It's All About The Rabbit
Rabbits As Pets
Rabbits make excellent companions or additions to a family. They are very intelligent, friendly, playful and gentle, and will give you lots of love in return for the love you give them. Rabbits don’t cost much to keep, but they do need a reasonable amount of your time.
If left on their own for long periods of time they will get lonely, but their natural sleeping patterns fit in well with the working day. They sleep during the night and day, and are awake at dawn and dusk. This makes them ideal pets for someone who works or is not in the house during the day, as the rabbit will happily just sleep all day, and wake up when you come home from work in the evening.
House Rabbits and Outdoor Rabbits
Ideally, rabbits should live indoors, and are excellent house pets as they are very clean and easy to train. They can also live in a hutch outside as long as the hutch is well made to keep them out of the weather. A warm and dry area for living is an absolute necessity, damp and drafts can make them ill very easily. Whether they live inside or outside, you must make sure that they can keep warm and dry. In the wild, the rabbit warren is constructed in a way to make sure that no rain or drafts can get into the living areas, and this must be considered when deciding where your rabbit is to live. An outdoor rabbit in a hutch can have an enclosed sleeping area with a small entrance to keep the weather out, and an indoor rabbit can have a cage to sleep in somewhere in the house to keep it out of any drafts. See our sections on house rabbits and outdoor rabbits for more information on how to keep them warm dry and safe in either situation.
Understanding Your Rabbit
Rabbits are sociable animals and need lots of company. If you have more than one rabbit, they can keep each other company, but will still need plenty of your time. You must be prepared to spend a couple of hours each day with your rabbit, at your rabbit’s level. Sit on the floor for a while, and your rabbit will come and sit with you, and maybe ask to be stroked. You can also play games with your rabbit, most rabbits will love to play hide and seek or chase. If you are playing at chasing your rabbit, remember that you are very big to the rabbit, so don’t get too close or be too noisy in case you scare it. Rabbits are very intelligent, and have a sort of language of signals that they use to communicate with each other and with you. Have a look at our rabbit communication section to learn how you can communicate with your rabbit.
One Hundred Ways to a Happy Bunny is one of many rabbit books, toys, beds, treats and products available in our store.
