Written By : M Samy

Why rabbits are good pets ?

Why rabbits are good pets

Why have a rabbit instead of a dog or a cat or even a guinea pig?

There are many advantages of having a rabbit as a pet rather than another, they are independent, grateful and loyal to their parents, economical and do not require too much space, clean and sturdy, generally calm, playful and very affectionate, endearing and sewn, beautiful, do not destroy your home and easy to take with you when you travel.

There are many advantages to having a rabbit as a pet rather than a cat, dog, guinea pig … even if others have their advantages too.

So I will give you the reasons to choose a rabbit if you want a furry companion:

why are rabbits good pets

1- Rabbits are good pets because of the availability of choice

The first reason to adopt a rabbit is that there are many varieties, colors, sizes and characters and you can if you apply yourself a little bit, choose a rabbit that will be exactly right for you. I have recommended 3 breeds of rabbits ideal for a beginner in this article.

There are more than 180 breeds of rabbit and almost 50 breeds are recognized by ARBA, not to mention the unlimited choice of colors and hair size if you have an allergy for example …

You will find a rabbit, calm or playful, long or short haired, tall or dwarf, you just have to know which one you want and you will surely find it.

If you want an adult rabbit that will fit in the palm of your hand ; choose a Britannia Petite , and if you want a dog-sized rabbit , choose a Flemish Giant , on the other hand choose a rabbit that looks like a stuffed toy , buy yourself an Angora ; or why not a Frensh , English or Holland Lop if you love floppy ears , they are very cute ….

2- Rabbits love to be Held & Picked Up ( they are tame animals )

Unlike cats who only follow their moods and will only let you take them if you show them a treat; rabbits on the other hand, if they are well introduced and welcomed into the family, are animals that love to be hugged and stroked, they love children provided that they know how to handle them of course and they are excellent companions for seniors because of this characteristic that makes them very sociable and interactive with humans.

So if you want an animal that will be easily caught and that will give you back the caresses and love, choose a rabbit.

3-One of the reasons for choosing a rabbit as a pet is that they are very quiet

Unlike dogs who can bark all the time and sometimes even without reason, or cats who drop the vases and wake up the whole neighborhood during mating season or even just for fun, rabbits on the other hand are very calm animals and you will only hear them if there is a valid reason.

Rabbits can scream if someone hurts them, or if you scare them, but apart from these rare situations, you will never hear your rabbit and it won’t risk waking you up if you take a nap.

This innate quality in rabbits, so as not to attract predators, is very appreciated by people who live in apartments because, unlike a cat or a dog, a rabbit would never risk disturbing the neighbors and even roommates.

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You can also thanks to this quality leave your rabbits alone for a whole weekend after having prepared all the necessary things for them of course, enough hay and water especially and their toys. Try to do this with a puppy that hasn’t had any “crate training” … it will wake up the whole neighborhood who won’t hesitate to call 911 … and they are right!!

4- Choose a rabbit as a pet Cuz they are very Smart

Contrary to what people think, rabbits are very intelligent and easy to train.

This is the reason why you often see them in circuses and this faculty makes them very receptive to training, such as Litter Box training or using their toys …

There are even some amateurs who make them teach tricks like opening boxes with their teeth, rolling a ball, jumping over obstacles, races …. etc.

So if you want a pet whose intellectual faculties are very close to those of dogs, choose a rabbit and they are all the same because no breed is known to be smarter than the other!

So you can spend time teaching your rabbit new tricks. 

5- Rabbits are not very demanding (low maintenance pets)

If you are really short of time and you still want a pet, some will recommend you fish “an aquarium” or even an Axolotl, but I would rather say, choose a rabbit.

The most demanding rabbit will only ask for your time one hour a day, to feed it, to take it out of its cage for a moment and a little cleaning.

Rabbits are therefore very practical pets for people who work all day long. Five minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at noon and half an hour in the evening are enough to take care of a rabbit.

6- Rabbits will not cost you much

Contrary to popular belief, rabbits are not expensive and you only need a little more than a hundred dollars to have a rabbit well installed in its cage with all the necessities ” depending on the breed of rabbit chosen, the rabbit and the necessary to start will cost you between $100 and $200″.

Its food is not expensive, 70% hay, pellets and apple or carrot pieces as a treat from time to time.

If you live outside the city, you can even pick his food from the fields.

I must point out here that rabbit care can be very expensive for you if you neglect the hygiene of the rabbit or its living space on the one hand, or if you ignore the symptoms of rabbit diseases and do not detect them in time !

I also recommend you to buy an adult rabbit or a couple, at the breeders because they are surely already neutered which will save you some money too.

Another reason why rabbits are so popular is that they are easy to travel with unlike dogs for example which require special cages and other conditions. For a rabbit, a small cage, cheap and that’s it.

7-Rabbits are very popular as pets because they are very clean

what makes rabbits good pets

Do Rabbits Smell bad ? No !! never … Rabbits are very clean animals and spend most of their time doing their own grooming.

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All you have to do is to teach him to do his business in his litter box and to keep his cage as clean as possible with a little daily cleaning by picking up the few droppings outside his litter box and passing a cloth soaked in vinegar on the places where the rabbit would have urinated clumsily !! and a big cleaning of the cage or the saddler every week or every two weeks using hot water and vinegar for the litter box.

As for the rabbits themselves, they are very clean by nature and the people who say they smell bad are the ones who neglect the maintenance and cleanliness of their cage.

8- Rabbits are excellent pets for the whole family

Another reason to have a rabbit as a pet is that they are made to get along with all the family members.

Rabbits are ideal for singles as well as couples; rabbits are great pets for a family with children because rabbits love children and cuddling and especially playing with them.

Rabbits are especially an excellent occupation for seniors . If you know that your parents love animals and they have some free time, consider offering them a couple of rabbits, neutered of course to prevent them from having babies, these little fur balls are excellent companions, easy to maintain and very entertaining and beautiful to look at.

Rabbits are also known to have their own personality, it usually appears at adulthood and after castration and once you know your rabbit’s personality, you will get along well because they only change their habits when they get sick or because of an external factor like something that scares them…etc.

9- Rabbits cohabit well with other pets

If you already have another pet, I’m not talking about foxes, raptors, big snakes or ferrets, the natural predators of rabbits, you can also welcome one or two rabbits in the family because rabbits are very calm and will get along well with your cat or dog as long as you learn how to introduce them.

I have made it the method to introduce other pets to the guinea pig that you can also apply with rabbits.

So if you have other pets at home like a dog or a cat … and your children ask you for rabbits, don’t hesitate a second and run to get some.

10- A rabbit left alone will not destroy the house

I’ve seen dogs that have done a lot of damage when they were left alone in the house for just one day.

This is not going to happen with a rabbit, it won’t put away your table legs or cook it from your Sofa.

Instead, think of its own safety in preparing your home to welcome it, all the harm that a rabbit left alone in the house could do is maybe a few droppings, easy to pick up or a few drops of urine that you will forget as soon as you sprinkle a little vinegar and deodorant on the spot.

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This makes rabbits excellent pets and good companions for people who are outside all day and want a pet that won’t suffer from their absence and especially that won’t destroy their apartment .

11- Rabbits can have long lifespan, ideal for children

Unlike hamsters or goldfish that succumb to the slightest mistake and do not live long by nature; rabbits can live more than 15 years and therefore do not risk causing your children grief.

This is an excellent reason if you want to offer a pet to your child who will grow up with him and will be responsible with time, this will avoid him to invent his own imaginary friend as well …

We saw a crossbred rabbit live for almost 18 years.

12- A rabbit is a real stress reducer

are rabbits good pets

Rabbits are beautiful and fun animals which makes them excellent stress reducers and they will surely help you forget your worries just by looking at them and watching them play on the front lawn or in the Backyard garden.

All pets are stress reducers, but a cat or dog could sometimes even get on your nerves when they become disobedient, which is not likely to happen if you choose a rabbit as a pet because rabbits are calm and generally do not cause any worries in the house.

It is also a great way to calm a child who is unruly and lacks concentration.

Let’s wrap this up

After dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most popular animal available for adoption here in the United States, another reason to welcome a couple into your home.

Of course, I’ve mentioned all the advantages of having a rabbit rather than another pet, but don’t misunderstand me, because rabbits are still living creatures that need daily attention and are not just toys to give to children.

If you buy rabbits for your children, know that it is you who will take care of them at least the first few times, while the children understand their responsibility and learn how to take good care of rabbits and especially make a Check up of the symptoms of known diseases every week to avoid losing them or that a sudden illness, not detected in time will cost you a few hundred dollars or even the life of your rabbit!!

Rabbits are excellent pets as long as you learn about them and take care of them every day.

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

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