Rabbit Pros and Cons

Rabbits can make wonderful house pets for the right person, who has done their homework to know what to expect. Caring for rabbits can be a bit more difficult than most people think as well as more costly. They should not be considered a “Beginner pet.” Rabbits need a strict diet, daily exercise, a lot of space, socialization, and a calm home.

Rabbits are social creatures that live in groups. In the wild, they are prey animals and must watch out for predators. To help them avoid prey, rabbits have eyes that are on the sides of their head, which helps them see almost all the way around them and they can turn their ears 180 degrees helping them listen for danger.

Rabbits excel at baby-making due to the mother’s short gestation time of 28-31 days and giving birth up to 14 baby kits at a time. A baby rabbit is called a kit. A female is called a Doe and a male is called a buck.

Rabbits have very strong hind limbs which allow them to leap great distances. They can jump over 2 feet high and leap up to 9 feet horizontally. A rabbits’ teeth never stop growing. They are gradually worn down as the rabbit chews on different foods.

When rabbits are happy, they can make purring noises, humming, clucking. When scared or nervous they can make teeth grinding, hissing/growling, whimpering, and screaming if they are very scared or injured. They can thump their hind legs against the ground when they are frustrated, angry, or scared.

Rabbits can live 8-12 years or more, be prepared to care for them for the long term.

Most people know that rabbits poop a lot. They can be trained to use a litter box and once neutered they shouldn’t have very many accidents in the house. Rabbits enjoy being clean and will groom themselves all day.

Having a rabbit enclosure in your home to keep your rabbit when you are asleep or away for their safety is needed. Tip: Many cages you find on line or in pet stores advertised for rabbits are not large enough to house them.

What Are the Pros of Having a Rabbit?

• Rabbits are cute, adorable soft and fluffy animals
• Rabbits are generally quiet
• Rabbits are intelligent
• Rabbits are generally gentle pets, if socialized well
• There are many different breeds of rabbits to choose
• Rabbits can be socialized to enjoy the company of their humans over time but prefer to interact with you at ground level. Once they are comfortable with you, they may seek out your attention and enjoy being petted.
• Rabbits can bond with their pet parents with time and patience
• A rabbit is able to learn some tricks
• Rabbits live for a long time, 8-12 years

What Are the Cons of Having a Rabbit?

• Since rabbits need to chew to keep their teeth from getting too long, they may chew on things they are not supposed to without supervision, or safe alternatives to chew on. Homes need to be properly “Rabbit proofed.”
• Rabbits like to scratch. Rabbits may scratch your furniture or carpet if not supervised, or given other things to keep them busy.
• Not all rabbits like to be held or cuddled, so they may not be a good pet for a young child. They may kick, bite or scratch to escape out of fear, as they are prey animals.
• It can be costly to buy everything initially needed to take care of your rabbit, and then monthly expenses.
• Rabbits need several hours of exercise each day outside of their enclosure in a rabbit-proofed safe area.
• Rabbits need social interaction or they may get lonely. If you are unable to give your rabbit enough attention you should get a pair of rabbits.
• Rabbits run very fast, and can be hard to catch.
• Rabbits poop a lot (300-500 pellets a day). Daily litter cleaning will be needed as well as picking up any accidents outside of its litter box.
• Rabbits eat their own poop, to digest it a second time. The first poops come out soft, which you should leave, the second poops come out drier and they do not eat those.
• Veterinarians that are familiar with caring for rabbits may be harder to find.
• If you already have pets such as a cat or a dog, it may not be a good idea to get a rabbit as the rabbit could be prey to the other animals. -Rabbits can go into shock from the stress, such as being taunted by a cat, dog, or child.