'It's me - or the bunny!' Woman chooses her rabbit over her husband (and no, it's not THAT sort of rabbit)

Former banker Sarah MacRonald bought one rabbit, Rupert, five years ago

She now has 11 and looks after other people's in her own 'bunny hotel'



Sarah plans to start a rabbit rescue centre but her three children aren't so keen





A mother-of-three has set up an hotel for rabbits after claiming her now ex-husband gave her an ultimatum - to choose between him or her pet rabbits.

Sarah MacRonald, 35, opened a successful 'bunny bed-and-breakfast' in her family home after splitting from her former husband.

She says he walked out after telling her "see how far you and your rabbits get without me."

Sarah now has 11 furry critters of her own, and commands up to £20-a-night to look after other people's pets while they go on holiday.

Her business, Celebunnies, claims to offer 'celebrity-style boarding for bunnies' and her cuddly charges have the run of her extensive garden in Coulsdon, Croydon.

Sarah MacRonald set up a 'bunny hotel' after her husband made her chose between him or her pet rabbits

Former banker Sarah said: 'My husband was annoyed that I spent so much time with the rabbits and, to be fair, they did take over my life.

'But, if anyone ever says 'It's me or the rabbits,' then sorry, it's the rabbits every time.'

Her love of rabbits began when she bought her first bunny, Rupert, five years ago.

'Why did I suddenly start? I was 30 and I could,' she told her local newspaper, the Croydon Advertiser.

'I had my third child, my two girls were at school during the day and we had a big garden. So I thought: 'Right, now I can get that bunny.'

Sarah started off with just one rabbit, Rupert. She now has 11 and her own 'bunny hotel'

The former bank worker bought Rupert and the largest hutch in the pet store. Ms MacRonald, who even has a rabbit tattoo, admits now she did not know what she was letting herself in for.

'I was in for a shock," she said. "I didn't realise how much care rabbits need, how much they cost, and how much I would end up loving them.

'They are the hardest animal on the planet to keep alive. They suffer from dental problems which can develop into abscesses.

'You also have to be really careful with what they eat because they have very sensitive digestive systems.

'It's also really important that rabbits have a friend and aren't left to live on their own.'

Sarah is now studying for an online diploma in rabbit behaviour, physiology and welfare

After Rupert, Sarah bought three Netherland Dwarf females and then three males and then, after a suggestion from a friend, decided to turn her hobby into a business, looking after rabbits while their owners are away.

She is now studying for an online diploma in rabbit behaviour, physiology and welfare and hopes one day to run a rabbit rescue centre.

However her children, Megan, 13, Molly, 11, and Connor, 6, might not be as keen.

'Connor likes them, but the girls are bored of it,' she said. 'They get excited by other people's rabbits but aren't interested in ours. They keep telling me to stop getting them.

'I can't imagine not having them. It's just a shame I haven't got a passion for something that's going to make me rich.'

She is not the only one with a passion for rabbits. Last year, the Daily Mail revealed a growing trend in Japan - rabbit cafes, where stressed out workers can relax with a drink and a rabbit to play with.