Beware of pitfalls of buying first ‘starter pet’
RSPCA APPEAL TO PARENTS CONSIDERING SMALL ANIMALS
THE RSPCA is urging animal lovers to think twice about buying a small furry as a “starter pet” for their children as they revealed they are rescuing 340 of them a month across the country.
Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, ferrets, chinchillas and hamsters are often seen as an easy first pet for children.
However, small does not necessarily mean simple as they can have complex needs.
Across England and Wales last year, the RSPCA rescued 4,081 rabbits and other small furries from cases of cruelty, neglect, and abandonment - 54 from Leicestershire.
“Many people think the RSPCA only rescues and rehomes cats and dogs, but this is not the case,” said Dr Jane Tyson, the RSPCA’s rabbit and rodent welfare expert.
“We see thousands of small furries coming into our care every year and often this is as a result of owners being unable to cope with caring for these animals who they thought would be easy to look after.
“Small furries are often very misunderstood pets. One of the biggest issues we see with small pets such as these is people taking them on with little or no research, often buying them on impulse because their children have asked for them.
“This can lead to families struggling to cope once they realise the large amount of time, money and care these animals actually need.
“It used to be a common sight to see a lone rabbit in a small hutch at the bottom of the garden or a hamster in a tiny cage in the corner of a child’s bedroom, but hopefully these images are consigned to the past and people realise that these complex animals need so much more than that.”
This month, the RSPCA is shining a light on rabbits and small furries in its care which are looking for homes.
Last year the RSPCA rehomed 2,752 rabbits, with 44 in Leicestershire.
While many of the 44,000 animals the charity rehomes every year, are snapped up by new families within just a few weeks, others can spend much longer patiently waiting to be rehomed. ■ The Leicester RSPCA is at Woodside Animal Centre, 190 Scudamore Road, Leicester LE3 1UQ. The general enquiries phone number is 0116 233 6677.