Adopting a Rabbit?
Rabbits make lovely friendly pets if given the time and attention they need.
They are not an ideal pet for children as children can easily become bored, especially when the weather is bad and you need to go outside everyday and clean them out and feed them.
Therefore think hard about this before rehoming a rabbit. They are an 8 – 12 year commitment.
Please read the information below carefully before making any decisions.
Friends
Rabbits need each other.
They should be kept with at least one other friendly neutered rabbit unless an expert advises otherwise. This is however, very rare.
The best combination is one neutered female and one neutered male.
It is essential that people spend time with their rabbits on a daily basis.
Home
You will need to provide:
- A large shelter. This should be large enough that rabbits can rest together and also have sufficient space to be apart from each other.
- A large secure exercise area permanently attached to their shelter where they can hop, jump, run, dig and search for food.
- Places to hide when they feel afraid or want to spend time alone.
- They must be able to stand up fully without their ears touching the roof.
- They need protection from bad weather and predators.
Health Check
Rabbits need to be checked for signs of pain, illness or injury or changes in their behaviour on a daily basis.
Annual vet health check and vaccinations must be arranged.
Bottoms and tail areas should be checked every day to make sure they are clean. Nails and teeth should be checked every week to make sure they are not too long.
Rabbits should be neutered (all RSPCA rabbits are neutered). This avoids unwanted pregnancies and helps keep the rabbits healthy and reduces fighting.
Food & Drink
They need access to fresh, clean drinking water 24 hours a day.
Lots of good quality hay and or grass – every day.
Adult sized handful of fresh washed leafy greens and a daily portion of pellets/nuggets (we feed Burgess nuggets).
Natural Behaviour
They must be able to exercise and graze on grass and be able to hide and dig every day.
They should be able to play with a neutered rabbit companion with plenty of toys to play and chew, this combats boredom.
Rabbits should play with people who will be quiet and gentle around them, who will not punish or shout.
RSPCA General Policy
We do not rehome rabbits to live as individuals except in very rare circumstances so please bear this in mind. Your accommodation needs to be suitable for at least two normal sized rabbits.
REHOMING DISCLAIMER
RSPCA West Norfolk cannot accept responsibility for the temperament of any animal once it has been rehomed. All animals are rehomed at our discretion and we reserve the right to refuse an application to rehome one of our animals without reason.
RSPCA West Norfolk cannot guarantee that any animal seen on this website will be suitable for an individual prospective owner.
The animals displayed here are currently in our care. They have differing needs and can only be matched accurately to a new home once a member of our rehoming staff has registered a prospective new owner. Please be aware that under no circumstances can we reserve an animal until registration has been completed. Please note that you have to be 18 years old or over to rehome a RSPCA West Norfolk dog or cat and in some cases 21 years of age to rehome a guarding breed. Please refer to our dog and cat rehoming procedures for further information.
Animals are rehomed from our centres seven days a week. Although this site is regularly updated, there may be occasions when an animal appearing on the website has already been rehomed.
All RSPCA West Norfolk animals are given thorough health and temperament assessments. This gives us an insight into their character and enables us to make a considered decision as to which type of home would be best for the animal. However, once a pet has settled into a new home, his or her behaviour can sometimes alter. RSPCA West Norfolk can only assess an animal on the behaviour it displays while in our care. RSPCA West Norfolk’s Rehoming team are able to offer support and behaviour advice to adopters. Please contact Reception@westnorfolkrspca.org.uk for further information.