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'Old' rabbit is a Bobby dazzler

18/ 7/2008

AN ACCRINGTON mum reckons her family’s pet rabbit may be one of the oldest in the country.

Sarah Entwistle, 36, of Sedbergh Close, cannot believe Bobby turned 11 this month.

She was so excited she asked to place a family announcement in the paper wishing him a happy birthday.

And what makes it more amazing is that for much of his life, the family, which includes dad David, Sam, 15, James, 12, and Jasmine, 10, thought he was a chinchilla.

Domestic rabbits have an average life expectancy of five to eight years and rarely live beyond 10.

Sarah said: "When I took him to the vet he was surprised to see a rabbit as old as Bobby.’’

The family adopted Bobby when he was six weeks old.

Sarah said: "He plays in our garden and doesn’t live in a hutch or anything like that. Cats have been in but he has never been caught."

Bobby has never had serious health problems and Sarah said he is a very happy bunny.

She added: "The boys looked up on the Internet and found the longest a rabbit has ever lived is 15 years. We hope we can have Bobby for that long because we all love him a lot."