Some of you may remember me waxing lyrical about how much I have always loved Belgian Hares, and how one day I plan to have one again.
Well at the recent London Championship Show, I had a look at the Hares there, and felt inexplicably drawn to a young doe sitting in her pen. I returned many times to see her again, even bringing my friends to see her, saying: "I want to take her home with me!" but there was no sign of the owner, and no way of finding out who owned her, never mind if he or she would be willing to let me kidnap her!
Finally, late on the last day, her owner appeared.... a very nice young lad in his late teens. He pointed out a very beautiful and majestic looking adult Hare in a nearby pen, with deep rich red colouring and introduced him as her father, Llewellyn. In the pen above her sat her litter sister - beautiful too. We talked about Hares for a while and I told him of the ones I used to own years ago. And eventually I plucked up enough courage, my heart hammering, to ask: Would you consider selling her?
He thought about it for a while before saying he would rather let me have her sister, but no.... the attraction wasn't there. I felt so drawn to the little one I'd somehow fallen for; her sister just didn't have the same aura about her. He thought some more, and then said Yes.
I wanted to hug him! It felt just like the time when I was 13 and just acquired my first Belgian Hare... the rabbit I'd wanted for so long. I had a few things to sort out, so I told him I would come back later, and he could think about it and make sure he really did want to let her go... I wouldn't feel offended if he changed his mind. I just wanted to be certain that the sense of fate I'd felt when I first saw her, was panning out the right way.
In the meantime I had to borrow some money from a friend to buy another travelling carrier, and arrange for a friend to take her home for me, as I was going home by train with several large bags (filled with free samples from Oxbow, West Wales Willows and others, plus a whole plethora of new bunny toys, and a Willows hay ball which I had won in their prize draw!) and my own rabbit Ember, who was in the show. I knew there was no way I could manage to carry any more.
He hadn't changed his mind... far from it. He gave me a bag of her food, and the West Wales Willow chewsticks that she'd been nibbling in her pen. I could tell that he was a caring person, and trusted me to care for her. I kissed her goodbye and put her in her new box, and she was taken home by my friend.
How I slept that night when I got home, I don't know! I couldn't wait to collect her yesterday, and sat up talking to her in the living room until 2am last night! She has borrowed Floyd's large indoor rabbit cage, but has the run of the lounge at the moment, as I would like to get her used to coming indoors, and of course bond to me. Hares need a lot of exercise, and my long hallway will make a perfect runway when she's older... and last night she relaxed enough to binky around me while I sat on the living room floor just gazing at her in awe.
Her breeder, Sam, told me that in his scheme of naming his rabbits, she should have an "L" name, but I've thought of all kinds and nothing seems to fit. I may give her a "posh" name, and call her something else at home... I particularly like the name Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of beauty, pleasure & wealth. But so far I have been telling her she is "Henna the Hare" as her colour is such an amazing deep red.
Well I have rambled long enough.... no doubt you are dying to see her, so hare she is!
.....are you so very surprised that I'm in love??
Well at the recent London Championship Show, I had a look at the Hares there, and felt inexplicably drawn to a young doe sitting in her pen. I returned many times to see her again, even bringing my friends to see her, saying: "I want to take her home with me!" but there was no sign of the owner, and no way of finding out who owned her, never mind if he or she would be willing to let me kidnap her!
Finally, late on the last day, her owner appeared.... a very nice young lad in his late teens. He pointed out a very beautiful and majestic looking adult Hare in a nearby pen, with deep rich red colouring and introduced him as her father, Llewellyn. In the pen above her sat her litter sister - beautiful too. We talked about Hares for a while and I told him of the ones I used to own years ago. And eventually I plucked up enough courage, my heart hammering, to ask: Would you consider selling her?
He thought about it for a while before saying he would rather let me have her sister, but no.... the attraction wasn't there. I felt so drawn to the little one I'd somehow fallen for; her sister just didn't have the same aura about her. He thought some more, and then said Yes.
I wanted to hug him! It felt just like the time when I was 13 and just acquired my first Belgian Hare... the rabbit I'd wanted for so long. I had a few things to sort out, so I told him I would come back later, and he could think about it and make sure he really did want to let her go... I wouldn't feel offended if he changed his mind. I just wanted to be certain that the sense of fate I'd felt when I first saw her, was panning out the right way.
In the meantime I had to borrow some money from a friend to buy another travelling carrier, and arrange for a friend to take her home for me, as I was going home by train with several large bags (filled with free samples from Oxbow, West Wales Willows and others, plus a whole plethora of new bunny toys, and a Willows hay ball which I had won in their prize draw!) and my own rabbit Ember, who was in the show. I knew there was no way I could manage to carry any more.
He hadn't changed his mind... far from it. He gave me a bag of her food, and the West Wales Willow chewsticks that she'd been nibbling in her pen. I could tell that he was a caring person, and trusted me to care for her. I kissed her goodbye and put her in her new box, and she was taken home by my friend.
How I slept that night when I got home, I don't know! I couldn't wait to collect her yesterday, and sat up talking to her in the living room until 2am last night! She has borrowed Floyd's large indoor rabbit cage, but has the run of the lounge at the moment, as I would like to get her used to coming indoors, and of course bond to me. Hares need a lot of exercise, and my long hallway will make a perfect runway when she's older... and last night she relaxed enough to binky around me while I sat on the living room floor just gazing at her in awe.
Her breeder, Sam, told me that in his scheme of naming his rabbits, she should have an "L" name, but I've thought of all kinds and nothing seems to fit. I may give her a "posh" name, and call her something else at home... I particularly like the name Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of beauty, pleasure & wealth. But so far I have been telling her she is "Henna the Hare" as her colour is such an amazing deep red.
Well I have rambled long enough.... no doubt you are dying to see her, so hare she is!
.....are you so very surprised that I'm in love??
