enjoyed the improper presence of yet another animal in our abode for a few days, taking him out to watch movies and settle our rambunctious young. The rabbit’s appearance would often be met with intense fawning and declarations by my youngest, however ultimately the boys would have to accept that it required a more docile environment so as not to succumb to a similar demise as his former compatriot. My amusement rose and fell with the blood pressure monitor of our little rabbit, as he was handled with the dexterity of enthusiastic youth.

The way out here we love all of our animals, even the ones we eat. Sometimes, however, life gives us an alternative path to our plans and introduces us to new adventures with new personalities. Fortunately, this personality is quiet and his heart rate has normalized since finding a comfy new home in our basement.