Seven Rabbits Abandoned On Easter Sunday

RSPCA Cymru is appealing for information after seven rabbits – believed to have been dumped – were found at Duffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Gemma Black was called to the rescue on Easter Sunday (27 March) after seven rabbits were found running loose in the gardens. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I couldn’t believe it when I received the call on Easter Sunday,” she said. “It seemed far too topical and I wondered at first if this could be an Easter prank.
‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“They are seven lovely rabbits, that sadly appear to have been dumped in the grounds near the back entrance. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“There are country lanes near-by and there aren’t really houses where they could have escaped from.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The rabbits have all been given chocolate-y nicknames – Fudge, Toffee, Caramel, Button, Truffle, Coco and Sugar – and were taken to a veterinary surgery for a check up. The five male and two female rabbits, are aged around five months and have not been neutered. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The rabbits are now in RSPCA care and are doing well.
‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Anyone who may have information about these rabbits should contact the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018. Calls are treated in confidence,” Deputy Chief Black added. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It does appear that they have been dumped, and we are appealing for information to try and find out how they got there.
‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“If we are unable to track down the owner, the rabbits will be rehomed.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The RSPCA discourages people from buying rabbits on impulse as Easter presents but adopting a pair of bunnies with a commitment to care for them properly is a much better idea. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Every year more than a thousand rabbits are abandoned and come into RSPCA care. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We would encourage anyone looking to give a pet a home to go a rescue centre and chose an a pet which is best suited to their lifestyle. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For more information about the time and money needed to keep a pair of rabbits happy and healthy visit our website http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

If you would like to help the RSPCA, you can give £3 now by texting HELP to 78866 (text costs £3 + one standard network rate message). We are a charity and rely on public donations to exist. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rabbit facts: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Rabbits are social animals and should always been kept with at least one other friendly, neutered rabbit
• On average rabbits live for 8-12 years, but some may live for longer
• It takes about 10 hours a week to care for a pair of rabbits including grooming, cleaning out, feeding and socialising them
• It can cost in the region of £11,000 to keep a rabbit happy and healthy over the course of it’s lifetime or about
• £16,000 for a pair of bunnies – that’s not including unexpected vet bills
• A rabbit needs at least a ‘rabbit-sized’ bundle of good quality hay every day to eat
• It’s important to provide rabbits with a healthy diet of mainly hay and/or grass, with some leafy green vegetables/herbs and a small, measured amount of pellets/nuggets.
• Last year (2015) RSPCA inspectors rescued 2,150 rabbits which had been abandoned
• The peak time for abandonment is the summer months, when we traditionally also see a rise in the numbers of cats and dogs dumped
• Rabbits have continuously growing teeth which need to be kept trimmed – A rabbit’s top front teeth grow at a rate of 3mm a week!