ehlers-danloscircus:

theexoticvet:

I think rabbits can make very good pets but only if people know what to expect from them. Rabbits, like every other living thing, are not just throw away pets for young kids. They do take a lot of care and need to be spayed/neutered and have regular veterinary visits. You can’t just keep a rabbit in a hutch outside and throw hay in once in awhile. People that are willing and able to provide rabbits with proper homes are less common that those that want a disposable pet.

I think ensuring they are spayed and neutered before adopting out is one great way to make ownership more appealing. This will help prevent cancer in female rabbits, stop any pregnancies, and can prevent dominance behavior. Making up detailed care instructions along with a list of rabbit friendly vets and sending them with new owners would also be helpful.

Neuter/spay! Hopefully this shelter does this anyway but it’s shocking the number of shelters I’ve heard of that don’t.

www.rabbit.org wonderful place to get accurate info for creating a care sheet. They even have their own rabbit handbook. You can get their magazine too with a $20/yr membership which also comes with other benefits and helps rescue bunnies.

The thing I hear a lot is “but don’t they poop EVERYWHERE?!” And people think of bunnies in a small cage or hutch out back because of this but no, they don’t poop everywhere if you take time to learn how to litter train them. My bunnies get free run of most of my upstairs and have never pooped anywhere other than their pen and litter box. You do need to bun proof and be good at distraction and redirection because they are bunnies, you can’t get mad at them for chewing and digging things you left out or don’t want them to do without giving them ways to express these natural behaviors.

The other thing is I see a lot of people who get a bunny believing “oh, it’ll be so nice to cuddle with and carry etc.” It’s pretty rare to find a bunny like that. They are first and foremost prey animals so keeping all four paws on the ground is the general preference for them, they don’t want to be picked up and carried off. They will scratch, kick, and potentially injure themselves trying to get away from you. Some of them can become affectionate but you need to be a person with patience.

Some people over look bunnies because they believe they are boring or unintelligent. Not true. You can most definitely clicker train a bunny and I highly recommend you do so. This will also help your bunny get used to handling but again you must go slow with your bunny’s comfort in being approached and touched. Bunnies can be highly entertaining as well. If you have never seen a Bunny 500 or a binky…YouTube. This also why they can’t be confined or they will be lazy and sleep a lot (bunnies will sleep during the day that’s normal but start of dawn and dusk they are active for several hours).

I got bunnies because I love being on the floor, I also enjoy having a pet that can just play “at my feet” so to speak while I do work etc. I also understood that if things get destroyed, that was my fault not their’s. I understood they are likely not to be cuddly and affectionate and if they are it’s on their own terms. I understood litter training can sometimes be hard but it’s well worth it to give and get full enjoyment of my bunnies. I understood that bunnies are not a cheap pet and require specialized veterinary care and a caregiver willing and able to check on them frequently (bunnies must eat frequently if they stop eating for hours and refuse any food they need a vet asap or at risk of dying within 12-24 hrs) they need a very specific diet to keep their gut healthy and functioning properly. They are great pets if you take the time to do through research and see if they match with your personality and lifestyle.