Yay, I loveeee Saturdays. Usually here on Critter Corner that means...Requests! First things first. I got a question sent to me and the answer is way too detailed to reply in a comment. Here goes!
Many people are surprised and disappointed to find that rabbits rarely conform to the cute-n-cuddly stereotype in children’s stories. Baby bunnies (and many young adult rabbits) are too busy dashing madly about, squeezing behind furniture, and chewing baseboards and rugs to be held. Also, rabbits are physically delicate animals which means they can be hurt by children picking them up. Because rabbits feel frightened when people pick them up, they kick and struggle which means children can also get hurt. Rabbits are also built to react to sudden changes which means they may either run away or try to bite when approached too quickly and too loudly. Stress-related illnesses are common. For these reasons, many children, especially young children, will find it difficult to interact with a rabbit and soon lose interest.
So why do they make good house pets? Rabbits...
- are quiet can learn near-perfect litterbox habits
- are fun to watch
- have different personalities just as individual dogs and cats do
- are affectionate, loving if given plenty of indoor, open exercise space and proper love and care.
In addition, rabbits are social animals, meaning they need the companionship of humans or other rabbits, although the need may vary among individual rabbits. They play, some more than others. Many can get along with most cats and some dogs when properly introduced. Many enjoy being with people, but your family must have patience, understanding, and an acceptance of individual differences to earn their trust.
In order for a family and a rabbit to get to know each other (and for the rabbit’s best health), the rabbit needs to be an indoor pet with as much out-of-cage time with the family as possible. If you relegate your rabbit to an outdoor hutch (or even to an indoor cage for most of the day), your family will miss getting to know the special personality of the rabbit.
As the adult, you need to get used to this idea:
The rabbit will be your pet.
If your family already has a rabbit whom “my child was supposed to care for” and there are problems with this, then try to reconcile yourself to the fact that a rabbit is an adult’s responsibility. Rabbits are very sensitive to changes to their feeding, cleaning, and exercise routines. Changes are stressful and may lead to illness. Symptoms of illness are often subtle changes in appetite, behavior, and/or droppings that even mature children will miss. It is unreasonable to expect a child of any age to take responsibility for care of a rabbit (or any pet). The rabbit and your children, as well as the family peace, will benefit greatly from you accepting this notion.
If your family is considering adopting a rabbit, decide how you and the other adults in the household feel about taking on the responsibility of a rabbit. Do the adults want a rabbit as a member of the family? If the rabbit is an all-around family member (lives indoors, gets regular out-of-cage time) and play with the rabbit is supervised, then a child and rabbit can get to know each other and live together happily. Do the adults have an understanding of the basic nature of rabbits and what to expect in terms of time, training, and cost? Or, are you open to finding out? Are the adults willing to make a 5 to 10 yr. commitment?
Unless the adults of the household are enthusiastic, informed, and committed about the work involved, a stuffed animal rabbit is a better choice.
Other Factors: Amount of Time & Patience You Have to Devote
You don’t have to be “Super-Adult” to have peaceful coexistence between rabbit and children. But, do you want another “toddler”? Rabbits are a lot like 2 yr. old children - they can be a joy to live with, but:
- You will need to spend time in toilet-training i.e.: litterbox training and have tolerance for accidents. Most rabbit people take occasional scattered droppings in stride. There may be an occasional puddle, usually done to mark new territory.
- You will need to bunny-proof the parts of your house where the rabbit is allowed to run somewhat similar to toddler-proofing.
- You will need to check on your rabbit often and supervise child/rabbit interactions when the rabbit is out for exercise. Three to four hours per day of out-of-cage time is the minimum.
- Some of your things may be partially ruined. The amount of chewing and digging that your rabbit does will depend on age, personality, whether spayed/neutered, as well as on what toys you provide him.
- Your rabbit will need toys but these can be homemade.
- Just like human toddlers, rabbits respond to routines for feeding, playing, and cleaning up. The main thing is to find a routine that is easy for you. If the routine is too difficult, you will begin to look at the rabbit as one more mess-maker.
- You will need to recognize and learn your rabbits desires and needs and fulfill them, not decide you will when you feel like it.
- A rabbit, like a child, responds best to situations that are set up so he will do the right things and receive praise for doing right instead of punishment for doing wrong.
Other Factors: Your Child’s Personality
If your child is generally easy-going, calm, gentle, and cooperative, you may enjoy having a rabbit as a member of the family. If your child is generally on the loud side, very active, tends to interact physically/aggressively, or frequently seems to need reminders about or challenges rules(which most young children are), s/he may find it difficult to build a relationship with a rabbit and you may find that a rabbit is an additional stress.
Other Factors: Number of Children & Ages
Contrary to Easter-time hype, rabbits are rarely a good choice for a small child (younger than 7 yrs.). The natural exuberance, rambunctiousness, and decibel-level of the average toddler is stressful for most rabbits. Children want a companion they can hold and cuddle; Rabbits need someone who understands that they are ground-loving creatures.
The guidelines below are based on what children of varying ages are genuinely like while keeping in mind the type of household most rabbits do well in. Of course, rabbits and children do vary and there may be exceptions to these guidelines. The most important factor is most likely the adults’ attitude and knowledge level (see previous section “The Rabbit Will Be Your Pet”
A Child Younger Than 7 Years - Probably shouldn’t get a rabbit unless your child fits the calm” description and you are an informed adult who wants to deal with another toddler. It can be done though, if you have the time and patience.
One or More Younger than 7 Years - Probably shouldn’t get a rabbit. You are likely very busy with active children who need a lot of your attention which will probably leave you little time for managing a rabbit.
One Younger than & One Older than 7 Years - Perhaps. Your time, the children’s personalities, and the general noise/activity level of your household should be considered. If your younger child is “on the move and into everything, it may be difficult for you & rabbit to live happily even if the older child is of the “calm” type.
1 or More Older than 7 Years - Perhaps. Again, your time, the children’s personalities, and the general noise/activity level of your household should be considered. Lots of friends coming & going will probably stress out a rabbit. Your children may also be involved in quite a few activities (music lessons, sports, etc.) which may leave little time for the rabbit & family to get to know each other.
One Younger and 1 or More Older than 7 Years - Probably shouldn’t get a rabbit. Consider the information in 3. & 4. above, but your household is most likely too busy and noisy to build a friendship with a rabbit. Caring for and training a rabbit may be “just one more thing” that the adults have to do.
Two or More Younger than & One or More Older than 7 Years -Probably shouldn’t get a rabbit. Consider the information in 2.-5. above.
- One Child 7 Years or Older - If you are enthusiastic about accepting responsibility for a rabbit and if your child is the calm type or at least generally accepting of rules for behavior, you and a rabbit would probably find it a joy to live together. If your child is of the loud/active/ challenging rules variety, a rabbit may just increase your stress level and the rabbit will suffer.
Other Factors: Money
As with any pet, rabbits require a commitment in terms of housing, feeding, and medical care for their natural lives. The biggest initial expenses will be a pen or cage ($100 and up) and a spay ($80-200) or neuter ($75-150) operation if this was not done prior to adoption or purchase. Rabbits do not need annual shots (in the USA at least) but you will usually need to make several visits to a veterinarian when she is sick. You will need to keep supplies of litter, food pellets, fresh vegetables, and hay on hand.
Other Factors: Housing
Rabbits should be kept indoors for health, safety, and socialization. You will need space for at least a 30″ x 30″ or 24″ x 36″ cage. The cage should be away from TV’s, stereos and high noise areas, but not completely isolated from people. Consider which area is most easily bunny-proofed for your rabbit’s out-of-cage time.
Allergies
If any of your family has allergies, you should have testing done to see if there is an allergy to rabbits before you get a rabbit.
New Baby in the House?
If a baby is coming, or has come, to your rabbit’s house, your rabbit will probably be getting less of your attention for awhile, but neither of you needs to suffer. You may not have time for lots of petting and playing, but focus on maintaining the rabbit’s daily care routine. It can be relaxing to have some petting time with your rabbit when baby sleeps. Rabbits will adjust! Your rabbit will be infinitely happier with you than if he is given away to adjust to a new home. Shelters and rescue groups overflowing with dogs, cats, and yes, rabbits, are constant reminders of how difficult it is to find people willing to give an animal a good home for life. Many are initially enthusiastic about getting a new pet, but when the newness wears off and the reality of care sets in, many animals find themselves disposed of for the owners convenience.
Remember! - When baby gets older, rabbit will have added attention from your child (and you) which can be a good thing if you are committed to teaching your child about the rabbit.
Teaching Children to be Rabbit People
Whether you have brought a baby home to your rabbit’s house or have brought a rabbit home to your child’s house, it is well to remember to:
- Learn about rabbit behavior/language so you can point out the rabbits feelings about your child’s actions.
- Choose a time of day when your child is on “low ebb” for teaching your child about the rabbit and for play with the rabbit.
- Set your child and the rabbit up for success. Try to anticipate and prevent inappropriate interaction by often showing your child how to interact.
- Try not to get into a pattern of always saying “Don’t…” and “Stop…” to your child about the rabbit. If your child does something inappropriate, show and talk about what the child can do with the rabbit. Offer choices for behavior and ask “What could you do…?”. Otherwise, your child may see the rabbit as something he is always getting in trouble for.
- Keep the child away from the rabbit for a short time if the child refuses to stop a behavior that may hurt the rabbit.
- Set up the cage so rabbit can get away from the children-”a safe zone”. Use child gates in doorways and or turn the cage so the door faces the wall with enough room for rabbit but not the child.
- Put the rabbit in a closed-off room when there are lots of playmates or parties. It is often better if the guests “don’t know the rabbit exists”. – Refrain from having children’s friends in to “see the new rabbit” since this can frighten them. Children have different rules, and most likely they have not been taught proper rabbit care and will just want to cuddle and hold it. Once your bunny is settled in and does not seem to be frightened around the child, then when the child's friends come again, hold the rabbit and let them gently stoke it. NEVER let the children go off to the rabbits cage unsupervised, or let him out during the children's playtime.
- Show children’s friends where rabbit lives and how to pet at times when only 1 or 2 friends visit, then make sure the rabbit is safe during the visit.
What You Can Do with Different Ages
Sitting/Crawling Infants (6-12 months)
- Start teaching the idea that the rabbit is to be respected and treated carefully.
BUNNY-RULE #l: Gentle petting.
- Sit on the floor with child in your lap while you pet and talk to the rabbit. Guide her hand over the rabbit’s head, ears, and upper back. To prevent fur-grabbing, hold her hand flat or use the back of her hand. Do this frequently but no longer than 5 mins. at a time.
BUNNY-RULE #2: Leave the rabbit alone when he hops away or goes in his cage.
- Interpret rabbit’s body language for the child ( you can say.. "Oops, he didn’t want anymore petting. He wants to eat or take a nap.) Prevent the tendencies to chase a rabbit who has had enough and to bang/poke on the cage by explaining: “Chasing him will make him scared of you.” or “Banging on his house scares him.” Watch your child carefully and make such explanations at the moment before it looks like the child may engage in such behaviors. Explaining, then redirecting the child’s attention works best for this age when inappropriate behavior seems imminent or occurs.
BUNNY-RULE #3: Don’t touch droppings and litter.
- Teach the child that the litterbox and droppings that may be found on floor are “dirt”. You may have no problem with picking up the dry droppings with your hand, but you don’t stick your fingers in your mouth! You may have to change your habits for awhile to teach this concept. A box with a cage floor wire grate works well.
Toddlers (1-2 yrs.)
- Continue reinforcing or teach BUNNY-RULES 1-3 and add #4. Although unintentional, toddlers are capable of doing real harm to a rabbit. They will need constant supervision and frequent gentle reminders of appropriate behavior. See below for additional notes on rules.
- Due to still-developing muscle coordination, toddlers have a hard time keeping fingers out of rabbits’ eyes so you may have to insist on two-finger petting or back-of-hand petting.
- Closely supervise children’s interactions with the rabbit. This is the stage of the child’s development when some are prone to bash things with sticks. Children this age also have a hard time not chasing a rabbit who hops away. If she chases the rabbit, the rabbit will learn to be scared of her. Teach respect for the rabbit ending the petting or playing session (‘Well, that’s all he wanted to do.”) and interest the child in another activity.
- Children who are interested in toilet-training can understand “that is where the bunny poops and pees”.
BUNNY RULE #4:We pet, but don’t pick up the rabbit.
- Explain that it scares the rabbit to be picked up and both of you could get hurt. Explain that Mom or Dad may pick up the rabbit if she needs care. Explain rabbit language & actions: “Hear her teeth clicking? She likes the petting. See her toss the ball? She’s playing.” If child gets scratched, explain what the child did to scare or hurt the rabbit and show a better way to act. Redirect loud play to another area (“Look at bunny. She doesn’t like the noise.”)
Toddlers love to share their snacks with the rabbit so make sure rabbit gets only small amounts proper foods and is not overloaded with cereals and crackers. They also love to help with feeding – scooping & pouring food, taking vegetables and hay to rabbit.
One to Seven-Year Olds
- If a 2-yr old has grown up with a rabbit, she can have quite a bit of empathy for and knowledge about a rabbit. Continue or teach BUNNY-RULES #1 through 4. Teach by example instead of by a lot of “No’s”; Your child will learn most by watching you. If interested, the child may help with feeding and play with the rabbit with your supervision.
Older Children
- Continue or teach BUNNY-RULES #1 through 4. Teach by example and setting up situations for success. Your child may build a friendship with the rabbit by sitting on the floor with the rabbit while doing homework, art work, reading, or watching t.v. The rabbit will eventually come to investigate and to be petted. Older children have lots of other interests and interest in rabbit may come and go. The rabbit’s care should continue to be your responsibility, but your child may help with feeding and grooming.
Choosing a Rabbit
Rabbits have different personalities so it is difficult to make generalizations about breeds. In general though, a medium to large breed adult rabbit is usually better for a child. They will command the most respect from a child and are easier to pet because they have larger heads. Dwarf breeds tend to be more excitable, energetic, and aggressive. Baby rabbits are very active, often nippy, and chew everything in sight. Adult rabbits are more easily litter-and house-trained, especially after spaying or neutering. You will also have a better idea of a rabbits personality if you choose an adult who is spayed or neutered.
Adopt a rabbit from a rescue group or local shelters. There are many advantages and you will be helping to combat rabbit overpopulation. Animal shelters euthanize hundreds of unwanted rabbits each year, many less than a year old. Many more die agonizing deaths from neglect and abandonment without ever reaching a shelter. You will be giving one of the many unwanted rabbits a second chance for a loving home while discouraging those who breed rabbits for profit.
Teaching Responsibility: Something to Think About
Many parents say they want to get a rabbit for their child to teach the child some responsibility. What usually happens is that the child loses interest (not to mention being incapable of sticking to a routine and providing proper care), and the rabbit suffers. The child, at best, learns to feel bad that she has failed and caused suffering. At worst, she learns to resent the animal for the nagging that she is hearing from the adult. Often, the rabbit is given away because “you didn’t take care of it”. The child learns that life is disposable and that if she waits long enough, someone else will relieve her of her “responsibility’.
So, let your child help with the rabbit, but don’t insist. If the child appears interested, encourage her; if she becomes bored, let her move on to the next thing, and you carry on with the rabbit. She learns most of all from watching you-your actions, your tone of voice when you speak to the rabbit, and your attitude. From this she learns the nurturing (responsible) point of view- the patient waiting, the faithful caring, the joyful appreciation and acceptance of a living creature for who it is, not who you wish it to be.
Next we have my review of the hamster ball. Enjoy!
Review of SuperPet RunABout Hamster Ball
My dwarf hamster Mickey enjoys running in his hamster ball. Hamsters sometimes get very frightened if they are put in a round sphere, but he doesn't mind it, occasionally stopping and looking around instead of digging at the sides to try to get out, which is mistaken by hamster owners as the hamster running around in glee. I purchased the hamster ball a few months ago, and was interested because it is a glow in the dark version. I am sure children get a kick out of this part, but I don't really think the average hamster owner lets her/his hamster run around in the dark, which is what this requires. Anyway, this is what the ball looks like.
This is a dwarf hamster size, but it looks like it comes in larger sizes too.
The cap that goes on the ball is softer plastic and therefore easier to break, and when I accidentally dropped the cap on the floor it confirmed this.
Otherwhise, the ball is pretty good in shape and the crack did not pose any danger to the times when I put Mickey in the ball - meaning, it did not get loose or open up once.
There are good-sized slits in the hamster ball, but the hamster claws and legs did not get stuck in here once. My other hamster ball had to be disposed of because of this problem - the holes were big enough for his legs to become trapped and he could not enjoy the hamster ball time.
Here is my hamster in the ball. He had a very easy time rolling around, and the ball has great lightweight plastic that makes for easy rolling.
As for the glowing part, I was a little disappointed. In dim light, it did not glow.
I think the whole reason people buy this particular hamster ball instead of the plain kind is because of the whole "Glow in the dark" thing, but you really must leave it under bright light all day to "charge" it, then make sure it is completely pitch black in order to see the glow effect. Even then, it barely shows up.
Plus, it could be frightening to an animal inside a glowing ball because he could not see the outside part and he could be a bit upset and scared. So while this is isn't really a hit with the glowing thing, the hamster ball is still very good quality and nice for hamsters.
The reasons I don’t want a rabbit indoors is because it will smell. We don’t have a lot of room so we cannot fit a cage inside. As a child we had a bunny in a hutch, and that’s how it always was, the rabbit was Fine. I don’t understand this idea of “house rabbits” and free rein rabbits. Could you please explain to me why you guys insist on indoor rabbits? How is it bad to keep rabbits outdoors?
Hi Meg,
There are a few reasons why rabbits do not fare very well outside in a hutch. The first factor is that outdoor rabbits are more vulnerable to predators and weather. The second factor, which you may not have considered, concerns the social aspect. Rabbits are very intelligent, social creatures. They crave interaction with other rabbits and their human families. (This is why when people house their rabbits indoors, we recommend they place them in a fairly central location.)
Another consideration is that when rabbits live within the house with you, there is a less likely chance that they will be neglected. When the rabbit is constantly amidst your family’s daily activities, there will always be someone to notice the rabbit’s behavior (you need to pay close attention to their behavior to detect health issues), provide enrichment, ensure the rabbit has exercise time, and make sure the hay box and water bowls are fresh and filled and the litterboxes clean.
Ooh- What a lovely ring. Perfect for Bunny lovers!
16 Responses to “World’s Fluffiest Bunny”
I don’t believe rabbits are good pets. my neighbor has a bunny in her house and she uses this website. I don’t have any pets so I am not exactly biased, but dogs and cats, even ferrets make better pets. Ferrets are sure smelly,
but a friend at my college had one and they are affectionate. My neighbors rabbit sleeps in a sort of dog bed at night and the rabbit runs loose! Not even in a cage. The litterBox is smelly, and he act so dumb. when I came in the door he ran from me. My neighbor
is trying to persuade me to get one, but it seems kind of weird (actually REALLLY weird)to be so obsessed with them like that and going around with rabbit t-shirts screaming, “I love House rabbits” and all that.
Now my nieghbor is telling Me I can’t get a bunny for my 5y/o niece for her birthday because “rabbits are sensitive creatures…only for adults…blah ble”
My niece wants a rabbit and even though I hate rabbits my brother (her dad) says I should get one for her. She’s cute and who cares what my nieghbor says.
I went on here to see if there was any info about the fact “that rabbits don’t make good pets for kids.” I don’t even know why I’m listening to someone who lets a destructive creature
Run around their house! They chew and poop, an destroy everything you own, are stupid in my opinion, but my brother insists I should get one for her. So what would you say? Anything about angoras cuz If I gave this rabbit to my niece she would love this huge….I don’t even know what the heck this big fluffy thing is…. Big, bunny. She would love to cuddle on this. Anyways, this is a good format on the website….(coming from a bunny-hater) and I guess some people really are crazy about bunnies. I saw your rabbits photos too…. Gross you just let them run around like that, and no, they do not have personalities. Duhh! rabbits are meant to be hunted and stuff like that, not left to destroy and chew on baseboards in your home. I don’t know how you stand the smell and all those stains on the carpet.
Bunny people don’t care about that kind of stuff, huh?
Dan- rabbits definitely aren’t good pets for everyone, and by your own admission, they’re not the pet for you. That’s fine. But moving on to your second point, getting a rabbit for a child as a gift is never a good idea.
We have articles about this sort of thing:
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_children.php
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_thinking.php
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_easter.php
But it seems like you already know it’s not a good idea.
Yikes! All I see is a furball with a nose! Where’s his ears, eyes, etc?
As for the first comment, I totally disagree with you! Rabbits are wonderful pets, can be litter box trained, (like a cat) Are much cleaner than cats, have marvelous personalities, are cute, cuddly, and affectionate!
And no, rabbits aren’t good pets for young children because:
They don’t know how to handle them properly, so they scare the bunny, they are very loud around them, so, again, scare the bunny, and when the novelty wears off, they abandon them! So Sad!
I could go on, but I won’t.
I certainly wouldn’t say I am crazy and “do not care about those kind of stuff” and in fact, yes, it is pretty gross to have stains and poop on your carpet – My bunnies don’t do that at all. I have two house rabbits that use litter boxes and we let them play around the house very often, those other times they live in large pens.
I’m done here.
DID YOU KNOW……?
The death of Spaz in 2004 brought to an end my four-and-a-half year long experiment with rabbits as pets. Although some people and organizations, such as the House Rabbit Society, might like you to believe that rabbits make great companions, I have determined that, while bunnies might look cute and cuddly, in reality they are ill-tempered, destructive, boring, unrewarding animals which, in my opinion, make poor pets.
My experience with rabbits revealed to me several reasons why they make poor pets.
First, they’re destructive. If you keep them indoors, they pull up carpet, gnaw on baseboards, chew on power cords, rip up books and nibble on clothing. They also urinate and leave droppings everywhere, even if you give them their own litter box to use. If you let them go outdoors, they dig holes and lay waste to your vegetable or flower garden. Even when I gave my rabbits pieces of cardboard to chew on, old newspapers to rip up or even entire bales of hay to dig through, they would still go after carpet, furniture, books and anything else they could sink their teeth into if given the opportunity. One time they even gnawed all the buttons off the remote control for our VCR!
While it’s true that dogs and cats can also have destructive tendencies, such as chewing or clawing, neither is as habitually destructive as a rabbit. Dogs and cats, after all, can be trained not to destroy stuff. Rabbits, I’ve learned, don’t take to training very well. Move their litter box to the corner of the room that they’ve been urinating and defecating in? They’ll just ignore the litter box and start doing their business in another corner of the same room. Yell “no!” to startle and disrupt them when they’re pulling up carpet fibers? They’ll just come back and start pulling up carpet fibers when you’re not looking.
Second, rabbits show no affection. One of the most important aspects of keeping a pet is the fondness it shows for you. Why, after all, keep an animal in your home if it doesn’t offer you its love and companionship? A dog will run to greet you, tail wagging, when you come home. A cat will rub your leg and sit in your lap. A rabbit will do none of these things; in fact, it will probably run away from you when you approach it and if you do manage to catch it it is liable to bite or scratch you. They tolerate being pet for only short periods of time and do not like being picked up. Even Nibblet, whom we handled as a pup and raised by hand after Nibbles died, did not enjoy being pet or show us any affection. She was, in fact, perhaps the meanest of the three rabbits we had.
Rabbits are not just mean to humans; either. they’re also mean to other animals. Spaz and Nibblet had a habit of chasing our cats all over the place. It was actually comical to watch – one would expect that the cats, beig predators, would be the ones doing the chasing and the rabbits, being prey, would be the ones trying to escape. In fact, it was th other way around; the rabbits had no fear of our cats and regularly chased them away when they got too close.
Third, rabbits are rather uninteresting creatures. They don’t like to play. They don’t like to be handled. They don’t make any noise. They don’t make any expressions. They don’t attack balls of yarn or chase after Frisbees. They do little more than sit and stare. In fact, the only time I found I really enjoyed watching them is when were eating or when they were chasing our cats.
In my mind, there needs to be at least some sort of entertainment value to a pet – something an animal does that we find humorous, comforting or otherwise interesting. Dogs have it. Cats have it. Rabbits don’t. They are, in a word, boring.
Fourth, rabbits require a lot of maintenance. Consider everything that had to be ready for Nibbles and Spaz when I brought them home: cage with removable bottom, water bottle, food bowl, hay bin, salt wheel, absorbent wood chips, and even a litter box outside of their cage that they could use when I let them out to run around. I also provided them with mats to lay on and toys to play with and chew on. I kept their food bowl stocked with pellets and their hay bin stocked with hay. I even fed them fresh vegetables or fruit from time to time, as rabbit owners are supposed to do (interesting that I don’t have to feed my cats fresh meat from time to time – why do rabbits need such a varied diet when cats can survive just fine on a steady supply of Meow Mix?).
I also had to clean the rabbits’ cage on a regular basis; after all, it got rather stinky in a hurry. And, since I kept the rabbits in a cage, I had to let them outside often to run around. And when I let them outside, of course, I needed to watch them to make sure they didn’t relieve themselves on the carpet, gnaw on the leg of the coffee table or rip a hole in the upholstery of the couch.
To keep rabbits from destroying everything, in fact, we had to try to “rabbit-proof” our home. That meant buying even more stuff, such as urine guards to keep the rabbits from peeing outside of the cage or a long plastic sheet for the rabbits to lay on when they hopped underneath our couch so they wouldn’t relieve themselves or pull up carpet while they were under there. And even then, this “rabbit-proofing” didn’t keep the bunnies from wreaking their destructive ways.
Did I mention that rabbits need to be constantly groomed, too? They shed fur more than your average cat or dog. Almost every time I picked up one of my rabbits I would find myself covered with rabbit hair.
Simply put, rabbits require much more care than a dog or a cat. All the various needs of rabbits are listed on the House Rabbit Society’s various FAQs. The amount of stuff these small animals need in order to live is mind-boggling. (Interestingly, had I known about the House Rabbit Society’s website before I purchased the two rabbits, I probably wouldn’t have gotten them. I did attempt to do some due diligence by buying and reading a book about rabbit care before I got the actual rabbits, but the book turned out to be woefully inadequate.)
Finally, rabbits live short lives and die sudden deaths. Nibbles was only about seven months old when she passed away. Nibblet only lived two and a half years before I found her dead body sprawled in the hutch in my parents’ backyard. I don’t know why she died, but I’ve since discovered that something like 85% of female rabbits die of some sort of uterine cancer at about two years of age, and that all female rabbits should be spayed. And I thought I was doing Nibblet a favor when I spared her the knife and had Spaz neutered instead. (Also, some rabbit lovers claim that rabbits become less agressive or destructive when they’re spayed or neutered. This was definitely not the case with Spaz.)
Spaz lived the longest, dying in July 2004 after a very brief illness, but even then that’s a pretty short lifespan, compared to the dog that lives 12 years or the cat that lives 15 years. The House Rabbit Society claims that rabbits kept indoors can expect to live 9 to 12 years, but that rabbits who live outdoors usually only live half as long and that’s why rabbits should be kept indoors. Of course, keeping them indoors after we moved back to Houston really wasn’t an option due to their destructiveness.
Wow. You used the “Rabbits Make Lousy Pets” article, huh? First of all, that is the only article in existence that claims rabbits make bad pets – you know why I hate that article? Because he basically took everything rabbits ARE and put the words “are ” and “not” in front of them. Plus, he disrespected the House Rabbit Society! Ugh, how I despise whoever wrote this.
“Second, rabbits show no affection. One of the most important aspects of keeping a pet is the fondness it shows for you. Why, after all, keep an animal in your home if it doesn’t offer you its love and companionship? A dog will run to greet you, tail wagging, when you come home. A cat will rub your leg and sit in your lap. A rabbit will do none of these things; in fact, it will probably run away from you when you approach it and if you do manage to catch it it is liable to bite or scratch you. They tolerate being pet for only short periods of time and do not like being picked up. Even Nibblet, whom we handled as a pup and raised by hand after Nibbles died, did not enjoy being pet or show us any affection. She was, in fact, perhaps the meanest of the three rabbits we had.”
Uninteresting creatures? Do you know what a binky is? Rabbits binky a lot, shaking in the air, almost like a hoppy rabbit dance. When a rabbit binkys, they feel happy and it is entertaining to watch. If you think that sounds boring, watch “rabbit Harlem Shake” actually here on My House Rabbit! They are funny, exciting, and agile. Don’t agree? Fine. You may never will until you adopt a bunny! (:
YES! Rabbits do require maintenance, but not as much as most animals, like dogs and cats like he keeps referring to. That’s another reason they don’t make good pets for KIDS!!!
Rabbits outdoors do live short lives. At this point I am shocked at the way he taunts HRS, they are right. Rabbits do need to be kept indoors. They are no pet if they aren’t.
Rabbits are good pets for men too! So, dan, if you think a rabbit will affect your “manliness,” then don’t think that. Rabbits make wonderful pets, and can be very sweet and affectionate if you give them the attention they need. They can also be litter trained !
I litter trained my bunny very easily. They can live to be approx. 8-10 years if cared for correctly. They are great pets, as long as your willing to do your part and care for them properly and provide them the love and attention they need 
That’s one FLUFFY bunny haha.
Omg that is a very big cotton ball of fluff. I don’t even think it’s real! I hope that poor bunny has no trouble living a normal life with all that… Fur.
oh and dan, I have a lot to say to you but I won’t! I agree with Julia and Nate & his rabbits and Hope: BUNNIES rule! 
:/
Just found out you can do smileys on here! Thanks “Nate” for showing me that
Let’s get up to 10 comments people! Yay I did it ookay I’m done here
… and that’s why our refrigerator failed … insides of the moving parts full of 8 years of accumulated rabbit fur!!!
That bunny certainly looks extremely huggable and pettable with all that fur. I agree with Joyce though, hope the sweet thing can live a normal life like that.
I’m so happy to hear others echoing my thoughts and sentiments regarding bunnies in the replies to try to set “Dan” straight. Although his rants were disrepectful to bunnies, their owners, and those who try to help rabbits, at least we know one bunny will be spared being a gift for a child that thinks they’re cute but probably would be totally unaware of the committment you must make if you want to have one of these sweet animals as a pet.
I was going to comment something else, but Nate & his rabbits and Julia-Daisy’s mom pretty much have it covered!
well well… i understand what you saying (Dan) about them being dirty but it is up too the person raising these pets in there house to maintain it..
i have 5 rabbits and the are kept cleaned and very smart in there own way… My rabbits take baths and are well kept groomed. they are also trained and know when I say something they do understand. my rabbits give me kisses and follow me around like a dog and cat would do. i also have a cat and dog and they are all good pets. they all know when I have had such a rough day.. they make me smile and feel much better!!
The picture of that big ball o fur.. you should keep it well groomed where it is able to see and hear!! that is a ball of mess!! Don’t you think the rabbit would love to see what hey are missing!!