Gift Items
Most of our gift items have now sold, but we still have a limited selection of sweatshirts available, and you will find these listed on eBay.
Adoption
If you would like to adopt any of the rabbits or guinea pigs we are currently listing on our Facebook page or website, get in touch by email (on our contact page) or via PM on our Facebook page.
We carry out all our rehoming via the free Direct Rehoming Service. The animal remains in its current home while efforts are made via Facebook and the website to find a suitable new one. This allows us to help everyone who approaches the charity as we are not dependent on having physical space to accommodate the animals. CottonTails provides grants of £60 towards any rabbit needing neutering rehomed via this service and £40 towards vaccination costs. £60 is also provided towards male guinea pig castration for single males rehomed through this service. There is no charge for this service, although donations to the charity are always welcome.
Our adoption requirements remain as before, so you will need a very large hutch (at least 6’x2’x2′) with a secure run permanently attached so the rabbits can exercise whenever they want to. Other accommodation ideas can also work well, and for some excellent ideas, have a look at the accommodation section of the comprehensive rabbit care article. Most double-level hutches are unsuitable for rabbits as most are too small and the ramps unsafe and dangerous. Guinea pigs do not need such large accommodation, but you should still buy a 4 – 5′ hutch for a pair of guinea pigs, plus a run to put on the grass in good weather. For information on house rabbits and guinea pigs, follow the links in blue.
Rabbits love to sit on/destroy/generally play with old wicker and straw baskets and items of furniture – see film below:
Fundraising schemes as you shop
CottonTails has now registered with various schemes such as Amazon Core, Easy Fundraising, Charities Trust, and Everyclick, so check when you shop to see if the charity can benefit from your purchases!
Donations
As CottonTails® is a relatively small charity, we often get overlooked by people when deciding which charity they will support, whether they are sending a donation, placing a standing order, or leaving a legacy in a will. As a result, we depend on our excellent reputation to attract the much-needed funding necessary to continue our work. If you can help CottonTails® in any way financially, even if it is only a small amount, we will be happy to hear from you. If you use the “Donate” button, please tick the gift aid button if you want us to collect the gift aid on your behalf.
We are very pleased to join forces with Bristol Animal Rescue Centre (Bristol A.R.C.) to improve rabbit welfare in Bristol and the surrounding area. We will provide Bristol A.R.C. funding to cover the cost of neutering rabbits through Bristol A.R.C.’s outreach services. Eligible rabbit owners seeking support with neutering and vaccinating their rabbits can find out more on Bristol A.R.C.’s website here: Outreach Clinics.
We can accept donations by Paypal, so the yellow Donate button is the link to lead you to Paypal! For CottonTails® to benefit from a legacy, it is strongly recommended that a solicitor draws up a will to ensure that your request is carried out, as homemade wills can be vague and open to misinterpretation. If you wish to specify that a donation goes specifically to help with the vet and neutering costs, a donation can be given directly to the vets, which would be held on our behalf and used as required. Vet details are available on request.
Gift Aid
CottonTails® rabbit and guinea pig rescue is a registered charity 1078850. Our mission is to re-home unwanted rabbits and guinea pigs to suitable new homes, advise owners regarding their pets’ welfare and health, and offer essential services such as grooming and nail clipping. Your donation will significantly help our work. Please help us by signing this Gift Aid declaration. We can then claim back an extra 25p or more for every pound you donate from the Inland Revenue (at no cost to you).
Standing Order Form
If you would like to set up a standing order with your bank to donate regularly to help cover the costs of CottonTails® please click the link below, print and fill in the form to help us. Alternatively, you can arrange the standing order directly through your bank. Due to fraud, I am now unable to give our bank details and sort codes openly on the site, but if you send the standing order form to me, I will then fill in the appropriate information and forward it to your bank. Alternatively, contact me directly for the details. CottonTails® – Printable PDF Standing Order Form IMPORTANT – When completed, these forms should be returned to the address below for recording and forwarding to your banker. CottonTails® is a registered charity No. 1078850 CottonTails®, Sherbourne House, 47 Station Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 3JW, Telephone Number (information only) 01373 864222
Finally …
- Do not buy a rabbit on impulse.
- Rabbits rarely make good pets for young children.
- Have the sex checked professionally, especially if keeping two together.
- Never buy a rabbit as a gift for someone else.
- Neutering is essential for health and behaviour but is expensive.
- Children usually get bored with a pet rabbit within a month.
AND REMEMBER…
- They are the most complicated and expensive small pets you can keep.
- Most rabbits hate being handled and can inflict a nasty scratch.
- Some rabbits growl and bite, and some spray urine at you if they are not neutered.
- A rabbit’s hutch must always be permanently attached to a safe run to allow exercise.
- Annual vaccination varies between £50 and £125 depending on your location.
- Rabbits and guinea pigs do not mix well and should not be kept together.
- Rabbits dig holes in your lawn and eat your plants.
- Rabbits need stimulation, so provide toys like cardboard boxes, plastic plant pots, wicker and straw baskets, and places where they can dig.
- Baby rabbits do not show their true nature until 4 – 6 months old, regardless of how well or often they are handled.
- Rabbit accommodation must be sited on paving slabs or similar to prevent them digging out or foxes from digging in.
