MANY children will have asked for pets as Christmas presents this year, but the RSCPA is asking people not to buy them unless they are positive it will be well looked after for life.

One animal it is particularly concerned about is rabbits, after a survey by the charity revealed an alarming increase in the number being bought, poorly kept and then given away or dumped just a few months later.

In one instance in Taunton nine rabbits were taken to the RSPCA West Hatch Animal Centre because their owner could no longer care for them.

They were signed over as unwanted following a complaint to the RSPCA.

The rabbits were not in a big enough cage, and because they had not been neutered inbreeding meant there were too many for the rabbit to cope with.

In another case in Somerset 15 rabbits were given to the RSPCA after a pet shop ordered too many and was unable to sell them.

The bunnies were overcrowded and lacking proper access to sunlight.

RSPCA regional manager Jonathan Silk said: "We have always known there is a major problem across the region with the way some rabbits are bought and kept.

"However, this survey has given us a unique and very disturbing insight into how many of these animals have a poor quality of life and how often people acquire them as pets and quickly lose interest in them."