The Rabbit Home Visit Process…..
Before you can adopt a rabbit, or a pair of rabbits, you will need to have a home visit to assess your set up. When a home visitor comes to do the home visit there will be particular things they will be looking for and looking at. Here is a list of the majority of areas that will be looked at which may help you prepare your accommodation for the home visit. Hopefully this will give you the best chance of being successful in adopting our rabbits.
We assess
~ That the rabbits have permanent access to a minimum of 50 square feet. I.e. access to this sized area all of the time, 24/7, not just during the day.
~ If the rabbits are to be inside then they need a specific space that is theirs.
~ The accommodation is sheltered in some way.
~ There is a ‘sleeping area’ for the rabbits and that they can BOTH or ALL fully stretch out and lie together in this sleeping area.
~ That the rabbits can fully sit up/stretch up on their hind legs without banging their ears in any part of their accommodation.
~ There is a roof.
~ The accommodation is protected from rain and wind when necessary.
~ The accommodation is protected from snow/cold when necessary. Being mindful of bottles freezing and having access to extra protection when we have really cold weather.
~ The accommodation is protected from sun/heat when necessary. Shade protection from the sun is just as important as protection from horrible weather, more so in a lot of cases.
~ The rabbits can not escape from the accommodation either by jumping, digging or chewing.
~ There are no plants poisonous to rabbits in the area they will live in – usually only applicable if they will have run of the garden.
~ There are no (electrical) wires in the area that the rabbit could chew.
~ The paint or wood treatment/preservative used on any area is safe for rabbits if they have a nibble (i.e. not creosote). And there have been no harmful chemicals used in the area the rabbits will go in (such as insecticides or pesticides).
~ There are no materials that may harm a rabbit if ingested (eaten).
~ The catches/locks are safe and secure and not able to be easily opened.
~ Any mesh is small enough to prevent rodents getting through.
~ The area is secure enough to prevent any predator getting in. Foxes are a huge risk, and very little keeps out a hungry fox, so if you know of foxes in your area you will need to think about, and add additional deterrents. Cats, dogs and birds of prey, amongst other things, are also considered predators of rabbits.
~ That the accommodation is appropriate for the specific rabbit/s being adopted (for example, long furred rabbits do not go on the grass all of the time, rabbits with rex fur (fur like velvet) have lots of soft places to go on)
~ That you have thought about whether the rabbits you would like are suitable for your family – i.e. is a timid rabbit or a rabbit who likes to nip suitable for a family with young children who want to handle the rabbits or is a rabbit with long fur who needs daily grooming a good idea for people who are very busy and don’t have a lot of spare time to do the grooming.
~ For people adopting one rabbit from the RSPCA to bond with a current rabbit. The new rabbit has suitable accommodation separate from the rabbit it is intending to be bonded with at the beginning as is necessary. A good idea, if possible, would be to temporarily divide your accommodation while the rabbits get to know each other and become friends.
The home visit will include a general chat with you and your family and you will be given an adoption pack with helpful information about rabbits and caring for them in. The home visitor should also be able to answer any questions or concerns you have about any aspect of owning rabbits.
If you have any questions or concerns about the home visit or how to meet any of these areas then please feel free to talk to a member of staff at the Animal Centre on * or the rabbit home visitor Tracy, who can be contacted at * or * and also contacted via *.
Is a rabbit the right pet for you and your family? Rabbits make great pets but are a huge responsibility and need owners who are going to be fully committed to them all of their lives.