I confess, despite the many pets I have had in my life, I have never had a pet rabbit. My good friend in the U.K. did though. The bunny, simply known as “Rabbit,” was a house rabbit. Rabbit had run of the house. In fact, he wasn’t happy that I would close the door of the guest bedroom, keeping him out. Invariably, at some time during the night, he would throw himself at the door to try to get in.
I will further confess, till I met him, I never thought of a rabbit as a viable pet, having seen only undersocialized ones confined to cages at the edge of the garden growing up. To me, keeping rabbits seemed cruel and pointless. But a house rabbit is different thing. Rabbit was paper trained, and my friend told me he rarely had a accident, unless sick. He was moderately affectionate, though not with me. Perhaps because I locked him out of the guest bedroom.
Given this month is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month, here are a few things our adoption staff want you to know about pet rabbits:
Rabbits are intelligent, social animals. When given plenty of attention, they make affectionate and rewarding family pets. They can be trained to use a litter box and are more enjoyable, responsive pets when living indoors as house rabbits. Given appropriate care, rabbits can live 10 years or more. Before adopting a rabbit, consider the following:
Rabbits need daily exercise and play
Rabbits need nutritious food, fresh water and a clean habitat
Everyone in your household should understand how to hold and play with a rabbit, and be eager to welcome a rabbit into the family
Some rabbits can be destructive. They like to chew on books and wooden furniture and electrical cords, and will need to be monitored