Are Bunnies Good Pets? This is what you should know! A domestic or domesticated rabbit, also known as a pet rabbit, bunny, bun, or bunny rabbit, is a subspecies of the lagomorph family’s European rabbit. A male rabbit is called a buck, a female is called a doe, and a young rabbit is called a kit, or kitten.
What To Know Before Getting A Bunny As A Pet
- Housing for Bunnies
Rabbits are highly social animals. The placement of a rabbit’s housing area within your house (which can take the form of a puppy pen, large cage, or simply a site with food, litter boxes, and cardboard castles if the bunny has free reign) is critical. You must ensure that the rabbit has a place to relax alone but is not entirely isolated from the family. Rabbits require social interaction, exercise, and a variety of enrichment activities.
- Enrichment
Rabbits will cause trouble if they are bored. If you don’t provide alternative forms of entertainment, they’ll have fun chewing your possessions. A cardboard castle made of empty toilet paper rolls, old phone books, and other paper products found around the house is an excellent diversion for rabbits.
- Litter Box Instructions
The majority of rabbit rescues will begin the process of litter training the rabbits they take in. So a rescue bunny should know the basics, but rabbits can forget their good habits once they move into a new home. The forgetfulness is understandable given that abrupt environmental change can be highly stressful. Litter training can sometimes be frustrating, but persistence and consistent reinforcement of good habits is essential.
- Nutrition
It’s critical to understand a rabbit’s nutritional requirements throughout its life. Proper nutrition (in the right amounts) is crucial to a rabbit’s health. Fiber is an essential part of a rabbit’s diet. Rabbits must always have unlimited access to grass hay. It is critical to ensure that hay allergies do not cause problems for anyone in the household.
- Bunny Proofing
If the bunny has free rein in the house/apartment/room, the area must be bunny proofed. Even if you keep the rabbit in a cage, puppy pen, or bunny condo, you must still take precautions when allowing the rabbit for supervised exercise. Rabbits are curious and persistent creatures. They’ll get into your computer cables, wires, molding, couch piping, slightly frayed rug, and so on. They will devour your most vital documents.
Making Friends with a Bunny
Rabbits can be very affectionate animals, but their personalities differ significantly from one another. Most rabbits dislike being held or picked up, and some bunnies are more aloof than others. Speak with a local rabbit rescue volunteer to find out which rabbit (or rabbits) would be a lovely fit for you and your family.
Travelling With Bunnies
Rabbits become very stressed when traveling or placed in unfamiliar environments, so if you go on vacation, it’s best to have a good pet sitter on hand to watch the bunny. If you’re a frequent traveler who needs or wants to move around the world, rabbit ownership is probably not for you. Few airlines allow rabbits to fly in-cabin both domestically and internationally. Rabbits are frequently subjected to multi-month quarantine upon arrival in other countries, and pet rabbits are not permitted in many places.
Preparing To Have A Bunny As A Pet
Rabbits are the cutest thing ever. With their iconic ears, hoppy legs, and twitchy noses, it’s easy to see why many people want one as a pet.
However, as with any pet, bringing a rabbit home necessitates planning and understanding what you’re getting into. This is particularly true for rabbits. Many of us know what to expect when we get a cat or dog, but caring for a rabbit is different. According to PETA, bunnies are the third most commonly surrendered animals to shelters.
Yes, every child would love to have their hoppy little bunny, but the rabbit may be less thrilled with a small child as their primary caregiver. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), rabbits are prey animals easily startled by loud noises and lurching movements. Picking rabbits is also prohibited because it may cause them to believe a predator has captured them. The HSUS strongly advises parents or guardians to wait until their children are older before adopting a rabbit.
Bunnies need at least four hours of exercise per day, according to PedMD, which means that leaving them in a cage all day isn’t the best idea. Exercise benefits rabbits’ overall health, including digestion and mental health, and who wouldn’t want a happy rabbit? If you have space, an extra room for your rabbit is probably a good idea because it gives lots of space to roam around.
You must monitor your rabbit’s overall well-being like any other pet, but rabbits have unique requirements. According to PETA, rabbits have specialized vets, who can be more expensive than your average veterinarian. The RSPCA recommends that pets have annual vet visits to check their teeth, test for parasites, and receive vaccinations.
Reasons Bunnies Are Good Pets
Rabbit schedules correspond to human plans. Our canine companions are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk, which corresponds to the times most of us start our days or get home from work, ready for some couch snuggling or binky watching.
Rabbits aid in weight loss. Rabbits, as herbivores, fit in well with vegetarian and vegan diets. Generally, having a pet encouraging you to stock your fridge with fruits and vegetables benefits vegetarians and meat eaters.
Rabbits are wonderful pets for city dwellers. When you’re not home, they happily stay in large cages or puppy pens during the day and love to romp around in rabbit-proof rooms at night.
Are Bunnies Good Pets?
Rabbits have longer lives than other small animals. They can live for 10-12 years if fed and cared for properly.
Rabbits are excellent listeners (look at those ears!). With their extra-soft fur and loving nature, they also make excellent snugglers. What else could you want from a friend?
Rabbits, too, require shelter. One of the top reasons to adopt a bunny is that many out there are looking for forever homes. Rabbits are the third most common adoptable pet after dogs and cats, with over 4,800 available for adoption on Petfinder. Look on Petfinder for bunnies at a shelter or rescue group near you!
Although the rabbit’s first interaction with humans was as a fur and food commodity, by the 18th century, people kept rabbits as pets. To help with his severe depression, British poet William Cowper kept hares in his home and wrote eloquently about his love and appreciation for these creatures as companion animals.
Are Bunnies Good Pets?
Are bunnies good pets? Rabbits have very distinct personalities. They can be as silly and playful as puppies or kittens, as independent and fascinating as cats, or as devoted and affectionate as dogs. Long-term owners say domestic rabbits are as intelligent as cats and dogs. Dr. Dana Krempels, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Miami, observes this daily in her group of 16 rabbits. “Their intelligence is quite different from other species’ intelligence,” she says, “but it is just as adaptive and elegant.” Rabbits quickly learn to respond to their names and simple words, and they quickly learn to use litter boxes.
