Rabbit Rehome - Adopt a unwanted bunny from a rescue centre

Furry Friends Animal Rescue

Furry Friends Animal Rescue was started in March 2001. We are based in Old Coulsdon, Surrey.

It was originally meant to cater for rats, mice, chinchillas, guinea pigs, mice etc. After a few weeks we realised that there were other animals that were in just as much need of help as the ones mentioned. This included rabbits, dogs, cats and terrapins (!)

We started off taking Grabbit, an agouti standard rabbit who had a wonderful personality. He was duly rehomed and slowly as the phone calls started coming in we were made aware of what a problem there was for rabbits. Often stuck in a hutch at the bottom of the garden and forgotten about, they became one of the most neglected and mistreated animals that we rescued.

Buffy. An unwanted Easter bunny.

Many had health problems, often terminal. These included Smudge. He was a seven month old Dwarf Lop who came in after the owner got bored of him. She mentioned that he had overgrown teeth and after a trip to the vets, he had told her to leave them and they would fall out.

He was delivered to a foster carer and I was immediately contacted to be told that he had to see the vet straight away. His bottom teeth had grown to past the back of his ears and his top teeth were down by his front legs. And although he was skin and bone and had obviously not had alot of attention since a baby - when he was cute - he had the most adorable personality. He saw the vet who took x-rays and told us sadly that he had an abscess in both sides of his jaw.

There was no cure.

We were told to make him comfortable and await the inevitable. It was during the summer that he came in and this is when we do quite a few shows - fetes, country shows etc. - and we took Smudge along for the day out. Within a few hours a lady from Brighton came along and fell in love. We told her about his health problems and she went away and thought about it. She phoned us and even though the vet had given him a maximum of three months she took him and spoilt him rotten. He died about two months later, but alot happier than when he came in.

Misty came in with two other rabbits. She was part of a 'kids got bored' story.

Most are happier stories than that. The rabbits come in for many different reasons. The children got bored, the adults got bored, they've got a new baby rabbit and don't want the old one, the rabbit has started fighting with the guinea pig, the people are going on holiday, the people are emigrating, they can no longer afford to look after the animal, the children can't handle the rabbit...the list goes on.

We also take in groups of rabbits for various reasons, from eight week-olds that were destined to be snake food, to the more common reason of simple over breeding.

And we can't forget the longer haired variety of rabbit - the Angora's and the Cashmere's. The amount of long-haired rabbits that have come in and have been so matted that we are surprised they don't have Fly strike is unbelievable. Some you can't feel the skin underneath the solid lumps of matt. It takes approximately six hours altogether to brush out a matted long-haired rabbit.

Jessie came to us in a terrible state. She is an Angora X. She has been rehomed once, but came back again as she got a dominant with the new owner. With an experienced owner she will make a lovely pet.

This is Jessie - after being brushed out!

Then of course there is the cleaning. Ours get cleaned out every day, so that we will notice anything that is wrong before it gets serious. They get fresh hay, fresh food and woodchip - newspaper if they are long-haired or have compacted tear ducts (which is getting more common) - and fresh fruit and/or veg every day.

They also get plenty of exercise and are socialised with my own dogs and cats - who are bombproof with the rabbits, so that they are used to different animals when they go to their new homes.

Pip and Quiffy went to a nice new home. Pip (left) was an unwanted adults pet and Quiffy (right) was an unwanted children’s pet. They were paired up and rehomed together.

We have a non-destruct policy, which means that if an animal comes in that needs veterinary care and medication for the rest of its life, then we will provide for each animals special needs. No animal is put to sleep because there are too many here, have been in for too long or don't make the standard for rehoming. If an aggressive doe comes in she is spayed and we try to handle her to the stage that she can go to a new home. If she is still aggressive she will stay with us for the rest of her life and we try to give them the best life we can. This rule applies for all the different species of animals we rescue.

When we rehome an animal we do a home check. This is to ensure that the animal has whatever requirements it needs. Minimal requirements for a rabbit are a nice sized hutch and a grass run. The people must convince us that they really want the animal. If we feel it is the type of home that will tire of the animal, they won't get it. And people must have enough money to care for the animal. Rabbits are not low maintenance pets. Sadly alot of people look at a rescue as a cheap pet shop. This is not the case, as when the animal leaves out care they are signed over properly and the animal remains ours. This means that if the people decide they don't want it anymore then it is returned to us and cannot go anywhere else. We also care where the animal goes. They are not a commodity to us. They are part of the family.

We have always got lots of lovely rabbits in, so if you are interested in adopting any then please contact us.

Other animals taken in by Furry Friends Animal Rescue: