It is around this time of year that we see cute fluffy little bunnies at the pet store and sometimes people decide to get their kids one for Easter. I am here to tell you that rabbits are not an Easter gift they are a life commitment for 8-12 years. I find it so sad that every Easter lots of bunnies get abandoned or left at the Humane Society and that’s why I wanted to write about this and give some awareness if you are considering getting a bunny.
Did you know that rabbits are required to be spayed or neutered and can cost anywhere between $400-$800. If you don’t do this for them it can sometimes lead to aggression, it’s harder to litter train them and they can become very territorial NOT TO MENTION without a spay female rabbits are almost GAURENTEED to get some form of reproductive cancer!
Also did you know that Rabbits DO NOT belong in cages you’ll want to bunny proof your house so they have tons of space to run around or you could create an indoor space for them as they need room to be able to hop, binkie and run around! You’ll also want to make sure that if you are not getting two bunnies as they are very social animals and can become depressed really easily that you have them in a big enough space that you can always be around them to give them lots of love and attention.
Next you’ll want to make sure that your bunny has a litter box and the easiest way to train them to use it is to have their hay placed on one side of it because where they eat that’s where they’ll poop also did you know that the average rabbit makes 200-300 pellets per day! You’ll also want to make sure to get some paper litter as cedar and pine litter can be poisonous to your furry friend!
Now let’s talk about hay, pellets, fruits and veggies! The diet of a rabbit should be 80% timothy hay (so the size of their body) depending how much your bunny weighs will determine how much pellets they should get but it should be about the size of their tail. Then for fruits and veggies you want to give them no more than the size of their head. You will also want to research safe veggies and fruits that bunnies can have. When it comes to fruits you’ll want to be careful depending on the rabbit my bunny can’t have any fruit because it can cause her to go into GI stasis which is the slowing of passage of food through the GI tract and if not treated right away can be deadly.
You will also want to provide toys for your bunny as well and they need brushies everyday. Rabbits can get bored very easily especially if they don’t have a bunny companion. Providing toys and a large space for them to run around to give them mental stimulation to keep them happy. Rabbits do groom themselves however they go through shedding periods in which you will want to help with grooming otherwise, your rabbit will ingest too much of it and have serious digestive issues.
Lastly you will want to make sure you have a vet that specializes in exotic animals as bunnies are prey animals and will try to hide when they are feeling sick. If you can find a vet that specializes in bunnies even better! You always want to monitor that your rabbit is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping regularly as that could be a sign of illness and you’ll want to get them to a vet immediately! I would also recommend getting your rabbit a water bowl as opposed to a bottle one as sometimes with the bottle they are not getting enough water to stay hydrated.
Rabbits make very lovable companions my little girl Mochita has been my bestfriend for the last 3 and a half years and I couldn’t see my life without her. I was someone who walked in a pet store knew nothing about rabbits and decided to get one anyways and than I did my research after and found out that there is a lot of work when it comes to being a bunny parent.
