Things To Consider Before Buying Or Adopting A Pet Rabbit

Many rabbits purchased as Easter gifts DIE before their first birthdays. Most of the remaining will be dumped into the woods or given up to shelters. This is extremely depressing considering that well cared for rabbits can live long past Easter (10-12 years to be exact)! Join the national #NotJust4Easter campaign at http://scanimalrightsteam.wix.com/scarat#!blank/sp0ov” target=”_blank”>.

1. Rabbits are NOT good pets for children

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"A house rabbit may seem like the perfect companion for your child, but this is not always the case. Many children are too young to handle a rabbit appropriately. Bunnies may look cute and cuddly, but they do not behave in ways typified in children’s stories or cartoons."

-My House Rabbit

Via:

http://myhouserabbit.com/new-to-rabbits/children-and-pet-rabbits/

2. Bunnies chew EVERYTHING

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Bunny proofing your home is very important. Rabbits will chew walls, furniture and even power cords. Bunny proofing will not only save your stuff but will protect your rabbit from harm.

Learn more: http://rabbit.org/faq-rabbit-proofing/

3. Know if your bunny is a boy or girl and then SPAY AND NEUTER

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Please, please, please figure out your bunny's gender BEFORE putting them with another rabbit. DO NOT trust pet store employees. They are wrong too often. If you can't tell based on the above picture, check with a qualified rabbit vet. Rabbits need very little time to breed and before you know you will have tons of bunnies you will not know what to do with.

Spaying and neutering is ESSENTIAL, not just because of breeding but to prevent disease, allow for better behavior and prolong life. Female rabbits have the curse of being extremely prone to uterine cancer. 80% of female rabbits acquire this deadly disease. Spaying and neutering also prolongs a rabbit's life by years. An intact bunny will only live for approximately 5-8 years. Altered rabbits will live for 10-12 years, on average. If these aren't enough reasons to spay/neuter, consider the fact that you will have to deal with bad litter box habits, destruction and aggressive rabbits, in addition to the above problems.

4. Most Of The Time, You Will Need to Have Two.

Personal Photo / Via Personal Photo

Bunnies are very social and need a friend who can understand their language. Having two is usually not an issue if they are SPAYED AND NEUTERED! It is your rabbits' decisions on who they want to be friends with. Not yours! Like humans, rabbits do not like everyone and have their own personalities. You do not want to be stuck with two rabbits that absolutely hate each other. Trust me, I've been there.

5. A hutch is NOT and will NEVER be enough

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Rabbits are very social animals. They get very lonely outside by themselves. In addition, an outdoor environment is a very dangerous place for a bunny. Outdoor enclosures cannot protect your rabbit from everything. Rabbits cannot stand severe weather conditions. If you are cold, they are cold. If you don't want to be outdoors in the rain, odds are your bunny doesn't either. You also have to be careful of predators. Raccoons, hawks, loose dogs, cats and snakes are just a small handful of danger for a bunny.

More Information: http://rabbit.org/faq-housing/

6. The rabbit cages they sell in stores are never big enough!

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Like you and me, rabbits need room to stand and move around. A small cage from a pet store is rarely suitable for this. Building your own cage is not hard or expensive and is actually fun to do!

7. Bunnies Do Not Only Eat Carrots

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In fact, carrots can be very dangerous for rabbits. Carrots are considered treats and should only be given very sparingly. Besides, rabbits like banana a whole lot more than carrots as a treat anyway. Rabbits should have grass hays at all times. Make sure that when you buy greens you are buying the right kind. Iceberg lettuce is one veggie that is very hazardous to rabbits. In addition, when buying pellets, make sure they do not include alfalfa. Except for special circumstances, rabbits should generally not be eating alfalfa hay.

Learn more: http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

8. You will need to look at poop more than you ever have

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A bunny's poop tells you everything you need to know about their digestive health. A deformed poo usually means that you should be rushing to the vet. Keep in mind that bunnies create approximately 300 poo pellets a day!

9. Rabbits are VERY Fragile in Every Way

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One fall and your rabbit can be paralyzed. One ear infection and your rabbit will develop head tilt (above picture). One bad treat and your rabbit will die from GI Stasis. If you want a rabbit, research rabbit health.

10. Not Every Vet Is Qualified to Care for Rabbits

Personal Photo / Via Personal Photo

Rabbits require special attention and care. A lot of vets will tell you that they know how to care for a rabbit, when they really know very little. I have heard so many horror stories about vets injuring or killing rabbits because of ignorance. The best bet for finding a good vet is checking on the House Rabbit Society website or asking for a referral from your local rabbit rescue.

Learn More: http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

11. People will constantly make rabbit stew jokes when they find out you have a house rabbit

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It's not funny. It never will be funny. In fact, it is disrespectful and completely rude.

12. Bunnies Are Very Picky On How They Want To Be Handled

House Rabbit Society / Via rabbit.org

Rabbits are prey animals. When they meet you, they will think you want to eat them, and may always have that in the back of their mind. Most of the time they will not want to be handled at all. Building trust with your rabbit is very important. You can find tips on how to do this at www.rabbit.org.

13. ALWAYS ADOPT

Gainesville Rabbit Rescue / Via gainesvillerabbitrescue.org

A lot of people do not know that there is such a thing as a rabbit rescue. This is surprising, as rabbits are the third most abandoned animals in both the US and the UK. Rescues typically have the bunnies altered, socialized and house trained before adoption. This is an amazing deal, as an adoption fee is usually not much more than a pet store price. When you adopt a rabbit, you save the life of both that rabbit and the next that you created room for.

Find adoptable rabbits at www.petfinder.com

Spread the Word... Rabbits are #NotJust4Easter

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95% of rabbits bought as Easter gifts die before their first birthdays and a lot more end up horribly sick, pregnant and/or dumped at a rabbit rescue. Make a difference. Join the #NotJust4Easter initiative. For more information, visit:

http://scanimalrightsteam.wix.com/scarat#!blank/sp0ov