A MILFORD MAN who found himself on furlough from his day-job as a mechanic has been indulging in his favourite pastime: being a rabbit.

Father-of-three Adrian James, who’s spent over £12,000 on his hobby, has swapped his oily overall’s for a rabbit costume and, when a rabbit, goes by the name of ‘Keel’.

Keel regularly joins up with other ‘furries’ for meets, but lockdown has put an end to that for the time being.

That paws in socialising has given Adrian the time to perfect his own ‘creature creation station’ that contains his seven full-sized rabbit costumes, he’s also been using lockdown to meet more ‘furries’ online and discuss their interest.

Talking to the Daily Mail, Adrian said: ‘I have always had a soft spot for rabbits. I had a rabbit teddy when I was younger which I rediscovered as teen and have been obsessed ever since,’

‘I converted my attic into a sort of studio where I can create the outfits, and tend to find that I’m enjoying myself the most when sewing together my latest designs.’

Adrian, who has been interested in rabbits since he was a child, has found great comfort in the extensive network of like-minded people he has found online.

Adrian James, from Milford Haven

‘People are into furries for different reasons, for me it’s the community feel within it and the artistry in the outfits. I love seeing new outfits when they’re made.’My new suit, who I called Chiral, was originally supposed to be sold on. But I liked him so much I decided to keep him for myself.

‘It can take months to finish a suit so being able to stay at home for such a long time gave me plenty of it to start making new furry outfits.

‘It was a continuous process so I would go into my little space at home and work on him, it’s really intense work that takes a lot of patience.

‘I understand that it’s an unusual hobby but we’re not hurting anyone, so I don’t see why it’s seen as strange. Some people like football and rugby but I like rabbits and the furry community is full of great people.

‘It was difficult when the lockdowns happened because as a result, furry meets stopped and I didn’t have many people to enjoy my time as Keel.
‘I started making suits as something to do while I couldn’t meet up with anyone, and I realised I was quite good at it, so I kept going.

‘My new suit is great, it hooks up to an app on my phone and I can change all the lighting while I’m in the suit. The next thing I want to make is a voice and eyes that open and close.

‘For me it’s all about expression, the community are a very active bunch and rabbits are just the animal that I attached myself to.

‘I have met some of my closest friends through the furry community so I’m looking forward to being able to meet them all again in the future.’

Adrian wishes more people wouldn’t judge him for his hobby and try to understand the great ‘furry’ movement in general.

‘There are some not very family-friendly sub communities in my community, like the fetish guys who have a sexual interest in furries, but I do not judge them for that.

‘But that’s not me, for me it’s all about the creative side of the suits and the way it lights up faces when I walk past.

‘Of course I get teenagers being cheeky, but mostly its kids loving the outfit and smiling when they walk past and parents asking how I made the outfit.

‘All in all it’s a great community to be a part of, but like anything there are bad eggs.’

Adrian, who has now returned to his day job and packs his suit away for the day, puts it back on when he gets home.

Adrian said: ‘I work hard and support my family so I don’t ever feel bad for spending time as Keel, it’s a harmless interest and one I aim to keep up.’