Current Animals Here at the Rescue
Scroll down to the foot of the page for guinea pigs
WHEN RABBITS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ADOPTED, THEIR ENTRY CAN STILL BE FOLLOWED ON THE "MY NEW HOME" SECTION, WHERE ANY UPDATES THAT I RECEIVE WILL BE POSTED, TOGETHER WITH ANY PHOTO UPDATES.
If you need to find a new home for your rabbit, have a look at the re-homing article listed under the "Information" section. Please note owners of rabbits that are not fully vaccinated will be asked to contribute £5 per vaccination (£10 total) per rabbit before we will accept them for re-homing.
We have rabbits and guinea pigs coming in regularly so please phone me for the latest details on 01373 864222. New rabbits and guinea pigs usually appear on the animals available page within 24 hours of arrival. They are re-homed in compatible pairs, but we usually have single rabbits available for match-ups with your lonely bunny if required.
What you need to adopt rabbit from CottonTails
You will need a large hutch (at least 5' long) with the run permanently attached at all times, so the rabbits do not need to rely on you for their exercise. As the rabbits must have access to their run even at night, the run must be safe to make sure the rabbits can't dig out out or foxes to dig in. Siting the hutch and run on a patio is often the safest idea, and this also makes cleaning out easier too.
A Wendy House or suitable shed leading onto a safe garden is also suitable, so long as the rabbits are not shut in to a hutch within the shed at night. Please note that most two-storey hutch-run units (with ramps) are NOT suitable for rabbits as not only are they not big enough but the rabbits can receive serious injury from twisting or slipping on the ramps. You will find several excellent examples of rabbit accommodation ideas in the rabbit care information article on this website, and below you can see a photo of the sort of accommodation we use here at CottonTails. Ideally the run should be bigger if the rabbits are not going to be running around the garden during the day. Please note that the run top has been removed so you can see the set up better, but usually the top is on securely otherwise the rabbits could jump out!
The tops that we use here are made of plastic sheeting (the type used on conservatory roofs) attached to a frame of wooden batten, secured by the clips you use on dog leads (available from pet shops). The catches should be heavy buty bolts to prevent foxes from opening them, and the wire should be heavy duty (not chicken wire) and securely attached to the frame so that the rabbits cannot chew their way out or predators push their way in.
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The photo below shows the same hutch with the run lid in place.
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You may wish to try the following link, but make sure you order the 6 foot hutch with run, as there are smaller sizes available which are not big enough for a pair of rabbits. If you do order one, make sure you mention where you got the information from. A photo of the accommodation is on the rabbit care section of this website:
House Rabbits
I am happy for rabbits to be adopted as house rabbits, but you need to be aware of how destructive rabbits are, that many will still leave droppings on the floor even if they are good with their litter training, and that they still need access to daylight on a regular basis to keep them healthy. Also, they must not be shut into a cage as this defeats the whole object of making sure they have access to exercise 24 hours a day! However, being confined to a particular room is practical and will give a pair lots of room to exercise and play. They are healthier if allowed access to the outside on a regular basis. Contact me for advice if you would like to consider adopting rabbits as house pets if this is a new concept to you, and I will be delighted to help.
Click on the link below to view a short video about what you need to provide to be able to adopt rabbits from CottonTails. You will also find many useful tips about rabbit welfare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhLYMBEEXvk
Video link about diet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa1cRkr1sbU
You will also find other useful video links about topics such as matching-up your bunny (for example Jll meets Leo parts 1 and 2, and Bella and Major) on the video links page.
If you are bringing your lonely neutered rabbit for a match-up, you will find it useful to read the match-up article on the website as it explains the basics of what to expect when matching up rabbits. Basically you would bring your bunny with you and we would put him or her with the new friend in a neutral pen together and watch them for a while, usually about 20 minutes or so. This is usually long enough to tell if the pairing has a chance of working or not. On the basis that all goes well, they then travel back home together in the same carrier and then into neutral territory that you have prepared earlier, somewhere your rabbit has never been before such as a shed, garage, conservatory, spare room etc. It needs to be a safe area that they can be together for a few days, but must be big enough that they can get away from each other if they want to (that means not shut into a hutch!). Once they have settled down and bonded they can be moved into the area you want them to live in permanently. Please note that it is not a good idea to attach a water bottle to the carrier or cage during transit as the water bottle will leak due to the movement and the rabbit will get soaked! If it is a warm day and you have a long journey, stop and offer the bottle whilst stationary.
The Minimum donation fee is £40 for male rabbits, £45 for females, making a male/female pair £85. This includes neutering, full vaccination (VHD and Myxomatosis). Our rabbits are also fully screened for dental disease whilst under anaesthetic for neutering, although this does not guarantee that dental disease will not appear in later life. Rabbits with dental disease or temperament problems are not offered for adoption.
As the parasite E. cuniculi is now known to be present in at least 50% of all rabbits (not just those here at CottonTails but all pet rabbits), we now give medication (a 9 day course of Panacur) to every rabbit under the age of 3 months as a precaution prior to adoption.
The minimum donation fee for guinea pigs is £10 each, £15 for a neutered male. Guinea pigs are available in compatible pairs or small groups, or as singles if needed to match with a lonely guinea pig. The guinea pig section is towards the foot of the animals available page.
Click on photos to enlarge, jump down for guineapigs by clicking on the link below.
Rabbits for Adoption top
- WEBSITE REDESIGN
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At some point in the next few weeks, the website may temporarily "disappear" during the swap over from old website to new website, so apologies in advance for any inconvenience caused! The new version will be easier to use, with improvements on the Animals Available page in particular and also one or two new features. Any constructive ideas that you would like to see included will be welcome, and so far I have noted that not everyone likes the purple theme, and also there have been requests to do away with the narrow text area and open up the pages a bit. We will see what we can do!
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- PEACHES AND PATCH
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Peaches and Patch are a very pretty small bonded pair. They are brother and sister, 10 months old, and are neutered. They originally came in to us as babies with the rest of their litter, and this pair were successfully adopted in October last year, but the family then got a dog and the rabbits were no longer wanted due to the dog not leaving the rabbits alone. I am hoping that this next step in their lives will be their final permanent home - they deserve it as they are lovely rabbits and will make excellent pets. They are moulting at the moment, hence their slightly fluffy appearance! 
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- MILLIE AND SHY - due to arrive soon
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Millie (the black one) and Shy are two sisters, 20 months old, and currently live together. When they arrive I will assess them to see if I think their bond will last, as it is very common for female/female pairs to fight. They will need to be dental checked and neutered and will then be ready for adoption, probably singly as match-ups for lonely neutered males. 
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- THEMIS - very steady bunny
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Themis is a 4 year old neutered male dutch rabbit. He is a gentle bunny, proved by the way he currently lives happily with two guinea pigs (the piggies will be put up for adoption as a bonded pair).  
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- LUCKY
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Lucky is a 1 year old black otter female who has now been neutered. Once she has recovered she will be available for matching with a lonely neutered male. 
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- INDIE
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INDIE is an 11 month old white and black female and has now been neutered. Once she has recovered she will be available for matching with a lonely neutered male.  
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- SOOTY
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Sooty is about 11 weeks old (beginning of May) and has now been neutered. He will be ready to match with a lonely neutered female as soon as he has recovered. He is the foster son of Maisie (listed separately, now rehomed).  
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- FAMILY OF BELGIAN HARES
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We do not have Belgian Hares in very often as they are not that common, and of course they are in fact rabbits, not hares! This goup comprises mum (Freeda) who is 2 years old, and her three sons and two daughters. Mum and sons have now been neutered and the two daughters will be spayed on the 30th May. They are currently living in two groups, mum and daughters in one pen, and the three boys in another pen. Belgian Hares are a rather specialised breed, beautiful, elegant and intellegent but not usually cuddly. They are independent bunnies and will make superb pets to watch and admire. They could be adopted as three male/female pairs, or a pair of brothers and the others found homes as match-ups for lonely other opposite sexed rabbits (neutered of course). 
  
 
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- TOM AND ALFIE
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Tom and Alfie are neutered brothers about 6 months old. They are both siamese sable and are very attractive indeed. They are quite large bunnies and are strongly bonded so need to be adopted as a pair.      
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- GEORGE AND DAUGHTER - a bonded pair
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George is a large neutered male, 18 months old, and he is now living with one of his daughters, 5 months old. George is white with dark brown ears, nose and paws (a Californian). The daughter that is now going to be George's life partner is now neutered and ready to find her new home with her dad George. 
 
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkvRwGFK0sU
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- PICKLE - what a sweetheart!
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Pickle is a 9 month old neutered harliquin lop male. He is now ready to be matched with a lonely neutered female. Before he arrived here, he was living with another male and it is no surprise that they started fighting. As a result he has a slightly torn ear (which has completely healed) but it does not detract from his good looks! 
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- ZEB and DOE
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Zeb is an 18 month old neutered male lop who has now been matched with a pretty neutered female dutch rabbit of about the same age. They were matched up on 20th April so they need about a week to make sure they are well bonded before they can be available for adoption. The match is going very well so far! Zeb is a quiet and gentle bunny, well mannered and uses his litter tray very well. Details of Doe are included below, written by her previous owner who loved her very much but wanted her to have the chance of finding a friend. 
 Video Link of Zeb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvu2ajYUIgk Story of Doe, written by previous owner: Doe was found as a stray and handed in to the RSPCA near London. She was neutered and then temporarily fostered, and I took her on in early March. Unfortunately my neutered female rabbit did not like her and very sadly I realised I had to part with her. Kindly, Mairwen agreed to take her on, bond her and find her a loving home with her new partner. Doe is exceptional. Her temperament is wonderful. Most unusually she is super friendly to humans and loves being stroked and petted for long periods of time. She is very inquisitive, bold, and adapts well. I have had her indoors (as a house rabbit) and she meticulously uses her litter tray. I have also had her outside, in a large run by day, and a big hutch in a garden shed by night. Finally, it will be very hard to part with her. She makes a perfect pet rabbit with her cuddly nature. It is funny to see her settle down with eyes half-closed, wiating to be stroked! She deserves to be happily bonded with her own rabbit partner, and find a very loving permanent home, at last. 
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- PETER - an absolute delight!
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Peter is about 5 months old and is neutered and ready to match with a lonely neutered female. His mum was a lionhead but she escaped whilst still in her previous home, and a month after she returned she gave birth to a litter of babies, presumably fathered by a wild rabbit. We have had several half-wild rabbits over the years, and they often turn out to be highly intelligent, lively, cheeky little devils! Peter will remain small, and he is developing nicely into a really entertaining pet. 
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zT3BwAiAuY UPDATE: Peter has developed into a lovely bunny, friendly and cheeky and a real sweetheart!
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- FREDDIE AND BARNEY - still here!
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Freddie (on the left of the photo) and Barney are a bonded pair of neutered brothers. They were very overweight when they first arrived but are slimming down nicely and are much more lively as a result. They are almost 3 years old and are lovely bunnies and will make excellent pets, even for first-time owners.     Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PFRTGk8zB0
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- SCOOBIE - out on trial
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Scoobie is a pretty lionhead x lop male, 1 year old. He has now been neutered and is ready to match with a lonely neutered female. He is a lovely bunny, gentle and tidy, and will make an excellent pet, either inside the house or outside. 
Video link: http://youtu.be/5ox-l7DeD7o Scoobie has gone out on trial as a friend for a lonely neutered female.
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- CARRIERS
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I have one large carrier surplus to requirements, as seen in the photo. It would easily transport a giant rabbit, or even cat or dog! It is a Voyager 400, so a donation of £10 would be appreciated. I have no small carriers available at present.
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Guinea Pigs for Adoption top |
- BOO - due to arrive soon
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Boo is a 5 year old male who apparently is happy to sit on a lap and be fussed and is a real cutie. Don't be put off by the long fur as it is very easy to maintain and just needs a quick trim every 3-4 weeks around the rump area to keep it manageable. I do not intend to have him neutered due to his age, but he could easily live for another 4 years or more so has lots of life left in him yet! He can either be adopted as a house pig or he could be tried with a baby male. 
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- EDDY - reserved
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Eddy is a very handsome chinchilla coloured rex male, now neutered. He will be available for matching with a lonely female from 2nd June onwards. He is 18 months old. UPDATE: Eddy has now been reserved pending a successful match after the 2nd June with a lonely female called Tori who has recently lost her special partner Gizmo.  
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Thank you.top
