A post about owning a house rabbit

Ever since adopting my rabbit, Mayor Menino, earlier this year, a lot of friends and aquaintences have had questions for me about what it entails to own a pet rabbit. I thought I would try to address some of them here.

Firstly, the biggest disclaimer: like cats, dogs or really any animal- individual rabbits can have hugely different personalities from one another. They can also have different specific needs based on breed, heatlh, background, etc. While many of the things I have encountered so far with The Mayor may be common amongst rabbit owners, that does not mean that your experience with a bunny will match mine! 

Second disclaimer: owning a rabbit is not right for everyone- they can live 10+ years, require vet care which can at times be hard to find and possibly more expensive than vet care for cats or dogs (because fewer vets are trained to work with rabbits), need regular attention, somewhat costly food, and they can be very destructive. If you are looking into a rabbit as a pet because you think a cat or dog is too expensive or too much work...you may be surprised and disapointed to find that rabbits really aren't any cheaper/easier pets to take on. A great resource for all of the points below, and any general questions is The House Rabbit Society.

Yes, he will chew on stuff. And it will be annoying. Also, scary, since I'm guessing shoes are not a healthy food for rabbits. I am in a constant battle to keep my home rabbit proofed.

Exhibit #2.

Ok, now that that stuff is over.

Here are some of the questions I hear most frequently:

Does he live in a cage: No. He lives in my livingroom, which I have very carefully rabbit-proofed. He is litter box trained, so his lifestyle is similar to a house cat. He can roam freely in the rooms I allow him access to, and does not use a cage. When I first got him, he came with a cage and his previous owners mostly only used it at night. I let him keep to that arrangment for a few weeks while he got comfortable, but now he is perfectly happy curling up underneath my coffee table for the night, and retreating to the closet nook I use for his litterbox if he needs a sense of safety. 

Menino seems to feel safe hanging out under my coffee table. Also, yes those are some droppings around him, I have to vacuum everyday. See below.

Not all rabbit owners choose to keep their pet without a cage. This is a very personal decision that should be based on your space, ability to rabbit proof, your particular rabbit's personality, etc. It works really well for me and the Mayor. 

Did you say litter box trained?: Yes. Rabbits are usually fairly easy to litter box train. They prefer to pick one spot to do their buisiness, so similar to with cats, if you place the litter box in a place they are inclined towards, a little bit of work can get them accostomed to using the box. With number one he is 100% perfect using the litterbox. With droppings that is not always the case. He mostly uses the litter box, but he also tends to leave droppings around it, or a few around where he hangs out during the day. Luckily, rabbit droppings are not smelly, and they are super easy to clean up- they are just little pellets that resemble cocoa puffs. sweep 'em right up or use a handhold vac. I have to do this every day, and if you decide to get a rabbit you should know you likely will, too.  Only certain types of litter are appropriate for use with rabbits, as unlike cats they tend to nibble things around them- clumping litters are highly problematic if ingested. 

Is he more like a dog or a cat:  This one is silly, but that's okay. Personally, I find Menino to be quite a lot like a cat- he needs interaction on his own terms, but he loves pet and cuddles, and will let me hold him when he is feeling cuddly. He will sit on my laptop, come smell my feet when I sit on the couch, and get underfoot hoping for scraps to fall when I am cooking in the kitchen. He spends most of his day sleeping or lazing about. He is incredibly mellow pretty much all the time. Most of this is his specific personality- I have heard other people talk about their rabbits who excitedly meet them at the door when they get home, are eager to please their owners and quick to learn tricks. That's not Menino's bag. He is really good at getting into the trash overnight, though (I've had to upgrade to a better trash can) which I know is a trait many dogs have!

Similar to a cat- the mayor likes to sit on my laptop when I am trying to work. Just to be annoying. Or maybe because it is warm. He also begs for food in the kitchen while I cook, which seems more like classic dog behavior to me. 

Do you take him outside/walk him: No. I choose not to mostly for his safety (predators, plants that may be poisonous, sounds that may startle him into running away or getting hurt if on a lead). Also, knowing his lazy personality, I am not sure he'd be that into going for walks anyway. He is more about laying around under chairs. That being said, since he has free run of my livingroom, hallway, and kitchen, he can get quite a lot of exercise when he wants it. 

Does he get along with other animals: I have never had a dog around him before, but he has been around one elderly cat. He seemed really nervous and I didn't want him to have a heart attack! I am planning not to have him around any other species again, just to play it safe. He is really great around kids, though. Again, this is specific to the animal of course- not all rabbits are likely to be as easy going and gentle with a 3 year old trying to poke them in the eye. Menino surprised me with how well he did!

Does he like to be held: On his own terms, yes. If you start rubbing his head and behind his ears, and then stop, he will nudge you to begin again. He will stay on my lap or let me hold him sometimes, but mostly I have to get down to his level and pay him attention without lifting him off the floor. 

Basically, just like having a cat or dog, my experience with having a rabbit is very much about the specific personality of the animal himself. It's been really great, and I don't regret adopting him for a second, even when he is a bit of menace and gets into the trash or eats the rubber off my shoes. This post was probably very boring to most, but I know some people have had a lot of questions about rabbit ownership because they just haven't encountered that many house rabbits. It really has the same ups and downs of owning any pet, in my opinion. 

Have you had a rabbit or any other more unusual pet? Tell me about it in the comments. PS, I love cute animal pictures, so...include 'em!