Welcome to Cottontails Rescue
[Photo curtesy of Warminster and Westbury Standard]
CottonTails® Rabbit and Guinea Pig Rescue
Registered charity 1078850
www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk
- Informative web site
- Excellent boarding facilities
- Advice on diet, behavioural problems and health issues
- Grooming and de-matting
- Rabbit dating agency (Match-up service)
As a child I loved animals, and from the age of nine I kept rabbits, many of whom were “rescues” from people who no longer wanted them.
My experiences as a young adult working in Edinburgh Zoo, the Dog and Cat Home, and at the local vets helped my higher degree studies in Endocrinology and Behaviour in animals.
Although ill-health cut short my scientific career, a new vocation opened up for me when, in 1993, a local vet brought me a very young brain-damaged wild rabbit for hand rearing. Despite all the odds, “Little Bun” survived. It was whilst making enquiries about finding her a companion that I discovered how desperate the plight of unwanted rabbits actually was. Thus CottonTails® was born.
In the first few years I took in on average 900 unwanted rabbits and 200 guinea pigs a year, plus varying numbers of chinchillas and birds, and since the start I have taken in almost 10,000 animals, the majority of which being rabbits. Average intake now is about 250 rabbits a year, and 150 guinea pigs. The decline is not due to less need but is the knock-on effect of improved veterinary techniques resulting in all rabbits being able to be safely neutered so they can live in compatible pairs or small groups. This has meant that the size of individual hutches and runs has had to be significantly increased, decreasing the number of animals we can take at any one time. All our rabbits are neutered and vaccinated prior to re-homing.
As well as re-homing unwanted rabbits and guinea pigs, I also offer advice and basic practical help such as claw clipping and de-matting. The telephone advice line is always busy and provides a lifeline to many rabbit owners across the UK.
CottonTails® is also involved in issues relating to education and rabbit welfare, and strives to keep up to date with advances in veterinary medicine. The rescue centre is a registered charity and is almost entirely self-funded. Veterinary expenses use up the majority of funds, these running costs rarely being covered by donations received when rabbits are re-homed. The charity therefore constantly struggles to keep going.
One day we may be lucky enough to secure enough funding to set up a rabbit re-homing centre that would be the best in the country, a centre of excellence in the rabbit world and somewhere that people could visit to learn more about bunnies as well as coming to adopt or hand over an unwanted pet. In the mean time, CottonTails® will continue to provide shelter and safety for the many unwanted and abandoned rabbits that need us for as long as we are able to do so.
We always need good permanent homes for our rabbits and guinea pigs. Even if you are unable to adopt, you can still help in other ways by telling other people about our work and encouraging friends to contact us prior to purchasing their pet so that we can advise and help them to make the right decision.
Thank you.
Mairwen Guard M.B.E. (Trustee)
