Last Updated on March 15, 2021 by Filip Poutintsev
When it comes to having pets, rabbits can be a great pick if you’re willing to contribute a good quantity of time to their socialization and study about their fundamental body language. On the other hand, it’s very important to be well prepared before petting a rabbit because they require an unusual amount of care.
The general life expectancy of Rabbits is 5 to 8 years that varies as per their atmosphere and type, but they can also live for just about 12 years. Make sure you are all set to take care of them for that long if you choose to purchase one.
These are the key points you’ll want to consider if you want to bring a rabbit home as a pet.
Pros of Having Rabbits as Pets
1. Help in Teaching Responsibility
Even though rabbits might seem like a delicate pet, most of them are strong animals that can refuse to accept an overlooked food dish or less open time in the yard. Having a bunny is usually a better choice instead of a dog or cat if you have children at home who need to be taught responsibility.
2. Aren’t Smelly
The rumor that rabbits are smelly and untidy animals is a myth. Rabbits are strictly clean animals. They don’t have a distinct body odor, and even their poop doesn’t have a strong smell. Rabbits’ urine has a high ammonia content which is why the only part of them that has a strong smell is their urine. Rabbits are likely to use a good part of the day tidying themselves up to stay clean.
3. Can be Trained
Rabbits being very sharp can be trained to do tricks. It can be a cool way to bond with them. They can be trained to be taken for walks outside, to come when you call them and also to give you high fives and kisses.
You can also teach your rabbit to spin by enticing them in a circle and much more. These startling creatures are so interesting to work with and it’s fascinating to see their tiny brains work. At times, a few complications can arise when teaching them tricks, but if you’re prepared enough, rabbits tend to be great pet for you.
4. Very Social and Loving
Rabbits love to play around people and order attention. They’ll lie down beside to you as a gesture of trust or frequently lick their caretakers to brush them. A rabbit will run circles around your feet when it is eager to see you and they’ll climb up in your lap and begin bustling when they’re at ease.
Rabbits are social butterflies; once you gain knowledge of their body language, you’ll gain the ability to be aware of what they’re trying to tell you. You’ll learn to identify when they’re happy or upset with you. Your rabbit will become an essential part of your life.
5. Usually Tender in Nature
Rabbits are very gentle creatures. Despite their shyness in the initial phase, they’ll start coming around once they get comfortable with people. They’ll shove you gently to be petted. Being exceptionally gentle pets, rabbits won’t jump up on you like dogs do, or they won’t lash out at you like a cat when upset.
Conversely, rabbits can show violent behavior if they are terrified in spite of this not being their first impulse. Some rabbits can become protective with their space if they haven’t been neutered. So, you have to make sure that you get your rabbit fixed.
Cons of Having Rabbits as Pets
1. Sensitive to Environmental Changes
Rabbits are sensitive when it comes to their environmental changes. The change in temperature discomforts them and they stop being friendly if it gets slightly hot or cold. You’ll have to keep your bunny indoor during the occurrence of an event that has to do with extreme conditions of temperature change. The sensitivity of rabbits with hot and cold can be troublesome if you live in a region with a possibility of big climate swings.
2. Tendency to Chew Almost Everything
Rabbits need to chew on things to avoid their teeth from overgrowing since they have teeth that keep on growing longer akin to the fingernails. Rabbits have the impulse to chew on wooden items such as your furniture and also the electricity wires.
Not just this, they do not bother to spare your carpet, clothing and other soft items too. Rabbits being the burrowers in the untamed have the urge to try to dig tunnels. To prevent them from causing any further issue you will have to shield your house in a manner which keeps your rabbits away from everything you wouldn’t want them to chew on.
3. Can be Unexpectedly Pricey
Rabbits might seem to be reasonably priced initially when getting one from rescue organizations for under $20 generally but if you tend to acquire one from a pet store or a local breeder, your average bunny is going to be in the range of $40-$75.
Some factors together with, show quality rabbits having the best type, fur, color, etc, champion bloodlines, etc can take the cost above $500 in a number of situations. With the cage costing about $200, other monthly supplies of around $40 and veterinarian expenses the finances in fact get tight, so you might possibly want to give it a second thought.
4. Don’t Prefer Being Held
Rabbits in general are expected to be super cuddly pets. But people’s expectations go downhill when they find out that their rabbit kicks and rushes to getaway every time they are picked up. The reason why rabbits get terrified when trapped in someone’s arm even if no harm is intended is because they are prey animals whose ancestors relied on the ability to run away from predators.
Nearly all rabbits hate to be held even if there are rare exceptions. You are likely to scare your rabbit away if you pick your rabbit up in every dealing you have with them. They’ll even stop coming around to be petted in order to avoid being picked up.
5. Can Be Violent at Times If not Socialized Well
Being social beings, rabbits require to connect with someone to have a fine life experience. They call for time to wander, feed on vegetable with you, and investigate their boundaries. If kept under control in the cage and paid no or less attention to them, there are high possibilities of rabbits becoming more aggressive over time.
If not provided with the opportunity to socialize, rabbits are likely to scratch you or even bite you. If you aren’t sure about the amount of time you’ll have to spend with a rabbit after getting one, getting two of them as an alternative might be an improved option as they can build social bonds with each other.
6. Neel to be Specially Handled
Rabbits love to play but they love to have their own space as well. It is suggested by some bunny advocates that in homes with young children having a bunny as a pet isn’t a very good idea since bunnies need to be approached in the right way when they’re handled. A young child is less likely to have a good handling when approaching a bunny.
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