Parenting A Pet
Kirti Gupta, law student, University of Allahabad shares the unique bond she had with her loving pet rabbit…
When it comes to pets, people instantly think of a cute little dog. But in my case, it was a cute little rabbit. Her name was Chikki. The moment I got her; I knew that there was something special about her. It was last winter when I got her. I was passing by a park and saw some mischievous kids troubling a ‘little ball of fur’. But she was running so fast that she was giving the kids a hard time. That indomitable spirit of hers, instantly drew me towards her. Of course, I had to rescue her.
Shooing the kids away from her was easy. Dealing with my mother at home, and explaining her to accept her at home wasn’t. So, I thought of an excellent idea! I bought a chikki, the sweet candy like treat that is made of peanuts and jaggery, which any North Indian will easily be able to relate to. Unsurprisingly, my mother was impressed at my gesture and she accepted the rabbit. And that’s how she came to be known as ‘Chikki’.
I quite liked the energy Chikki brought to our home. Rushing here and there all day, yet what amazed me every time I saw her was the fact that she won't tire at all. If anything, she showed even more energy at every moment. She viewed everything with a childlike curiosity and loved to explore everything new. But sometimes it got so far that she would bring distant dangers near. That’s why my mother and I had to ‘bunny proof’ our home. It included (but wasn’t limited to) getting her a lot of new ‘chewables’ in order to prevent her from chewing anything and everything. Basically, her energy had to be constantly kept under some use.
And when I say indomitable spirit, I mean it. Unlike dogs, who would like to cuddle in your arms for warmth, rabbits aren't exactly the cuddly type. And my Chikki was even a step further. She just hated being picked up or being told what to do. That’s not to say that she had some sort of ego problems, but it's just how she was living life on your own choice was her mantra. But when you quietly sat on the floor with a welcoming demeanor, she would be the first to rush into your arms. It was amazing how her heart would melt down when I sang Sheldon Cooper’s “Soft kitty, warm kitty little ball of fur” to her. This would instantly have an intoxicating effect on her and she would instantly relax.
But as fate would have it, one night (exactly a year after I got her), as I was singing her favourite song to her, she relaxed and felt into a deep slumber. A slumber from which she never woke up. As she was old (probably 7+ age, it’s hard to guess), she died a natural death. At first, I was shattered and heartbroken and didn’t know how to deal with it. “I wish I had more time with her”, I would complain and grieve. But my mother consoled me by saying: “It’s not how long you have lived, but how well you have lived that matters.” Gradually, I came to accept the fact that Chikki won’t be there, but I was sure of the fact that whatever I learnt from her will always be there. She’ll always have a special place in my heart.
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