Not many of our clients know that but there’s a furry little hopper in the backyard of our office. Her name is Nora and she’s one of the lucky rabbits that ELM has adopted over the years. It is only fair we pay a tribute to our rabbits this Easter as they bring us a lot of joy.

A Rabbit Affair

Nora came from the animal shelter house Het Knaagspoor just like her predecessors Stipje, Vlekje and Pooh. But it was no ordinary pick! – in order to ensure a peaceful cohabitation with Pooh, the rabbits went on a speed-date. Yes, you read it right: Pooh had a number of speed-dates until we decided that Nora was the best match based on how comfortable they felt around each other. And of course there was a lot of (rabbit) love in the air! Pooh might have had past his young days, but he was still young at heart. Sadly, he passed away last year.

Stipje and Vlekje were two black-and-white sister rabbits that reigned the backyard for quite some time. They had their share of drama when they escaped and were attacked by a larger animal – only Vlekje survived after sustaining major injuries. Fortunately, with the help of attentive care and actual physiotherapy (the treatment involved daily leg massages) she came back to her usual energetic self. Not before long, Pooh came along to keep her company and added a spring to her hop. Ever since this unfortunate escape, a few of us watch closely whenever the rabbits are stretching their legs and running around the yard to prevent them from digging holes under the fence and to scare away stray cats.

Who Helps Whom?

As much as we would like to think we are making the lives of a few rabbits without homes happier, they have brought us a lot of joy in return. In fact, ELM is a proof that having pets in (or next to) the office relieves stress: there is nothing like feeding a carrot to a warm and fuzzy creature to distance yourself from deadlines and emails. Research has shown that pets have a calming effect which leads to higher productivity. That may explain the recent popularity of cat cafes and bookstores, and dog companions in nursing homes.

That is of course not to say that ELM team is encouraged to bring their dogs and turtles into their workplace – possible allergic reactions and questionable hygiene are a few drawbacks of the pet-friendly policies. That is why our rabbits are always outside, the only pets that are inside our office are the fish in the tank, but that’s a whole different story.

On behalf of the whole ELM team, including Nora, we would like to wish you a very cozy Easter weekend. If you would like to donate to the animal shelter, follow this link.

Veronika Norvaisaite
ELM team

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