When our family first moved to Regina, Saskatchewan from Ottawa, Ontario the younger daughter bought herself a rabbit which she named “Amy”. “Amy” was a small brown rabbit that was a real joy. The pet store where she was purchased called her a Dutch dwarf, but in actuality, she was probably a Netherlands Dwarf. She lived in a cage in the basement, but each evening she was let out to run around in the family room (also in the basement) so she could interact with the family. She became great friends with the two poodles the family had at that time and they used to play tag and also hide-and-go-seek. The family spent many hours watching their antics. “Amy” used to love to cuddle. If she felt that she wasn't getting enough attention, she would either nip the person holding her or scratch their chest. “Amy” was a shorthaired rabbit, so when she got sick no one suspected that she had a large hairball in her stomach. When she did not show signs of recovery after a couple of days, she was taken to a veterinarian. He suspected that it was a hairball, so he gave her some medicine used on cats for that ailment. Within minutes she went into convulsions and died. He performed an autopsy and discovered that she had a severe allergic reaction to the medication. He also determined that the hairball was very dense and that it had plugged the exit from the stomach into the intestine. “Amy” had become such a part of the family that it was devastating when she died.
So, if you want a great pet that's cute, cuddly and won't grow from a cute little ball of fur to a 100-pound beast, then consider a rabbit.
Here are just a few reasons why you should consider a rabbit for a pet.
1) Plenty of choices.
There are 45 different breeds of rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
Do you want a small rabbit? Consider a Netherlands Dwarf, Polish or Jersey Wooly.
Do you want a large rabbit? Then choose a Flemish Giant that can weigh up to 20 pounds.
Are you attracted to the “lop” eared rabbits? The Holland Lop is a popular choice because of its smaller size, but you can also choose from a Mini Lop, French Lop, American Fuzzy Lop or even an English Lop. An English Lop's ears can be up to 24 inches long.
Are you picky about color? Rabbits come in a variety of colors. You can undoubtedly find one or more colors that will appeal to your tastes!
Do you want a rabbit with a lot of fur? Then choose one of the Angora breeds, or a Jersey Wooly. But be prepared to spend extra time grooming the rabbit!
So the choices are endless and for many people, the choices are hard. Like the potato chip commercial says, “You can't choose just one!” However, if you do get more than one, remember that nothing breeds more quickly than rabbits. Also the bucks (male rabbits) tend to be more aggressive and have a tendency to be less clean than the females.
2) Rabbits are quiet.
It's guaranteed: You'll never have neighbors calling you to quiet down your rabbit. It just won't happen.
3) Rabbits can live indoors or outdoors.
Obviously, there are rabbits that live in the wild, but they can adapt to living inside as well.
If you keep rabbits outside, you need to make sure they have adequate shelter and are well protected from predators. These include the neighborhood dogs and cats that may wander through your yard.
They need to be protected from the elements and have plenty of ventilation. When hot weather comes, you need to take special measures to keep your rabbit safe because hot weather bothers them more than cold weather.
Many people keep their rabbits inside and that's fine as well. If you keep your rabbit inside, you'll need to spend some time preparing your home for your new friend.
Be sure to keep electrical wires away from your rabbit. Rabbits love to chew and those wires are tempting . . . and lethal. “Amy” chewed an extension cord just as efficiently as if she had used a set of wire cutting pliers. Fortunately, the cord was not plugged in at the time. After that the family made sure there were no electrical cords in the family room when “Amy” was loose.
Rabbits can be litter-box trained and are very clean animals. So feel free to keep them inside if this is what you want to do. A friend who lives in an apartment has two rabbits, both female, that are litter trained and she gives them complete freedom of the house. To do this, she does not have any electrical wires near the floor. She also does not have very much wooden furniture. What she does have is well chewed.
4) Rabbits are fun to have around.
Just watching them play in their cages is great fun, but let them out, hold them and pet them and you'll be hooked!
5) Rabbits are extremely cute.
Have you ever seen an ugly rabbit? I don't think anyone has!
With rabbits, the babies are very cute and adorable, and they stay cute and adorable when they grow up.
Mom and dad like dogs. There are three of us in the house. Most dogs are cute as puppies , but when they grow up, some turn into huge ugly beasts. That won't happen with rabbits. They'll stay cute their whole life.
6) They can be low cost to keep.
Rabbits are low-cost pets. Shots at the vet are usually unnecessary and you can easily take care of your rabbit yourself. If you care for your rabbit correctly, there will be no need to visit a vet at all. Just remember that rabbits, like cats, suffer from hair balls, so every once in a while add a little vegetable oil (3 or 4 drops) to their food.
So, pick out a rabbit for your very own, take it home and you will fall in love with it in no time.
Until next time,
Teia
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