Raising a bunny as a pet can be very rewarding. They’re soft, cuddly, and will love you like a parent. So what do you need to know? Especially if you’ve never cared for rabbits before.
One of the most common questions that I get asked is should I raise a rabbit as a pet, or is it better to just buy one? Some people are quite content to adopt their pet, while others are interested in having a pet that they can raise themselves. Before making the decision, there are many things you should consider when raising a rabbit.
Bunnies are fun, low-maintenance pets that can bring plenty of love into your family. Bunnies are also ideal pets because they do not require any special license or permits. You can legally raise a bunny in almost every state without having to obtain anything except for food, water and a home.
Raising a bunny as a pet is a fun and rewarding experience. Rabbits are very social animals, so you’ll want to get one that’s at least six months old. This way, it will be more accustomed to being handled by humans.
When choosing a breed of rabbit, consider how much space you have available for the rabbit’s cage. Some breeds grow larger than others, and some can live longer lives than others. You’ll also need to make sure you have enough time to spend with your bunny every day.
Once you’ve chosen a breed and gotten your rabbit home, it’s time to set up its new cage! You’ll want to choose a cage that is at least 4 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2 feet high—the bigger the better! The bars should be no further apart than 1/2 inch (1 cm). Once you have chosen your cage, fill it with bedding material like hay or straw so your bunny has something soft to lie on when it sleeps. Make sure there are two areas for litter boxes: one for urine and one for feces; these should be shallow so that your bunny doesn’t accidentally kick them over while jumping around in its cage (which could cause an accident!).
Raising a bunny as a pet is a wonderful experience. It’s important to note that rabbits are not small dogs or cats, so they have different needs and can’t be treated exactly the same way.
Rabbits are social animals, and they need to be with other rabbits for part of the day to be happy. This means your rabbit will need access to another rabbit (or other animals), so you might need to find someone who is willing to let their rabbit spend time with yours. If you don’t have friends or family who are interested in this sort of arrangement, there are plenty of places where rabbits can stay during the day while their owners are at work or school. You can also consider adopting two bunnies together—they’ll enjoy each other’s company while you’re away!
Rabbits should be spayed or neutered right away so they don’t start having babies right away (or ever). Rabbits can live upwards of 10 years, so it’s important that they get all the care they need while they’re young and healthy enough to enjoy it!
Raising A Bunny As A Pet
A little over a year ago, I got a text from my mother. It read: “I have a question to ask you. Don’t say no.” I replied with a no, of course, because I’m such a sweetheart. She ignored me and asked it anyway – she wanted to know if we’d be interested in taking in a half-grown rabbit from a woman who couldn’t keep it anymore.
After a lot of deliberation and several conversations with my husband, I decided that we could take in the bunny. Her name was Maggie, and my girls fell in love with her instantly. Since having Maggie, I’ve realized that while rabbits are uncommon pets, they really make great additions to the household.
6 Reasons for Raising Rabbits
Here are a few compelling reasons to have rabbits in your household:
1. They produce great compost.
One thing rabbits are very good at is making fertilizer. That’s a pretty way to say it, really.
There are a few different ways to use rabbit waste in your garden. You can use the pellets they produce as fertilizer, or you can compost it first. I’ve even seen rabbit pellets sold in jars at homesteading fairs before!
2. Raising rabbits for meat.
Our rabbit is a pet. She has always been a pet, and she will always be a pet. But if you’re looking for an animal that can make a big contribution to your homestead, you should consider rabbits as a meat source. They are small, take much much less food and space than cattle or pigs, and they multiply like…rabbits.
(I’m pretty sure I could never do this. But I do think it’s a really practical, reasonable way to produce meat for your family.)
NOTE from Matt & Betsy: We apologize if butchering/eating meat is offensive to you, but DIY Natural is not a vegetarian/vegan website, so please do not leave comments about how it is cruel, etc. Thank you.
3. Kids love them and can learn responsibility.
Our rabbit lives inside, and that’s great for us. My daughters, at three and five years of age, are almost totally responsible for her. They feed her and give her water, bring her treats during the day, and play with her. There’s little chance of the rabbit hurting them or escaping, and they’re learning to take care of an animal. If we wanted to make a real hobby out of rabbit-keeping, our kids could eventually show the rabbits with a 4-H club, too.
4. Rabbits as pets, they aren’t messy as many small pets.
Did you know that rabbits can be litter-box trained? Our rabbit has a litter-box in the corner of her cage, and as long as we clean it regularly, she always goes in there. That’s great because it is a simple process to collect the compost material, it is easy to keep her cage clean, and she has an easy time keeping herself clean, too. Having had hamsters and guinea pigs as a child, I can say that the rabbit’s cage doesn’t smell nearly as bad as other small, indoor pets’ cages do.
5. They eat vegetable scraps.
I buy celery fairly often for recipes like soup and chicken stock, but no one in my house eats much celery by itself. We get to use the extra stalks for rabbit treats. Same with flimsy carrots, brown-spotted apples, and wilted kale. It’s hard to throw food like that in the compost, but it’s nice to be able to share the food with our pet (who will eventually turn it into compost, anyway!).
6. You can turn their fur into fiber.
This is not something that I personally have experience with, but there are several breeds of rabbits that produce enough hair that they’re considered fiber animals. There are a few different types of angora rabbits, and their wool can be harvested and spun just like sheep’s wool. Again, you’re getting the benefits of a much larger animal without the cost and necessary space.
We sort of lucked into this whole rabbit-owning thing, but I’m always glad that we did. I’m not sure we’ll take it further than having one rabbit as a pet, but I like knowing there are many benefits if we choose to do so.