A Hoppy ending
Meet Hoppy; the first rabbit to ever feature in Pet’s Corner for Southbank News.
Having previously owned Shetland sheepdogs, local resident Glenn was looking for some companionship without the hassle of training a new puppy.
After doing some research, he “fell in love” with the idea of a rabbit for his Southbank apartment and headed down to the RSPCA six months ago to adopt his new friend, Hoppy.
“There were a few brown rabbits, a couple of spotty ones and another white one, but the girl there said if I took him everyone would hate me because he’s their favourite,” Glenn told Southbank News.
“They let Hoppy run around a bit, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was a good boy and was going to be a good friend.”
While Hoppy isn’t exactly a “snuggle bunny”, Glenn said that it didn’t take long for him to get comfortable in his new home.
“He started chewing records on day one,” he said.
“I kind of know his comfort zone. I don’t chase him, I don’t try and pick him up, I just let him come to me. But he does jump up on the bed and wakes me up in the morning to say, ‘I’m hungry now, get up’.”
Although Glenn can’t take him outside due to his “squiggly, squirmy” nature, one of Hoppy’s favourite spots in the apartment is out on the balcony.
“I take him out on the balcony every day and he’s got a box full of dirt and straw for him to dig. He occasionally stands up on his legs and looks out through the glass,” Glenn said.
He’s happy and he’s confident, and that means he feels safe with me and with this place. That’s the most important thing to me.
Before welcoming Hoppy into his home, Glenn was already a regular donor to the RSPCA.
Now that Hoppy has settled into life in Southbank, Glenn hopes to inspire others to consider the RSPCA when they’re thinking of getting a new pet.
“Go down to the RSPCA and check out what they’ve got. They’re fabulous people and they really look after all the pets that they have and they’re keen on making sure they go to a good home,” Glenn said.
“Rabbits are amazing pets, they really are. It was a brilliant decision, I’m not lonely anymore.” •

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