Prospective pet owners have been warned against purchasing “aggressive” rabbits on Gumtree after one woman was told to put hers to sleep or “in the bin”.

The woman, who bought Midge from a Gravesend breeder in December after she saw him listed on the classified ads site, decided to surrender him after becoming “scared to interact with him”.

After contacting Croydon Animal Samaritans a few weeks ago, rabbit rescuer Rachel Parsons got in touch.

She told KentOnline: “The owner, who lives in Sutton, said the rabbit was very aggressive and was biting so I asked if maybe he was nervous and if he was castrated and she said he was.

“They contacted the breeder but he was very unhelpful and said he didn’t want the rabbit back. Basically he said he doesn’t breed rabbits that have a default like that.”

Rachel then decided to call the breeder herself, who she says told her “he doesn’t breed rabbits like that and if they’re not right they will just go in the bin”.

She added: “I then told him I was from a rescue and he said all his rabbits are trained to be incredibly tidy and to use their litter trays and they don’t spray.

“The way he talked about them was in a very disciplinary way. It wasn’t that he was talking about his beloved pets.”

The rabbit rescuer said after speaking to him for about 20 minutes, he would not give her proof Midge had been vaccinated.

Midge is a 14-month-old Netherland Dwarf, which is one of the smallest breeds of rabbit.

“They are renowned for being small but having a strong personality,” she added.

“The owner only had him, and it’s really essential that rabbits have companionship from another rabbit. This is probably one of the reasons for his aggressive nature.

“I think she did look after him, but the breeder didn’t advise her to get another. For him it’s just a money making thing.

“The owner did have him vaccinated because the breeder did not have any proof of that and she had him neutered. But that didn’t change his temperament.

“We don’t know if the rabbit had been mistreated, the breeder was obviously saying he wasn’t but when I asked him what sort of space the rabbits were kept in he said they were in hatches in a shed.

“When the owner went to pick up Midge he was on the doorstep, which is when alarm bells would have been ringing.”

Rachel says the breeder is part of the British Rabbit Council, which is an organisation that puts on rabbit shows.

“It’s incredibly cruel,” she said. “It’s a very outdated hobby where rabbits are kept in cages and judges take them out and prod and poke them and grade them like they’re a cake.

“If this rabbit was used for that, it would be even more terrified. He said he didn’t use it for that as if the rabbit bit it would be of no use to him at all.”

She says there are currently 100,000 rabbits in rescues across the UK.

“Yet again, as a small rescue we’re dealing with someone else's problem...”

“Obviously we’re just really struggling,” she added.

“Yet again, as a small rescue we’re dealing with someone else’s problem.

“We never advise anyone to buy rabbits off Gumtree or any of these sites because you don’t know their health, often they’re sexed incorrectly.

“I did say to the breeder that he is personally adding to the problem because he is not advising people correctly and is rehoming single rabbits.

“When I asked if he would consider stopping, he said no because it is his business.

“Breeding rabbits is easy, unfortunately he’s not aware of the bigger problem.”

Rachel has reported the breeder to the British Rabbit Council.

Midge is now with a fosterer who is part of the nationwide rabbit rescue group, Bunny Angels.

Rachel said: “He hasn’t shown any sign of aggression, he can lunge for food but is nervous but she can see some improvement already.”

A spokesperson for Gumtree said: “At Gumtree, we take the welfare of animals listed on our site very seriously.

“We have extensive information for both sellers and buyers on how to safely rehome pets, including a specific guide for introducing small furry pets such as a rabbit into your home.

“Our guides have been informed by our work with leading animal welfare organisations, including the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund and the Pets Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) – the UK’s trade body covering online animal sales made up of 25 welfare organisations including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dogs Trust, and the RSPCA among others.

“Rabbits have their own unique behaviours and needs, and we strongly encourage anyone thinking of welcoming any animal into their family to do their research and familiarise themselves with our advice before making a purchase.

“We also urge users that have any doubts or suspicions about a seller, or concerns about an animal’s welfare, to contact us immediately via our Help Desk.

“Our dedicated safety team will always investigate and take necessary action, such as removing the ad, blocking the offender from the site or assisting law enforcement investigations.”