make wonderful indoor pets. They are adorable and brimming with personality. But before you swoop into the shelter and pick out a cutie, there are a few things you should know to ensure a rabbit is right for you and your family.
Finances: Owning a pet rabbit comes with added financial responsibility. Be prepared to spend money up front on the adoption fee ($60+), as well as housing/food/bunny proofing supplies. In addition, be sure you’ll be able to afford ongoing costs for a bunny on food, litter, and vet bills (including spay/neuter fees if the bunny didn’t get the surgery while at the shelter/rescue). To give you an idea of costs, check out our article How Much Does a Pet Rabbit Cost?.
Bunny Housing: Rabbits are social animals. The location of a rabbit’s housing area within your home (which can take the form of a puppy pen, bunny condo, large cage, or just an area with the food, litter boxes, and cardboard castles if the bunny is free reign) is an extremely important consideration. You’ll have to make sure the rabbit has a place to relax by himself but is not completely secluded from the family. Rabbits need social interaction, plenty of exercise, and a lot of enrichment activities. Take a look at our Housing article to learn more.
Bunny Proofing: If the bunny will have free reign in the house/apartment/room, you will absolutely need to bunny proof the area. Even if you keep the bunny in a cage, condo, or puppy pen, you still will need to safeguard your home when you let the rabbit out for supervised exercise. Rabbits are very curious and persistent creatures. They will find a way to get into your computer cables, wires, molding, couch piping, slightly frayed rug, etc. They will eat your most important documents. Check out our Bunny Proofing article for tips on protecting your bunny and your things.
Enrichment: Rabbits will get into trouble if they’re bored. They’ll make their own fun chewing your possessions if you don’t provide alternate forms of entertainment. A great diversion for rabbits is a cardboard castle filled with empty toilet paper rolls, old phone books, and other paper products you find around the house.
Litter Box Training: Most rabbit rescues will start the process of litter training the bunnies they take in. So a rescue bunny should have the basics down, but sometimes rabbits forget their good habits once they move into their new home. This is natural because the drastic change in environment can be very stressful. Litter training can be frustrating at times, but the key is persistence and consistent reinforcement of good habits. Read our article about litter training to learn more
