IMAGES FOR HOLY WEEK 7

Holy Saturday 

The Easter Bunny 

Digory photographed by David Loxley Blount. 

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared the Easter Bunny to be an essential worker, stating that the rabbit can go about its mysterious business as usual, despite a nationwide lockdown. Her youngest citizens, had wondered how the coronavirus crisis might affect the arrival of chocolate eggs and other treats.

Last spring we adopted Digory, a rescue rabbit, to fill the hole in our lives left by Papageno, who had left us after almost 10 years. Just before Christmas Digory broke his front right leg. All the PDSA could offer was amputation or euthanasia. Quite unexpectedly, some of our amazing friends clubbed together, to fund treatment at the charitable Royal Veterinary College’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital. Digory had a long recovery and this photo was taken in March on his first walk in the garden since his accident. He really is our Easter Bunny as he’s resurrected just at the right time. I dread to think what life in lockdown would have been like without him. 

Following the instruction not to venture out, one of our first strategic online purchases was three months worth of Digory’s favourite hay. Thank goodness we did, as it’s now tripled in price, if this has happened generally to pet supplies I fear for pets with lower income owners during the lockdown. Charging exaggerated prices for pet supplies is out of order. Pets are important, especially to families with mental health needs, neurological difference or learning difficulties, also to the lonely and isolated and those with young children. Some domestic animals act as guides or to provide warning of illness.

I asked Digory for his views on the current situation, this is what he told me: 

“One day in March, something very strange happened. My cuddle girl came, but they only talked to her in the garden. They put their chairs ever so far apart and although I fixed my eyes on her, she didn’t cuddle or even stroke me and she didn’t hug or kiss her mum. Instead they made funny signs that the Bishop had told them meant the ‘Peace of the World’ and blew their kisses across the fish pond. She’s never been here since then, I do miss her.

My people used to go out quite a lot. They’d put music on the radio, thinking I wouldn’t notice, but I’m not stupid. Now they are home all of the time. It gives me more chances to look appealing and get extra strokes and treats, but sometimes a rabbit likes a bit of peace and quiet for a daytime nap.

My special boy has stopped letting me walk to and from my garden house, instead he carries me in a blanket. He says it’s because lots of cats come in our garden to watch the fish and he thinks the cats might give me something called coronavirus, which sounds a bit like the dreaded myxomatosis. I wouldn’t want that.

All kinds of things have changed. On Wednesday mornings someone from the land of Ocado used to push past my cage with bags of shopping. They could be quite frightening to a rabbit, so I used to hide until they’d gone. Nowadays they don’t come so often, they leave the bags on the floor outside and my big lady has to wash all the bottles and packets before she brings them in. Then my people go off to deliver some of the shopping to people who can’t get ‘slots’, I wonder if a ‘slot’ tastes nice?

Both my big lady and my special boy spend far too much time washing their hands, they’ve got scratchy fingers which get stuck in my lovely soft fur. The stuff they use to make their hands less scratchy puts me off my food. I always lick myself clean and I would teach them how to do that, but a woman on their television keeps telling them not to touch their faces, so that wouldn’t be allowed.

Another strangeness is that they’ve started talking to our big man on something they call an ‘iPad’. I can see him and he waves to me, but he can’t stroke me and ‘iPads’ don’t send dandelions.

Anyway I must tell you about two really good things that have happened. 

Someone from the land of Abel & Cole has started bringing us a marvellous big box of fruit and vegetables every Monday. This is much better than the dead chicken bones they used to bring. I never liked the smell of my people making chicken soup. On the last two Mondays Abel & Cole brought me really fresh organic kale, in big pieces with stalks on, way superior to the chopped up stuff in bags that my people used to go in their car and fetch from somewhere called a ‘supermarket’. I do hope some more will come on Monday.

The other really good thing is that the sky outside has got much clearer. I can hear the birds sing instead of all those aeroplanes and there are a lot less horrid noisy tube trains hurtling past the bottom of the garden. I can smell more flowers and it is easier to breathe. I do hope it stays like this.

Stay safe, be kind to yourself, those you love and those in need, have the happiest Easter and Passover that you can. Love from Digory and my friend the Easter Bunny.”