Small pet rescue

Which small furry has your heart? Is it beautiful bunnies, gorgeous guinea pigs, charming chinchillas, fun-loving ferrets, handsome hamsters, genial gerbils, dashing degus, remarkable rats or mischievous mice?

Well, it may surprise you to know that there are all sorts of small furries hoping for a second chance at rescue centres across the country. Charities such as Wood Green, RSPCA, Blue Cross, The Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare and local rescue groups have all sorts of small animals looking for new homes with caring owners.

Have you considered ‘adopt don’t shop’?

In fact, according to Burgess Pet Care’s recent Small Animal Census, it seems that ‘adopt don’t shop’ is very popular – which is music to our ears!

Burgess Pet Care in-house vet Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS says: “Our Small Animal Census – which surveyed 6,514 owners and 20,915 small animals – has given us a fantastic insight into the lives of small pets across the UK. We were delighted to discover that more than a third of people surveyed – 39% – revealed that they adopted their small pets from a rescue charity. This is great news as, along with rescued dogs and cats, small furries that find themselves in rescue centres through no fault of their own deserve to find loving homes that provide everything they need to live healthy, happy lives.”

Find the right small furry friends for you

Rescue centres will go out of their way to match you with just the right small furry friends. And, where appropriate for the species, the animals will also be vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and neutered.

RSPCA states: “What’s important is matching you, and your family, with the right animal, which will be based on their needs, and yours. Rehoming a pet is all about ensuring you're matched with the perfect pet for you, so that you and your new pet can have a fantastic life together.”

Blue Cross adds: “Our tailor made rehoming looks at each case individually and we’ll work hard to find a pet that’s the right match for you and your lifestyle so that you have a happy future together. We take time to fully understand the personalities of all of our pets, and each one is fully assessed to find out what type of home they need to lead a happy and fulfilled life. When you meet a pet at a rehoming centre you can make sure they’re the right fit for your lifestyle.”

Rescue centres also offer helpful back-up. For example, any pet rehomed from Blue Cross will be given their own tailor-made plan depending on their needs and the charity’s Behaviour and Training Service provides helpful, practical support to help pets and their owners enjoy a happy life together.

A match made by experts

The Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare – which has all manner of small furries needing new homes – gets to know each and every one through behavioural and medical assessments to create successful matches. Currently awaiting rehoming are rabbits (such as Bagel and Bloomer), guinea pigs (including the Pasta Pigs – Spaghetti (tortoiseshell), Rigatoni (smooth grey), Linguine (white) and crested grey, Penne), gerbils (such as Cauliflower, Parsnip, Roast Potato and Yorkshire Pudding, a bonded clan of four) plus hamsters, ferrets and rats.

Wood Green, which rehomes rodents and other small animals, provides free, expert pet advice on the phone and online, plus workshops, classes, outreach support and more.

Small pets for small people

And, if you want your children to be involved in pet care, animal experts like those at Blue Cross can help. “Due to the commitment needed for larger pets, many people think that all small pets are great for children – but it isn’t always the case,” advises the charity. “Some pets, including hamsters and chinchillas, are nocturnal which means that when the kids want to play, their pets are snoozing happily and won’t appreciate being disturbed. Pets like gerbils and mice are quick and agile so it’s difficult for children to handle them without squeezing too hard. And rabbits are prey animals and don’t always enjoy being picked up and cuddled. On the other hand, less popular pets like rats can actually make great pets and love social interaction with people.”

The Pets Foundation at Pets at Home

Did you know that inside Pets at Home stores nationwide there are over 450 small pet adoption centres operated by the Pets Foundation?

Established by Pets at Home in 2006, the Pets Foundation is a registered charity. These PetCare adoption centre units provide shelter for small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils, degus, hamsters and rats that can no longer be cared for by their owners.

The charity states: “We do everything we can to find them a loving new home. For as long as they need, they will have a safe place to call home with us, and we cover the costs of their food, housing and any veterinary treatments that may be required. Every rabbit we rehome goes to their new family with a free health check voucher and vaccinations voucher, as well as a free neutering voucher (if they are not already neutered) to help them in their new home.” You can find a PetCare centre here.

New small pets? Know the law on caring for them

According to Blue Cross, while British pet owners have a legal duty to make sure their pets are happy and healthy, only 35% of them have any idea that this law exists.

The charity says: “The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales) and Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) 2006 make a pet owner legally responsible for making sure any domesticated animal under their care has their welfare needs met. A pet’s welfare needs will depend on their species; a cat has very different needs to a tortoise, for example.”

THE FIVE WELFARE NEEDS

All domestic animals have the legal right to:

• Live in a suitable environment
• Eat a suitable diet
• Exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• Be housed with, or apart from, other animals
• Be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

“The vast majority of pet owners love their pets very much and wouldn’t dream of doing anything that might cause their pet harm,” says Blue Cross, which advises using the ‘five freedoms’ as guide to caring for your pets properly.

Are you making sure your pet:

• Has a comfy environment to live in that is suitable for their species?
• Gets enough of the right food for their species?
• Has enough space and opportunities to move around as much as they need to?
• Lives with or away from other pets of their own species if they need to?
• Is unlikely to hurt themselves, get sick or suffer?

Blue Cross adds: “If the answer to each the above questions is ‘yes’, you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy having a wonderful bond with your beloved pet!”

CARE MORE Find lots of useful advice on caring for your rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, hamsters, gerbils and ferrets from Burgess, the pet experts.

ONLY THE BEST NUTRITION FOR OUR SMALL PET FRIENDS!

Feeding the right food for their species is an essential part of small pet care. At Burgess, all our foods for small pets is made at our factory in the heart of Yorkshire, using only ingredients that meet our stringent specifications. With a long tradition of supporting British famers, we actively source all our ingredients as close to our mill as possible.

It’s no surprise that 92% of UK vets recommend our Burgess Excel small pets range!

• Check out our tasty nugget varieties specially created for junior and dwarf rabbits, indoor bunnies, golden oldies, adult rabbits – there’s even a light recipe for buns who are watching their weight!
• All Burgess Excel guinea pig nuggets, feeding hay and healthy treats are made with the finest ingredients that meet our stringent specifications and homegrown grass that’s exclusive to Burgess – no other pet food manufacturer has access to our grass!
• Burgess Excel has also developed nutrition-packed food for chinchillas and degus, hamsters, gerbils and mice, pet rats and ferrets.

And, with a fantastically nibbly range of healthy snacks available, there are all sorts of 100% natural, tasty treats to reward your small pets!

Are your small pets Burgess small pets? Join the Burgess Pet Club for exclusive offers and rewards.

12 fascinating facts you may not know about Burgess Pet Care! >>

Let’s get social...

Sign up to the Excel Bunny Base – a safe Facebook community for rabbit guardians that are looking for advice and friendly discussions from likeminded owners – and there are lots of cute bunny photos and videos!

Or why not become part of the Excel Squeak Squad on Facebook? Join Berry & Bramble, our special G-force guinea pigs, on weekly missions and fun competitions.

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