People's lives change and sometimes the only option is to ask a rescue to rehome your pet.

Many people feel very guilty that they are no longer able to care for their pet as well as they think they should. However, by taking responsibility for your pet and ensuring it is rehomed through the correct channels, you are doing the best you possibly can in the circumstances.

We usually have a waiting list for rabbits to come in. Generally, guinea pigs can come in quite quickly, and it is much easier to find them homes, so they do not usually stay here very long.

If your rabbit is not neutered and fully vaccinated this will need to be done before the animal is rehomed. Unless you are able to have this done before you bring your pet in, you will be asked for a donation towards vet bills. It is not cheap to have a rabbit, or male guinea pig, neutered. It may be worth asking your vet what they charge so you have an idea of how much it costs.

You will also need to provide various details about your pet, name, age, health issues etc, and asked to sign your pet over to the care of the rescue with vaccination cards if applicable. In return we vouch we will do all within our capabilities to find the right home for the animal, we do not have any animal needlessly destroyed.

Please be honest with us. If there is any chance your pet may be pregnant, or aggressive, we would prefer to know rather than find out the hard way.

Windwhistle has over 100 residents at any one time and we have to care for them every day. As well as rabbits and guinea pigs that we hope are adopted, we also have those that we feel cannot be rehomed, either because of their nature, ongoing medical conditions or both. While animals have a good quality of life we will support them, even with on going medical conditions. Medication and regular trips to the vet can cost a lot of money. It is only with the hard work of our supporters that we can continue.

Unfortunately we are self funded and rely on donations, we do not receive any financial assistance from the Government, or Council. For more details on what we have to fund and how you can help, please view the ' Support Us' section.

So you interested in adopting one of our rabbits or guinea pigs!

Please do your research to make certain that rabbits or guinea pigs can become part of your life. Rabbits are not cheap pets, they require a substantial investment to get their accommodation set up and they will require preventative veterinary treatment throughout their lives. Please contact us to let us know that you are interested in adopting from us. We will then arrange a time for you to visit us, meet the rabbits/guinea pigs and have a chat.

RABBITS

We only rehome our rabbits to live in (at least) pairs, the best pairing is neutered male with spayed female. We have to ask for a minimum donation of £60 for each rabbit, (£100 for a pair) this goes towards the cost of neutering and vaccinations.

If you would like to adopt a rabbit or a pair of rabbits it would be helpful if you could include some information in your email. If you are looking to adopt a rabbit to bond with a rabbit you already own then please tell us when your rabbit was neuetered and vaccinated or if it is still to be carried out then a date when this is due.

If you already have your rabbit accommodation then please could you send us a description, including dimensions, and if possible a photo. If you haven't purchased your accommodation yet then it is worth waiting until you have visited the rescue because we can show you lots of alternatives to the traditional, and rather old fashioned rabbit hutch. We use the Rabbit Welfare Association guidelines as a minimum size. If your accommodation is smaller then we will help with suggestions on how you can upgrade it.

We would also like to know about your rabbit experience but don't worry if you are new to rabbits, we can provide you with lots of information.

GUINEA PIGS

The minimum size hutch for a pair of guinea pigs is 4ft x 2ft and they also need daily access to a large run so that they can have plenty of exercise.

Guinea pigs can be housed either indoors or in a hutch outside but if outside then the hutch must be moved into a well insulated shed during the winter months.

We ask for a minimum donation of £15 per guinea pig and £40 for a neutered boar.

HOME CHECKS

The animals in our rescue have already been let down for one reason or another so we will do our best to ensure they are going to the best of forever homes.

Before adopting from us we will carry out a home check. This is not to be seen as an exam but for us to ensure that everything is just right for you to be able to give the animal the best experience possible.

Although not a ‘black and white’ rescue we have decided a home check is usually the only answer to iron out any misunderstandings. Often people have told us that their hutch is "huge, yes, at least 6 or 7ft." When seen it may be 3ft. And, their answer to this is that "it is big enough for two, we have had two in it before." All that we can say is that they will not be having two Windwhistle rabbits in it and we fear for the rabbits they will no doubt acquire from somewhere else.

The initial home check procedure consists of a number of questions. In dealing with the hundreds of rabbits who have been through the rescue, as well as our own pets, we have learnt a great deal, often through mistakes, and some of them fatal. We consider rabbits to be as important as other pets, and much more complex than many. We hope to help prevent owners from making the same mistakes we have!

Many of the rabbits who come here have survived dreadful neglect and trauma. Some have been badly misunderstood, which also falls into the category of neglect. More and more often now rabbits arriving here take a few months to nurse and coax to recovery and trust. Some never make it. We also take in much loved pets whose owners have not wanted to rehome them, but have had no choice. Our aim is for them to land fully on their paws in a loving home, not to end up in the mire from which many came!

We ask people to understand that we feel very responsible for the rabbits and guinea pigs in our care, and ask them to wonder how they would feel if they had to hand their beloved pet to us for rehoming. Would you really want us to hand it over to someone without being ever so careful as to where it was going?

We have one home check co-ordinater, who has been coerced, (uh... asked) to undertake this thankless task. Sal has a wide bunny knowledge ranging from nutrition to accommodation, and she loves all rabbits. She works full time, and helps here as much as she is able so please bear with her, she is very busy! Do not be alarmed if you do not hear from her for a few days. If you hear very quickly, it is bad news for the rescue, it means we are not rehoming many and she is only dealing with one or two enquiries!

She conducts the initial checks by email. It is easier for her to fit this into her work schedule as it means she can sit up on her computer late at night beavering away, whilst the rest of us are snoozing. The questions Sal will ask cover size of accommodation, food, vet you use, vaccinations, knowledge of illnesses etc. We do not think they are difficult questions. They may require you to get your measuring tape out, but that is probably the most movement required of you! She puts a huge amount of effort and time into carrying this out, but it is all for a reason, the safety and happiness of our animals, so must be worth it.

Sal will then ask our nearest home checker to come and visit you. We have home checkers all over the country, they are people we know and trust, and again, they probably work full time, have plenty of pets and sometimes even a human family (!) and are also having to fit this into their busy schedules.

If you have any questions about any parts of the adoption process, please contact us. If you want to read useful guides to rabbit and guinea pig care, view the Adopt a Rabbit or Adopt a Guinea Pig sections and open the guides.