To my surprise Bunny is not as a common pet as I thought. How do I know that? There is a pattern of statements that we get after people learn that we have a pet bunny:
"Rabbits are silly, you can't teach them anything... " - I don't comment that one, just watch their faces after I call our pet rabbit Cookie and she immediately responds by running to me like a little curious puppy and then showers with cute little licks after I ask her for a kiss... Rabbits are pretty smart animals and can learn commands and tricks just like any other pet, it just depends on the owners wish to be involved and determination to teach it.
Hello there
The other one is: "Oh they are so messy... leaves their droppings everywhere....". Wrong again - bunnies are easily potty trained because they naturally have a habit to do their bathroom necessities in the one dedicated spot. Even a wild bunnies have this habit and dedicate one "room" in their burrows for that. So, after you provide them the opportunity to have that spot - you can enjoy your free roaming rabbit without any fear to have droppings anywhere else.
Very common one: "...your rabbit does not bite you?! They are so bashful, constantly hiding or/and running away if you try to come closer...". Well, turns out that every bunny is an individual just like a human beings are. But as much as it depends on your bun buns' character, making rabbit a part of your family takes time and the most - patience. I've heard one too many times my dearest one reminding me not to judge our little one by human standards, and he was right. Bunny is a prey animal. To get it to trust you and accept you does take time and willingness to be patient. An undersigning is needed from both sides. The owner must make time to their bunnies. Playing and grooming sessions, correct/not forceful behavior to show that he/she is safe, sincere care, provision of the safe place, even controlling your voice tone around them or just sitting nearby and staring at each other are some thing that later will grow into an unbreakable bond. An occasional healthy treat does not hurt either :)
Cookie knows well that we have a soft spot for a cute things
"Bunnies does not make any sound or communicate at all..." - actually they do, just not in the most obvious way. Rabbits do not make sounds very often and better that they don't. If you hear a bunny making sounds it usually means either a severe pain or great distress which might even be followed by death. :/ They are prey animals. They are used to be hunted so being quiet is in their genes as one of the features that help them to survive. Bunnies are far from being as expressive as cats or dogs for example. However, they do have plenty subtle body language signals to express all sorts of emotions including curiosity, fear, boredom, happiness or how lame you are :) One thing is for sure that bunnies get very easily offended (for the most random reasons you could think of... for example y-day Cookie go upset because I did not let her peel a plastic label off from the bottle of water :) ) but they are the most and fastest forgiving creatures of all.
Making faces because I did not let her to chew on my laptop cord...
"Bunnies are so boring and unresponsive... doesn't do anything just sits in the corner and munch on something..." - that's true, they do spend a lot of time sitting and eating hay and layz'ing around. Even drinking water takes a while for them, but for the rest of the day if you manage to achieve a good trusting relationship with your bun bun, get ready to have an extremely curious, loving little ball of fur patiently guarding you relaxing in your favorite chair or closely following your every move like a puppy, sticking their furry little nose in every activity that you'll do around the house.
Spending time with my husband... her favorite spot is on his keyboard in the middle of the match lol
"...they are so cute and fluffy! A great present or a first pet for kids!" - this statement couldn't be more wrong. First of all, bunnies are not a pet to keep for a short period of time they are in for a stay. A healthy, well kept rabbit can live up to 8-10 years and even more, so people who buy them for Easter and expect them to be gone by the next or in couple years will have an unpleasant surprise.
Furthermore, bunnies are prey animals, that means that they can get scared very easily, even to the point of death. Anny sudden loud noise or move towards them, attempt to grab them forcefully might end up in a disaster. Broken bones or even their fragile spine. The best and healthiest environment for them is a relatively quiet, safe household where they can get used to the new owners and surroundings on their own terms, with no rush and fear for unpredictable actions.
Just chilling
Finally: "...what do you feed them? Carrots and salads right?..." - that is the statement that actually bugs me the most since I know there are plenty ignorant bunny owners who actually does that and... gets their pet sick without understanding that it is their fault. Carrots are very sugary and it can only be given in small pieces as a treat when salads should not be given to rabbits at all. Rabbits are very sensitive food vise and giving most sorts of the salads will end up in bunny having a serious (even life-threatening) health problems immediately.
They are herbivores first and popular thinking that all greens that are OK for a human to eat are fine for a rabbit too - can be fatal. Bunnies have an entirely different digestive system than humans and their diet must be very thoroughly supervised and controlled. Otherwise, they might get overweight, and/or sick rapidly since most of greens/vegetables/fruits/berries that we eat are simply toxic or no good to them.
The other common mistake - thinking that bunny will be able to distinguish a good food from bad and will only eat what is good for him. That is not entirely true since there are bunnies (like ours) who loves to eat and would gladly eat everything and every piece of greens, veggies etc. you have at home (house plants included). So, it is the owner's responsibility to know well what is healthy and safe to give for a bun bun and what is not.
Munching on fresh greens
Humans have a long history of rabbit keeping with strongly embedded stereotypes. The most popular ones I just mentioned above. However, what most do not understand is the difference between rabbit kept as a source of food or as a pet.
For the longest time, people kept rabbits as a source of food. That means there were not that much of a bond or respect between two. Rabbits seemed to grow just fine as long as they had basic: shelter from the other animals at the back of the garden, grass, hay or fattening pellets to make them grow fast, bit of water to drink and that's it. Rabbits mind their own business, owners enjoy fast growing, little effort requiring "Christmas meal" and "furry hats" to be. No need for any other interaction, connection, and a long healthy life expectancy served no purpose as well.
Times changed and bunnies became also popular as pets. However, the problem remains. There are still plenty of people who do not to educate themselves about an animal that they are taking into their care and are guided by strong past stereotypes or just mare vision of how rabbit should be maintained. They end up treating their pet bunny as our ancestors did, consequently shortening its life dramatically, causing various illnesses, never forming a bond and letting a potential to have a curious, loving, interactive, occasionally naughty and the most important - indisputably adorable pet go to waste.
Posing for a selfie :)
Thank you for reading! <3