This page contains many Myths and Truths about Rabbit and Rabbit care.
All rabbits love and should eat lots of carrots. MYTH. Carrots are high in sugar and should only be given to rabbits on rare occasions in small quantity as a treat. They can have a hard time digesting too much carrot.
All rabbits like to be picked up, held and snuggled. MYTH. Most rabbits are afraid to be picked up. They are a small little creature and will be about 3 to 5 feet off the ground when picked up by an adult. That is way up there for a small rabbit. To see for yourself, lay down on the ground with your head flat on the ground. Now have an adult walk by you. Note how far up their waist is when you are laying on the ground. This is what a rabbit sees. Most rabbits do not like to be held or snuggled. Now it is possible to train your rabbit to snuggle with you on the ground when you are down to their level. Just approach them and talk to and pet your rabbit while you are on the floor with them down at their level. Keep repeating key words like "snuggle" for example. Rabbits will learn from repetitive words or actions.
All rabbits like each other. MYTH. Rabbits are territorial and don't want any strangers or interlopers in their turf. Rabbits must pick out their mate much like a human would and the process is called bonding to get two rabbits to be friends and love each other. Rabbits will bond for life. A bond does not need to be male>female either. Two males can become bonded as well as two females.
Rabbits don't need exercise and can be caged kept 24/7. MYTH. Rabbits are just like a dog or cat and need exercise, and a protected pen or area for exercise. They can be very smart and interactive when given the chance. If you must cage keep your rabbit then you must give him or her at least 4 hours of out time for exercise a day. The pen or cage must be well constructed so that the rabbit can't escape by hopping out or knocking over walls and escaping.
Rabbits can be kept outside. MYTH. It is NOT, repeat NOT acceptable to keep a rabbit outdoors in any kind of a pen or cage. In most parts of the country the weather is too extreme for a rabbit to be safe. Excessive heat or intense cold will kill a rabbit that is not properly housed indoors. Here are some good reason why you should NOT keep your bun outdoors. See these links:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/outdoors.html
http://www.rabbitrescue.com/outdoordangers.html
http://www.vrra.org/r101-outdoor.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/indoorbun.html
Please make every effort to protect your rabbit, please house him or her in your house with you and your family!
Rabbits can be kept in a basement or garage. MYTH. You should keep the rabbit where the family is so that the rabbit becomes part of the family and can interact with everyone. Would you like to be kept in a basement by yourself - I think not!
Rabbits don't live that long. MYTH. On average, a well cared for house rabbit will live 8 to 10 years.
Rabbits only eat pellets. MYTH. Rabbits need a balanced diet of greens, hay and pellets. Greens are fresh, washed Romaine Lettuce, Red Leaf Lettuce, Chickory, Endive, Green Leaf Lettuce (not Iceberg), Kale, Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, Dandelions, Cilantro (small amounts), Spinach (small amounts), Swiss Char, Celery Leaves, Endive, Raddichio, Bok Choy, Carrot tops and Beet tops. As well as other greens can be given. Greens should make up the biggest part of your rabbits diet along with hay. Please don't give your rabbit any salad greens you would not eat yourself. Some vets suggest to only give rabbits small amounts of pellets as a treat and not daily.
Rabbits eat only lettuce. MYTH. Rabbits need a balanced diet of a variety of fresh, washed greens. You should give them 3 to 5 different greens each day. Don't give them any iceberg lettuce which has no nutritional value for your rabbit at all.
All brands of rabbit pellets (food) are the same. MYTH. Many brands of rabbit pellets contain foods that rabbits should not have - they can cause stomach issues. They are filled with high calorie contents that can make your bun overweight. I recommend Oxbow Timothy Hay Pellets for adult rabbits and Oxbow Alfalfa Hay Pellets for young rabbits (6 months and under).
Rabbits don't bite. MYTH. Rabbits do bite or nip. They do this for several reasons. The main reason is to communicate with you --they can't talk so they nip. They usually want you to do something -like pet them or scratch their nose. It's not normally too painful but can be. When nipped, let out a loud yelp. They will understand that they hurt you and this can train them not to nip again.
Since I have a single bunny - I don't need to get it altered. MYTH. In all rabbits, having them fixed will help with their disposition and calm them down. In female rabbits it can help prevent ovarian cancer. You need to do some reading online and research to determine what is best for your rabbit, all 3 of mine are fixed. No question about it in my mind. Check out this article for more information http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html
Rabbits make the best pet for small children. MYTH. This could not be more untrue. Rabbits require a good amount of care and maintenance. They need to be monitored closely for their safety. Children tend to want to hold and pet rabbits, and the rabbit may not like that. An older child that understands the responsibility of caring for a pet rabbit may make a better bunny parent then a young child. Make sure you are willing to commit time and patience on training your child to be a good bunny parent. You are ultimately the main care giver and you must over the child to ensure the bun is well taken care of. Teach the child that the bunny is a living creature that needs love, attention, proper food, water and care on a daily basis. It's imperative to teach the child how to hold, carry and pick up a bunny otherwise the bunny can suffer permanent injury or worse.See this link for more valuable information on this topic: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/children.html.
I think I'll buy my child a rabbit for Easter, it will make a good pet. MYTH. Please don't purchase a rabbit for the wrong reason. A rabbit is a living creature that needs to be cared for and it's pen or cage maintained. This can be a big responsibility for a child. Please make sure the child understands the work and care involved before committing to adopting or purchasing a pet rabbit. Please read this article before adopting a rabbit at Easter or anytime.
Rabbits can run really, really fast. TRUTH. Rabbits are very fast hoppers and runners. But they use a burst of energy to run really fast and then tire out shortly thereafter. But oh yes they are fast.
Rabbits can hop very, very high. TRUTH. Yes they can hop extremely high. My rabbit Baby has jumped about 4 feet into the air. She is a tiny four pound dwarf so that is very, very high. I've heard of rabbits jumping right up onto a kitchen or dining room table. Now that takes some kind of jumping skill I would say.
Rabbits can be liter trained. TRUTH. Yes they can be liter trained. Normally once a rabbit is fixed it can become much easier to liter train them. What we have done is used positive reinforcement with treats and praise. Saying "good girl poop dish" each and every time they go into their poop dish. For the first few weeks we put a corner poop dish in their cage and just kept repeating "poop dish" and "good girl" so they she would understand. Put some of the rabbits own poop in the dish along with some of their urine in the poop dish (small pc of paper towel or newspaper with the urine on it will do). When ever you see them poop outside the poop dish, pick them and saying poop dish and put them in the poop dish and then praise and give treats when they poop in the poop dish. This can take several weeks and I must caution you that they are not perfect and they will loose some poops throughout your house from time to time - they can't help it - get use to it and get a small little broom and dust pan. Just know you will have to pick up loose poops daily.
Rabbits can be scared to death! TRUTH. Yes, this is very true. Rabbits are an animal of prey and their instincts tell them to be afraid and cautious. They can be quite reclusive and hide too. If something scares them really bad, they can die instantly from it. You must make every effort to protect your rabbit from harm and from outside influences that might really scare or frighten it.
Rabbits have really good hearing. TRUTH. Yes rabbits do have very good hearing and can hear things at a good distance away. They are an animal of prey and are usually on alert to some degree of danger of of approaching predators. In fact it's not uncommon for a rabbit to and recognize the sound of your approaching foot steps. Since rabbits are always ready to bolt in a seconds notice, I always announce myself to my rabbits so that they know that I am home and not to be afraid that the noises they hear are just me.
Rabbits can't smell. MYTH. A rabbits sense of smell is very good and so good in fact normal cooking smells may not smell nice to your bun. Don't be surprised if your buns disappear when you are cooking some very strong smelling foods.
Rabbits have excellent vision. TRUTH. Yes their vision is very good and their eyes are sensitive to bright lights or sudden changes in light. So if your bun is in a dark room, slowly turn the lights on very dim and then brighten them after a few minutes. You will even see a rabbit squint when a bright light has affected their eyes or vision.
If I have allergies, I can't have a pet. MYTH. Not as true as it use to be. You can take precautions to avoid "triggers" and eliminate them. See what the Red Door Shelter has to say on this topic by clicking here.
The wild bunny we found will make a good pet. MYTH. Not true. A wild rabbit and a house pet rabbit are from the same gene lineage but are not the same. A wild rabbit should never be a pet and a pet rabbit should never be let out in the wild. Read this article by Red Door Shelter on rescuing all kinds of animals.
My rabbit is young so it needs to be kept warm. MYTH. Not true. Rabbits like to be kept between 60 and 70 degrees F. Over 74 degrees F and the rabbit could begin to suffer from heat stroke. Remember rabbits have a coat of free on them so no matter where they are, they will be warmer than a human would be.