Meet the bunny with an identity crisis
Smudge flicks a fluffy ear, chews on a biscuit and eyeballs arrivals at a Christchurch yoga studio. Each day he hops up from his blanket at the end of Stacey Cox’s bed, races her downstairs, jumps in the car and heads off to work with the pre-school teacher. Smudge, 6, is a ‘free range’ rabbit that lives a life outside of the conventional garden hutch. ‘‘I can’t decide whether he thinks he’s a dog or a human,’’ says Cox, ruffling Smudge’s furry head. ‘‘He is cheeky and funny. He goes everywhere with me. He lives inside, is house-trained and even races me up the stairs to bed each night. He’s been coming to yoga with me for three years and also comes to work with me at Pebbles Pre-school in Sumner. Like the kids he has his own lunch box full of snacks.’’ Seated on his own distinctive ‘yoga mat’ at the Flow Hot Yoga studio, Smudge has a constant stream of admirers. ‘‘Where’s my boy?’’ asks Diane Provost, rolling up a yoga mat and placing it on a shelf behind her. ‘‘Everyone adores Smudge, there’s so much horrible stuff in the world, but the sight of this bunny cheers everyone up. He waits with me while Stacey does her class because it’s too hot for him in there.’’ Smudge does ‘hop’ yoga – jumping on Cox’s back as she strikes a pose. Hand-reared, he follows Cox around like a puppy. ‘‘When I get up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet he runs after me and waits outside the toilet door. In the morning he won’t leave my room unless I do. When I come into a room he runs around and around at my feet, then wants to sit on me.’’ Yoga and a day of tea partying with toddlers leaves Smudge ‘‘tuckered out’’. After a busy day, Smudge likes lying down beside the fire for a nap which he does on his back, all four paws in the air. When Cox chose Smudge he was the last rabbit for sale. ‘‘He was the runt of the litter, a beautiful runt,’’ she says. ‘‘Smudge has turned out great.’’