Mr Bigglesworth is a Rex Rabbit with a rare genetic disorder. He was born June 30th 2017 and was adopted by a family consisting of his new human mum Cassandra, big sister Maddy and big brother Joshy.
Cassandra Hall from Victoria, Australia, saw a local breeder advertising a rabbit with a hairless genetic disorder. She messaged the breeder asking to see more pictures of the hairless rabbit since she had never seen one before and already owned a rabbit. The breeder sent her photos and said it could be hers ‘for free since it wasn’t saleable’, and he put down the last one. When she visited the breeder the following day, the hairless rabbit lived outside with his siblings. She took home the little bald bunny. The family named the bunny Mr Bigglesworth.
Cassandra searched the internet for information about his condition but couldn’t find anything. She posted photos of him on her other rabbits’ Instagram account. She hoped someone in the rabbit world of Instagram would know about his condition and how to take care of him. An Instagram photo of a hairless bunny quickly went viral. Within one week, The Daily Mail published a feature on the story. Several rabbit owners from around the world soon contacted Cassandra to share their stories about their rabbits suffering from the same condition. Cassandra discovered that Mr Bigglesworth’s parents carry a hairless gene, and if two rabbits are bred with the same gene, they will produce a hairless rabbit in every litter. The majority of them die within four weeks of birth. According to the other owners of hairless rabbits, some grew fine fur all over their bodies, some grew patchy fur, and some didn’t live long. However, Mr Bigglesworth was healthy and happy.
Mr Bigglesworth continues to win hearts as the story of his life spreads. It never occurred to his family that they would receive the kind of response they have, both from rabbit lovers and from people in general, from all over the world. Cassandra’s purpose in creating Mr Bigglesworth’s social media accounts was to bring joy to the world by showcasing his character. Despite being different, he brings so much happiness to his new family simply by being his happy, cheeky, bouncy, snuggly little self. Mr Bigglesworth’s pictures and videos have shown the world that diversity needs to be celebrated, not feared.
Cassandra receives countless comments and messages about Mr Bigglesworth’s impact on individual lives every day. Mr Bigglesworth makes thousands of people smile and happy. People love Mr Bigglesworth because he represents the outcast, and they relate to his story as the underdog. Several of his loyal followers have embraced his differences, as well as his cheekiness and his message: true beauty is found in all forms and radiates from the inside out. The story of Mr Bigglesworth is still unfolding and will hopefully continue for many years to come.
More info: mrbigglesworththebunny.com | Instagram
