They are the country’s third most popular pet, but there’s been a surge in unwanted rabbits since the pandemic. The Exeter branch of the RSPCA is rising to the challenge with the launch of the Big Rabbitry Rebuild, as Kirstie Newton discovers.
In the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is considered the luckiest of all 12 animals. Those born in a rabbit year (like 2023) are peaceful, artistic and blessed with good taste.
In stark contrast, I see my pet rabbits as docile but dim, with an alarming tendency to escape. Even as I write, my thighs are burning with the effort of crouching for two hours in the undergrowth of my back garden, where one bunny outwitted me by dashing in and out of bushes (maybe not so dim after all).
Choice words were uttered, some of which would have been familiar to Beatrix Potter’s Mr McGregor. George Hill, of the RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter in Exeter, expresses mock alarm: ‘We definitely and categorically without question do not endorse putting your rabbit in a pie!,’ he says, emphatically.
While I’m not about to abandon our family pets to an animal shelter, sadly, others have done exactly that. During the pandemic, when everyone was at home and the sun was shining, an estimated 3.2 million UK households acquired an extra member. However, the return to normal life saw a surge in the RSPCA’s intake of unwanted pets.
The number of rabbits went up a staggering 95 per cent during the first quarter of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021, as owners realised they required more time and care than they were able or willing to commit. Little Valley currently has 24 rabbits; these are kept in the centre’s old cattery which, while spacious, is no longer sufficient and was never designed to cater for the specific requirements of rabbits.
Cue the Big Rabbitry Rebuild Appeal - a bespoke space with more pens, larger enclosures and improved outdoor areas. The new rabbitry will result in happy bunnies, as well as making it much easier and safer for staff to look after them.
The plans, which are at first-draft stage, will allow the rabbits constant 24-hour access to both inside and an outside grassed area. ‘This means they can exhibit their natural behaviours when they are most active, at dawn and dusk,’ says Emily Mayer, shelter manager and rabbitry lead. ‘We will also have the ability to bond rabbits here too, which will be a big bonus.’
‘We’re all very excited,’ she adds. ‘By making sure we have the perfect environment for our rabbits, we can educate owners in the best environment for theirs when they adopt from us.’
Education is certainly the watchword here. The RSPCA recently took in a dozen bunnies from a home where they were kept in extremely small set-ups, with many developing health issues as a result.
Rabbits are classed as exotic pets due to their complex needs: for example, GI Stasis is a digestive condition that can be fatal if not spotted and treated quickly, while neutering is necessary to prevent cancer as well as unwanted litters.
Not forgetting diet - hay, food, fresh veg; upkeep and grooming; stimulation and vaccinations. It all adds up and makes rabbits expensive pets, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
And it’s a misconception that rabbits are the perfect furry starter pet for children. ‘They don’t especially like being picked up, and have sharp claws which aren’t very cuddly,’ says George. Fact: they are also likely to chew through your favourite jumper while you’re not looking.
There are around 17 million pet-owning homes (around 59 per cent) across the UK. Leading the furry brigade is man’s best friend: the dog, at 12.5 million, followed closely by cats at 12.2 million. With a million-strong population, rabbits are the country’s third most popular pet.
Our own female duo joined us in June 2020. We weren’t complete novices: my other half had a childhood pet bunny named Jenny, and began to hanker nostalgically after a pair. I was perfectly happy with our two cats and hoped the idea would go away given time. I was wrong.
Fast-forward to today and naturally, as I work from home, I am the one shouldering much of the rabbit-keeping work, from feeding to chasing to mucking out (did you know rabbits defecate up to 200 times a day?)
Outdoor rabbits have a natural propensity to dig holes in the lawn and burrow their way out of pens. Our garden isn’t rabbit-proofed, and our neighbours are used to being asked to keep their eyes peeled for bunnies on the loose.
So when my daughter, partner and I were welcomed into Little Valley’s inner sanctum to meet some of its rabbit guests, I hoped we might all learn something.
Lesson 1: Rabbits need exercise and mental stimulation. Small animal specialist (and self-confessed ‘crazy rabbit lady’) Vicky Black shows us an irresistible video of a rabbit doing a ‘binky’ – a gravity-defying jump/twist. ‘Rabbits have huge personalities,’ she says. ‘It’s just the people who get bored.’ Ouch… but fair comment.
Lesson 2: Hutch living isn’t the ideal environment. Free-range rabbit ownership in a secure garden environment is preferable, and a couple of staff members, including Emily, have house rabbits. Being sociable creatures, rabbits are generally homed in pairs, although if you are looking to rehome one with an existing pet, the shelter will often ‘loan out’ a rabbit on the understanding it can be returned if bonding is unsuccessful.
Animal care assistant Leah Carnall introduces us to her charges. Venus is ‘a feisty girl, but funny at the same time.’ Malcolm - ‘quite a character, grumpy but cheeky with it’ - has been at the centre for around a year, having come from a breeder who picked him up by the ears; consequently, he doesn’t like being touched, meaning handling is limited. Two albino brothers were taken in as part of a cruelty case – inexplicably, albino pets are unpopular, much like black cats.
Not all rabbits have come straight from the owner. A clutch was abandoned on Dartmoor, presumably in the erroneous assumption that they would simply return to nature. ‘Had they not been brought to us, these would have died,’ says Leah. ‘Domestic rabbits are not equipped for life on the moors, they would struggle to find food, and be easy prey.’ How do you tell a domestic bunny from a wild one? ‘The colour – wild rabbits would never be grey.’ They will also be more likely to come to you, especially if they are hungry.
Another doe arrived pregnant, and the centre still has a band of four brothers – Rory, Robbie, Ryder and River - who have grown from cheeky little chappies into mature adults.
Little Valley is a busy shelter and the RSPCA’s focal point for Devon (except Plymouth). Its outreach services include a mobile van, especially in areas with low veterinary coverage. Inspectors are based here too, with vehicles and equipment including a horse box, a boat and climbing equipment.
While affiliated to the national charity, most RSPCA branches are independent and self-funding. Little Valley needs to find £1 million annually, and is helped in this effort by six charity shops around Devon, from Braunton to Brixham, which raise £120,000 collectively every year.
But fundraising events dried up during the pandemic and have struggled to regain momentum ever since. Even shop donations have declined as people hang onto their stuff during the cost-of-living crisis.
‘People are giving less to charity in general,’ says Little Valley’s CEO, Hugh Lowson, ‘and yet our costs are increasing exponentially – animal care, fuel, staff. It has been tough.’ Even volunteer numbers have dipped, with many who might once have offered now busy with family duties.
The fundraising for the rabbitry has been a slow start, but staff are hopeful of appealing to individuals and businesses for sponsorship. Other improvements are planned for the near future, including for staff areas and a new café for visitors, who are most welcome - look out for open days and awareness events.
‘We all have pets of our own, and are genuinely moved by the stories we hear,’ says Hugh. ‘These animals often have no one to speak up for them and fight their corner, until they come to us. That’s what makes it so rewarding when we find them a good home.’ rspca-littlevalley.org.uk
