Record-setting rabbit raised in MH

A meticulous and driven retired college professor’s unique passion for rabbits has landed her in the newest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
Betty Chu, 70, of Morgan Hill, and her English Angora Rabbit named Franchesca were written into the renowned record book late last year when the odd-looking, white puff-ball’s silky smooth fur measured in at 14.37 inches.
Sworn to secrecy by Guinness officials over the next 12 months, the longtime Morgan Hill resident finally broke her silence about the record-breaking experience since the updated book was launched Sept. 1.
“It’s timing,” said Chu, whose rabbit set the new Guinness mark when she was just 14 months old. “Most of my rabbits, especially Franchesca’s family, have the genetic ability to get there. She was just the longest at that time.”
Franchesca, who is now two years and three months old, was the prime age when the Guinness Book of World Records came calling. Her record-setting fur has already been trimmed and she delivered her second litter of seven bunnies for Chu not too long ago.
“She’s an expert on the English Angora, which is often mistaken for a Pekingese dog and needs a great deal of care….and a lot of grooming of that dense, silky fur,” reads an excerpt from Chu’s “Longest Fur on a Rabbit” paragraph in the 2016 Guiness Book of World Records.
An Angora rabbit’s life expectancy is five to 10 years, Chu said. They mature early and can start having babies as early as five months old. They are past their prime at 3-4 years old and stop showing in competitions even earlier, according to Chu. Show rabbits weigh between 6.5 to 7.5 pounds.
“Showing is more important to me than the Guinness Book of World Records,” said Chu, whose northeast Morgan Hill home is decorated with countless Best in Show trophies and ribbons from the various competitions she’s been a part of in California, Oregon and Texas. “My goal now is always to be Best in Show.”
Chu, along with her unique rabbits with hairstyles that rival that of boxing promoter Don King, has appeared on the Steve Harvey Show and a German television show—the latter of which actually came to her home to see how she tended to them.
“I am more famous in Germany than I am in Morgan Hill,” Chu joked.
In order to qualify for Guinness, Chu first read the 19-page rule book and then filled out a dozen forms. She also had to produce two eye witnesses during the measuring that had to include an expert in the field as well as either a Guinness official, a veterinarian or a government official. Everything had to be videotaped and photographed to be accepted. Her witnesses were breeders Jeannie McDevitt and Kathi Groves, and local veterinarian Pete Keesling.
Another requirement was to have 10 strands of Franchesca’s fur cut off for measurement, but Chu told Guinness, “If that’s the case, I’m not going to do it.” Guinness officials gave her an exception to that rule and they measured the hair from the rabbit’s body.
Chu, a retired economics professor from San Jose State University after 26 years, has been raising rabbits for 34 years. In fact, she quit teaching because raising and grooming the rabbits took up all of her time.
“I just felt it was time,” said Chu, holding Franchesca’s daughter, 6-month-old Clementina, who is her new show girl. “After 20 something years, I felt that rabbits were more fun than the students.”
Chu breeds her rabbits but is hyper-selective when selling them to prospective owners who must demonstrate their commitment. One Angora can sell anywhere from $500-$1,000 each, Chu said.
“I’m very focused. I like routine. These particular rabbits require a lot of human contact,” Chu said. “Most people don’t have the tenacity to tend to them every day. If you have the money, that doesn’t mean I will sell one to you.”
Her daily routine consists of feeding them a special mixture of rabbit chow that includes Purina rabbit pellets, sunflower seeds, whole wheat, rolled barley and whole oats. She cleans their cages (Chu has about 50 rabbits at any one time in separate cages) every day and “they are still not clean enough,” Chu said. The grooming process takes hours as Chu uses a vacuum to clean the long hair of her Angora rabbits.
Chu—who maintains her own Northern California Angora Guild blog at ncag.blogspot.com—had her first rabbit at age 10. Decades later, the first time she entered one in a show—a French Lop rabbit—was a “total failure.”
“In any kind of animal, you have to have good genetics,” said Chu, who now participates in 20 to 30 show days per year. “I don’t quit.”
A rabbit show differs from a dog show, Chu explained. The rabbits are each placed in a small cage and the judges have no idea who the owners are while making their decisions.
These days it’s all about her Angora rabbits. She raises two of the four breeds of Angora: English and French.
“When I was still working, whatever stress from school I brought home, I would groom (my rabbits) and forget about that,” Chu said.
Chu’s at-home operation doesn’t stop with just the caring, raising, showing and breeding of her rabbits that she keeps in a detached garage. She also spins yarn from their silky fur, dyes it different colors and knits garments such as hats, scarves, mittens and sweaters.
As for the record, the 70-year-old said, “It’s cool (but) before they sent me the invitation, I never thought about trying to establish a record.”