RSPCA Friends of West Hatch Newsletter Summer 2018 | issue 14 | Page 13

How much
do you know
about rabbits?
by Erin Awon
As the weather starts to warm, many
people think about taking on outdoor
pets such as rabbits.
There are about 1.1 million pet rabbits
in the UK, making them the third
most popular companion animal after
cats and dogs. Sadly, they are also
the most neglected pet animal, with
the Rabbit Welfare Association and
Fund determining that in 2012 alone,
approximately 67,000 unwanted
rabbits ended up in the care of UK
rescue organisations.
Major factors for this statistic include the
ease of purchasing rabbits from breeders
and pet shops, and the majority of
owners vastly underestimating the level
of commitment required to properly care
them. Did you know it can cost around
£16,300 to suitably house and feed two
outdoor rabbits for their average lifespan
of 10 years, not including veterinary bills?
Did you also know that rabbits are
sociable and must be kept with another
neutered rabbit, should eat their body
size in hay every day to maintain their
dental health, and need continuous
access to at least 48 square feet of space
to stay fit and active? Unfortunately
many don’t, and view rabbits as easy,
inexpensive pets for children.
In truth, rabbits are intelligent, athletic
and social animals with specialised needs.
Here at West Hatch, we adopted out 41
rabbits into new homes in 2017. Every
rabbit left us neutered, microchipped
and vaccinated, and went on to live
either together with the friend that they
shared a pen with at the Centre, or to be
a companion to another lonely rabbit.
Each adopter was willing to provide
them with love, care, a suitable diet and
appropriate accommodation which met
(or in some cases, greatly exceeded) our
minimum size requirements, in order to
provide their bunnies with the happiest
life possible.
By choosing to adopt, they have
demonstrated that they care about rabbit
welfare, and have provided unwanted
rabbits, which may have already
experienced great suffering, with a brand
new start in life.
All rabbits available for rehoming can be
seen at www.rspca.org.uk/findapet.
RSPCA West Hatch rehomes rabbits
to live in compatible neutered male
and female pairs, as indoor pets or to
live outdoors in accommodation with
floorspace equivalent to or greater than
a 6ft by 2ft hutch with a permanently
attached 6 ft by 6ft run (48ft 2 ).