The crossbreed rabbits were abandoned in a back garden in Livingston, but were lucky enough to be found and taken in by the homeowner before overnight temperatures plummeted.

She called the Scottish SPCA, which took the animals to rehoming centres in Balerno and Lanarkshire. The organisation is now appealing for information about their owners.

The abandoned family included two litters of baby rabbits, or kits, as they are known.

Five three-month-old kits were left in a cage near the back door, while their mum and a second litter of five tiny, three to four-week-old rabbits were left in a cardboard box on top of the cage.

Their rescuer, who lives in Kenmore Avenue in the Deans area of Livingston, does not want to be named, but Scottish SPCA inspector Jenni Surgeon said the youngest kits would almost certainly have died in the overnight frost if she had not taken them in.

Ms Surgeon said: "She has got another rabbit, so whether or not people around her know that, I don't know, but also her back garden is quite easily accessible from the road.

"The young rabbits would have been the most vulnerable because they're so small. Luckily, they had their mum in with them, but I don't know how well they would have survived overnight because of the cold weather."

The animals are all in good condition, and appear to have been well looked after before they were abandoned.

Ms Surgeon said: "Probably the rabbit has kept breeding and the owner can't re-home them, they panic and just abandon them somewhere, but don't realise that abandoning them is an offence."

Abandoning animals is a criminal offence which can result in a £5,000 fine, a ban on keeping animals or even a prison sentence in extreme cases.

Christmas is the SSPCA's busiest time of year as people run out of money to care for their pets, or dump unwanted presents.

However, New Year should bring a happy ending for the Livingston 11.

Ms Surgeon added: "It may take some time to re-home them just because there are so many of them, but because they're young rabbits they should get a home quite easily. The youngest rabbits will be up for re-homing in maybe four weeks.

"It's upsetting to think that someone's cared for these animals and felt that they can't contact anyone for help. We're here to help as much as we can, and we'd rather help people than hear that they've abandoned an animal."

Anyone with information about who owned the rabbits should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.