BOUGHT from a pet shop for around £10 or given away, kept in a decrepit hutch, which was free prior to being unwanted or abandoned with bad teeth.

That is a common experience for the rabbits that are brought to the RSPCA's attention in the West, according to the findings of a new survey.

Of the 323 surveyed rabbits seen by the RSPCA in the region between May and November 2007:

  • 88% had no company and were kept in solitary confinement.
  • 70% did not have access to a run and spent 24 hours a day locked in a hutch.
  • 55% did not have an adequate hutch
  • 50% did not have clean bedding
  • 42% of hutches were in full sunlight without adequate shade
  • 45% did not have any water available
  • 30% did not have any food available

The survey coincides with the start of National Rabbit Week, which starts today, and was carried out by RSPCA inspectors, animal centre staff, branches and volunteers.

It looked at the quality of life and experiences of every rabbit that came into contact with RSPCA staff over a six-month period. This included stray, unwanted and abandoned rabbits as well as bunnies which members of the public wanted the Society to rehome.

Eight rabbits kept as pets in Chippenham were signed over to the RSPCA for rehoming after their owner was taken into hospital and could no longer care for them.

RSPCA inspector John Atkinson said: "Incidents where people cannot look after their pets for health reasons, are very sad and often unforeseeable "However, the problem that the RSPCA and other animal welfare charities face is that people often own multiple rabbits and it is therefore much harder to find room for them in our animal centres."

As well as details provided by Society workers in the region, anonymous rabbit awareness questionnaires' were completed by members of the public. Anyone who owned a rabbit which was the subject of a cruelty or neglect complaint, or a rabbit they wanted the Society to rehome, was asked to complete a questionnaire.

RSPCA regional manager, Jonathan Silk, said: "This survey, now in its third year, gives us a very disturbing insight into how many of these animals have a poor quality of life and how often people acquire them as pets only to quickly lose interest.

"For the last two years we have discovered that the average amount of time that a rabbit was owned before being unwanted was as little as three months. Rabbits are becoming throwaway pets, bought for as little as £10, given very little quality of life and wanted for a very short period of time."

The survey also highlighted that:

  • 57% of owners who bought their rabbit from a shop or garden centre said they received no advice or literature on how to care for it.
  • 42% of rabbits were taken on as pets for children.
  • 32% of rabbits were living in old, often unsuitable hutches, which came free from their friend or neighbour.
  • 11% of rabbits were the result of unwanted or unplanned breeding.

RSPCA regional Superintendent John Tresidder said: "Sadly, many rabbits are kept in unsuitable back yard hutches out of sight where they all too easily become forgotten pets. As a result they lead a miserable life on their own at the bottom of the garden after the novelty of keeping them wears off.

"While there are many caring and responsible rabbit owners in the region, there are too many people who do not understand the time, space, commitment and money required to provide proper care. Since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, people have a duty to ensure their animal's needs are met."

In a bid to improve the quality of bunnies' lives and encourage would-be owners to ensure they are informed, the RSPCA has produced a new leaflet to accompany the campaign, entitled A Life Worth Rabbiting About. These are available from local RSPCA branches or animal centres.

For details of your local RSPCA branch or animal centre look in your local phone directory of visit www.rspca.org.uk - where you will also find pet care advice.