We understand what it’s like when you decide you’re going to get a new pet for yourself or for the family. It conjures the image of Christmas morning, the kids coming down to an adorable bundle of fluffiness raring for love and attention. Sadly, not many of you are even aware that there are thousands of pets that are either abandoned or given away that desperately seek new homes and new families to care for them. To say we are a nation of animal lovers, there has been a steady rise in abandoned pets over the past couple of years with owners offering myriad unjustifiable and often utterly bizarre excuses for the neglect and cruelty of their animals, anything from ‘my dog hurts my leg when he wags his tail’ to ‘my cat doesn’t match my carpet’

The recession hasn’t helped matters, and a staggering number of pet owners can no longer cope with the cost of keeping an animal. Thankfully, not all of these individuals will leave their poor pooch or cute kitten on the side of the road and they will do the right thing and take them to the RSPCA, but there is still the problem of finding them new homes.

The common misconception is that animals that have been left with the RSPCA have behavioural problems that make them aggressive and unpredictable, but this is not true. Many larger pets like cats and dogs find themselves in the hands of the RSPCA simply because their owner couldn’t afford to keep them any longer, or worse, because they have been mistreated and abused. It’s not just cats and dogs that find themselves in need of new homes, though. Various pet shops around the country provide a specific area that is exclusively for pets that have had previous owners and are in dire need of a new one. Rats, rabbits, hamsters and other small animals are often overlooked because they’ve grown up and no longer have the more appealing appearance of a baby. These animals are the ones that need a home more than any of the others. A life spent in a small cage in a pet shop without anyone to give them the attention they deserve is no life at all, so think twice before you decide to buy a baby. The chances are, a puppy, a kitten or any other young animal is destined to find a home very easily, but an older animal needs one more. Have a heart. They can’t take care of themselves…

As with any pet you bring home, a new rabbit will need some time to get used to its new owners and environment. In most cases, rabbits settle in with few problems that are of any long-term concern, but unfortunately, some rabbits need a little bit more patience and attention before they can live comfortably, safely and happily in their new home. These rabbits may come across as aggressive and may bite, nip, kick and chase you. None of these actions are pleasant and may make you feel like you’ve done something wrong, but rest assured, it isn’t your fault. We know that all you want to do is give your new bun-buns all the love and cuddles she could possibly want, but first of all she needs to learn that you have no intention of hurting her.

The most obvious way to alleviate some of the aggression is to have your rabbit spayed or neutered. Doing this may solve the problem of an angry rabbit straight away, though sometimes, it doesn’t happen quite that easily. It might not just be hormones causing erratic behaviour and even if hormones are the primary reason, there is no guarantee that your rabbit will suddenly want to be stroked and held. Gaining the trust of your rabbit will still require a little more effort on your part.

When you pin down precisely what action triggers aggressive behaviour in your rabbit, you can successfully attempt to deal with it. There is a good possibility that, when your rabbit bites you when you move to stroke her, or when she lunges at you every time you walk into the room, she is simply exhibiting fear or annoyance. This is something that can take time to overcome, but the important thing to note is that it can be. Many experts suggest you simply ignore the aggressive behaviour and treat your rabbit like the best thing in the world. Always use a confident, excited tone and – wearing a glove that amply protects your fleshy fingers – continue to pat her head, even if she tries to bite you. If you do this every day, your rabbit will eventually realise you have no intention of hurting her and you can move on to gently and carefully stroking her head instead. When bun-buns is used to this, stroke her ears too, and on and on until she’s happy with the attention and even craves it.

Believe it or not, there is a big difference between a rabbit that bites and a rabbit that nips. Most often, the former is a show of aggression, whereas the latter may simply be a way of communicating something to you. Some rabbits will nip when they want attention, and some will nip when they want you to put them down. It isn’t necessarily an act of aggression. It’s likely that, when your rabbit bites you, she’s merely being defensive, maybe over food or over territory. Remember to always move slowly and cautiously. Fast, jerky movements may be a sign of aggression towards bun-buns and she may mistake your actions as threatening. Whenever you have to clean out the cage, give bun-buns the opportunity to leave before you drag her out. When you have to feed her, distract her by gently petting her while placing the food bowl in the cage.

Your rabbit may never end up the cuddle-monster you so desperately want her to be, but you can definitely take steps to encourage her to be loving and affection. Though it’s rare, unfortunately some rabbits never manage to overcome incredibly aggressive behaviour and though it may seem cruel, the best thing to do is to have your rabbit put to sleep. Rabbits have the ability to cause some very serious injuries and if she is so stressed and unhappy in her environment that she resorts to viciously biting and scratching , it is sometimes for the best.

Sonic the Hedgehog fans might have a distorted view of everyday hedgehogs.  Contrary to popular belief, the life of a hedgehog does not revolve around rings and gemstones and, sadly, they don’t get to befriend grumpy echidnas in their time of need. Wild hedgehogs are neither electric blue, cocky nor particularly speedy, but a specially bred mammal known as the African pygmy hedgehog can make a wonderfully fascinating, unusual and loving pet. At just a quarter of the size of a wild hedgehog, the pygmy hedgie can live between 3-6 years and will often weigh between 12-18 ounces. They normally arrive in chocolate brown colours, but there are also albino varieties that often have ruby-red eyes.

Believe it or not, the waiting list for one of these cuties can be up to a year! On the plus side, they are 100% domesticated and completely free from diseases, tics and fleas. Much like their rodent friends the rats, pygmy hedgehogs love to be handled and providing they are given enough care, love and attention from a young age, will grow up to be very cuddly, affectionate little prickle-puffs. They are also relatively easy pets to keep. They need a decent sized enclosure to run around in (something around the size of a rabbit hutch) as these spiky little critters are fond of exercise. You also need to provide them with plenty of toys and ensure you give them a wheel to run in – they can run up to 8 miles in a single night! Maybe they’re speedier than we first thought…

Their diet is simple and easy, too. They are carnivorous creatures and so need to be fed a delicious variety of meat; cat food, chicken, turkey and mince. Beware, though! Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, so never give them fatty cows milk. Pygmy hedgehogs also need to be kept in a warm environment, otherwise they are likely to start hibernating!

Unfortunately, the African pygmy hedgehog is likely to set you back anywhere between £100 to £200 pounds, but as far as we’re concerned, they’re worth every penny.