My family's attitude changed a heck of a lot.
I started a job in 2008 taking animals round schools to do workshops and talks for children. The idea was that the kids got to handle the animals if it was appropriate.
Given I had begged for a rabbit when I was little but was told no as my dad had ashma you can forgive my parents telling me I could have any of the 4 furry animals my job required EXCEPT a rabbit (I was told I needed 2 of rats, gerbils, rabbits or guinea pigs).
On my second week of work my training manager invited me in to her house as we were heading to a school together for training. She asked if I wanted a rabbit that had been handed back by an employee who was leaving. He looked so pitiful and had obviously not been fed properly, exercised or cleaned out. I told her I'd take him, knowing I knew nothing about rabbits. I texted mum that day saying I'd been offered a rabbit and he'd obviously been mistreated and could we please work something out.
Somehow I managed to convince my mum and dad to let me keep him at my aunts house. After a week of me trying to learn everything there is to know about rabbits I brought Roly home. Mum and me let him out in the back garden before we took him to my aunts and he seemed very happy. We both then spent ten mins going through the fridge looking for veggie treats we could give him and took great delight in feeding him them (poor mite was probably starving). Dad came home, took one look at him and tried to make out he didn't like him.:lol:
My aunts neighbour decided to have a bonfire in July (we got Roly in April) so we all decided to bring him and his hutch to my parents house temporarily. I seem to recall my mum hugging my dad and saying "can Roly stay here forever?" after the week was up.
We then had the aivary built and a new hutch installed. When we realised Honey was prone to stasis my parents said they should live in the small shed at the front of the back garden (they had 2 - a 6'x4' one near the house and the 8'x6' attached to the aivary).
In the end the bunnies got the biggest shed in the garden. Mum did all the DIY and made them some toys to go in the new shed. The pair are living the high life now. Dad comes home from work early to let them out and sits in the garden with them.
Thankfully I have great parents. Dad's a total softy though, he was always going to fall for cute bunny rabbits.:lol: :twisted:
