Ever thought of adopting a bunny?! Today I’m answering all your bunny care related questions. As many of you know, when I was living in Chicago for graduate school I adopted two rescue bunnies, Hank and Henry. They were a bonded pair of biological brothers who loved each other so much! Henry passed away last year, after a long, happy, healthy bunny life, and Hank is still going strong at well over 10 years old. When I moved to NYC the boys came with me and were around for all my 20+ foster dogs. They were so great with them and vice versa.
I always get questions about bunny care, but now more than ever with more and more people spending time at home, and wanting to help animals in need, I’ve received so many messages from people wanting to know all about caring for a domesticated bunny. So let’s get to the questions!
Where do your bunnies live? Are they loose in your apartment? Can they live outside? My bunnies live inside with me, and it’s actually very important that pet bunnies be kept inside, not outside. Domesticated bunnies do not have the instincts that wild bunnies do for how to react around a predator. (Hence why so many pet bunnies are friends with dogs, cats and other animals.) It is ok to take them outside in a safe area (with a fence or on a leash) where you can supervise them, but they shouldn’t be left outside unsupervised.
In my apartment I have a little set up that I can enclose them in if needed. When they were younger I would close them in there to keep them safe when I wasn’t at home. When I was home it would always be open for them to roam. But now that I just have Hank and he’s super mellow and doesn’t chew on anything (like wires or wood furniture), he stays out loose around the apartment all day, even when I’m gone.
My set up in the apartment is a soft sided puppy playpen, surrounded by a larger retractable metal playpen. I close the metal area at night where he sleeps with the smaller soft sided playpen inside of it. The reason I have the two puppy playpens making one large “bunny space” is because separating where the litterbox is from their bed keeps things cleaner.
What do you feed them? I got some great advice when I adopted Hank and Henry from their foster mom to feed them only greens and hay – no commercial rabbit food pellets. Rabbit food pellets sold at pet supply stores often have ingredients that are processed and totally unnecessary for them. Just like I make Pani’s food for her (no kibble), my bunnies never ate the bunny version of kibble (aka pellets) either. This method has worked very well since Henry lived such a long bunny life and Hank is going strong at well over 10 years old.
My bunnies get greens for breakfast and dinner every day. The greens can be romaine, cilantro, parsley, kale, spinach, red leaf lettuce, basil, carrot top greens, etc. The one I feed them most often is organic romaine, but I try to rotate what they’re eating as well. I always go with organic for them because they are such little beings, I want to make sure I’m never putting any unnecessary chemicals in their bodies.
Bunnies should have access to hay pretty much 24/7, it is essential for them in addition to the fresh greens! It helps with their digestion and helps them keep their teeth from getting too long and overgrown (a common problem in bunnies). Bunnies constantly feel an urge to chew, so hay helps soothe that urge. You put the hay for them directly in the litterbox because bunnies often go to the bathroom while they eat. I always get them the Sweet Meadow Farm Organically Grown Timothy Hay w/ Herbs.
For the occasional treat they get things like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples, carrots, etc. I like to think of fruit as a treat, like a donut for bunnies, so don’t let them overindulge. Fruits and vegetables should never make up the majority of their diet – greens and hay should!
And fresh water everyday of course too!
Where do they go to the bathroom? My boys use a litterbox! Putting their hay directly in their litterbox teaches them to use it to go to the bathroom because bunnies often go to the bathroom while they are eating.
When training them to use a litterbox it is important to slowly introduce them to their new home. Do not let them explore the whole room or whole house at once because until they’ve practiced it over and over again they can forget where their litterbox is/how to get back to it and start marking different places in the home that they’ve decided is their new bathroom. Instead keep them in the playpen for a few days, then make the space with the metal playpen larger for them, then after a week or so let them explore the whole room, until eventually you are able to gradually let them explore your whole home. Then they will remember where their litterbox is and how to get back to it. My boys never have accidents in my apartment here in NYC (it’s been 6 years since we moved here), but I made the mistake of letting them explore my whole Chicago apartment and my parent’s home too soon, and they had accidents there.
What supplies will I need?
- Fresh greens
- Hay
- I have tried many different brands and Sweet Meadow Farm Organically Grown Timothy Hay w/ Herbs is my favorite. Other brands either smell too strong or the really cheap brands give me allergies. I have zero issues with hay from Sweet Meadow Farm.
- Water bowl
- Litterbox
- I have two so I can easily rotate out the dirty one for the clean one. I line the litterboxes with garbage bags for easier cleanup.
- Litter/small pet bedding – for inside the litterbox
- Something soft for them to lay on, like a dog bed, blankets, cushions, etc.
- Rabbit chew toys
- It feels really good to rabbits to be able to chew often. Etsy has great options like these!
What’s wrong with cages with metal bottoms? Many of the rabbit hutches that are sold as homes for rabbits have metal grates for bottoms. Steer clear of these! They are so hard on their little paws. Imagine never being able to stand on solid ground. Rabbits kept in these sorts of cages get pressure sores and suffer from chronic pain, so avoid them for sure!
How long do bunnies live? Most domesticated bunnies seem to have very short lifespans. So many live just a few years, but as you can see with Hank and Henry, bunnies can live to be well over 10 years old with good nutrition and care.
Do they need exercise? Yes! Bunnies need lots of time to run around, play and binky (a binky is an excited bunny jump that they do in the air). Let them explore and play around your home to get exercise.
How did you make sure they got along with all your foster dogs and now Pani? I really lucked out with this! Make sure introductions are slow, and never leave them alone together unless you absolutely know they are fine together and have been for a long time. I didn’t leave Pani and the bunnies alone together for about a year. I have a Furbo dog camera (highly recommend!!) now to watch them when I’m gone and Hank and Pani literally do not even interact at all when I’m not home. Pani goes and sleeps in her corner and Hank goes and sleeps under the coffee table. When I am home they interact with each other.
Is it true they smell bad? My bunnies don’t smell at all, healthy bunnies themselves have no scent detectable to humans. However if their litterbox needs to be changed, that can start to smell (obviously).
Do they need to be bathed? Nope. Just like cats bunnies can clean themselves and actually should not be bathed. My bunnies have never had a bath.
Do bunnies make sounds/noises? Nope!
What’s the hardest part of having a bunny? For me, when my bunnies were younger they would chew on wood and wires a lot, so that was a challenge. Later in life that behavior stopped completely. Making sure they have ample hay and chew toys will help to prevent this behavior.
Should I buy or adopt a bunny? Adopt, adopt, adopt! Just like dogs and cats, shelters are inundated with bunnies. It is cruel to buy from a breeder or pet shop when there are already so many animals, bunnies included, waiting in shelters to find their forever home.
Should I get my rabbit spayed or neutered? Yes. If you are adopting (which I hope you are!!) they will most likely already have been spayed or neutered. Being neutered/spayed also helps reduce the number of accidents. Rabbits that are spayed/neutered tend to take to using a litterbox faster and better.
How often do you take them to the vet? Because my boys eat so clean and have been really healthy, I took them once when I first got them for a “check up”. And I took Hank once when he was making a wheezing noise. Turns out he had a case of the “snuffles” (that’s literally what the vet called it!), which is a bunny cold. And I took Henry to the emergency vet once because he hurt his paw and was bleeding. But that’s it over the course of 10 years.
Do they like to cuddle like dogs? No, bunnies really don’t like being held or cuddled very much by humans, but (at least my boys) love, love, love being pet.
I hope this information is helpful! rabbit.org is another great resource to learn about caring for pet rabbits. If you have more questions for me leave them in the comments section below.
So happy to see your dogs and bunnies together. Best pets anyone could ever have!
The best!
Thanks for explaining what supplies we’ll need. Additionally, you should look for a rabbit grooming service to use. This is the best way to keep their coat healthy.