What To Do When Getting A Rabbit, or How To Be A Bunny Slave

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time.  I am a big house rabbit enthusiast and I spend a lot of time learning more about house rabbit care.  House rabbits are a fairly new thing, before the 1980s rabbits usually only lived in hutches.  Now our domesticated buns need to live inside.  This is one of the biggest rabbit care rules:

Rabbits must live inside, they cannot live in hutches.

To keep a bun in an outside hutch would be like keeping a shih tzu puppy in a cage outside all the time.  Except even worse because they are prey animals and can DIE from fear.  Rabbits can seriously be startled so much their little bunny heart stops.  In a hutch, a rabbit is more likely to experience startling things - like a hawk or dog that attacks the cage.  They are vulnerable many things if they live in hutches.  Weather it be summer or winter, they will be sick if they are very hot or cold.  (Like my pun there?)  One of the most depressing problems with keeping a bunny in a hutch is that rabbits are social animals.  Why would you leave them alone outside in a hutch all the time where they are scared of the other animals, sick due to the weather, and to top it all off lonely?  

Really my question is, why the hell would you want a rabbit if you are going to ignore it and make it's life miserable? 

There are only four reasons people get rabbits.

1.  You think they would be a great pet for your young child/ your young child wont shut up about how much they want a bunny.

If you are one of these people here is a heads up:  Rabbits poo A LOT.  And pee on things to mark territory.  You need to clean their living area often and keep them groomed or else they will get sick and you will have to pay a bunch of vet fees to save the rabbit.  But guess what?  Kids are not going to be consistent with cleaning up after their ever-pooing fluff puff.  So YOU, the parent, will be stuck with the job.  You will have to clean the poo, spray the territorials peeing, make sure the rabbit has enough play time, bunny proof the rabbit's play area, buy constant hay and veggies and pellets, and love the rabbit.  Your child might love the bunny too, but children are not responsible enough to own a rabbit and rabbits are more often than not afraid of children.  So the only way to socialize your pet bunny and keep them happy will be to play with them actively about 30 minutes a day, with 3-4 hours a day of bunny play time where they'll come to you when they want attention.

If you can not commit to all of these things, do not get a rabbit.  

You will just bring them to an animal shelter after you are so bitter towards them because you got stuck with cleaning up after them.  That's how I got my bunnies Leopold Stokowski and Penelope.

2. It's Easter.

This is the stupidest reason.  Every year tons and tons of people buy rabbits for their children because it is Easter, but since they are basically using reason 1, they want to get rid of the bunnies a few months after.  There is currently an influx of homeless rabbits on craigslist, in shelters, or just abandoned.

It's been 4 months since Easter and these impulsive bunny owners don't want to own bunny no more.

3.  You are breeding them to sell for profit.

If you are a rabbit breeder you better have a license for that and have regular inspections.   I see a lot of backyard breeders who try to sell really cute rabbits online - usually Craigslist under the "pet" section.  These people don't seem to understand that there are TOO MANY homeless rabbits and breeding more contributes to that.  To try to sell a baby lop bunny on Craigslist and pass it off as a pet is despicable   No that rabbit isn't a pet, it's a commodity you seek profit from.  

By selling this commodity you take away from people adopting real pet rabbits that have owners who have loved them but can no longer keep them.  

Real pets aren't newborn buns that you are breeding and trying to advertise, they are usually a little older and often not as cute as a baby lionhead.  If you really care about rabbits you would stop breeding rabbits, de-sex your bunny and maybe adopt another rabbit so they can have a chance at a happy life too, just like a baby lionhead.  Blizzard was from a breeder, he was cheaper than the other rabbits because he wasn't "pedigree."  Somehow Blizzard died before his first birthday, no vet came explain why as he seemed fine, I took amazing care of him, and never seemed sick.  Something tells me all that inbreeding probably gave him some sort of mutation or illness that couldn't be detected, maybe that's what the breeder meant when she said he wasn't "pedigree."  

4.  You genuinely love rabbits and have the means to be a good bunny momma/daddy/parental unit(for all you gender neutrals out there).

If you fall under this category, congratulations!  

You are not a horrible human being!

You may read the rest of this blog post and learn all about buns!  (If you fall under one of the top 3 reasons, get the hell out of here.)   So if you really want to be a good bunny owner let's start with the basics.

Bunny Basics

AKA starter kit, or starter deck.

Space:  Before you adopt (not buy from breeders or pet stores) you have to set up your bun's area.  First, you are going to need a large space or room they have full access to.  This might be a room that you covered all the cords in protective casing (so the bunnies can't chew on them) and gotten rid of all the things that can kill them (poisonous plants and chemicals) and can have the bun dig around, poo, and be a bunny.  If you are not able to provide a "bunny proof" room, some people get large x-pens that are bunny proof and the bunny's own space.  They really need to be able to run around, so the bigger space the better!

House:  once your rabbit has their own "land" or "property" they are going to want a house on it.  Many people just have a cage they keep in the large space that has a litter box, food, and water.  The bunny's home-base.  Some people (myself included) cage their buns during the night or while they are gone at work or school because they do not feel comfortable letting the bunny roam around a larger space unsupervised.  Make sure the cage is big enough for the rabbit to take a few hops in and never ever have a wire flooring for the cage- it does serious damage to bunny feet.  Other people (I would like to do this if I had the money) put hutches inside the bunnies house area.  It's like a super duper cage that can be two floors, nice all wood, and more space (to put the bun's 50" LED flat screen tv).  Sometimes a bun doesn't have a hutch or a cage, they just have a covered area they can feel safe in.  A place they can go when they are scared.  Rabbits get scared a lot.

Food:  Hay hay hay!  (in a Fat Albert voice)  Rabbits need a constant supply of Timothy Hay.  Alfalfa hay can be a treat that you give them every once in a while, but mainly Timothy.  The only buns that should have mainly Alfalfa hay  are pregnant bunnies and baby bunnies.  Alfalfa hay is full of proteins and minerals that can be too much for a rabbit's sensitive digestive system.  Rabbits also need pellets, I use Oxbow Essentials (no this isn't an advertisement).  You don't want the food with seeds in it,  plain pellets is safe.  Depending on the size of your bun you may feed them a cup of pellets twice a day, or 1/4 of a cup twice a day.  The pellet bags usually have serving sizes on them. Everyday rabbits also need veggies.  Particularly leafy greens.  Lettuce and kale are the greens I give my buns most.  (never iceberg lettuce.)  Rabbits also like carrots, peppers, cucumber, veggies like that and fruits like strawberries and apples.  Just never give a rabbit too much non-leafy green veggies and fruit.  Bunnies have quite the sweet tooth, and though it is cute when a bun begs for food, not only could they get fat but they could die.  I also suggest organic fruits and veggies, but that's just me.

Beverages:  Rabbits only need water.  They need fresh water at all times.  It's a good idea to have a bottle water feeder and a bowl.  Make sure it is a very sturdy bowl because rabbits will knock it over. Rabbits drink more water per body size than any other mammal.  So seriously, give em water.

Treats:   Fruit and non-leafy veggies should be treats.  Most of the bunny treats they sell at pet stores are not good for bunnies.  Switch the Yogis out for dried mango.

Now that the bunny has food and shelter, go get yourself a bun bun! 

(Adopting a bun bun, of course.)  Take size into consideration.  The bigger the bun, the bigger their space needs to be.  Different breeds of bun are known for have different personalities.  I have never met a mean lop eared rabbit (I call them "Downers"), they are more domesticated breeds and bred for their temperament.  Rex's ears stand straight up, like a wild rabbit (I call them "Uppers.") but Rex are one of the smartest breeds of animal.  Do some research about different breeds.  Before you adopt, you usually can meet your rabbit, so find one you really click with. When you first bring them into your home leave them alone.  It's a good idea to keep them in their cage for the first week.  They are scared out of their little bunny minds and need a week to come to terms that they got stuck living with you and not some magical land of veggies and hay. After a week, open up their cage door and let them wander out if they want to.  Don't force a bun out of their cage - they hate it.  I know this from personal experience.  If you can, let them explore their new home.  They are very curious animals.

How to Not Kill a Rabbit

Bunnies can die easily if not taken care of properly.  

So to keep them from dying, you really gotta be a good pet owner.  Regular feeding schedule and daily routine are good, and these:

Hygiene:  bunnies need their litter box cleaned (yes they can be trained- I'll get to that later) every day.  Never use clay cat litter.  There is puffy paper bedding you can get for them but I strongly suggest Yesterday's News.  Their cage/Home Base should be cleaned every week/  Their "space" should always be pretty clean but try to do a thorough cleaning every week or every two weeks.  

Health:  First is make sure your bun is de-sexed (neuter/spay). If they aren't, get them.  It will prevent unwanted babies and their temperament will be way more relaxed.  Less territorial peeing everywhere.  Rabbits are fragile creatures and almost everything can kill them, so you need to make sure they are safe and healthy.  There are many diseases a bun can catch.  A lot of illness derive from gastrointestinal issues.  There are supplements like probiotics and digestive enzymes that you can get for your bun bun.  Make sure they have a yearly vet check up, and do a lot of research on common rabbit illness issues and what kinds of things to lookout for.  Some basic things to notice is if your rabbit is pooing less, or eating less, if they are listless, or grinding their teeth (not it in a "tooth purr" way, but a painful way) these are all big red flags and often need to be treated immediately.  Red/orange pee, on the other hand, is not an issue (usually).  If your bun's pee looks red it's not blood, don't freak out.

How to Be a Bunny Slave

Now that you have obtained Mr Flopsy  and know how to not kill him, you will begin to notice how demanding rabbits are as pets.  Just like a cat or dog, you have to pay attention to them, but even more so because

they will end up ruling your house with an iron paw.  

So when you get to the point  where you are okay with picking up bunny poo with your bare hands, or you have accepted that everything you own and like will be covered in hair and chewed up, don't despair.  There are many other Bunny Slaves out there just like you.  (i.e. me)

Fun:  Bunnies need toys, like rattles or bells, they need the cardboard of paper towel rolls, and they like a stuffed animal friend too.  Try to engage with your rabbit, on their terms, so get on the floor - they don't want to be picked up on your lap so you can play peek-a-boo.  It's not their style.   Let them come to you for attention, it might take a while before they let you pet them.  When they do, they'll go up to you and put their head down, that means they want to be pet.  Pet them in upward strokes from their nose to their forehead.  They all seem to like that.  Some buns like scrachies on their little bunny cheeks and behind their ears, but you need to build trust before they'll let you do that.  Trust takes a while.  My buns still don't fully trust me.  I can pet them and they are happy when I play with them, but they still get scared a lot.  A good measure of how comfortable your rabbit is how they lounge around.  The more difficult it is to stand up from that position, the more relaxed.  For example, a Bun Loaf is not as relaxed as a Superbun.  

Here Leopold Stokowski is loafing, doing the Bun Loaf.  This is when his paws are all hidden under his bunniness and looks like a loaf of bread.  It is easy to stand from that position, as opposed to the Superbun.

The Superbun is one of my favorites because their butts always look so cute!!

Training:  When your rabbit has had their initial week of solitude, and you've been a proper Bunny Slave, you can work on other things.  Litter box training is a big one.  Basically put the litter box where they seem to like to poo the most and then put hay in the litter box because they like to eat hay and poo simultaneously.  (I'm so happy humans don't do that.)  You can look up a lot of tactics and info on the internet about litter box training.  This is about the level of training lots of Bunny Slaves achieve.  Rabbits can be trained to hop though things, and over things, or trained to turn around or other cute stuff.  To do this you need the right bun with a lot of time and patience.  Trust is the biggest thing here.  Your rabbit needs to like you for them to listen to you.

Yay!!  Now you are a Bunny Slave to a great adopted bunny that you know how to not kill!

Make sure to send me pictures of you buns! ;)  (And I don't mean your butts, okay?  I mean your rabbits.  Jeez.)