Easter is the time of year where rabbits shine! Commercials portray cute and cuddly bunnies hopping around, and pictures of sweet baby bunnies make their way across the internet. They get the spotlight and everyone thinks they want a cuddly, fuzzy bunny of their own.
Thinking about getting an Easter bunny of your own? Think long and hard before you make that commitment. Live animals should never be purchased on a whim. They require extensive research and preparation, no matter the animal.
Every year, rabbit rescues and animal shelters see a large influx of rabbits a few months after Easter. After the children get bored with them, and the parents get tired of cleaning up poop and hay.
Lack of education and misconceptions about pet rabbits is the greatest contributor to abandonment. People don’t know what they’re getting into!
5 Common Myths About Pet Rabbits
Myth #1: Rabbits are a great pet for my child!
Rabbits are commonly mistaken for “starter-pets” – an easy-to-care-for pet to get a child. This could not be more wrong. Most rabbits do not like being held, and their bite can be powerful! Pets should be the responsibility of the parent, not the child.
Myth #2: Rabbits are easy to care for, and a low commitment!
One of the biggest, and most important, difference between a rabbit and cats and dogs, is that rabbits are prey animals. This means determining whether they are sick or in pain will be difficult and require you to truly know your rabbit’s personality and typical behaviours. Prey animals hide their pain so as to not appear weak and an “easy-target” to predators.
They are also a large-term commitment! Well cared for domestic rabbits can live up to 10-13 years! Are you ready for that level of commitment? Think about where you will be in 5-10 years… will you still have the time, space, and energy to care for your rabbit?
Myth #3: I can get one rabbit and keep it in a cage!
Rabbits are extremely social animals, they typically do better in pairs or groups. That’s not to say every rabbit is happier with another, some do enjoy being the solo spoiled rabbit! Whether they want a friend or not is totally dependant on the rabbit.
A cage is never enough. Rabbits need space to roam and run and display their natural behaviours. Using a cage in combination with an x-pen, or building a bunny condo, or simply rabbit-proofing a room and letting your bunny roam free is the best way to keep them happy.
Myth #4: Rabbits are cheap!
Pet rabbits can be expensive! Although they are relatively cheap to feed, eating primarily hay and veggies, veterinary bills can add up quickly!
Be sure you are ready to spend some cash on your little fur baby before committing. If you are not willing to pay for your pet, don’t get one! All animals deserve compassion and to receive health care when needed.
Rabbits should also be spayed/neutered, especially if keeping two rabbits of the opposite sex together to prevent unexpected litters. Spaying and neutering isn’t cheap either! This procedure will cost you a couple hundreds dollars, but is essential to the health and well-being of your pet. Spaying a female rabbit will reduce its chances of ovarian/uterine cancers. Neutering male rabbits can also reduce negative behaviours like spraying (a messy urine marking behaviour) and aggression.
Rabbits are very sensitive creatures. When they do have a health issue, they need to be seen by an experienced rabbit-savvy veterinarian, which might be hard to find! Not all vets are knowledgeable about rabbit health and medicine, so do your research to find an experienced vet. Ask around! Join rabbit-caretaker groups on Facebook! Contact your local rabbit rescue for vet recommendations. It’s so very important to find a vet you trust with your rabbit.
Myth #5: If I get bored, I can set my rabbit free to live with other rabbits in the wild.
WRONG! Wild rabbits and domestic rabbits are different species that even have different brain structures! Dumped domestic rabbits do not survive long in the wild. After hundreds of years of domestication, they are not equipped for survival in the wild. Releasing your pet rabbit is a death sentence and it’s actually illegal in Canada and most of the United States. If you need to re-home your pet, do the responsible thing and find them a responsible and caring home or contact your local rabbit rescue or animal shelter for help. Never dump domestic rabbits in the wild.
Are you ready to commit? Learn more here!
Article written by:
Sasha is an animal welfare advocate and bunny-momma of four! She has a Bachelors of Science in Applied Biology, Honours, from the University of British Columbia. She specialized in animal biology, welfare, and conservation. When she is not doing research or working on her computer, she can be found exploring the Pacific Northwest looking for birds!
