People that have never shared their home, or indeed their garden, with the fluffy-tailed, pint-sized dictators known as bunny rabbits are usually entirely unaware of just how curious, playful, and intelligent they are.
If you are considering adopting a pair of bonded rabbits from your local animal charity or rescue center, then you have definitely come to the right place. Continue reading to discover four things you absolutely have to know when adopting rabbits from a shelter.
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1. You Must Register Your Bunnies with a Vet
Whether you intend on keeping your rabbits as house rabbits inside your home or else in large, spacious, and comfortable hutches in the summer months in your garden and only bringing them inside in the winter, either way, you must register them with a reputable veterinary practice.
Registering your bunnies with a vet clinic Bonney Lake has in operation if you live in or around that area, for example, will ensure that not only do you have a place to take them if one of them should become ill but also that you have expert advice on hand should you have any queries on how to take care of them.
2. Zoomies, Binkies, & Flops
Just like dogs and cats, rabbits like to lay down and rest periodically throughout the day, but unlike the former two, rabbits are prey animals and, therefore, will only lie down, with their feet and paws spread on the floor, if they feel safe in your company and trust you.
There are three signs that any bunny is happy in their surroundings and loves and has bonded with you and other members of the household, which are:
- Zoomies: When a bunny runs around the house at top speed (around 35mph!)
- Binkies: When a bunny flicks their body and jumps into the air (around 4 feet!)
- Flops: When a bunny goes from standing upright to the ‘playing dead’ position
3. Their Stomachs Are Incredibly Sensitive
One major reason for registering your new bunnies with a vet as soon as possible is that, as lagomorphs, they have extremely sensitive stomachs.
As bunnies are unable to vomit, they often experience discomfort as food becomes blocked, often with fur in their stomachs. If left untreated, this can lead to gut stasis, which is the leading cause of premature death in pet bunnies.
4. Rabbits are Definitely not for Children
Unfortunately, although admittedly less so these days, rabbits are still seen by some as the ideal pet for children and as a teaching tool to allow them to learn responsibility.
However, this is extremely inaccurate, as not only do rabbits require mental, emotional, and physical stimulation in the form of their own kind and the freedom to discover the world on their own terms but they can also be injured when being picked up as their bones tend to break easily.
Instead, rabbits need loving and understanding owners who let them bond and communicate on their own terms and in their own time.