Please research about RHDV2! This is a virus affecting bunnies and has appeared in states near Oregon.
If you’re adopting a bunny for a child please take into consideration that you are responsible for taking care of the bunny if the child loses interest. Volunteering and fostering are great options before committing.
General Information
Bunnies are high maintenance pets and require proper care and knowledge to be able to live long, healthy and happy lives.
- Most bunnies live 8 to 12 years; some even live to 15 or 16 years of age!
- Bunnies are social animals so it’s really important to keep them in pairs; they’re happiest with a friend! The best pairing is a spayed female bonded with a neutered male. Sometimes spayed females can bond, whereas males rarely do.
- Bunnies are safer and healthier living inside. Free-roam house bunnies are happiest, along with supervised outside playtime in a spacious bunny-proof setup.
- Bunnies are very sensitive to heat; keeping them cool in the summer is incredibly important to prevent heat stroke.
- Like all animals bunnies have odor; this is especially true when they’re not cleaned up after regularly.
- Bunnies have many similarities to cats, they are independent but love attention on their terms; they are curious, adventurous, smart, naughty, and so on.
- Bunnies bones are very fragile and they can get hurt or killed easily.
- Children need to be supervised with bunnies and should not be allowed to pick them up; being picked up relentlessly can make bunnies fearful of children. An alternative is letting the children gently pet the bunnies and having them sit on their laps.
- Just like humans and other animals, all bunnies have different personalities. Some are shy and need more patience than others.
- Having a bunny savvy vet is important and sometimes hard to find! Bunnies are considered exotic and having a knowledgeable vet can be life saving!
- A bored bunny can be destructive; they need a lot of stimulation and exercise.
Bunnies make amazing pets when their owner is patient and knowledgeable. All bunnies can learn to love human affection. Some will even snuggle and lick their human to show affection.
What to Avoid
- Cages and hutches
- Wire bottom (bunnies can be litter box trained, so there is no reason to have anything that’s wire bottom, it’s uncomfortable and bad for their feet)
- Corner litter boxes (too small)
- Small hay racks (don’t hold proper amount of hay & bunnies prefer it fresh)
- Unhealthy treats (with seeds, nuts, yogurt drops, etc)
- Salt licks
What You Need
HOUSING
- X pen (ideal for home base – 36” tall, recommend from petco.com)
- Litterbox – bigger the better!
- Pellet bowl
- Heavy bottom water dish (rather than water bottle)
- Chew toys (apple twigs, willow tunnels, hay cubes, cardboard boxes, etc.)
- Pet carrier
FOOD
- Hay – most important part of diet! (recommend orchard grass or timothy hay)
- Limited pellets daily (recommend Oxbow brand from chewy.com)
- Fresh veggies daily
- Fresh water
GROOMING
- Brush
- Toenail clippers
SUPPLIES
- Litter – no cat litter or wood shavings (recommend DryDen or Natures Bedding pellets from a feed store; recycled paper bedding works too but not as absorbent)
- Dustpan and handheld broom, or vacuum (for poop accidents)
- White vinegar (for urine accidents and disinfecting)
- Toys (wooden and hay toys for chewing)
Getting supplies and the proper setup for bunnies costs about $200 and up. Not including adoption fee and whether they need to be spayed or neutered (spaying and neutering is very important even for a single bunny for health, temperament, litter box training, etc.). Feeding bunnies and litter expenses totals to $40+/month, times two for your bonded pair! Emergency vet costs $75+/visit.
Bunnies are the 3rd most abandoned pet, please don’t be a part of that! Do your research and talk to someone who is knowledgeable about bunnies and then decide if they are the right pet for you!
Find more helpful information on the House Rabbit Society website – rabbit.org