Yeah, I got the feeling there was other type of business in store, unless I'm totally reading the intentions of the farmer wrong, and Rufus actually rules the roost, if I can mix barnyard metaphors. :)

I mean, maybe it's actually Rufus' birthday, and they want to surprise him with a trip to Hog Heaven, the porcine equivalent of Chuck E. Cheese.

Or, maybe they just couldn't leave him alone by himself while they all went on a vacation that the farmer and his family had been putting off for years.

Or maybe it was meant to be some kind of special date all arranged by the lovely Susie Riddleton.

His imminent demise and subsequent hamification and baconation could just be my cynical side showing through. I should not be so hasty in my conclusions.