The Old Cat Basket Trick

Can you believe it? There I was, dozing happily under the table, listening to the rain battering against the windows and dreaming of a sunny field full of dandelions and clover when without any warning I was scooped up, plonked into the old cat basket and dumped in the car.

Great, a visit to the vet. Just how I'd planned to spend the day. My absolute, unfavourite happening and not a thing I could do about it.

The journey was bearable. I spent it making the basket comfortable by tugging and scrabbling my blankets and pulling them about with my teeth until I got it to my liking.

When it was time to see my doctor, Simon, I'd prepared myself for the worst. The weigh-in wasn't too bad, I was perfect as usual. The stomach prodding was ticklish then he peered unceremoniously at my rear end and listened to my heart. Not too scary. That is until he decided to check my teeth. It was horrible. He held my mouth wide open and shone a torch at everything in there, it lasted for ever. "Do his snuffles get any worse than this," the vet asked. Snuffles? I wasn't snuffling, I was making the loudest sound I could with my mouth jammed wide open and a whacking great torch stuffed inside. My PCG explained for me. "Ah", he said, "it's just for my benefit is it?" Too right. Who else would

I be complaining about. I ask you.

Not a hair was left unturned and to crown it all there was the myxie jab. As a matter of fact I didn't feel a thing but what would be the point in arguing anyway.

I was just breathing a sigh of relief at being put back in my basket when I was whipped out again and he attacked my toe nails. I don't know what I would have done if he'd decided to trim my beautiful whiskers.

The old cat basket felt comfortable and cosy on the way home and thinking about it now, I quite enjoyed it all. It was a change. I had a ride out, met some very friendly people and Simon always always gives me a cuddle and chats to me when it's all over. My Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton won an award for good "cattitude" in a national competition so I know I'm one very lucky bunny.

Harve came through with flying colours and a bag of pure, dried grass. The vet said he can't repeat often enough to owners of bunnies that grass and hay are so important to a rabbit's diet. Too much packet food leads to obesity and poor digestion which in turn can result in tummy problems, dirty bottoms and the horrendous fly strike. Harve is checked daily and twice in hot weather when there is more chance of flies being around. This is the time of year for an application of Rearguard. Some rabbits put up with such a lot of unnecessary suffering. Rabbits Deserve Better is the motto of the Rabbit Welfare Association and Harve backs that one hundred per cent.