RSPCA Isle of Wight is reminding pet owners of the importance of spaying and neutering rabbits after 16 new-born kits born to rabbits, were recently brought into its Godshill animal centre.
Female lionhead rabbits Bonnie and Poppy gave birth soon after arriving at the centre, with Bonnie’s nine kits now four weeks old, and Poppy’s litter of 7 just over 1 week old. Both mums and babies are doing well and thriving at the centre, where they will all be available for re-homing when the kits are around 10-12 weeks old.
The new arrivals join 8 other rabbits in the centre’s care, including angora females Nibbler and Stripe who have been at the centre since January. Their long coats require special attention with regular grooming, but they would make ideal pets for someone with plenty of time to offer.
In line with this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week theme ‘Room for Rabbits’, RSPCA Isle of Wight requires those considering re-homing rabbits to provide 24/7 access to a large 3m x 2m x 1m exercise run where they are protected from predators, as well as a shelter offering space to play and rest. A hutch should only ever be used as a shelter as part of a larger run, never as a rabbit’s sole accommodation.
Rabbits are sociable animals and should be kept in pairs as a minimum, ensuring males and females are kept separate prior to neutering/spaying when rabbits are six months old.
Suzanne Pugh, Branch Manager at RSPCA Isle of Wight, said:
“The number of rabbits in our care has tripled in recent weeks and while we absolutely adore having newborn rabbits at the centre, it means more mouths to feed and new homes to be found for these beautiful creatures.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us with donations or by making a purchase at one of our charity shops, your funds go towards caring for animals like Bonnie and Poppy and their new arrivals, and we are very grateful for your continued support.”
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Anyone interested in making a donation towards the care of the animals or looking to provide a home for an animal should contact the centre on 01983 840287 or visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/isle-of-wight-branch.
Whilst at it do those on handouts for if they are struggling and relying on food hand outs what hope their oft numerous offspring?
Not just rabbits i think it may be worth including my husband
Back in the day, rabbits were bred for food. The way things are going who knows.
So irresponsible to buy rabbits and not know what sex you have. Of course they are going to mate. We’ve all heard the term ‘breeding like rabbits’.
In fact, any animal, a dog or a cat should be spayed or neutered to stop unwanted babies. So many poor abandoned and homeless dogs and cats in animal shelters right now and for the health of the animal. Dogs and Bitches can suffer cancer in later life if not neutered or spayed.
If the RSPCA were actually genuinely concerned for animal welfare, then they would be at the forefront of a campaign to prevent humans from incarcerating creatures in prisons (hutches), preventing them from living life as nature intended, with their own kind, in their own natural environment and free of humans pestering them.
If we took an innocent human, locked it in a cage, poked it, fed it and never, ever let it be free – we would be considered as being cruel and depriving the human of its human rights – just because a creature looks different and speaks differently, doesn’t give us the right to lock it up.