History of Whiskers

Three years ago, for Key's fifth birthday, we got him pet firebelly frogs. They hated our house, refused to eat, and one eventually starved to death. Before our second frog could commit suicide, we took him back to the pet store so that they could "make him all better". Needless to say, Key felt as though his birthday present had gone badly, and he wanted a do over. So, a year ago, we went and got Whiskers, our pet rabbit. She was a sweet, precious, little baby rabbit when we brought her home. However, over a course of several months she turned aggressive and mean, especially towards the boys. Kelly, Key's little brother, was not very gentle with Whiskers, and would run by the cage growling, so he didn't help the entire situation. We had given her lots of room in our laundry room, but she was still quite frantic. Eventually we went to talk with the manager of the pet store to get some advice on dear ole' Whiskers. Well, it turned out we had accidentally been sold a male bunny instead of a female bunny and "she" (he) was in heat and locked in our laundry room. What would probably help would be for Whiskers to have a "friend". The manager suggested we find a stuffed "friend" about the same size as Whiskers, and Whiskers could then calm himself down by having a companion. Goodwill was right next door, and in the front window, lo and behold, was a stuffed rabbit about the same size as our precious Whiskers. They boys were SOOO excited. They each had a stuffed friend they slept with at night, so why shouldn't Whiskers have one too? I must let you know that their friends are used a bit differently than our rabbit's friend is used. When we got home, the boys promptly gave Whiskers his new friend, and sat down outside the laundry room to watch "her" play. Oh. My. We wash Whiskers' friend once a week. That's all I have to say. Anyway, now that the weather is warmer, we have been able to take Whiskers in his cage outside to enjoy some fresh air. One night recently, we left him outside and he escaped his cage. He is now living in our backyard, particularly loves our shed, and still comes back to the cage to eat and poop. We must have done a good job with the potty training! He likes his new life, and we have enjoyed watching him run free. He even likes us more now, and will come up to us even though he doesn't have to. It's working out for the here and now.

So, now that you have the background information, you must also know that my boys love Frog and Toad. With all this in mind, the whole family has had fun imagining up stories for Whiskers. And that is why we are publishing Adventures With Whiskers, here on my blog, for all of you to enjoy!

Adventures with Whiskers: A Game of Dragons and Giants

One day Frog and Toad came for a cup of tea and a rousing game of Dragons and Giants. Whiskers had invited them for quite awhile, but had only recently escaped to a home large enough for visitors. After sipping a strong cup of tea, the three friends were prepared to conquer the backyard. It takes special tea for such an adventure!

First they hopped out of the shed o' brambles into the wild,and saw a strange looking rope. It was scaly and had many colors and patterns. This rope seemed to be saying, "Ssssssss!" Oh, My! Quickly, Frog threw a boomerang at the SNAKE, and all three friends escaped.

The next obstacle they came upon looked like some sort of jail. It was made of green bars on all sides, but there was an open door. Whiskers vaguely thought this jail looked familiar, but could not quite remember why. Slowly, Whiskers, Frog, and Toad all hopped in to have a look around. They were so interested in a large bowl in the corner that was filled with brown pellets, they did not hear the two giant cream colored monsters approach. Suddenly, the big open door closed, and a huge clip slid through the bars. The three friends were trapped! Frantically, Whiskers, Frog, and Toad searched for an escape. Whiskers found another way out of this jailhouse through a top trapdoor. The two monsters were so surprised they reached out to grab the three friends, but were much too slow for these quick hoppers. Whiskers thought all of this felt a bit like deja vu!

All of this excitement had made the three friends tired, so they decided to hop back to the shed o' brambles for another sweet treat. Along the way, a large group of rabbits blocked their path. These rabbits were furious! They had found this land first and needed to protect it from the likes of well dressed Frog and Toad. No strangers could be allowed. Luckily, Whiskers had just recently befriended a few members of this rabbit family. After explaining Frog and Toad were his visitors, and they were going home for sweet treats, the other rabbits welcomed the visitors to the neighborhood. All three friends and Whiskers' neighbors went back to the shed o' brambles for cookies and strong tea.

Meanwhile, Turtle was just arriving with a special housewarming gift....


by Key Hatch and Patty Hatch

(To be continued)