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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Niamh Kirk & Julia Banim

Britain's 'most pampered' bunny lives in her own luxurious two-storey house

Willow the continental giant rabbit is no ordinary bunny, having become rather accustomed to the finer things in life.

The one-year-old continental giant lives in a roomy two-storey bunny house, finished off with heaters, chairs, curtains, a radio, and even a bunny bed by the window with pretty garden views.

A far cry from your average rabbit hutch, Willow's mini palace is beautifully painted and decorated, with her young owner Gemma Seymour, 10, even making sure to bring her pet fresh flowers.

Dubbed a "mini Doctor Doolittle" by her parents, Gemma, of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, ensures Willow wants for nothing, bringing her all the treats and toys the floppy-eared lady of the manor could want.

Willow's two-storey home is carpeted and decorated throughout (WILLIAM LAILEY / CATERS NEWS)

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Parents Layden-Grant Seymor, 51, and Frances Seymour, 49, say Gemma has had a love for animals from an early age and has always cared for injured birds and insects.

Company director Layden-Grant said: "Willow is a very pampered rabbit, she eats all the treats there are and she has so many toys for a rabbit.

"She has her own two-storey house in the garden, Gemma wanted to make the home rabbit friendly and cosy. It is brightly painted and has bunting around it.

"There is carpet, and lots of hay in there. She also has electric heating and heat lamps too. Gemma always cuddles her and gives her any treat going.

"She is regularly brought into the house, she actually causes less damage than the children. Willow definitely eats more than a standard rabbit, we get through over 10kg of rabbit food a month, I'd say she weighs about a stone now and she's only one".

Her owner Gemma has loved animals from a young age (WILLIAM LAILEY / CATERS NEWS)

They added: "She eats her way through the garden, but her favourite snack is dandelion salads. She chewed through the wires on the Christmas tree last Christmas, she is quite mischievous sometimes.

"We used to have two giant rabbits but unfortunately one got attacked by an owl and died of shock, so Willow now has the house to herself. However, Gemma quickly realised that rabbits like to chew everything.

"The curtains and chairs and both been chewed. Gemma also put an Alexa in the house to play music but Willow chewed through that wire too so now there is a battery radio instead.

"Her bedroom is upstairs in the house with a window view so she can always see what's going on outside. Willow has free run of the garden as well, she makes a great job of trimming the shrubs for me. Gemma always puts fresh flowers in the house too".

Willow enjoys joining the family for a Sunday roast (WILLIAM LAILEY / CATERS NEWS)

With nine children, Taylor, 23, Oliver, 20, Morgan, 19, Aston, 17, Jensen, 15, Tristan, 13, Gemma, 10, Xavier, 7, the family home can, naturally, be quite hectic at times.

However, Gemma makes sure Willow isn't left out, even during busy dinner times.

Layden-Grant continued: "We have home-cooked meals and, of course, Willow has a bowl too, she loves a Sunday roast dinner with all of the veg and leaves.

"She is like a mix of a rabbit and a dog, she is so intelligent. We used to have dogs but decided we just wanted a low-maintenance pet, Willow is so easy and great for children.

"For just one-year-old, though she is a very big rabbit. She is at least three feet long, when she stretches out, she is just as long as my four-year-old son Radley."

Do you have a pet-related story to tell? We pay for stories. Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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