Do You Know If Your Rabbits Are Healthy And Happy?

Did you know that guinea pigs don’t make good companions for rabbits? Do you know why muesli-style dry food is bad for your rabbit? As a contribution to Rabbit Awareness Week (23 – 29 May) the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF) is launching a new leaflet which looks at a range of elements to help owners through the process of improving the life of their pet rabbit. The recent PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report found that of the UK’s 1.6 million rabbits many live in hutches that are too small, lack the right nutrition, are lonely, bored and in need of mental stimulation, and many also suffer from illnesses such as dental disease and flystrike. BVA AWF Chairman of Trustees, Carl Padgett, said: “With rabbits amongst the most popular pets in the UK we set out to create a simple educational guide for owners of these lovely companions. Sadly vets are seeing more and more rabbit husbandry problems and we are concerned about their welfare needs. Perhaps the most neglected requirement of all is the need for companionship for these very social animals.” The ‘Caring for your rabbits’ leaflet addresses these concerns by incorporating the five welfare needs enshrined in the Animal Welfare Act:

• * the need for social contact with the right animals
• the need for somewhere suitable to live
• the need for a good diet and fresh water
• the need to behave normally
• protection from illness and injury and providing treatment when needed

Mr Padgett continued: “I would be delighted if a large number of owners downloaded the leaflet from our website and took steps to improve their rabbits’ lives. This is a fantastically easy-to-read short guide which encourages responsible pet ownership; something all our pets deserve.“ The guide is available at http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets.

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