Written By : M Samy

Is a Rabbit the Right Pet for You?

Is a Rabbit the Right Pet for You?

A rabbit is the ideal pet for you if you are not allergic to fur or hay, are looking for a social, quiet, fluffy, clean, handsome, generally affectionate, hardy, playful pet that loves children, and that will only require you to feed it well, clean its cage, groom it, stimulate it and care for it as soon as it shows any sign of illness.

Is a Rabbit the right pet for you? The answer to this question depends on you, as taking care of this little pet is not as easier as it sounds. Rabbits are small, clean, and beautiful, which makes them a perfect pet to keep at home.

Is a Rabbit the Right Pet for You?

Being smaller in size does not mean that this pet has no specific needs. Like any other pet, there are certain needs and demands of this little pet to live a happy healthy life. 

If you plan to bring a rabbit home to keep it as a pet, you must research it before bringing it. Few things that you must consider before you decide to keep rabbit at home are:

  • Understand your Lifestyle and find out if a pet Rabbit can fit in your lifestyle
  • Living Space for a Rabbit Matters a lot
  • The cost required to maintain a balanced life for a Rabbit
  • Proper care and Veterinary visits

The factors mentioned above highly contribute to providing a healthy and happy life to a rabbit. If you can fulfill these requirements, then a rabbit can be the right pet for you to keep at home.

Living space is one of the important factors that contribute to providing the best life to a pet rabbit. If your Bun is not comfortable with his/her home then it can be hard to adjust. 

Arranging a cage for your pet rabbit provides a complete comfort of a home.

Thus, an important thing that you need is a perfect-sized cage, and an indoor cage will be a plus. A lot of options are available for rabbit owners to choose the best indoor rabbit cage. A rabbit cage will make it easier for the owner to take care of the little pet.

Arranging a Rabbit cage is also an easy task that requires a few simple steps. The only thing that matters here is to bring all the right essentials to set up the cage. 

Needs of a Rabbit for a Healthy Lifestyle

Imagine the small, innocent eyes full of curiosity looking at you and do not demand anything else than a better lifestyle. 

Being a rabbit owner, it is your responsibility to provide everything that this little pet needs to stay happy. 

A Comfortable Home

is a bunny the right pet for my family

Each pet loves its home and wants to spend some quality time to stay comfortable. For a rabbit none other than a cage there would be any comfortable space to live. 

A cage or a hutch is a rabbit’s home where he feels more secure and comfortable. So, it must be according to his requirements and demands.

While picking your bunny’s enclosure make sure to get a perfect size, and the bin must be spacious for the rabbit to move as well as play easily. 

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Cage arrangement for a rabbit is yet another important thing that a rabbit owner must keep in mind while setting up the home for the pet.

Good Diet

A rabbit’s diet mainly consists of two important things i.e., fresh hay, and clean water. 

Hay plays a major role in a rabbit’s life as a rabbit loves chewing it and it is good for proper digestion. On the other hand, water is a basic need of every living creature. 

Besides fresh hay, you can also feed a rabbit on veggies, fruits, and a few pellets. Remember you cannot feed all the vegetables to a rabbit because not all of them are good for your pet’s health. 

Some fruits are the best treats for a rabbit, at the same time you should also take special care while feeding them. 

Gentle Care

A rabbit is a pet that usually does not like a touch from its owner or being picked up. So, while you play with your pet or perform any other activity like grooming your pet. 

Always try to stay gentle and kind with your pet. If you experience any signs of aggression then stop forcing your pet to avoid any kind of attack.

Personal Grooming and Regular Veterinary Visit

All the pets need grooming, cleaning, and regular examination by a professional , to detect diseases in your rabbit before they become serious and fatal . Similarly, a rabbit also needs to be cleaned, groomed, and examined , especially Angora ones

It is a common myth about rabbits that they do not need to go to a vet, which is not true.

If you are keeping a rabbit as a pet, you must consider this factor and you have to take your little pet to a vet regularly. 

Is a Bunny the right pet for me and my family ?

Is a pet rabbit the right choice for me and my family ?

Here are some truths about rabbits that you may need to know before deciding if they are the right pet for your family:

– The rabbit is not a cuddly animal.

– The rabbit is an animal with a fragile skeleton, it should not be handled in an untimely manner by a child.

– The rabbit hates being carried.

– The rabbit has an exuberant sexuality (simulation of sexual acts, marking of territory, throwing of urine).

The rabbit is as expensive in food and care as a dog or a cat, sometimes more!

-Your rabbit needs a companion of the opposite sex. It is therefore necessary to have both individuals sterilized .

The pet rabbit needs a MINIMUM of 4 hours of exercise per day. This does not mean 4 hours of freedom since your rabbit will not exercise non stop during these 4 hours of freedom. This means at least double.

– Your pet rabbit must be trained, which requires weeks, even months of work, like for a puppy.

– Your rabbit will need Real vegetables, not peelings, which must be washed and prepared morning and evening.

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– The Bunny needs perfect hygiene otherwise it develops ulcerative pododermatitis that can lead to amputation. You must wash thoroughly all its accessories and its habitat once a week and change its litter every two days.

– It should be brushed and its nails trimmed regularly.

– The smaller the rabbit, the more nervous it is and the more exercise it needs.

– Rabbits are social animals; they cannot be left alone in a cage all day, these are not acceptable living conditions.

– Rabbits being prey, they are very cardiac and subject to stress. They need a calm environment.

– Some rabbits wont behave , could be aggressive and even bite if you don’t respect their territory or if you solicit them too much.

– Rabbits do not necessarily get along with other pets , in case you already have an other pet

– Rabbits are often a problem when going on vacation because they can only stay alone for 2 or 3 days if they have enough food and water. You will have to take your bun with you or entrust it to someone else.

– Contrary to what many people think, the dwarf rabbit is not necessarily a kids-friendly pet . It is a fragile and temperamental animal that needs a lot of attention and vigilance. 

It is not a toy, it does not like to be carried and pawed all the time, it can even become aggressive and bite! It must always be under the responsibility of adults and, if it lives with young children, remain under supervision.

– The pet rabbit is an animal which can make damages in a house: nibble the electric wires, the pieces of furniture, the angles of the walls… if it does not have anything at disposal to file its teeth. It is necessary to secure the rooms where the rabbit has access.

– The rabbit can learn to be clean, but it can “forget” itself or mark its territory all over the house.

Your New pet rabbit may be active at night. This should be taken into account if you live in a studio or if you plan to put your rabbit in a room and you are a light sleeper.

Adopting a rabbit is a 10 year commitment!

Adopting a pet rabbit is not a decision to be taken lightly. It must be carefully thought out even it’s commonly known that bunnies make great pets.

Where to get a pet rabbit ?

If you have finally decided that you need a rabbit as a pet and you are ready to take good care of it, let me congratulate you because they are great and lovely pets and I have already had some personally and believe me, they are adorable.

You can find rabbits already tamed, maybe even spayed and litterbox-trained in shelters or rescue agencies.

If you want a rabbit that has never been owned before, because rabbits are notorious for never forgetting their first owner.

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I recommend that you look for a known breeder in your state or city, otherwise, there is probably a facebook group where bunny lovers will suggest professional breeders and other tips.

Bunny breeders will sell you excellent rabbits, purebred, so no hereditary diseases because they are born from selected parents, and you will probably have little rabbits already socialized, and tons of advice that will be very useful, these tips you will not have if you buy your first rabbit in a pet store, which have probably received, unsocialized and directly from pet mills.

Shelter rabbits are usually older rabbits, calmer, used to humans, litter-trained and clean, but may be sick or have special needs and treatments to follow, as older rabbits need more attention than younger ones.

Are there any advantages to having a rabbit over other pets?

Yes, if you like peace and quiet, a bunny is what you need if you live in an apartment and you don’t have much space.

The rabbit does not need daily outings, preventive shots
The rabbit is interactive and will quickly become a member of the family
Unlike hamsters for example, rabbits can live for more than 10 years and they will not die too quickly and give your children grief.

How much money will it cost to having a rabbit as a pet?

You should count between $50 and $80 each month for your rabbit, that’s for food, toys and chewing stuff, not to mention cleaning products, bedding, etc.

But before you bring your rabbit home, you should know that it could cost you between $300 and $400 to buy all the necessities and to buy a good rabbit as well.

You should also plan to put aside $100 in case your rabbit needs a surprise visit to the vet and up to $100 if you want to sterilize it, even for females to prevent it from marking and urinating all over the apartment.

Final Thoughts

You must be thinking of keeping a rabbit as a pet but at the same time still confused, whether is this the right pet for you or not? 

A rabbit can be a perfect pet for you but like any other pet, this little pet also needs special care and treatment. Some useful tips discussed above will help you give your little one a perfect lifestyle he deserves to stay healthy and happy. 

M Samy pet blogger and author at famillypet

About Author

Hey! Samy here , Welcome to my Blog I'm an animal lover, especially pets and Really concerned about their well being ; I've been around and caring for all my life and Now ; a full-time Pet blogger at your service . My motto here at Famillypet is: "Pets First" ... Read More