The PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report

This probably should have gone into a different section, and relates to all Rabbit Care and Welfare sections, so I'm posting here to avoid repetition

Please view and add your comments to RWAF's Facebook feature on the PDSA's Animal Wellbeing Report, which can be found here

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rabbit-Welfare-Association-and-Fund/191449507147

The report in full can be found here http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-advice/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/ with a synopsis on how rabbits are doing....not well at all!... here http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-advice/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report?animal=rabbit

PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report - Rabbits
The current UK pet rabbit population is around 1.6 million
The main reason given for getting a rabbit is 'that the children wanted one'
The average lifetime cost for a rabbit is around £9,000.
44% of rabbit owners are familiar with the Animal Welfare Act

Enviroment Fact:Hopping mad - over 150,000 rabbits live in hutches that are too small

Diet Factiet disaster for UK bunnies - 750,000 rabbits are not getting the recommended daily amount of hay or grass

Behaviour Fact:Bored bunnies - lack of mental stimulation for over 1 million rabbits as they miss out on opportunities to dig, run, hop and play

Companionship Fact:Lonely life - over 1.1million rabbits crave a bunny companion

Health Fact:Health crisis on the horizon - high numbers of pet rabbits missing out on vital health care such as vaccinations and regular health checks from a vet

I missed this thread when it first went up but heard about the PDSA report elsewhere and I have just looked it up on the PDSA website - havent read it all yet but those headline statements are just so sad

Very very sad indeed

what are they planning to do to change those figures?

It's great that they are going to repeat this annually so that improvements can be measured. Although some things are quite dire, others I was actually quite pleasantly surprised over. I think 37% of rabbits being neutered is actually quite a positive figure, as neutering shows a commitment to their rabbits welfare and providing vet care. I don't think you'd have to go back many years for that to be a lot lower.