Bunnies as Pets

As I blogged earlier, we got our bunny, Heidi, when what I really wanted was another dog. I had known several friends who had bunnies and enjoyed them, so we decided to try it. I read a book about bunnies and got her a cage, and then we got her at the Tennessee State Fair. She is a mini-lop, which means that her ears hang down instead of standing up. She was probably about 6 months old when we got her. She didn’t like us.
-
I thought I could win her over. After all, I have a "way" with animals.
-
I picked her up. She bit me. I tried to pat her. She attacked me, snarling and clawing.
-
I learned that bunnies don’t like for you to stick your hands in their cage. I learned that it is better to adopt them when they are very young and haven’t developed a fear of humans. I learned that they chew things up, such as carpet and electrical cords. I learned that just because you have a way with dogs, cats and hamsters, doesn’t mean you have a way with bunnies. And I learned that a bunny won’t do when what you really want is a puppy.
-
They do have a few good qualities. They are low-maintenance. Ours began using a litter box without being taught. Because they are vegetarians, their litter box doesn’t smell too much. They are fun to watch too. We gave her a phone book which she loves tearing to shreds. This is not so bad when the shreds stay in her cage, but our dogs have developed a fondness for pulling them out through the wires and dragging them all over the room (see picture). We let her hop around downstairs when we are there to watch her. She is fine around Dasha or my brother’s dog, Lexie, who often visits, but Nash still tries to hunt her down so has to be kept away from her when she’s out.
-
Other things to know about bunnies: they need to be given straw and fresh fruits and vegetables regularly. Their teeth grow constantly, so they need to chew on wood or rabbit toys to wear them down. They thump with their back foot when they are afraid, not a soft little bunny thump like you might think; it shakes the rafters. They usually live 5-10 years.
-
She has gotten a little sweeter as she has gotten older and will let me stick my finger in her cage and rub her head (for hours if I’m willing). She has actually taken to Don better than she has to me (even though I am the one who feeds her and cleans her litter box) and will come up to him when she’s out of the cage and let him pet her. She will still scratch and bite if I try to pick her up, so I have basically learned not to do that unless necessary.
-
If you are considering getting a bunny for a pet, I would only recommend that you be sure you know what you’re getting into before you do it.