When it comes to pets, it’s difficult to find a more fun, friendly, and loving companion than a rabbit. These hoppy little critters aren’t just adorable. They are also spunky and intelligent. Whether you already have a hoppy family of bunnies and want to increase your “hoppiness” or you’re considering your very first rabbit, we hope you will consider adoption first.
Why Consider a Rescue Rabbit?
Rabbits make excellent indoor pets. They’re quiet, soft, loving, and can be litter trained. When you bring a bunny into your life, you have the opportunity to bond with a sensitive and curious creature. When properly cared for rabbits are lower maintenance than some other pets and offer personality to-boot.
Why else should you consider adopting a shelter bunny?
With Easter right around the corner, there will be a surge of baby rabbits bought for novelty. Unfortunately, many unsuspecting people overlook that these sweet and smart pets require care. So, many of these spring newborns will wind up being given up to shelters or even released. Adopting a rescue rabbit ahead of the Easter rush will give these soft-hearted hares a chance at a forever home, and it could save their lives.
The post-Easter increase in bunnies means that rabbits that have been at the shelter too long may wind up on the euthanasia list to make room for the newer, younger rabbits. This reality is heartbreaking.
If you already have one rabbit, you may find your furry friend gets lonely or bored during the day. A partner rabbit is sure to give your bunny the pick-me-up they need.
What Do You Need Before Adopting a Rabbit?
All you need is a bit of equipment, a veterinarian that specializes in rabbit care, and some know-how.
What Supplies Do Rabbits Need?
Rabbits don’t require quite as much equipment and exercise as dogs, but they do need some supplies to get them started on the right foot. If you’re planning to adopt a bunny, you will want:
- A pet carrier to transport your rabbit home safely
- A litter box
- A food bowl
- A water bottle
- Toys
- Food
- Treats
- A brush
- Bedding
- Cleaning supplies
- Flea medication
- A hidey-hole
- Small pet nail clippers
Bringing Your Rabbit Home
One of the first things you should do is make sure your rabbit’s habitat is bunny-safe and their run area is, too. Remove any cords within reach, put down amply bedding, gate the area off (be sure other pets cannot access your rabbit, and set up your rabbit’s litter box.
As soon as your rabbit is comfortable, be sure you give us a call to schedule your rabbit’s vet appointment. Your rabbit’s first check-up is extremely important. It gives us the chance to get a baseline of your rabbit’s health to make future diagnoses easier. We can also determine your rabbit’s sex and schedule an appointment to fix your rabbit if needed.
During your rabbit’s appointment, we will check their overall health, recommend any preventative medications they may need, and address any of your concerns. We can also clip your rabbit’s nails and give you some pointers to make it easier for you to do at home.
Enriching Your Rabbit’s Day-to-Day Life
Rabbits are intelligent and emotional animals. They benefit from daily bonding and attention from their owners. Rabbits also love to explore and play with toys, so be sure to pick some new goodies up now and then.
In addition to mental enrichment, be sure your rabbit’s diet is nutritious and they have healthy chewing opportunities to keep their teeth healthy. When we examine your rabbit, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have about your bunny’s diet or behavior.
Remember to keep your rabbit’s litter box clean, and if they tend to use the bathroom in a location outside of the box, relocate the litter box to that spot.
Wish You and Your Rabbit A Hoppy, Healthy Month
We’re proud to be the go-to veterinary clinic for rabbit owners in Oakdale, Minnesota. Treating pets of all shapes and sizes is an honor and our specialty. If you’re looking for a caring, compassionate small mammal vet, we hope you will give us a call to schedule an appointment.
Image credit: Free-Photos | Pixabay