Chicagoist: Adopt a House Rabbit!

moenandy

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:01:52 -0600

There is a lot of misinformation in these comments. Go to www.rabbit.org or www.hopperhome.com to get good information on rabbits as house pets. I have been rescuing Easter "dumps" for many years and have rehabilitated all the rabbits to be social, happy pets. Rabbits do perfectly fine with another rabbit and I always adopt mine out in pairs. Helps with boredom and they bond for life. They don't live in "packs" - it's herds. All domesticated rabbits are descendants of European Rabbits (all 45 breeds) and European Rabbits live in large warrens like Watership Down. Our indigenous cottontails are only cousins to our pet rabbits and they have a different number of chromosomes and cannot produce offspring. The poops left all over are just territorial behavior and this will diminish over time. You can train them to use their litter box and I've never had one who wouldn't with enough patience on my part. All pet rabbits should be neutered and spayed not only to prevent unwanted litters & aggression, but for medical reasons (females have 85% chance of uterine cancer by 5 yrs if not spayed). Rabbits have a digestive system more like a horse than anything else. Timothy hay is best for adult rabbits and that it what helps keep their constantly growing teeth the right length. Pellets were created by breeders who didn't plan on keeping the rabbits for very long and so were tiny wire floor cages (which can cause sore hocks). Go to www.carrotcafe.com for a good education on how to feed a pet rabbit and they have lists of safe veggies and treats. Never feed a rabbit human foods most can kill them over time. Rabbits do not have to be adopted young to learn. That is an irresponsible statement by the person above. Most of my rescues have been from 6 months to 8 years old. All can be trained and learn to trust. The problem is the person and not the rabbit if it doesn't happen. Rabbits should never be picked up by the ears - magic shows that do that are cruel. Their ears have lots of nerves in them and are very sensitive. Rabbits are high maintenance pets if you take care of them properly and so anyone considering a rabbit as a pet should educate themselves first instead of buying them on a whim. It's a tragedy what happens a few months after Easter when people get tired of the Easter rabbit - just ask any rabbit rescuer - we have seen the worse that humans can do to rabbits. Try to do your best with the right information.

Slaphappy

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:12:32 -0600

I just want to point out that not all rabbits are sociable -- a lot of rabbits, like mine, are aloof. The act of affection from my bunny that I described earlier is pretty much all that I get (and he only does it with me, not my wife). We got him when he was a baby and he's always been skittish around people, even at the vet. The only "trick" we've successfully taught him is that he has to jump up on his ledge in his cage before he'll get his food (before, he would hover around his bowl, then think the cup of food was a predator, paw at it and spray half his food all over his cage). Now, I've also been around bunnies that act like dogs, which is quite hilarious. But the point of this is, don't expect a sociable animal because you might not get one. And I wonder if that plays a part in the number of bunnies who get unceremoniously dumped by their owners.

Ed Knittel

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:16:06 -0600

We have a girl that we've named Bun Bun so I can speak from present experience. Living in an apartment in Chicago is not the most ideal place to own a rabbit. We have an entire area gated off for her filled with sheets of cardboard, boxes filled with tattered magazines, as well as a few toys that Santa has brought her. And while she enjoys all of those things she does enjoy the molding around the floor. Not a lot like some dogs I know, but it can be noticeable. She also likes to chew on cables and when she could, the back of the couch. If you have carpeting beware - they love to dig and chew on it. We've made it a habit of "bunny proofing" the house, especially when we let her out in the evenings to run around. We try to make it so we always knew where she is. We close the doors to the other rooms and bedrooms. we take her rug that she loves to lay on out of the gated are and place it by the couch. She will usually sit there for hours expect when she nudges us to pet her. She has also umped up on the couch in the past and laid there while we petted her. Yes, they are social but that's due mostly how they live in large packs. So having one or even two is not ideal for them. If you can do it I say get one when it's young. You'll be able to train it a bit and even pick it up. Unfortunately, we rescued Bun Bun when she was a bit older so she's too skittish to be handled.

StrangeTikiGod

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:29:27 -0600

My old girlfriend and I adopted a bun from Red Door...she was the sweetest little thing. After I moved away from Chicago, the experience was such a positive that I've now adopted two bunnies from my local Humane Society. They're absolutely not boring pets...they play, they skip, they've got strong opinions about the placement of objects in their room, they're social, and they know when you're laughing at them. They disapprove. But they're wonderful pets. I'm a bunny daddy and I'm damn proud of it! Go visit Red Door and try not to fall in love with one of their little fuzzy charges! It's also worth noting that Red Door is one of a very few no-kill rabbit shelters in the country. Even if you don't adopt anyone from there, please do consider donating!

I_h8_toyota_and_BT

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:21:42 -0600

free the bunnies!

groggy

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:11:24 -0600

um, what about Hans at Red Door? That bunny has got to be the sweetest, ugliest little guy I've ever seen. I'm wishing that my roommate would want one/not have an "expensive" rug that happens to look like shag grass.

annieF

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:04:38 -0600

uh oh... i'm almost sold on this bunny! (my bf would KILL me!)

Slaphappy

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:00:59 -0600

When I come home from work, I stick my nose through the bars of my bunny's cage and he licks it to welcome me home. =) I love my little bunny guy.

peacebaby

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:25:32 -0600

One of my housemates had one in college. Yeah, you can let them out of the cage and have them run around but be prepared to pick up little tiny poop pellets from everywhere he's been.

Kevin Robinson

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:15:39 -0600

jmagic: House rabbit nibbling can be curbed if you make sure they have a variety of toys handy. All rabbits need to chew to prevent malocclusion. Wood toys are preferable, but even regular household items like large phone books and toilet paper rolls will suffice.

peteypants

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:14:49 -0600

that's so sad how bunnies are tossed out after the holiday, like christmas trees or jack-o-lanterns...either eay, i'd call mine Bunny Bono.

YoknapatawphaTourismBoard

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:06:16 -0600

If I found him, I would name him Hoppenstance.

Amy Mikel

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:56:03 -0600

Bah! i would name him peter.

jmagic

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:44:52 -0600

i had a rabbit once ... actually two. i thought they'd be good for magic tricks, but alas, they do not like being pulled from hats contrary to popular belief. still, they're good pets for about 72 hours and then you're wondering why all your furniture has little nibbles your apartment smells like a barn. also, Bunnicula is still the best bunny name out there.

plumbum82

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:35:27 -0600

So... any good hassenpfeffer recipes?

Marcus Gilmer

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:28:36 -0600

Bonus nerd points to anyone who adopts a bunny and names it: Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, or Holly.