Often people seem to think that there is profit to be made when running a rabbit rescue, nothing could be further from the truth!  We request a minimum donation of £30 which really is good value for money when you consider this:

Cost of Petshop Rabbit = £20-£40
Cost of Vaccinations = £25
Cost of Neutering = £45-70
Total = £90+

Cost of Rescue Rabbit = £30
Cost of Vaccination = Free
Cost of Neutering = Free
Total = £30

Now, if you are intending on caring for your rabbit properly, which would you choose?

Petshop Rabbit - pros and cons:

- cute baby bun (a petshop rabbit is usually 8 to 10 weeks old and has a shop 'shelf life' of approximately 6 weeks, after which time if it's not bought... who knows what happens to it, ask the petshop and see what they say)

- no knowledge of the baby bun's parentage (ie. will it be prone to dental disease, health problems as it matures, resulting in ongoing veterinary costs).  The kit could have come from anywhere - mass breeder, reputable BRC breeder, backstreet breeder, customer's accidental litter, animal auction, etc.  The only acceptable source out of that list would be reputable BRC breeder

- un-neutered (something you will need to prepare for as un-neutered rabbits usually hit the 'teenage hormonal phase' at 6 months old.  Many, many rabbits are neglected or dumped at this age due to behavioural problems which could be resolved through neutering)

- mis-sexed (the vast majority of pet shop sales staff do not know the sex of the rabbits they sell, however confident and convincing they might appear!  Baby rabbits can be notoriously difficult to sex, always check with a vet or experienced rabbit-savvy person to discover the correct sex of your baby bun otherwise you might be in line for contributing to the thousands of unexpected kits and unwanted older buns already sitting waiting in rescue centres for new homes)

- lack of proper rabbit care and welfare information at point of purchase (few pet shops give out adequate information, and rarely in written form)

- unvaccinated (if you care for your rabbit properly, you will love it enough to protect it against the two dreadful diseases which claim the lives of many rabbits ie. VHD and myxomatosis)

Rescue Rabbit - pros and cons:

- cute baby or adolescent or adult bun, all are available from rabbit rescues (rabbits are kept safe in most rescues until they find a forever home.  If nobody ever adopts them, they are loved and cared for for the rest of their lives in the rescue centre)

- parentage is sometimes known, depending on the circumstances from which the kit originated.  If parentage is dubious, quite a few dental and health problems can be prevented and advised upon before the kits are adopted

- neutered (reputable rescues, in the main, have all their rabbits neutered unless there is a reason for not doing so ie. anaesthetic risk due to health, too young, etc.  Many antisocial rabbit habits can be halted by neutering.  It also means that there will be no unexpected litters, and that rabbits can be rehomed as companions for other rabbits)

- the sex of the rescue rabbit is confirmed (age allowing) on it's arrival at the rescue

- each rescue rabbit has it's own health and care record, all information is usually passed on to adopters at the time of rehoming.  Most reputable rescues will have assessed the character and nature of the rabbit and will provide written care sheets and documentation for each individual rabbit, detailing the rabbit's nature, likes and dislikes, vet history, advice on settling the rabbit in to it's new home, etc.

- vaccinations (most rabbits are vaccinated upon arrival at the rescue, with regular boosters thereafter until rehomed, after which, it's the adopters responsibility to keep the vaccinations up to date)

- many rescues provide a bonding service and will bond your own rabbit with a new companion.  Some bunny owners don't realise how stressful it can be when watching rabbits bonding, not everybun accepts a partner straight away!  Many people don't understand the rabbit hierarchy, it's a bit like the buns sorting out who's going to be the boss!  It must be made known though, some buns will take a long while to find a buddy it likes (would you like to be stuck with someone you can't stand the sight of?)

- rescues give you the opportunity to offer a home to a wide variety of waifs and strays, some pretty and some not so pretty (although all beautiful in our eyes!), some young and some really quite old.  If the rescue feels they do not have a suitable rabbit for you, then they will recommend another reputable rescue or will source one for you

So there you go, food for thought right enough, I know which one I would choose but I am biased!

Also, don't be upset or offended if a rescue says that they don't have a suitable rabbit, trust the rescue on this one, they know what the buns like and dislike.  Please also bear in mind, few rabbits can cope with a lot of noise ie. dogs barking, children screaming, loud music, emergency vehicle sirens as they pass by your house etc. if they're not used to it.  Give the bunny time to settle in and feel secure before submitting it to loud noises, if you don't give them time to get used to things, they could feel threatened and all sorts of problems can arise from stress including 'not eating' which can be fatal.  All rabbits are different, heed the advice of the rescue, they know what they're talking about and it can save you a lot of heartache.