Living with Rabbits
The phrase “dumb bunnies” does not describe my bunnies at all. Sometimes their intelligence surprises me. They are playful, affectionate and can be downright stubborn. Their personalities are what make them so lovable. I have companion rabbits who live in the house with my very patient husband and me. They take up a good deal of my time and love.
The first rabbit I ever fell in love with is a female I named Midnight. In the spring of 2003, I discovered that I’m not allergic to rabbits (as I am to some dogs and all cats). I saw this one bunny available to a good home. She was, and still is, beautiful. I held her and it was love at first hug, so I did the only thing I could – I brought her home. I set up Midnight’s new cage in my house and she settled in slowly.
The more I saw of her and the more time I spent with her the more fond of her I became. I was “obsessed” in my quest to give her a good home. I bought books about rabbits and spent hours on the Internet downloading information to read about rabbit care and diet. I learned that hay is an important part of a rabbit’s diet, so I supply it to her daily, and she not only eats it but also seems to delight in fixing up her cage just so with it. Greens are an important part of a rabbit’s diet too. Right away, she took to Swiss chard, different types of lettuce and spinach. She also eats rabbit pellets. Corn, seeds and nuts are all foods that are not good for a rabbit’s digestive system.
Bonding with Midnight did take time, but she was worth it. Rabbits seem to choose whom they will trust and whom they won’t. She bonded with both my husband and me. At the same time, she will let us know if she has had enough petting or handling by grunting at us. She is quite a moody rabbit, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering she is a Dwarf. Dwarf rabbits have the reputation of being short-tempered. Since rabbits don’t like a hand in front of their face, I approach her from the top of her head when petting her or picking her up.
I also found that rabbits are quite clean. They only shed two or three times a year and they groom themselves just like a cat. They can learn very easily to use a litter box. Rabbits are almost odorless, especially if you keep the litter changed frequently.
Midnight learned some voice commands. I let her out of her cage as much as possible each day to run around the room so she can get exercise and so I can socialize with her. When I say “time to go back,” she’ll run back into her cage. She knows that playtime is over until the next time I let her out. She also most definitely knows what “no” means. Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously, so I give her chew toys. Rabbits also like to dig, so she has piles of newspaper for that also. I do have to tell her “no” when she wants to scratch or chew something inappropriate and I keep houseplants and electrical cords away from her.
I had her spayed because it decreases the chance of cancer. Now if I take her back to the vet who spayed her, something interesting happens. The minute I put her on the exam table to be looked over, she jumps up onto my shoulder. She must remember being afraid at the vet’s office during the spay procedure, because it’s as if she’s saying, “Protect me!” It’s one way I know she loves and trusts me.
Over the winter of 2003, I started to want a second rabbit for two reasons. One, I thought it would be good to get Midnight a playmate. Second, I was having such an enjoyable experience with Midnight that another rabbit seemed like a good idea.
Velvet, as we named the second rabbit, is a male. Rabbits are territorial. Males, in particular, do not hesitate to prove it by spraying their urine but Velvet was quick to litter train after he was neutered, which also stopped the spraying. He turned into a social and funny bunny. When I sit on the floor with him, he’ll lick my hands for minutes at a time. When a bunny licks you, it’s a sign of affection. We bonded and he is a joy.
There was some aggression from Midnight toward Velvet for a few weeks, so I had to separate them a few times to protect Velvet. Eventually, they became playmates. They each have their own cage but they have time together to play outside their cages. Velvet is larger than Midnight but Midnight is the more dominant, “bossy” rabbit. When the two rabbits play together, Velvet does most of the grooming of Midnight rather than the other way around.
Rabbits demand and deserve attention. If I’m in “their” room letting them have time outside their cages, I have to give them my full attention. Forget looking at mail or reading a newspaper article – they will get my attention if they feel I’m ignoring them. Rabbits like to play games. Velvet will come up to me and nudge me. When I reach out to pet him, he’ll run away as if he’s playing a game of “catch.” Sometimes they like their space. Just like other animals and humans, rabbits have their quiet times and playful times. Velvet is both laid-back and playful. He sometimes likes to race around the room, a sign that he’s happy. Other times, he’ll chew his toys. He also learned “time to go back” to his cage. Midnight and Velvet love to go into each other’s cages and eat each other’s food. They both recognize the sound of one of the bags of treats I keep on hand for them (Craisins). They will come running over to me to get a treat when I shake the bag.
During the summer of 2004, a woman who knew I loved rabbits asked me if I would take her two rabbits. I took them in and there was a litter born shortly after, which did not surprise me at all. They are all grown up now, and all of the rabbits are spayed and neutered. I lost the mother of the litter during the winter of 2008.
It has been quite an experience living with the number of rabbits I have in my house. If my husband ever feels deprived of my attention, he never complains about it. He is a good sport about having a house full of rabbits.
I have decided that I will always have rabbits as part of my life. I love watching their antics and quite often wish I knew what they were thinking. I would suggest a bunny as a pet for anyone with a sense of humor, patience and extra love to give.
So I now have a total of seven rabbits. My rabbits have given me much joy, many laughs and have taught me a thing or two about the intelligence of animals. My rabbits have also taught me that I can be quite patient with animals.
Midnight was Karen’s first rabbit, who started her collection of rabbits. Actually it was Karen’s husband John that started it. Karen had a large collections of rocks and minerals and was attending a rock show. John had had about enough looking around at the rocks and noticed a rabbit show next door. He told her he was going over there to look around. Later she came over and it was then that she realized that the rabbits did not seem to bother her allergies. The rest is history!
by Karen DeGroat