Rabbit's Kin

Rabbit's Kin is a 1952 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The cartoon was released on November 15, 1952, and stars Bugs Bunny. The cartoon was animated by Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner, Phil DeLara and Keith Darling. The music was scored by Carl Stalling while the layouts and the backgrounds were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas.

Plot
A rabbit named Shorty seeks refuge from the pursuing cougar, Pete Puma, within Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. Bugs, sympathetic to Shorty's plight, employs comedic strategies to outwit Pete. Utilizing a faux rabbit dynamite decoy, Bugs orchestrates an explosive surprise for Pete, leading to a humorous exchange over cigars.

Subsequently, Pete's attempts to deceive Bugs, including disguising himself as Shorty's mother and employing protective headgear, are met with Bugs' repeated tea-time trickery involving sugar lumps. Despite Pete's efforts to anticipate Bugs' moves, he repeatedly falls victim to Bugs' cleverness. Shorty, captivated by the spectacle, desires to participate, leading to a confrontation wherein Bugs assumes a disguise to rescue Shorty from Pete. However, Pete's attempt to outwit Bugs backfires, resulting in self-inflicted head trauma.

As Bugs and Shorty escape, Bugs acknowledges Pete's ingenuity while mimicking his distinctive laugh.

Production notes
Mel Blanc provided the voice for Bugs Bunny and Shorty Rabbit, while Stan Freberg voiced Bugs' adversary, Pete Puma, imitating Frank Fontaine's character, John L. C. Silvoney, from The Jack Benny Show and later, Crazy Guggenheim on The Jackie Gleason Show. The title "rabbit skin" plays on words, referencing Bugs' kinship with another rabbit. Blanc initially used a modified version of Sylvester the Cat's voice for Shorty before adjusting its pitch.

Home media
Rabbit's Kin is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1.