A trip to a pet store after their rabbit died saw a family getting much more than they had bargained for as reporter ROBERT FISK finds out.

WHEN a family brought their new bunny home, they did not expect her to have a bun in the oven - let alone seven.

And if it turns out the rabbit did not get pregnant until she arrived at her home in Doveney Close, St Paul's Cray, then what happened will shatter scientific thinking about sexual reproduction.

The Box family adopted Katie through Pets at Home’s charity Support Adoption for Pets.

She was intended to be a replacement companion for their rabbit Floppy after their other bunny Henry died two months ago.

And everything was fine between the pair of them for about six weeks and they were getting along fine.

Then one day Katie started to pull out her fur.

Derek Box said: "They are both female and everything was hunky dory then the rabbit started pulling out of all its fur.

"Then lo and behold my son came running in the room and said there were seven baby rabbits."

News Shopper: Katie the rabbit gave birth to seven babies. BR58855

The 51-year-old added: "Unless something has changed, two females cannot breed.

"The other rabbit knew the rabbit was carrying baby rabbits and the pet shop said that she had been talking to them."

Mr Box says Pets at Home, where Katie came from, did not know she was pregnant.

A rabbit's pregnancy usually lasts for between 28 and 35 days so if she got pregnant while at the store in Peninsular Park Road, Charlton, it would have happened in the last few days of her being there.

The shop has given the family bedding and supplies to help them look after the kits during their first six weeks while they have to stay with their mother.

News Shopper: James Box, his dad Derek, Katie the rabbit and mum Carolyn along with Rolo the dog

Once this period is up Mr Box is planning to give them all away to News Shopper readers and anyone who is interested should email carolynbox9@aol.com

He said: "The shock of the births is wearing off and I love them now.

"When the six weeks is up my children will be sad to see them go.

"[But] you can imagine seven rabbits breeding and me having Watership Down in my garden."

Pets at Home’s head of pets Maeve Moorcroft said: “Rabbits are normally pregnant for around one month but it is nearly impossible to detect a pregnancy until later in the gestation period.

“All animals received through the Support Adoption For Pets charity, are given a thorough health check and in this case the rabbit was also checked by the in-store vet.

“However, given the timing it would have been impossible to detect the pregnancy as part of these routine check-ups.

“Although baby rabbits should not be separated from their mother until at least six weeks after birth, if, after that period, the Chapmans are struggling to find homes for the herd, they can of course return them to us through the Support Adoption For Pets adoption centre.”