We’ve had our Bunny Fuz for a year now. Since Easter is coming soon, I thought I would share a post with some things you should think about before getting a bunny as a pet.
1. Bunnies are a long term commitment. They live 10 years on average. If you can’t make a long term commitment a bunny might not be the right pet for you.
2. Bunnies need time and attention. Bunnies are very social creatures. Human contact is great. A bunny friend is good too! Just be careful if you have a male & female bunny together – you will have baby bunnies!
We try to let our bunny out of his cage to run around and stretch his legs at least once a day. We have to watch him to make sure he stays safe, and make sure he does not chew on anything.
The more time and space you can give your bunny to run around, the happier he/she will be. Just make sure to bunny proof your space. Our bunny enjoys hopping around and stretching his legs; he likes to nose around with our daughters toys, and he also likes to follow our 2 year old daughter around. Our bunny Fuz does seem to like to have his face/ears/body scratched.
3. Bunnies get bored and like toys to keep them entertained. You can buy toys for them or you can make your own. I like stuffing timothy hay into cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tubes and the bunny can roll them around and pull the hay out, they can also chew on the tubes. You can do the same thing with an egg carton. There are lots of other ideas for homemade bunny toys that can be found on Pinterest.
4. Bunnies can be litter box trained. Litter boxes and cages will need to be cleaned every few days, to keep the cage/box from getting smelly. Bunnies tend to go potty while eating. We have two litter boxes for our bunny in his cage, one under his pellet feeder and one that has half full of timothy hay and the other half full of bedding.
Bunnies also like to use the bathroom in the same area, so try not to move the litter boxes around too much. We use cedar wood shavings for bedding. They have a nice smell that helps cover the bunny urine smell. There are a lot of bedding choices. Bunnies love to dig, so choose something that you don’t mind if it makes a mess.
5. Bunnies don’t love to be picked up and cuddled. They prefer to have their feet on the ground. They are a prey animal, so they get scared when picked up. They may bite, kick or scratch when picked up.
That being said, if you get a baby bunny like we did and handle him or her a lot, they can be very gentle and tolerant of children. Bunnies have different personalities, so be sure to spend some time with them to determine temperament before choosing a bunny friend to bring home.
6. Bunnies need a special diet (no, it’s not all carrots!). Approximately 80% of a bunny’s diet should be grass hay, such as timothy hay. Bunnies should eat a ball of hay approximately the size of themselves every day!
Bunnies teeth are constantly growing, so they need to do a lot of chewing to keep their teeth healthy and not too long. 10% of a bunny’s diet should be fresh veggies/ herbs. Approximately 5% can come from healthy pellets and 5% from healthy treats.
There are a number of foods you should never feed your bunny including bread, rice, potatoes, biscuits, chocolate, candy, chips, avocado, apple seeds, onion, tomato plants, nuts, and seeds. Bunnies also need a steady supply of fresh water.
Research, research, research before you bring bunny home. Know what you are getting into so you don’t end up being surprised or unhappy with your choice. There are many types of bunnies. There are differences in size, color, hair length, and ear type. Our bunny is one of the smaller varieties of bunny; he is a Holland Lop.
Many people choose to get bunnies around Easter and within a few months decide that they can’t commit to caring for them so they either free them outside to become another animal’s meal or they leave them at the local animal shelter.
Rabbits are the third most abandoned animal. Please check your local animal shelter(s) for bunnies to adopt before buying one.
Hi, my name is Asha. I am 34-years-old and am a nurse by profession. Right now I am battling Breast Cancer. My husband and I have been married for 8 years and together we have a sweet seven-year-old daughter, a fun four-year-old son, and a lovable bunny named Caramel. I enjoy spending time with family, taking photographs, scrapbooking, hunting, fishing, cooking and gardening.
I love this post! We are planning on getting a pet this Spring and a bunny is one of the options! Thanks for the tips, I will definitely keep them in mind!
This post couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, how ironic! My oldest daughter had been asking for a bunny and is determined to get one. I know that they take a lot of responsibility (she’s only 8) so I am just not sure if we are ready yet. Your post makes me feel better about it, and I think we may actually get her one for her Birthday in May. Thank you so much for sharing this helpful info! 🙂
I had 3 bunnies as a little girl. They all had very different personalities. They sure do poop a lot. I wish I was able to potty train them. I had great memories with these bunnies, but still afraid to get my daughters a pet.
I had 3 bunnies as a little girl. They all had very different personalities. They sure do poop a lot. I wish I was able to potty train them. I had great memories with these bunnies, but still afraid to get my daughters a pet.
Very good advice especially as Easter is coming up. Years ago, s many would give children chicks or bunnies then, and it was usually not a good thing. I had rabbits when I was a kid. and loved them,and would often find those who were out right after Easter. I guess thats where the animal thing came from. Also, a good point to mention about how long they live. most dont realize that either. Oh and you can get your bunny neutered or spayed whatever the case may be, often desexed bunnies live longer and they have a better attitude!
I has a bunny in 2003 and it was a life long dream for me. Oh boy it did not work out well. This was a time before every thing was on the net. My bunny pooped every where, did not litter box train, and got lost all around the house. I quickly figured out it was not a good fit for me, even though I am a huge animal lover. I found my bunny a great home with 4 kids. I saw my bunny about 6 weeks later and it have tripled in size and was extremely happy. I knew I had absolutely made the right choice. Everything in this post is so true. Also, bunnies like to eat a wide arrange of greens, or at least my bunny did once it went to it’s new home they discovered. She was extremely happy. This is a great educational post!
Do you have any tips for re-homing a bunny?? My Leo is a sweet and huge bun-bun that I adore, yet I believe there are better homes for him. He craves social contact with another animal, and the cat just isn’t having it. And, I have the main part of my bedroom living area closed off with tall dog gates so he can’t bite through electrical cords, expensive handbags, etc., making it even less social for him. I asked a few techs with free roam bunny experience at my vet clinic, yet they are not adopting right now. I am protective of him, and likely will not be able to release him somewhere where he will be caged and biting at doors, or not given enough social attention.
I did not realize that they required so much care. I am not the kind of person that has ever though of getting a rabbit. I know I will not now. I would rather have another dog or cat.
This is something that everyone should have to read before they are sold a bunny. My brothers had them as kids and thought they kids should have but their kids did not care for them. They are a lot of work!
Such great advice! I love bunnies but know that I don’t have the time or facilities for one. I’ll stick to my cats!
The same thing goes for those cute little chicks at Easter time. I don’t think people realize that they grow up to be chickens. My family once had someone dump off a chicken in front of their house. They live in the country with a big barn so people think it’s a good place to drop off their unwanted pets. It was a few months after Easter so I suspect it was an Easter leftover. Poor thing, but they found it a good home.
Such great advice! I love bunnies but know that I don’t have the time or facilities for one. I’ll stick to my cats!
The same thing goes for those cute little chicks at Easter time. I don’t think people realize that they grow up to be chickens. My family once had someone dump off a chicken in front of their house. They live in the country with a big barn so people think it’s a good place to drop off their unwanted pets. It was a few months after Easter so I suspect it was an Easter leftover. Poor thing, but they found it a good home.
There is much to know how to care for a bunny properly, and good timing for the post. I only know one family from a while back who had a bunny. I’m shocked people would let it loose outside to abandon it, it should be obvious it could not survive. There should be more information notices about people thinking at this time of year of getting a bunny. It can be a nice pet! Yours is adorable!
We have had our bunny Tokki for about 3 years. He can be grumpy and throw bunny fits but he is a big part of our family. It is so important to keep them occupied a bored bunny is a destructive bunny. I learned that the hard way.
Bunnies are so cute! But … after reading this I don’t think I would want one as a pet. I really didn’t know that there were so many types of bunnies. Thanks for the information.
Bunnies are SOOOO adorable & I LOVE them, but we were surprised how smelly their potty is even when you clean it daily.
One of my friends, when I was a teen, had a litter box trained bunny & it was so cute BUT it did not like to be held so it wasn’t much fun.
Also, SOME bunnies bite and scratch too.
Our neighbors had a huge male bunny and he tried to “hump” one of my daughter’s arms (she didn’t know what he was doing but I did.” and in the few moments he had at her arm before she got away he left deep bloody scratches up and down her arm!
As much as I love bunnies, They would not be on my list of pets for kids, personally.
I think your article is very informative to help parents decide if it would be good for theirs.
I had no ideal that they didn’t like to be picked up. Sounds like bunnies are a lot of work but you and your family have it down pat. I can remember my brothers having bunnies when they were kids. Both bunnies were in the same cage…………….. BABIES
I didn’t know that rabbits are that high on the list for abandoned animals. So sad, I know how much work they are so I know I’ve always been set on not getting one.
To each his own as far as what you prefer for a pet. However, I have 2 mini Rex rabbit s & 1 Holland lop. Just like a dog or a cat they can be trained very easily to go in a litter box & even do tricks. Mt rabbits walk on a leash, just take at little time to get them used to the harness, just like a dog. As far as smelling, that is the farthest from the truth. Rabbits are very clean animals, always grooming themselves or if you have more than 1 they will groom each other. Rabbits are also very social animals so having more than 1 helps but is not necessary. I held my rabbits a lot when they were little & because of that, they’re fine with being held. Yes they we want down but that’s only because they are a very curious animal & always want to check things out. My male holland lop is the sweetest bunny. I can hold him on his back & rock him like a baby. Every evening he lays on my chest as I say my prayers & when I’m done & say amen he crawls up on my shoulder & we just snuggle, then he knows it’s bedtime. Just like most animals they just need trained & loved. I will never be without a bunny in my life.
My friends have had rodents and rabbits for years and now they have bred some baby bunnies. We are going to get three and have them live outside. It is definitely nice to know all these things before getting a rabbit. But my advice would be to get a baby rabbit from a local breeder not from a store because the chances are it will be better quality and better bred. The main pro to getting a baby would be that you would be able to train it to like certain things and get it used to certain stuff.
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These are adorable photos and also great advice. My brother had a few bunnies as pets and he just loved them.