Building a Relationship with Your Rabbit

A friend of mine recently came to visit, and she was surprised when my two bunnies hopped over to greet us as we entered their room. She said she didn't know rabbits even liked being petted. Her remarks made me realize that a lot of people are unaware that bunnies can have quite affectionate personalities – and that a strong bond between rabbit and owner can be established.

In truth, rabbits are very expressive. When they're happy and full of energy, they'll zip around the room in little bunny blurs, every so often interjecting a few binkies into the circuit. When they're hungry, they'll beg for food or get cranky and start chewing the molding and furniture. When they want attention, they'll dig on your back or your leg until you stop what you're doing and pet them. And if they think you're in the way, they'll let you know by nudging you forcefully with their nose (and they'll follow up with a little nip if you ignore them).

Understanding rabbits' unique language is helpful when bonding with your pet bunny for the long term, but if you recently adopted your bunny, you may not even know how to start the bonding process. Rabbits are most comfortable on the ground. So your rabbit may not appreciate being picked up and held. If you insist on scooping up little Bunnikins all the time, you may find she starts running away from you and hiding every time you come near. If this is the case, try simply sitting quietly on the floor. Let her approach you on her own terms. When she does, you can gently pet her.

Benefits of Adopting a Pet Rabbit

Continually overrun with abandoned rabbits, local shelters and rescues are the best place to find a new pet bunny. Not only will you save an animal from possible euthanasia, there are also several additional benefits. Rescues often have rabbits of varying sizes, breeds, and ages. So, if you were looking specifically for a young, agouti mini lop, you will most likely find a good fit at the local shelter. But, you also might surprise yourself and fall in love with an older mixed breed rabbit once you start looking.

Aside from the ability to choose from a wide selection of different kinds of rabbits, adopting from a shelter or rescue is also very convenient. Volunteers at rescues take the time to acclimate rabbits to living in apartments and houses. In this way, the time you would have to take to train the rabbit is cut down considerably. For example, volunteers will litter box train the rabbits as they come in, so although a rabbit may take a little while to adjust to living in a new home, you will not need to litter train your new bunny from scratch.

Furthermore, because a lot of rescued rabbits live in foster homes, many are accustomed to living in households with children and other pets. So if your household situation is similar, adopting a rabbit who is already comfortable in that environment makes the transition easier for both you and the rabbit. If you were interested in having multiple pet rabbits, you may be able to adopt a bonded pair or trio. This saves you the time and effort of bonding the rabbits yourself. Adopting a bonded pair or trio is ideal if you work full time because the rabbits can entertain each other while you're gone. In addition to saving a lot of time and effort, adopting a rabbit from a rescue also saves you money on vet bills. Rabbit rescues usually have partnerships with local vets, and rabbits will be spayed or neutered upon reaching sexual maturity. So you can adopt a rabbit after he or she has recovered from the surgery and not have to worry about paying for the procedure.

Taking Your House Rabbit Outdoors

It is very tempting to take your house rabbit outside in the sunny weather, but be careful in doing so. Being domesticated means that rabbits do not have all of the skills to survive outside.We highly suggest that if you plan on taking your bun outside that you construct a rabbit run. Ideally, the run should have four walls with a top and bottom. A bottom will keep your rabbit from digging his/her way out and keep predators from getting in. A top will provide shade and keep owls, hawks and other airborn predators out. The sides should be made of thick welded wire that is not wide enough for your bun to get out or predators to get in.

An inexpensive way to construct a run is to use custom wire storage cubes and zip ties. Then you can easily customize the size and shape of the run. Another option is to purchase a puppy exercise pen and set it up outside. You will need to take extra care to supervise your bunny in an exercise pen to ensure your rabbit does not dig a hole below the panels or jump over the panels. You will also have to be on the lookout for potential predators that may harm or frighten your bunny.

You can also purchase a harness (or walking jacket) and a leash to "walk" your bunny. Basically, "walking" a rabbit means you follow your bun whereever he/she hops. Your rabbit may not like wearing the harness, however, and may try very hard to remove it. Make sure the walking jacket fits snugly on your bun, so he/she can not squirm out of it. Also note, your bunny may be frightened by the fact that you are constantly walking or running behind it. It may take some time for your bun to get accustomed to the idea. The outdoors can provide a wonderful, exciting experience for your bun, as long as you take the proper precautions to keep your pet safe.