With Easter in the rearview mirror, now is a great time to
talk about having a bunny in your life every day, not just once a year! After cats and dogs, rabbits vie with fish
and birds for the position of third most popular pet in America, with as many
as three million living with families across the country. In the last few decades, perception of rabbit
ownership has changed considerably, from thinking about them as farm animals
good for learning about breeding and responsibility to a long-term commitment as
a family pet. My wife and I have been
“rabbit people” for about ten years now and have come to love and understand
much more about how smart, fun, and loveable bunnies can be.
One of the first things that I learned was that pet rabbits
are an entirely different species than the rabbits you see outside nibbling
your lawn. Native rabbits are eastern
cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus)
while domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus
cuniculus) come from Europe and are the product of centuries of selective
breeding for show and consumption. Just
like your beloved pug dog or Persian cat, domestic rabbits really aren’t suited
for living in the wild, especially through a New England winter!
One thing they do have in common is that they do, well,
breed like rabbits! So just like with
dogs and cats, it makes sense to get your pet bunny spayed or neutered. The procedure is very safe and affordable,
and in addition to making sure you don’t end up with more bunnies than you
planned on, it’s good for you pet’s health and behavior. Fixed pets of all kinds are much less likely
to develop reproductive tumors and this is particularly true of rabbits –
unsprayed females have a 60% chance of developing potentially fatal uterine
cancer. Spayed and neutered rabbits also
are less inclined to mark their territory by spraying urine or to fight with other
pets due to hormones.
Rabbits can be litter trained, just like cats, and can
happily roam about your house and keep you company without making a mess. However, like dogs, rabbits can be inclined
to chew on things, particularly furniture legs or electrical cords, so it’s
important to make sure that any rooms they have access to are “rabbit proofed”
for safety. While the older,
farm-centered, model of keeping rabbits encouraged people to keep them in
hutches, indoors or outdoors, this is not ideal for rabbits’ health or
happiness. They are very social animals
and will be most friendly if you interact with them throughout the day, not
just visit them to deliver food and water.
Outdoor caging doesn’t just leave rabbits vulnerable to
boredom and the weather, but also to predators like foxes or raccoons, who can
break into a hutch, and to the possibility of infection. Fleas, ticks, and flies are a danger for any
outdoor animal and can drastically shorten any pet’s life. Rabbit hutches also typically have wire mesh
floors so that they can be cleaned easily – but this wire can cause horrible
pain to rabbits’ feet, leading to sore and deformities. Farm rabbits, kept for show, breeding, or
even meat, tend to live for only two to four years, whereas a rabbit kept
indoors as a pet can live from seven to twelve years depending on their breed
and care.
My wife and I joined the community of rabbit owners first as
foster parents and then as foster “failures” when we ended up adopting one of
our charges. Because of rabbits’
tendency to breed quickly and because of misunderstandings about the level of
commitment needed to become a rabbit owner, many would-be pets end up in animal
shelters and rescue organizations across the country. In addition to providing temporary homes for
abandoned bunnies, these groups also help to educate the public about rabbits’
needs, promoting spay and neuter programs, dietary guidelines, and opposition
to the stereotype that rabbits are “disposable” pets.
Rabbits typically eat a diet consisting mostly of grass hay,
supplemented by fresh greens. Feeding
them large quantities of pellets can lead to obesity and health problems, and,
while bunnies do love treats like carrots or bananas, these have way more sugar
than their digestive systems can handle and should only be fed sparingly. Rabbits are wonderful pets, but they need to
be handled carefully and looked after just like any other member of your
family!
The first rabbit that we adopted, Samatar, had long-term
dental problems that needed regularly veterinary checkups. She had come from a failed rabbit farm, where
animals were bred for meat and illness or injuries often went unaddressed. Many rabbit farms like this are launched
without much planning, and due to lax regulations on care and housing, the
rabbits in these situations can quickly become overcrowded, malnourished, and
very sick. In a case last year, a farm in Westport had hundreds of animals,
including dozens of rabbits, confiscated and many were already dead or needed
to be euthanized. However, many other
rabbits made a full recovery and after being socialized with people were
adopted into loving homes
Our two current rabbits, Tabitha and DJ Roomba, also came to
us as animal rescues. Now, they love to
hop and play with toys, and even sit on the couch and watch TV with us as we
pet and groom them. We help out with the
House Rabbit Network (www.rabbitnetwork.org) based here in Massachusetts to
foster other rabbits and participate in outreach and education efforts. Bunnies can be great pets, but it’s important
to learn as much as you can about any animal before they become a part of your
family!
