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Input Required Please - Owner Questionnaire

RSPCA Macclesfield

Warren Scout
Please can I have some input? So..as part of our adoption procedure we send out a 'Rabbit Pack' as soon as interest is expressed. Sadly, it's come to our attention that not everyone is bothering to read this. So in an attempt to make sure that everyone taking on our bunnies knows everything they should, they will soon have to undergo an online 'Questionnaire' after the Rabbit Pack has been received. Drastic, and we may lose homes to it - but if they can't spend half an hour doing this then we don't want them adopting our buns anyway!

It will be made clear that it will not have a bearing on whether or not they are able to proceed with the adoption (We all have to start somewhere) but the answers will be multiple choice and will be sent directly to me, so that any areas that aren't so good, we can talk through, I can clarify on an email etc. I am currently putting questions together, and whilst I don't want it to be overly basic, I also don't want it to overwhelm people and put them off when they are potentially good owners. Examples of some of the questions so far are :

What percentage of a rabbits diet should be made up by hay? Choose from - 15% , 30%, 50% or 90%
Rabbits are best kept - On their own, in same sex neutered pairs, in opposite sex neutered pairs, with a guinea pig
If your rabbit is not eating, or appears less interested in his food, you should - Starve for 24 hours, Ring your contact and the RSPCA if advice is required and Seek veterinary attention asap

All answers will be able to be found in the rabbit pack. All answers will be explained at the end of the quiz, what format this will take I am unsure as yet - whether it will be in an email etc. But an example will be 'Yes, thats correct. You should seek veterinary care asap as your rabbit may be in Gut Stasis. This means etc etc...'

Hope this isn't too long & boring to read - Sorry. So we do have a list of q's drawn up, but I was looking for some input from you guys on what you think might be good to have in there? What you wish someone had told you before you adopted? Other topics covered so far are vet bills, what and how much veg to feed, vaccinations, bedding, 'it is your legal duty to provide..' - Hit me with it! :D :D
 
Do you include a comprehensive list of 'safe' veg?

Yep, the Rabbit Pack contains all information which we think a first time owner should know (Also the Hop to it guide, the RSPCA Rabbit leaflets etc) :wave: So all the info is there, we just don't believe its being read in all cases.
 
First thing i can think of is something about how important access to an attached run is and/or should they still have access in the bad weather? - This is because i know a couple people in real life who have the run attached to the hutch but still only allow the rabbit in the run on nice days and block it off the rest of the time. The rabbit should be free to choose.

Also i know it ties into the hay question but something about how much of the day would you expect the pellet food bowl to be empty? Opition 1 -most of the time because hay is the most important part of diet, etc. - Just because i think pellets are the most misunderstood aspect of feeding rabbits (so many people still think a rabbits bowl should always be full).

Oh and something about why pellets are better than muesli. You could make it multiple choice by saying tick all that apply, then listing all the benefits (stops selective feeding, better for teeth, usually higher fibre) and a final option of all of the above or something like that.
 
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Rabbits are best kept - On their own, in same sex neutered pairs, in opposite sex neutered pairs, with a guinea pig

You might want to re-phrase this, maybe just have a neutered pair option and forget the same sex, mixed sex bit. I know the general consensus is mixed pairs but I have had lots of same sex pairs that were more loved up than my mixed ones. In those cases that was 'best' for them.
 
You might want to re-phrase this, maybe just have a neutered pair option and forget the same sex, mixed sex bit. I know the general consensus is mixed pairs but I have had lots of same sex pairs that were more loved up than my mixed ones. In those cases that was 'best' for them.

Actually i agree with this. Perhaps options should be on their own, in same sex UN-neutered pairs, neutered pairs (same & opposite sex), with a guinea pig.
 
You might want to re-phrase this, maybe just have a neutered pair option and forget the same sex, mixed sex bit. I know the general consensus is mixed pairs but I have had lots of same sex pairs that were more loved up than my mixed ones. In those cases that was 'best' for them.

:thumb:

My first and easiest bonded pair was with two boys and they loved each other so much. It took only three meetings before they were bonded and sleeping in the same hutch cuddled up together, my male x female pair on the other hand... Six months, several scars, and several sleepless nights they finally began to tolerate each other :roll:
 
Hmmm...personally I'd be more inclined to test it in terms of behaviour rather than as a factual test - I know plenty of people who can spout perfect rabbit husbandry and yet don't do it! If you've couched it in terms of 'what proportion of hay do/would you include in your rabbit's diet' etc it forces them to think about it more personally and what they actually do/plan to do, rather than as an impassionate observer. It might also help to reassure people a bit that it's not a 'pass/fail' test, which no matter how much you reassure people that it's not, they will view it as! Plus if people actively lie, it might potentially give you more weight (albeit bluff rather than legal weight) at a later point if you want to get a rabbit back from someone because it's not being looked after in the way they said they would.

What about couching it in terms of the RSPCA 5 freedoms, so ensuring it covers thing on appropriate diet, housing including exercise and predator proofing, how to spot a sick bunny and what to do, common ailments and how to minimise risks (link to diet etc), appropriate (and inappropriate - guinea pigs etc) companions, mental stimulation and bunny behaviour (prey animals, supervising children, other pets etc).
 
Slightly off topic but you say your pack contains all the information that a first time bunny owner should know and includes various leaflets and people dont seem to be reading it - does it also contain a summary sheet? Im just thinking some people get put off by a lot of reading but will read a 1-2page summary.

My recent rescue bunny came with a 1 and half page summary sheet, as well as other leaflets and info and i thought it was really good. The summary had the following sections "settling in" which included some basic handling info, "feeding" covered everything you need to know in a really concise way, "dental problems" just a brief couple of paragraphs about signs bunny may need one and what a vet will do about them, "flystrike" just one paragraph on what it is and how to prevent it and finally "vaccinations" and the importance of them.
 
You might want to re-phrase this, maybe just have a neutered pair option and forget the same sex, mixed sex bit. I know the general consensus is mixed pairs but I have had lots of same sex pairs that were more loved up than my mixed ones. In those cases that was 'best' for them.

I agree with this too. I have two sisters who were together when I rehomed them from the RSPCA. It makes it sound like you shouldn't have two boys or girls.
 
You might want to re-phrase this, maybe just have a neutered pair option and forget the same sex, mixed sex bit. I know the general consensus is mixed pairs but I have had lots of same sex pairs that were more loved up than my mixed ones. In those cases that was 'best' for them.

I'd like to second this. I have 4 boys - a pair of brothers and two other boys and they've pretty much accidentally bonded themselves in a weekend so I appear to have a quad now :shock:


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