10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RABBITS

  1. There are approximately 1.6 million pet rabbits in the UK
  2. Rabbits are the third most popular pet after cats and dogs
  3. Sadly, they’re also the most neglected; the majority of rabbits are housed in small hutches at the bottom of the garden, where they’re unable to stand up or take a few hops and are exposed to predators and weather extremes. They are deprived of company, stimulation and exercise. If someone kept a dog or a cat in the same way, they would be reported for cruelty to animals
  4. Most children lose interest in their pet rabbit within a month
  5. Rabbits can live 10 years or longer
  6. 80% of outdoor rabbits die within a year due to neglect, predators’ attacks and undetected illnesses
  7. Every year over 67,000 unwanted pet rabbits end up in rescue centres around the UK; many more are abandoned at roadsides, parks, etc. once the novelty wears off
  8. Rabbits are the most difficult pet to rehome, according to 150 animal shelters (survey by Cottontails)
  9. Rabbits are largely forgotten by the media, grant-giving bodies and animal welfare organisations
  10. For more information read our Campaigns and Rabbit Care pages. To adopt a rescue rabbit search the Bunny Hopline.

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