A woman who describes herself as the "rabbit version of crazy cat lady" says she got the pets on the advice of her GP to help her cope after her 30-year-old son passed away three years ago.
Fifty-eight-year-old Sharon Hawker-Baddeley from Wiltshire decided to get two rabbits because they can get depressed when they get bored and one of their welfare needs is a companion of the same species.
She has had the pair of two-year-old rabbits since they were eight weeks old and said: "My son died three years ago and I had a mental health crash, a really bad one. When I was talking to my GP about it, they suggested getting a pet.
“I didn’t want a dog or a cat because I work full-time, so I thought a rabbit."
Named Pippin and Poppy, they now have an Instagram following in the thousands and she decorates their house for Christmas, complete with wrapped presents and a tree. The 60ft enclosure is decorated with Santa’s sleigh, an elf on the shelf, a Christmas tree full of food, and presents.
It even has bunk beds for the rabbits throughout the year.
Sharon, a booking supervisor for canal boat holidays, is divorced and lives alone so her rabbits give her some company after coming home from work. She says she feels as though she has no one to look after so goes the extra mile with her pet rabbits - especially over the Christmas holidays.
Her son, Richard, died on June 12 2019, just after his 30th birthday. "He was ill for quite a long time before he died of heart problems," Sharon said.
"He was ill for many years, in and out of hospital and so on. He had a couple of quite major heart operations. He had endocarditis and had a splenectomy which meant his immune system was really compromised.
"He got an infection in October 2018, which went to his heart and became endocarditis, and he had a major valve replaced. He seemed to recover and then six months later, he got another infection in his heart so had another valve replaced.
"But then he died a few weeks after he was discharged. My other children have their own ones [children], and I almost felt like I didn’t have anybody to look after."
Sharon has a daughter, Chloe, 28, who has a son, Michael, who is just about to celebrate his first birthday, and another son, William, 32, with an eight-year-old, Lacey.
She said: “It’s very difficult to be miserable around such adorable creatures. They’re really excitable and happy to see me. Pippin is the boss, he’s really full of himself and he likes to establish that.
“If I’m bending down to brush Poppy, he will jump on my back to remind me that he wants some attention. Poppy is a little more timid, she’s fine with Pippin being in charge.
"If I do feel a bit sad, I go out there to see my rabbits. Their antics make me laugh out loud every day and everybody needs that."
Sharon explained how her friends and family react to her decorating her pets’ enclosure for Christmas.
“It’s a bit sad but I find it fun," she said. "I think people think I’m the rabbit version of the crazy cat lady. Most people find it secretly odd, to be honest – a neighbour used to bathe their little girl at the same time I came home from work and they could hear me in the garden.
“I go to the shed and say, ‘Hello darlings, have you had a nice day? Are you hungry?’ and she was telling me how cute she thought it was but her face was saying ‘oh my word’.”
She added: “But I think if something makes you happy, and it’s not hurting anyone else, it doesn’t really matter what other people think. I would strongly recommend anyone in a similar situation to think about getting a pet, it doesn’t have to be a rabbit – some people might prefer a cat or a dog.
“As long as the person can provide what the pet needs, I’d recommend it. It really helps having something to form a bond with."
Sharon's Instagram page now has just under 10,000 followers.
