I spend £17k a year looking after my giant rabbits – I only wear second-hand clothes & skip the pub so I can afford them
A DEVOTED pet owner spends a staggering £17,000 a year looking after her four giant rabbits.
Gemma Mead, 39, only wears second-hand clothes and skips nights at the pub to be able to afford to look after the beloved animals.
Her furry friends Emma and Captain Hook, who are two years old, both weigh just under 22lbs (10kg).
Garfield, four, clocks slightly over 13lbs (6kg), while nine-year-old Chelsea tips the scales at a little under 9lbs (4kg).
The foursome eat so much that they have sent Gemma's shopping bill soaring, so she has had to make cutbacks.
This has meant no pints at her local boozer and buying clothes, furniture and bunny supplies in charity shops and on Facebook Marketplace.
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The tanning and beauty shop worker, from Hampshire, said: "I'm the one that goes without.
"I don't really go out drinking or to socialise. I rarely venture out to pubs.
"We are lucky to live in the countryside so at the weekend I do things like going for long walks, exploring the outdoors and catching bugs, frogs and fish with my daughter, friends and their children.
"Having fun doesn't have to cost money.
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"I also shop wisely and only buy what's needed to ensure I have the money to fund my beautiful animals.
"Charity shops are a family favourite, and last weekend I upgraded Captain Hook's outside enclosure and got a child playhouse for him for £10 on Facebook Marketplace."
Gemma's closest pub, The Falcon, also donates its leftover vegetable cuttings for her rabbits to eat which helps fund extras like their garden playground.
As well as munching on plenty, the pets can all clear a 6ft-tall fence without hesitation so they need a lot of space to hop around.
Garfield and Chelsea are indoor rabbits so have free roam of their owner's home, while Emma and Captain Hook have an enclosure outside.
All four are so popular in her local area, Gemma has to leave 30 minutes early every time she goes to the vet.
"People are gobsmacked by their size," she added.
"I constantly get stopped by passers-by who admire them."
But she wants to warn people they are not easy or cheap to look after.
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Gemma said: "All of my animals - rabbits, cats and guinea pigs - have the absolute best lives because my daughter works at an animal rescue centre and I see first-hand how awful people treat them.
"Too often they are tossed out on the street to fend for themselves as people have no idea how much they cost."
