Academics hope rabbit owners will take part in a survey on what makes their pets happy.

Researcher Jenna Hill, who grew up in Caister-on-Sea, said: 'We are keen to hear from as many rabbit owners as possible about all aspects of their rabbit's lives as very little is currently known about the way pet rabbits are kept in the UK.

'We want to know where rabbits live, how they behave, what they eat and how healthy they are, as well as how they interact with their owners.'

The new research study by the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences hopes to find out about the many different ways that people keep and care for their rabbits in the UK.

With around one million rabbits in the UK, they are the third most popular pet, after dogs, and cats.

The biology and behaviour of pet rabbits is very similar to that of wild rabbits, yet rabbits are still considered 'exotic' pets by vets, and relatively little is known about how best to meet their needs.