the lives of Castle and Becket
Castle & Becket: The Rabbits Who Took Over Our Lives
My life changed completely when two tiny bundles of fluff arrived unexpectedly. Castle and Becket, an apricot-and-white Dutch rabbit brother and sister, were originally meant to be therapy pets for my husband. Instead, they quickly became the centre of our world.
The pair treated us as part of their family. Affection came in the form of gentle licks—a great honour in rabbit language. Requests for us to move, however, were delivered with a sharp little nip!
Castle and Becket enjoyed full access to the house and, when weather permitted, the garden. To create the perfect rabbit paradise, we transformed the backyard into a lush lawn, planted herbs, lavender, rosemary, blackberry bushes, and citrus trees, and even grew vegetables especially for them.
Like most rabbits, they loved chewing. Carpets, wires, wallpaper, and furniture corners were all considered fair game. To save the house, we built cardboard playgrounds, supplied endless Timothy hay, and
filled their days with puzzle feeders, hay-filled tubes, and treat balls.
Their favourite foods? Banana and watermelon. Mention either and two rabbits would come charging across the room. Even the word "medicine" usually brought them running—unless it was the dreaded strawberry-flavoured variety, which sent Becket sprinting in the opposite direction.
Each had a distinct personality. Castle was Becket's protector, while Becket was Castle's emotional support. He often retreated for some quiet time, only to wake up moments later in a panic, searching for his sister.
Rabbits are generally quiet, but they do communicate. One day, Becket repeatedly thumped her feet to alert us that a cat had invaded our supposedly cat-proof garden. On another occasion, while our daughter was working from home and on a conference call, Becket's thumps seemed to say, "Could everyone please keep the noise down?"
Evenings followed a strict routine. At 10:30 pm, both rabbits would position themselves in front of the television as if to announce, "Bedtime!" In the morning, they gnawed on their bedroom baby gate to demand release.
Castle and Becket brought so much joy, laughter, and personality into our lives that they inspired their own YouTube channel and a series of photo books. They may have started as therapy pets, but they ended up becoming beloved family members—and, without question, the real rulers of the household.