COLUMNIST: A brand new rabbit - and some new friends along the way!

It's not often that we add to our little family of furry animals but we've made quite the exception lately. '¨We have a 8yr old black Bombay cat called Toby, as well as Rupert, a 1yr old tabby kitten, and finally Alfie, a 3month old white dwarf lop house rabbit. Whilst popping into our local Pets At Home in the Vale Retail Park, Aylesbury, to buy some extra pet treats and have a course of bunny booster injections we couldn't resist looking at their wonderful collection of animals.'¨From baby mice, rats and hamsters to guinea pigs, rabbits and fish; there's something for every animal lover big and small. It's become customary for us to coo over baby animals each time that we stop by for a bag of cat treats, litter or nibble sticks and there are always plenty of families and children giggling over the bunnies hopping about or watching the '¨hamsters whizzing around at light speed on their wheels. My son has always been mesmerised by fish for which there are magnificent species in every shape, size and colour of the rainbow.'¨One thing we particularly liked about the store were the pet demonstrations we've seen where children were able to hold the animals, learn about their feeding habits, how to properly care for them and ask any questions they may have. '¨Not only does this '¨educate families on how to care for animals they may have little experience of, but it also helps to identity which kind of pet would best suit their family and specific needs. '¨It's a wonderful thing for children to get involved with and also gives the babies valuable cuddle time to get used to being handled in preparation for their new families and forever home. '¨We found ourselves falling in love with a little brown and blonde lion-haired rabbit who was hopping around his enclosure bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and my daughter fondly likened him to Simba from The Lion King with his majestic mane. '¨Deep in conversation with a friendly member of staff about the quirky characters of the latest bunny recruits, it became