A year ago we rescued a rabbit. There was a sign on a lamp post saying he was free to a good home. We saw it on the very day I had promised my boys they could have a pet – so it felt like destiny – we were meant to be together.

When we went to pick him up, it was clear he was in need of some loving, so we called him Jack, bought him the ‘Hilton’ of hutches and fed him organic carrots. So far - so good.

It’s fair to say I’m not big on pets. I love animals, when they are wild and free but keeping critters captive is not my thing.It turned out Jack agreed. He ate his way of the hutch, dug his way out of the garden and could make it over the six foot fence from a running start. When it came to escapology, Jack was one smart bunny. Smarter still, he always came home for dinner. Despite the fact he ate all my pot plants, we did kind-of bond. I respected his need for freedom and he left my herb garden alone.

Then a couple of days ago Jack went off his food. He also lost his bounce, sitting dejectedly on the garden furniture for hours. The once impeccable rabbit who’d always poo’d in one corner what sitting in his own pellets. It was raining and he looked miserable, so I brought him into the warm kitchen and covered him with a blanket. Mmmm … the rabbit had made it into the house.

About one hour late he decided to shake violently and fall over onto to one side and stop breathing. Omigod! I know nothing about bunny health but I know a sick one when I see it. I threw Jack into a cardboard box and drove, while googling the nearest Vet hospital. When I arrived they assured me they had a rabbit specialist on staff – which sounded great but also like it could be expensive. They took one look at Jack and whisked him off – it was officially serious. I was left sitting in the waiting room as he was taken into the animal casualty room. I felt like an extra in ‘House’.

Half an hour later I’m told that the rabbit specialist is not clear what’s causing the problem but they think he could die. Apparently the real rabbit expert is just up the road and I can take him there. Oh, and that will be $70 thanks!

Fast forward to the rabbit expert. Jack is thoroughly examined and we find out she is in fact Jackie! (I knew an animal that smart had to be a woman.) To survive she needs to be admitted for an overnight stay, intravenous fluids and antibiotics and blood tests and even then she might not make it. The cost of all this - $700. Omigod!!!! At this point (don’t judge me reader), I’m thinking we can get a new one for free. So I call my son and tell him that Jack(ie) might be going to the great paddock in the sky and ask him how he feels about that. And he says, “Mum, I know Jack is only small but when I see his little brown and white body bounding through the grass everything feels right; he gives our garden a sense of completeness”.

It was at this point I threw my cheque book across the counter and yelled, “just save the bunny, whatever it costs”. Because you can’t argue with that – and actually I knew exactly what he meant. Jack(ie), without any of us noticing, had become part of our lives. I knew that to be true when I cried, driving back after leaving her in the hospital hoping she wouldn’t die. I had fully turned into a pet lover – sheesh.

It turned out Jack(ie) had lead poisoning, probably from nibbling something she shouldn’t on one of her many escapades in the neighbourhood. With the help of daily injections and intensive care in our kitchen – giving a rabbit a needle is a nightmare – she made it. She also make it into our hearts. Jack(ie) is now part of the family and is, as I type, sitting on the sofa beside me. Sucked in! You betcha!!

Jule Hamilton is the author of Generation Intuitive – A Guide to Nurturing Your Child's Infinite Potential. To order, visit www.blueangelonline.com

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