Standing out is not always seen as a positive thing for everyone. Some people stand out for good things and the admiring qualities they possess, and some stand out for negative things or the bad things they've done.
Mr. Bigglesworth, the hairless bunny, definitely stands out, not because of his uncanny appearance, but because of his innocence, playful personality, and loving qualities.
Cassandra Hall from Victoria, Australia, was browsing through Facebook one day and saw a local breeder's post advertising baby rabbits. She already had a rabbit of her own, but out of curiosity, she decided to check it out anyway.
One thing that caught her attention right away was a photo captioned, "Hairless not for sale." Even more curious as she's never seen such a bunny before, she asked to see more photos. The seller told her that she could have the rabbit for free.
She agreed, and the next day picked the hare up from the seller and took it home to introduce to the rest of the family. The rabbit reminded them so much of Doctor Evil's hairless cat, Mr. Bigglesworth, from Austin Powers, that they decided to name it exactly that.
The family loved their new furless friend, and he fit right in perfectly. At first, Cassandra admitted she wasn't sure on how to take care of Mr. Bigglesworth because she wasn't particular about his health condition.
She claimed to have researched the Internet, but nothing came up, and it left her clueless. At one point, she created Social Media accounts for the rabbit, and there began posting photos of her pet.
To her surprise, after one week, someone made a story out of Mr. Bigglesworth, and rabbit owners across the world reached out to her, some of them owning rabbits with the same condition.
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View this post on InstagramMr Bigglesworth cleaning his face and feet. Its not a very good video of him but its still cute. My pink patchy boy. . Mr Bigglesworth has a rare hairless genetic condition, but we love him the way he is, please no negative comments. . #mrbigglesworth #houserabbit #rexrabbit #rabbit #bunny #hairlessrabbit #bunstagram #bunniesofinstagram #rabbitlove #rabbitunited #bunnyinaustralia #bunniesoftheworld #cuterabbit #bunnylove #lapin #kanin #kaninchen #hase #australia #fabbunnies #ilovemybunnies #うさぎ #ウサギ #토끼 #netherlanddwarf #cinnamonbun #instagram #weeklyfluff #mrbigglesworthrabbit A post shared by Mr Bigglesworth & Friends (@mrbigglesworthrabbit) on Apr 8, 2020 at 8:53pm PDT
The Naked Gene
If two rabbits that possess ff gene or hairless gene mate, they will produce a hairless baby rabbit in every litter. The bunny's hairlessness is caused by a recessive mutation and is usually lethal. Most of these bunnies don't live past four weeks of age.
According to a study in 2006, the furless or naked gene prevents the healthy formation of fine wool hairs, leaving the long and coarse guard hairs primarily. Hypothetically, furless or naked rabbits could direct more energy towards growth and other metabolic processes rather than to fur production. The study also finds that furless bunnies have better thermoregulation ability when exposed to periods of extreme heat and humidity.
In another research on naked bunnies, all the rabbits observed appeared to be more sensitive to cold temperatures. The findings revealed that each rabbit had an absence of fat reserve and a high food conversion rate.
A Fighter and Survivor
Despite the odds, Mr. Bigglesworth remains strong and very much alive. The hairless bunny's positive vibes keep his family entertained all day. Cassandra says he has a cheeky personality and is very naughty. He recognizes his own name and also understands the word "no."
Mr. Bigglesworth also has his own merchandise, and his owners donate some of the money they get to various good causes. Cassandra also takes him to schools in their area and does talks on no-bullying for the children.
Not anymore an outcast, but a big hero, Mr. Bigglesworth, continues to inspire many and bring joy to them just by being his adorable, furless, little self.
For more information on Mr. Bigglesworth, check out his website, Facebook, and Instagram.
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