Having taking care of two rabbits for the past year, I have gained a lot of experience as both a pet owner and as a rabbit owner. Here are some things that I have learned about rabbits that a lot of people do not consider before bringing one into their home.
- Rabbits need a lot of space
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Have you ever gone to someone’s house and they have a rabbit that is in a cage that is roughly the width of two chairs? You might have thought ‘huh, that small, but the rabbit is probably fine’. No, the rabbit is not fine. Rabbits need a large amount of space to exercise and be comfortable. If they cannot run a big lap around their cage, jump high, or spread out their legs, then it is definitely not enough space.
- Rabbits cannot survive on just pellets alone
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If you adopt a rabbit without research, you might think pellets are enough to sustain a rabbit. No. No, no. Rabbits need a wide variety of diet. Pellets are good to feed to rabbits to ensure that they are not missing any essential vitamins, but rabbits need more than that. They need veggies, fresh grass, hays, ect. Fruits should be given as treats, not constantly. And not all veggies are good for bunnies, like broccoli, lettuce, or even carrots, like people might assume. Without a variety, a rabbit can get sick.
- You can litter box train a rabbit
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Rabbits, like most pets, can be potty trained. If you provide them with a clean place to potty, after some training they will go in there. However, you cannot just use cat litter. You need to get litter that is safe for rabbits.
- Not all rabbits are friendly
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Sometimes you get a rabbit, they are not always friendly. And sometimes they never grow out of it. Rabbits are prey animals, and sometimes it is hard to train that out of them, especially if they were not handled enough when they were younger.
Before you get a rabbit as a pet, be sure to do a lot of research. Rabbits are a lot of work, but are just as good as any other pet.