Open garden this weekend!

Garden Open Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June

Many thanks to local author and garden designer Twigs Way for making us this year's charity beneficiary of her annual open garden event.

Volunteering with the branch

Maisie, one of our injured strays

Volunteering opportunities with our branch probably don't fit the ideal image most people have of "helping at the RSPCA". Most of the animals we have up for rehoming are boarded at a private kennels, so we can't allow volunteers to just drop in and help out with dog walking etc. because this would mean disruption to the kennel owners' work caring for the private boarders.

A typical rescue case for us generally manifests via a call to the branch emergency phone from a private vet who has just received an injured stray with a log number from the RSPCA National Control Centre. This log number guarantees that the RSPCA will pay for emergency first aid. The Control Centre (NCC) is staffed 24/7 and responds to emergency calls from members of the public (or vets who have received injured strays directly). Sometimes an inspector or animal welfare officer will be sent out to deal with the situation (e.g. if the injured animal is dangerous), but if the finder has transport and can handle the animal they are usually requested to take it direct to a vet so that treatment can begin as soon as possible.

The National RSPCA pays the first £60 + VAT to get first aid started and the vet will then contact their local branch to fund continuing treatment and (hopefully) to rehome the animal once he or she is fit again.

This inevitably means that our rescues start off scattered all over our branch area, and we need to move them to our clinic for further treatment; to foster homes for recuperation, or to kennels for rehoming. Inevitably everything is guaranteed to happen at the most inconvenient time possible.

This is why we don't have many opportunities for people to come in and help with caring for the animals, but we always desperately need more foster homes and volunteer drivers.

If you might be able to help with either of these, please email: rosemary@rspca-cambridge.org.uk

Why neutering is only part of the answer

Caroline, who runs the Rabbit Residence where most of our rescued rabbits are fostered, always asks people who hand in rabbits for rehoming to complete a questionnaire. This has shown that at least 90% of surrendered rabbits originated via pet shop purchases. Some of these were the offspring of pet shop rabbits who had produced unexpected litters, either through incorrect sex identification or because of other errors, such as not realising how early rabbits become mature enough to breed.

Encouraging people who acquire rabbits as pets to keep them in neutered pairs would help to reduce the amount of reproduction due to human error (and greatly improve the rabbits welfare by providing them with companionship). However Caroline's evidence seems to show that it would have only a limited effect on addition to the total pet rabbit population as it wouldn't reduce the number of purpose-bred rabbits acquired through impulse purchases and then discarded to rescues when the purchasers find that keeping rabbits is hard work.

Rabbits!

Caroline who runs the Rabbit Residence has sent out an urgent appeal for homes as she needs to reduce her numbers to a more manageable level. Caroline works full time as a care assistant and runs the Residence in her spare time, so she really needs to get a speedy turnaround of bunnies who are fit and don't need special care, in order to be able to concentrate on the ones who need nursing. She also needs to keep rabbit numbers within the limits specified by Rabbit Residence's planning permission.

To view most of the rabbits now available for adoption from Rabbit Residence, go to the Rabbit Rehome website.

Maggots! (Fly Strike)

These two videos from Vetstoria.com explain exactly what flystrike (maggot infestation) is. Warning: some upsetting pictures.

Rabbits are the animals most likely to be at risk, but it is possible for ANY animal, including cats and dogs, to be attacked if he/she has open wounds, soiling round the anus, or has difficulty in grooming all parts of his/her body (for example due to old age or obesity). We had a request for help with treatment for a cat suffering from fly strike at our branch this weekend.

There are veterinary preparations which can be used to reduce the danger of fly attack, so if you keep rabbits, this is something you should discuss with your vet. Be aware that sensible diet is an important method of reducing risk: rabbits should have hay and grass as their main source of calories with vegetables and commercial pellets only as a treat, not their main meal. It is also important to keep cages and litter trays scrupulously clean to avoid attracting flies and prevent them from breeding. Avoid leaving uneaten cat or dog food anywhere where flies can get at it to lay eggs.

Any animal with conditions causing soiling of their anal area needs to be checked for fly eggs at least twice daily during warm weather when flies are active. If eggs or maggots are found this is an emergency and you need to contact your vet immediately. Wounds or sores are also attractive to flies and should be checked as well.

Rabbits in urgent need

The Rabbit Residence rescue in Hertfordshire, the Mayhew Animal Rescue in London and the RSPCA are looking to rehome 18 rabbits in urgent need of rehoming from a 'city farm' in London.  All of the rabbits will be checked over by the Mayhew's vets, however, unfortunately both the Mayhew and the Rabbit Residence are absolutely full at the moment so the rabbits have nowhere to go.

If anybody could provide a good home for any of these rabbits then please do get in touch with Caroline at the Rabbit Residence. Her number is 07904 397378, and her email is rabbit_residence@hotmail.com

The best way to contact Caroline is by text or email. All the rabbits will be checked over by the Mayhew's vets, and, if necessary, they can be transported to anybody who can provide a good home. It would also be a great help if anyone was able to adopt some of the rabbits currently at the Mayhew or Rabbit Residence in order to free up space so that others can come in. 

Some of the rabbits currently with Rabbit Residence can be viewed in their rehoming gallery. There is also information about the correct conditions for keeping rabbits on the website.

Myxomatosis reminder

Please don't forget that mosquitos and biting midges will become active about a month from now as the weather gets warmer. Now is the time to make sure that your rabbits are up to date with their myxomatosis vaccinations so they are protected from this dreadful disease, which is spread by biting insects.

If you are on benefits, you can get your rabbits boosters done at our clinic for only £7.

Regional Board at Block Fen Animal Centre

We had the chance to take a look round the new rabbit accommodation and I took some photos.

One of the outside runs, showing steps to indoor raised sleeping area. Note the litter trays which make cleaning out easier and also make a great "selling point" for any adopters considering keeping their rabbits as indoor pets.

Another view of an outside run, showing plastic tubes for behavioural enrichment.

Slightly blurred pic. of the raised indoor area. Notice how confident the rabbits are. Being on a level with the human viewers makes it easier to clean them out and helps display them to adopters. It also seems to make the rabbits more relaxed if humans are on a level rather than above them.

Rabbit going up the steps to enter the sleeping quarters via "rabbit-flap". We saw the rabbits confidently hopping in and out and they seem to learn to operate the flap very readily.

Vaccinating against myxomatosis

Spring is just around the corner, and with it will come the first of the two annual peaks of myxomatosis (the second is in the Autumn). If it is more than six months since your rabbit was last vaccinated then you need to be thinking of arranging for a booster.

Every year rabbits are brought to us suffering from myxomatosis because their owners did not realise that urban (even indoor) rabbits are still at risk, because the disease can be spread by biting insects. Vaccination does not provide 100% protection, but a vaccinated rabbit will almost always throw off the disease with no permanent ill effects, while an unvaccinated rabbit will almost always die.

Another stray rabbit

Found wandering in Caribou Way, Cherry Hinton at about 5 pm on Tuesday, 10th March. He's an un-neutered male, possibly mini-Rex; mainly white with some fawn markings.

Stray rabbit

ACO Kathy has just picked up a stray rabbit from Cambridge. She (the rabbit, not Kathy!) is a very pretty white and black Netherland Dwarf - looks young and is quite friendly. Janine is looking after her for the moment, but hopefully her owner will turn up.

Rabbits Campaign

Make Mine Chocolate!™ now have posters to download. Please support them by printing out a poster and displaying it in the run-up to Easter to discourage the giving of rabbits as pets.

If anyone thinks their claim that thousands of rabbits die from neglect each year is an exaggeration, remember:

• Pet rabbits die because their owners don't know they need to be vaccinated. Every year our group euthanases dying rabbits whose owners didn't vaccinate against myxomatosis in order to save them further suffering. Multiply that by the number of RSPCA branches in this country and the result is over a thousand from that cause alone.
• Pet rabbits die because their owners don't know how to feed them correctly. Rabbits must have a diet predominantly based on large quantities of grass (not lawn-clippings!), hay or dried grass. Without correct feeding they are liable to painful tooth and gut problems.
• Pet rabbits die because their owners don't know to treat them against parasites. Regular vet visits are an essential.
• Pet rabbits die because they are kept in restricted conditions where they cannot exercise.

Bunnies everywhere!

The Eastern Region has just issued an appeal to help rehome another 56 rabbits! 

Once again, this illustrates what a major problem there is with impulse purchase of cute, furry babies who grow into adults who need at least as much exercise and space as a cat and have the potential to produce exponential numbers of babies.

If you are thinking of acquiring pet rabbits, please consider adopting a pair from a rescue organisation. Please, also take the time to research what rabbits need for a satisfactory life. 

Our branch rescue rabbits are fostered by our partner the Rabbit Residence Rescue whose website has lots of photos showing how much more interesting rabbits are as pets if they are given accommodation that lets them do more than a couple of hops in either direction in a hutch that is more like a prison cell than a home. 

If you are interested in adopting one of our rabbits, please make contact with Caroline initially by phone to make an appointment to visit. Her mobile number is 07904 397 378

Caroline also needs volunteers willing to help with care of the rabbits - and would also like to hear from any gardeners who can take away rabbit manure as this is surprisingly expensive to have removed by waste contractors.

Statistics for January

During January we rehomed five dogs and six cats, neutered fourteen dogs, thirteen cats and thirteen rabbits and provided veterinary treatment for 219 dogs, 124 cats, 9 rabbits and 11 miscellaneous small animals.

Bit of good news for a change

Delighted to hear that the Rabbit Residence has had its planning permission renewed for another year. Everyone who volunteers there will still need to be cautious to avoid noise, obstructing driveways etc. as permission might not be renewed in 2010 if the local residents can prove the rescue is causing a nuisance to them, but it's a great relief.

National Rabbit Week 24-30 January 2009

See the National Rabbit Week website for more information.

More rabbit woe

Two weeks into 2009 and Caroline has already taken in fifteen rabbits, homeless for a variety of reasons. 

Owner emigrating (5), moving into rented accommodation where no pets allowed (5), child lost interest (2), owner died of heroin overdose (3). 

Unfortunately it seems bunnies are not exempt from the effects of the current state of society.
On the bright side she has eleven booked to go out, so at least there is some movement on the rehoming front.

Caroline urgently needs more committed volunteers to help with caring for the rabbits. Even a few hours each week would be helpful—for example it would free her to do other things if she had some volunteers able to take over the job of shutting the rabbits in for the night occasionally.

If you might be interested, please email rabbit_residence@hotmail.com

Due to planning restrictions on the field where the rabbits are kept, volunteers need to be prepared to park some distance away and walk down the private road that leads there, and also to keep noise to a minimum.

Rabbit Residence featured in Cambridge Evening News

Cambridge Evening News's video section has a piece on Rabbit Residence. Good write-up and very cute video of groups of bunnies hopping about in the snow.

If you might be interested in adopting a pair of rabbits from Caroline, please email her at rabbit_residence@hotmail.com

And another rabbit!

She's medium sized and fawn coloured. Taken to Vet24 by someone who found her wandering just after Christmas.