Rabbits are cute and cuddly and now it turns out also very smart and loyal - at least this bunny from Australia is. Imaginatively called 'Rabbit' by his family, he is credited with saving their lives by waking them up when their house was burning down.

It all began at 7.am on July 24th, when Michelle Fin and Gerry Keogh, were awakened by six-month old Rabbit scratching furiously at their bedroom door.

They woke up startled, only to hear sounds of windows crashing, and rushed out of to see what was going on. When they opened the door, they encountered a blaze that was spreading rapidly through the house.

With the help of neighbors who came out with their water hoses and the fire department, they managed to save the house, though part of the roof collapsed and the interior is covered with black soot from the fire. Unfortunately, Rabbit also lost his home - his cage was totally burnt down. Lucky for him, Michelle and Gerry always allowed him to roam free in the house at night.

While Michelle and Gerry lost a lot of precious possessions like photographs, they feel really lucky to be alive - and can't thank their cute cuddly pet enough for that!

Sources:Telegraph.co.uk, Timesonline.com