Thinking About a Pet Rabbit? What Most Owners Don’t Realize

Rabbits may not dominate headlines the way dogs and cats do, but millions of families across the U.S. keep them as pets. Before bringing a rabbit into your home, it’s essential to understand their species-specific needs. While they might seem like the perfect starter pet, the truth is that pet rabbits need far more care, space, and enrichment than many people realize.

Basic Care Requirements for Rabbits

While rabbits share some similarities with other popular small pets, they belong to a different mammalian order than hamsters, mice, and rats, which all fall under the order Rodentia. Rabbits, instead, are part of the order Lagomorpha.

Both orders have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives. Rabbit-proofing your house isn’t enough for these lifelong chewers. They need constant access to hay and plenty of safe items to chew to keep their teeth healthy. It’s also essential to provide a setup that prevents rabbits from chewing on anything dangerous, such as electrical wires.

Rabbit Enclosures

If you plan to keep your rabbit in an enclosure, a typical cage isn’t enough.

Suzanne Trayhan, president of the House Rabbit Network, suggests using a pen instead of a cage so rabbits have more space to move around. Even with a large enough pen, rabbits should spend a few hours out of their enclosure each day to exercise and explore. Trayhan explained that just because a cage is sold in pet stores doesn’t mean it provides adequate room for a rabbit to move comfortably, and cages are not the only items that can be misleading when shopping for rabbits.

“Cedar and pine shavings should be avoided. Many treats, like yogurt drops, for example, are actually bad for your rabbit,” Trayhan said.

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How Much Work Is Involved in Rabbit Care?

Trayhan’s advice highlights the importance of doing thorough research before bringing a rabbit home.

“They are more work than people realize,” she said.

Daily care includes feeding, cleaning, and providing enrichment for rabbits. They also have medical needs and expenses, just like other pets.

“Female rabbits have a high rate of uterine cancer,” Trayhan said. “Upwards of 80 percent by the time they are five years old.”

For this reason, it's especially important for female rabbits (called does) to be spayed while males (bucks) are neutered. Being spayed or neutered requires a veterinary hospital that treats exotic animals.

Do Rabbits Make Good Pets?

There are some common misconceptions about rabbits. While they look cute and cuddly, they generally don’t enjoy being picked up and held.

“Rabbits are prey animals and prefer to have all four feet on the ground,” Trayhan said.

Rabbits can make excellent companions for families who are committed to their lifelong care. It’s important to understand that they can live eight to 12 years, sometimes longer.

“Many do love attention and will happily sit next to you for a snuggle session,” Trayhan said. “They are adorable and can be fun to watch. It brings me a lot of joy to see my rabbit playing and happy.”

For more information about rabbits, Trayhan suggests joining the House Rabbit Network’s Facebook group or visiting its website, which offers free educational articles. All pets, regardless of size or species, deserve proper care to thrive.

Melissa "MJ" Viera is the owner of MJ's Pet Training Academy in Acushnet.