Pet rabbits are not for everyone

Easter rabbits come hopping into a child's life about this time of year, but not all of them drop off a basket of eggs and then disappear. Several families will chose Easter as the time to adopt a rabbit as a pet, but area pet store owners and the Humane Society remind people to avoid impulse bunny buys.

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri already has seen seven rabbits in 2005 that were purchased as pets. The rabbits either grew too large, weren't socialized as housepets, or simply grew out of their "cute bunny" stage and ended up at the animal shelter.

"We're seeing last year's bunnies," said Chuck Stucker, Humane Society director. The shelter had two rabbits available for adoption last week.

"They aren't what you'd consider the usual pet," Stucker said.

That means the rabbits -- and the rare duckling -- have a harder time getting adopted from the shelter and that potential owners need to do some research before adopting.

Rabbits do make great pets, said Pam Goodson of Sunny Hill Pet Center. Several rabbits have been purchased by customers in the last two weeks, and she expected them to all be gone by Saturday afternoon.

"Some people get them as gifts, but we've had some in the last week who were having birthdays and spent their birthday money on a rabbit," Goodson said.

Rabbits need a cage (or hutch if they're going to live outside), bedding, food and water bowls, food and hay as well as diet supplements. Rabbits also can be litter-pan trained just like cats.

Most rabbits that are housepets are trained, she said. A few customers have told her stories about rabbits that sit on the couch and in their owners' laps like dogs or cats.

People considering a rabbit as a pet might want to think about whether they can litter train the animal and whether they can care for it properly and give it exercise. Most smaller or dwarf breeds are suitable for living indoors.

Rabbits usually don't live as long as cats or dogs; most live about five or six years. They require veterinary care and grooming just like other pets.

Stucker said many people who get pet rabbits don't realize how much they can chew and don't like the destruction they cause if left unsupervised. But rabbits need to chew to keep their teeth down and need something to chew on, he said.

"If you don't take care of them and don't socialize them, then what you've got is an unruly farm animal living in your house," he said.

ljohnston@semissourian.com | 335-6611, extension 126

How to care for a pet rabbit

Bunnies are certainly cute, as are most animal babies. But rabbits require some special care. Here's the basics:

* The safest place for a rabbit to live is indoors. If kept in a cage, rabbits need a lot of room so they can easily move around. A rabbit's cage should be a minimum of five times the size of the rabbit. Cages with wire flooring are hard on rabbits' feet, so be sure to layer the floor with cardboard or paper. Place a cardboard box in the cage so the bunny has a comfortable place to hide.

* Rabbits usually sleep during the day and night, becoming playful at dawn and dusk. Rabbits also need exercise outside the cage, and plenty of toys in their cages.

* Rabbits can easily learn to use a litter box. Placing a litter box in the cage will encourage this behavior. When creating a litter box or bedding, stay away from cedar or other wood shavings, which may cause liver damage or trigger allergic reactions in rabbits. Instead, stick with organic litters made of paper, oats, alfalfa or citrus. Hay is another option for litter material, but it requires even more frequent changing because rabbits will nibble on it.

* Rabbits require some special foods to aid their digestion beside pellet feed. Rabbits should have access to a constant supply of timothy grass hay, which aids their digestive systems and helps prevent health problems such as hair balls, diarrhea and obesity. Alfalfa hay, on the other hand, should be given to adult rabbits in limited quantities. Rabbits also need leafy dark green vegetables and treats like rolled oats and fruits. Avoid giving rabbits lettuce or other vegetable table scraps which can make them sick.

* Keep fresh water available, preferably in sipper bottles, which take up less space than water bowls and are less likely to spill. Watch new rabbits to make sure they know how to use the bottles, and clean bottles daily so the tubes don't get clogged.

* Rabbits love to chew; it's part of their natural behavior but it can be destructive if owners aren't careful Rabbits like untreated wood blocks or cardboard in their cage to keep them occupied. Your best bet is paper-towel rolls, toilet-paper rolls, and other chewable cardboard materials that can be tossed in the trash once they've served their purpose.

* Rabbits are fragile animals and need to be handled carefully. To take a rabbit from its cage, gather a handful of loose skin at the scruff of the neck and turn the animals face away while pulling its body toward you. Then put your hand under its bottom to support its body weight. Don't pick up a rabbit by its stomach or ears or let its body hand free.

* Rabbits groom each other around the eyes, ears, top of the nose and top of the head so patting them there is a reassuring gesture.

* Rabbits need exercise out of their cages, but houses need to be rabbit-proofed before letting the creature roam. Keep all electrical cords are out of reach and don't leave potentially-harmful objects in their path. Common houseplants like philodendron, azaleas and aloe, can be poisonous.

Source: Humane Society of United States