COTTONTAILS’ CAMPAIGN 2017: I AM A RABBIT, NOT A TOY

• I stay small for a few weeks then I get BIG.
• I don’t like to be picked up and cuddled – I can scratch and bite to get away. I prefer to be petted on the floor.
• I get scared by loud noises and people running around.
• I don’t want to live in a cage. Please keep me in a large safe space where I can stand up and run around – a room with a baby gate is ideal.
• If you can’t keep me indoors, I can live in a well-built shed or garden room and you’ll need to spend a lot of time there to keep me company.
• In the daytime I can exercise outside in a fox-proof run or a secure garden.
• An adult needs to watch me all the time when I’m in the garden to keep me safe from foxes and other animals.
• I need a lot of hay and a variety of fresh vegetables every day.
• I pee and poop a lot and my space needs to be cleaned out every day. I can be litter-trained at any age.
• I love to chew and dig. You will need to protect your cables with cable covers and give me toys to keep me entertained.
• My favourite toys are: apple, pear and willow twigs, a litter tray filled with sand for digging, pop-up tunnels and cardboard boxes with two “doors” for hopping in and out, and natural seagrass mats.
• I need to be neutered and vaccinated.
• I need another neutered bunny to keep me company.
• I get hurt easily because my bones are fragile and I don’t have padded feet.
• I can cost £1,000 a year + vet bills.
• I can live 10 years or more.

Rabbits make wonderful pets but they’re not for everyone. If you are thinking of getting a rabbit, adopt, don’t shop! Rabbit shelters will give you the best advice, shops and breeders just want to make a sale. Visit our website at bunny.org.uk for more rabbit care info and click on The Bunny Hopline for details of your local shelter.

Follow the bunny! Cottontails is running the Easter Bunny Trail at London’s Vestry House Museum. Click here for more info and pictures.