The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CWU chapter.
As someone who owns a bunny………bunnies are not a simple, little Easter present to get for a kid or even yourself. Bunnies can be a handful just like a brand new puppy, they require patients, space, and some much more. Bunnies are great! I love mine and I think they make the perfect little pet! If you think you could do this, a bunny may be right for you!
- Space! Bunnies can not live in cages! They have lots of energy and want to run and hop, there is no possible way they can do this in a cage!
- You can either have them free roam your house or give them a designated room! Please remember that rabbits are best kept indoors!
- Another possibility is making a space large enough for them to be able to run and hop using big playpens or wire storage cubes that can be put together to make a big enclosure. I have personally found I do not like having a big enclosure in my room so I let my bunny have free roam of my room with occasional supervised visits to the living room and outside in a playpen.
- Potty training!
- Yes, just like cats they can learn to use a litter box! However, this can be difficult at first just like with any animal learning to be potty trained! You need to be patient. Bunnies do best with a box that would be typically given for a cat, filled with small animal pet bedding or shredded paper. Rabbits are also weird because they like to eat while using the bathroom, because of this I place my rabbit’s litter box directly next to the hay feeder!
- Now your rabbit is going to pee on the floor a good number of times. The best way to deal with this is by whipping it up as quickly as possible with a paper towel and placing it in the litter box and then wiping the spot with a pet-safe stain and odor remover. Rabbit poop is also very dry so it can be swept up and placed into the litter box or vacuumed. As weird as it sounds, their poop is very easy to work with!
- Vet visits and neutering/spaying
- Like most pets, vet visits are a must! Rabbits have very sensitive teeth and they need to be checked by a vet to make sure they are chewing a healthy amount.
- And like other pets, it is always suggested to get them neutered/spayed so they have less of a chance to get cancer associated with reproduction.
- Food
- A rabbit’s diet is crucial to its health and wellbeing all throughout its life. Rabbits’ diets consist of a lot of hay, daily pellets (think of a dog’s dry food), as well as fresh vegetables and fruit. You have to always read the instructions on the pellets as the type and amount will change throughout the bunny’s life. The same will also go with vegetables. When rabbits are young they are much more sensitive to certain vegetables and fruit so definitely do your research on when to start giving certain fresh foods to your bunny.
- Rabbits must have reliable chewing toys as this is how they maintain tooth health, rabbits teeth are constantly growing!
- Expenses
- Setting up for a new rabbit is usually where most of the cost will be as you will be buying a litter box, food, toys, and possibly playpens. After the first initial expenses, rabbits are not actually that expensive to maintain besides the cost of vet visits.
- Patience
- Bunnies have a long life span! About 8-10 years!
- They may not immediately open up to you, you need to spend time with them and let them grow to trust and love you! Rabbits also do not like being held as they are prey animals but they will cuddle up next to you!
- They are social and can live with other animals! My rabbit loves hanging out with my cats!
- grooming and trimming nails can be very, very tricky but it must be done regularly.
If you think you have what it takes please continue to do research to see if they will fit in your life. Bunnies can also be adopted so I always recommend seeing ones available for adoption.