Written by The Rabbit Hole Hay Team
Who doesn’t love a soft and adorable bunny? They look so innocent and sweet!
A rabbit can make a great pet for the right household, but they aren’t for everyone. There are many things you should consider before adopting a bunny. Let’s talk about the real rabbit care they require.
Who doesn’t love a soft and adorable bunny? They look so innocent and sweet!
A rabbit can make a great pet for the right household, but they aren’t for everyone. There are many things you should consider before adopting a bunny. Let’s talk about the real rabbit care they require.
One of the biggest misconceptions about bunny ownership is that it’ll be low maintenance. A rabbit requires daily care that at times can be complex. Domestic rabbits that receive the proper rabbit care with regular veterinary care and are fed lots of high-quality grass hay can live as long as 10 to 12 years old.
Will the adorable bun you get now still be part of your life plan 10 years from now? Not planning for your bunny’s future needs is one of the reasons “responsible rabbit adoption” is a big topic in the small pet community.
Just like other pets, your bun can lead an amazing life in your apartment. Some people think they need a farmhouse setting or at least a large back yard for an outdoor hutch to own a rabbit.
We are here to tell you that apartment bunnies are just as happy! You’ll just need to construct or buy an enclosure that allows for proper rabbit: a place to eat, go to the bathroom, and have room to exercise and play.
A young bunny can be trained to use a litter box to do their business. If you adopt an older rabbit, the process might take a bit longer to reinforce, but it is still possible. As you train them, make sure that you are also cleaning up their litter box daily or every other day as no one wants to live in their own filth.
Young children are loud and love to pick up and carry everything around them, this can include pets. While dogs and even some cats might tolerate a small child picking them up, rabbits are skittish and easily scared. Unfortunately, a rabbit could literally be scared to death by being picked up without warning or proper care.
Bunnies are prey to almost every animal on earth. Boisterous children are viewed simply as predators. Bunnies forced to be picked up and held will lash out with teeth and claws or their hearts might seize and stop from fear. That's not a good childhood memory to instill.
Instead of getting a rabbit for your younger child, adopt one for the whole family and have everyone involved in the rabbit care tasks. Teach them that rabbits don't enjoy being held like kittens or pups but can learn to enjoy gentle stroking on the tops of their heads.
Some rabbit owners allow their rabbits to roam freely throughout the home during at least part of the day. If you choose to go that route with your own bun, you must bunny-proof all areas to which the rabbit has access. This is even more extreme than typical babyproofing because most babies won't gnaw on table and chair legs or see if they can eat through an electric cord. But your bun will. Your rabbit should be supervised constantly when it's loose.
Most people don't realize that it's imperative for bunnies to have a source of wood to chew. Their teeth are constantly growing, so without something available to wear the teeth down, they will get deformed and cause them to be unable to eat normally.
If you keep your rabbit inside, choose a cool basement or room with the heating vent closed. Rabbits withstand cold far better than heat and moving them from one temperature zone to another is hard on their fragile systems.
This is an iffy situation, so before introducing a rabbit into an already existing home of pets, consider the temperament of the animals you already have. For example, hunting dogs and rabbits do not mix well because retired racing greyhounds were taught to race by chasing mechanical rabbits around the track.
You can imagine how this could play out in real time. Smaller dogs with less intense prey drives and cats with particularly mellow dispositions can learn to accept a bun as a fellow household member. The key here is introducing them when all are as young as possible.
An adult should always be present when your bunny is socializing with other animals or younger children. Adults can intervene if they sense the rabbit is getting stressed or frightened.
Just like cats and dogs, rabbits need regular vet visits to make sure they remain healthy. Some vets specialize in large animals like horses or cows. Others stick to treating cats and dogs. If you intend to adopt a bunny, you will need to establish a relationship with a vet who specializes in (or at least frequently treats) small, exotic animals.
While they love to nibble on carrots, lettuce, and other salad-type greenery, these foods are akin to the treats you dole out sparingly to your dog or cat. Order farm-fresh hay shipped straight to your door from Rabbit Hole Hay if you want to keep your small pet happy and healthy.
Keep in mind, too, that as rabbits age, their nutritional needs can change. Throughout your rabbit's life, you might need to switch from Alfalfa Hay for the young buns to coarser Timothy Hay or Orchard or Mountain Grasses for adults.
Annual blood work done by your rabbit's veterinarian can help assure your bun is getting its nutritional needs met as it should.
Only you can make that call but consider the level of rabbit care needed to keep a bunny happy, healthy, and safe in its environment.
