Vet goes viral on TikTok with advice rabbit owners should be aware of

A vet has gone viral after stating that many rabbit owners are unknowingly “not looking after” their pets well enough.

The professional vet, who goes by Cat the Vet, posted a video on her TikTok listing facts about pet rabbits that owners should be aware of.

Cat said: “There are nearly one million rabbits being kept as pets in the UK, but actually we are not looking after them well at all.”

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Paw Report 2022 states that half of all rabbits live alone.

According to figures from the report, more than 460,000 rabbits live “a lonely existence without the companionship their highly-social species requires”.

Cat said: “For an incredibly social creature, it’s absolute torture.”

The vet also said that nearly 40% of rabbits in the UK aren’t neutered, which “can have horrible consequences for their health.”

She added: “For example, did you know that 80% of girl rabbits will get cancer in their uterus if they are not spayed?

“And it makes them more challenging pets, harder to bond with each other, more likely to fight and definitely more difficult to handle.”

Cat also revealed that 50% of pet rabbits in the UK are not vaccinated.

“This not only leaves them vulnerable to disease, it probably means they’re missing out on vital veterinary checks as well,” she said.

The average lifespan for rabbits in this country is just over four years, but Cat says they could easily reach double figures if they’re well cared for.

She ended the TikTok video by saying: “We are letting our beautiful bunnies down, and we must do better.”

The video was posted during Rabbit Awareness Week, which took place from 27 June to 1 July.

What does the Animal Welfare Act say about caring for your pet?

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a legal duty of care on their owners or keepers to provide for their animals’ welfare needs.

According to the act, every pet owner must provide the following needs for their pets:

- Protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease and treatment if they become ill or injured.

- The ability to behave naturally for their species, for example, the opportunity to play, run, dig, jump, fly etc.

- Housing with their own kind for sociable species like rabbits or guinea pigs, or be housed alone for solitary species like hamsters

- A suitable diet and the correct amount of food to prevent obesity or malnourishment as well as access to clean water.

- A suitable environment with a comfortable place to rest and hide, as well as space to exercise and explore.