Thinking about welcoming a rabbit or perhaps a pair of bunnies into your family? Pet Bunnies rank as the third most beloved furry companions after cats and dogs – and for excellent reasons! They bring joy and unique companionship to many households. However, it’s crucial to understand that rabbits have distinct needs and behaviors that set them apart from our feline and canine friends. They are wonderful pets, but require specific care. Before you bring a bunny home, here are 12 essential things you should be aware of to ensure you can provide the best possible home for your new pet bunnies.
1. Pet Bunnies Have a Significant Lifespan
Compared to other small pets like hamsters or rats, pet bunnies boast a considerable lifespan. Depending on their breed and care, your pet bunny could hop around and bring joy to your life for up to 15 years! This long-term commitment is something to seriously consider when choosing pet bunnies.
2. Indoor Living is Ideal for Pet Bunnies
Forget outdated notions of keeping pet bunnies isolated in a backyard hutch! Pet bunnies thrive when they live indoors, in a central area of your home where family members spend time. Ideally, they should have a spacious, enriched enclosure or even free reign of a bunny-proofed room. This indoor environment allows them to truly become integrated members of your family, participating in daily life and social interactions.
Your pet bunny’s living space should be generously sized to accommodate food and water bowls, at least one litter box, and a minimum of one hideaway. Despite these necessities, they should still have ample room to hop freely several times in a row. Remember, when it comes to pet bunnies, more space equates to a happier and healthier rabbit.
Commercially available pet store cages are often inadequate for properly housing a rabbit. Instead, you can easily create a large and comfortable habitat using dog exercise pens or modular wire storage cubes. Larger enclosures not only promote the well-being of pet bunnies but also offer you more creative freedom to personalize their space with enriching toys, perches, and hiding spots. Additionally, larger spaces are more hygienic, requiring less frequent cleaning.
The flooring of your pet bunny’s habitat should be solid, not wire or mesh, which can cause painful sores on their sensitive feet. For bedding, opt for wood shavings like aspen (avoid pine or cedar), recycled paper bedding, or soft, thick blankets.
3. Natural Instincts: Pet Bunnies Behave Like Wild Rabbits
Pet bunnies, despite being domesticated, retain many instincts from their wild rabbit ancestors. As prey animals, their natural response to fear is to either freeze in place to avoid detection or flee to safety. This inherent behavior is evident in pet bunnies. To ensure your pet bunny feels secure and safe, it’s essential to provide them with shelters where they can retreat whenever they feel startled or need a moment of peace, whether they are in their enclosure or exploring a room. Providing these safe havens is key to minimizing stress for your pet bunnies.
4. Pet Bunnies are Energetic and Need Exercise
Pet bunnies are naturally active and playful animals that require a good deal of space to move around and explore. Your pet bunny should have a minimum of four hours each day outside of their enclosure to exercise and express their natural behaviors. You can allow them to roam freely in a bunny-proofed room or utilize dog exercise pens to create a secure, larger area for them to hop, run, and play. “Bunny-proofing” your home is crucial and involves tasks like relocating houseplants out of reach, concealing electrical cords, and removing any other potentially hazardous items from their access. This ensures the safety of your pet bunnies during their playtime.
5. Pet Bunnies are Intelligent and Need Mental Stimulation
Pet bunnies possess considerable intelligence, making mental enrichment just as important as physical exercise. During times when you are away at work or school, it is vital to keep your pet bunny stimulated and entertained to prevent boredom and destructive behaviors. You can achieve this by providing a variety of safe chew toys, stimulating hay towers, and healthy treats cleverly hidden within cardboard mazes, treat-dispensing food balls, or other puzzle feeders. Ensuring they always have a generous supply of hay available in their litter box also encourages natural foraging behaviors.
Encouraging natural foraging is not only mentally stimulating for pet bunnies but also serves a crucial physical purpose. The frequent chewing action associated with foraging and playing with chew toys helps to naturally wear down their continuously growing teeth, maintaining their dental health.
6. Companionship is Key for Pet Bunnies
Pet bunnies are social creatures that thrive on companionship. In their natural wild settings, rabbits live in large, close-knit groups. To replicate this social environment and enhance the well-being of your pet bunnies, consider adopting more than one rabbit, ideally a bonded pair. Having a rabbit companion means they can keep each other company during times when you are not at home. Imagine the happiness your pet bunny will experience having a friend to interact with throughout the day! Bunny pairs will engage in mutual grooming, play together, eat side-by-side, and snuggle up for naps, enriching each other’s lives immeasurably.
7. Pet Bunnies Require Regular Grooming
Pet bunnies are naturally meticulous groomers and do not require baths from humans. However, regular brushing is essential, particularly for long-haired breeds. Brushing helps prevent fur matting and minimizes the amount of loose fur they ingest while self-grooming. Unlike cats, pet bunnies are unable to cough up hairballs, making fur ingestion a potentially serious health concern.
In addition to brushing, pet bunnies need their nails trimmed every four to six weeks. This task requires care and precision. Cutting the nails too short can be painful and cause bleeding as you might accidentally cut into the quick. It is often beneficial to have a second person assist you with nail trimming – one person to gently and securely hold the pet bunny, and the other to carefully trim the nails.
8. Hay is the Foundation of a Pet Bunny’s Diet
Pet bunnies are herbivores, meaning their diet consists solely of plants. Grass hay should be the cornerstone of your pet bunny’s nutrition. Offer them a variety of grass hays, such as Timothy hay and orchard grass, ensuring they have unlimited access to it. Hay is vital for proper digestion and aids in naturally wearing down their constantly growing teeth. It is best to avoid alfalfa hay, as it is too rich in calcium and protein for most adult pet bunnies and can lead to health problems.
Supplement hay with a generous daily serving of fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens. Excellent choices include bok choy, parsley, romaine lettuce, green and red leaf lettuce (avoid iceberg lettuce as it has minimal nutritional value), cilantro, celery leaves, and carrot tops. Fruits and carrots should be considered treats and offered only sparingly due to their high sugar content. When introducing any new foods to your pet bunny, do so gradually to prevent digestive upset.
High-quality, high-fiber rabbit pellets can also be a part of a pet bunny’s diet, but should be given in limited quantities. Overfeeding pellets can contribute to obesity and other health issues. Furthermore, a diet too rich in pellets often leads to a reduced intake of essential hay. A simple diet, low in sugar and high in fiber, is best for a pet bunny’s sensitive digestive system. For comprehensive guidance on feeding your pet bunny, consult resources like the BC SPCA Rabbit Food Guide.
9. Pet Bunnies Can Be Litter Trained
Yes, pet bunnies are intelligent and can absolutely be litter trained! Training your pet bunny to use a litter box is a significant advantage, helping to keep their living space and your home clean. Regular litter box maintenance is important; clean it every 1-2 days and perform a full cage clean-out once a week.
Large, plastic cat litter pans work well as litter boxes for pet bunnies, ensuring they are spacious enough for the rabbit to fit comfortably inside and turn around. Line the bottom of the litter box with a few inches of rabbit-safe litter, such as paper-based or wood-based pellets. Crucially, always place a generous amount of Timothy hay in the litter box. Pet bunnies often enjoy munching on hay while they are using their litter box, which encourages consistent litter box habits.
10. Veterinary Care is Essential for Pet Bunnies
Spending quality time with your pet bunny allows you to become attuned to their normal behaviors and habits. This familiarity is crucial for recognizing when something might be amiss. If you observe any unusual symptoms, such as diarrhea, a hunched posture, or a loss of appetite, it’s imperative to seek veterinary attention promptly. As prey animals, pet bunnies instinctively hide signs of illness, so even subtle changes in their behavior can indicate a serious underlying health issue. It’s vital to find a veterinarian who has experience and expertise in treating rabbits.
Like other pets, pet bunnies require preventative care, including vaccinations. In regions where Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease is a concern, ensure your pet bunny receives the necessary vaccine to protect them from this fatal disease. Consult your veterinarian about appropriate preventative healthcare for your pet bunnies.
11. Pet Bunnies Prefer to Be on Solid Ground
Despite their soft and cuddly appearance, most pet bunnies do not enjoy being picked up and held. When lifted off the ground, they often become frightened and struggle to escape, sometimes kicking forcefully with their strong back legs. This reaction can lead to scratches for the handler and potential injuries for the pet bunny if they fall or are dropped during their attempt to get away.
Instead of picking up your pet bunny, foster interaction by sitting or lying on the floor and allowing them to approach and investigate you at their own pace. Some pet bunnies are naturally shy and may require more time to become comfortable and relaxed in a new home environment. Once they are comfortable, you can gently pet them. A sign of bonding and affection from a pet bunny is when they lick you or “chin” you – rubbing their chin on you is their way of scent-marking you as part of their territory and social group.
If it becomes necessary to pick up your pet bunny, always use a two-handed approach. Place one hand gently under their hindquarters to support their weight and the other hand around their chest, just behind their front legs, to provide stability. Hold them securely but gently close to your chest to help them feel more secure during handling.
12. Pet Bunnies Can Multiply Rapidly!
It’s a well-known saying for a reason: rabbits can multiply quickly! In just one year, a single unspayed female rabbit can potentially be responsible for as many as 450 baby bunnies. To combat pet overpopulation and ensure the health and well-being of your pet bunnies, spaying or neutering is highly recommended. Responsible adoption practices, such as those at the BC SPCA, include spaying or neutering rabbits before they are adopted into new homes. Spaying and neutering not only help control population but also offer health and behavioral benefits for pet bunnies, often making litter box training easier and reducing the risk of certain reproductive cancers and unwanted behaviors.
Are You Ready for the Wonderful Commitment of Pet Bunnies?
Adopting pet bunnies can bring immense joy and rewarding companionship to your life. If you are prepared to provide the care, space, and attention they need, you might be ready to open your heart and home to these delightful animals.
View adoptable rabbits at BC SPCA
