RSPCA dealt with nearly 100 incidents involving small furry pets in West Sussex last year
The charity is warning a rise of lockdown ‘starter pets’ could lead to an increase in neglect.
The RSPCA is warning a rise in interest of 'starter pets' during lockdown could lead to an increase in neglect.
It comes as the animal welfare charity reveals it dealt with 95 incidents involving small furry pets - including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters - in West Sussex last year.
Nationally, figures for people searching on Google for small pets to buy during the coronavirus lockdown soared compared to the year before, with searches for ‘rabbits for sale’ more than tripling from 18,000 in July 2019 to 65,000 in July 2020.
Searches for ‘hamsters for sale’ tripled from 10,000 in July 2019 to 30,000 in July 2020 and ‘guinea pigs for sale’ doubled from 19,000 to 40,000.
RSPCA rescue teams have reported they also took nearly 240 rabbits into its care during lockdown (23 March to 31 August) because of cruelty, neglect and abandonment.
The charity is releasing the statistics during the final week of 'Adoptober' - a rehoming drive which aims to encourage animal-lovers to 'adopt, don’t shop'.
Last year, the RSPCA dealt with 9,277 incidents involving small furries - around 25 a day.
That includes the 95 incidents in West Sussex.
Dr Jane Tyson, from the RSPCA’s Companion Animals Department, said:
"Small furries can be fantastic pets to have, however they have a reputation as a good ‘starter pet’ for children as there is a misconception that they are easy to look after, but they actually have quite complex needs.
"For example, rabbits need to live in pairs as they are sociable animals - and need a much bigger space to explore and exercise in than just a hutch.
"During lockdown there seems to have been an increase in interest for starter pets, which may be because parents were at home with their children and so thought it was a good time to bring a new pet into the family.
"While we believe many people buy a rabbit, guinea pig, hamster or other small furry with good intentions, and many will also do their research, there is a risk that not enough research is being done and we are concerned that this could lead to an increase in neglect of small furries in the months to come.
"Adopting small furries from the RSPCA, either from our national centres or any of our branches around the country, will mean you will have all the information and advice you need to ensure your new pets are happy and healthy."
Under the current coronavirus rehoming protocols, anyone who is interested in fostering or adopting an animal from the RSPCA should visit the website to see which animals are available near them.
Alternatively, donations can be made to the charity online.