Rabbit Care - Tumblr Posts
With Easter approaching, just a little PSA not to buy or give rabbits for Easter.
Yes, they're very very cute, and yes, you can get some adorable pictures of them in Easter baskets. But rabbits are not toys. They are little living beings. They need to be cared for and not discarded. They are not starter pets, and they are not good pets for children. A child cannot be the primary caregiver for a rabbit. They're very fragile, have complicated diets, and can be quite expensive. Rabbits can live to be 10+ years, they are not a short term commitment. They are not low maintenance, and can't live in the kind of cage you most often see advertised for rabbits. They either need a large exercise pen or to be free roamed, aka let them live in your home with you like you would a cat or dog. They are very easily litter trained and can become a member of the family just like any pet if taken care of properly.
Rabbits are very social animals and require a lot of attention, they can't be left in a small cage until your kid comes home from school or you come home for work to play with them for an hour. Rabbits are also not cuddly. They're prey animals, and slow to trust. Getting picked up scares them and they need a lot of time to warm up to you. A rabbit that's constantly picked up or grabbed can become aggressive out of fear, you need to approach them differently than you would cat or dog.
The majority of rabbits given as Easter gifts are either surrendered to shelters or abandoned outside. Please please never set a domestic rabbit free in the wild. Domestic rabbits are not wild rabbits, they do not know how to survive. They will likely die within days of being released.
They can be wonderful pets, but there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings about how to care for them, and there are a lot of abandoned rabbits. Most toys and treats marketed for rabbits in pet stores are actually not safe for them.
If you are considering getting a pet rabbit, I am begging you to do your research. Understand the commitment for what it is. A few great resources for learning about proper rabbit care are:
The House Rabbit Society
The Bunny Lady
Sincerely, Cinnabun
101 Rabbits
Hey guys!
I'm taking Bella with me to visit family on Thanksgiving! This will be his first semi-lengthy car ride (about 3 hours) that I know of. I'd like to get him a pet carrier for this trip and for taking him to the vet. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I should look for or how I should pad it down?
I have a quick question about bunny behaviour. Bella does not chin things ever and he's only licked once or twice in the two years that I've known him. Are lots of bunnies like this? He seems generally happy and shows affection on lots of ways. I'm wondering if it's because of him being from a pet store which sells from bunny mills. I know mills bad, in fact I'm working on a project to get rid of breeding mills, but I didn't buy him, I adopted him. If anyone has any idea, please let me know! I want him to feel safe and loved at all times.
I use binkybunny.com all the time! It's very helpful, even if you don't make an account. Almost all of my questions have been answered there. I hope you and your bun are happy together!
Hey! I know you love rabbits, and I just got one today!(he’s a beautiful boyo) and I was wondering if you had any advice?
I’m so happy for you! Unfortunately I am not any kind of rabbit expert and I will never pretend I am lol… the best advice I can give you is don’t give them Alfalfa past 6 months of age (I think that’s the turning point, you might have to double check), give him lots of timothy hay, and if he doesn’t like being picked up don’t pick him up. If you search “bunny” or “rabbit” on my blog I’ve reblogged some good rabbit advice from bunny blogs and that’s worth looking at. And if you wanna ask people who might know more I recommend @thelittlebunnypawsthing who probably knows more than I do, or would know who to ask!
Best of luck with your new baby best friend!!!
Should rabbits spend some supervised time outside?
I've seen conflicting views on this. Some people say it provides excellent enrichment and they get fresh grass. Other people say the outdoors are too dangerous and predators like birds can frighten your house bunny, even if you keep them under close watch.
What do you think?
Bella is missing fur on his neck and under his chin! Is this a serious problem that warrants immediate veterinary care, or can we wait until the nearby vet opens on Monday?