How much do you know about caring for rabbits? Take this little quiz to see if you really might want a rabbit as a pet because, like it or not, that cute baby Easter bunny will be a full-grown rabbit before you know it!
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This is the day before Easter, and if you’re thinking you might like to have a live bunny rabbit as a pet, try this little quiz from the House Rabbit Society to see how much you know about pet rabbits.
Question 1: How long can a rabbit live? The answer is 10 - 12 years if it’s kept indoors as a housepet. By contrast, a rabbit in an outdoor hutch has an average life span of only about one year.
Question 2: Should you spay or neuter a rabbit? Absolutely! Just as with dogs and cats, spayed and neutered rabbits tend to live longer, stay healthier and make better companions. And you won’t have to worry about being overrun with little bunnies. Be sure to find a veterinarian who has experience with rabbits.
Question 3: Can rabbits be housebroken? Actually rabbits can be litter-box trained as you would a cat. The kind of litter is important - no clay, nothing with deodorizers, no soft-wood shavings like cedar, and no clumping litter, which can cause the same problems with intestinal blockages in rabbits that it causes in cats.
Question 4: Is it better to get one rabbit or two? The answer depends partly on you. Rabbits like companionship. If you don’t have plenty of time to spend with your pet rabbit, you may want to get two so they can keep each other company. But refer back to question 2 - have them both spayed or neutered to prevent a bunny “population explosion” in your house.
Question 5: Do rabbits enjoy being held and cuddled? These are ground-loving animals; they tend to feel insecure when restrained. For that reason, rabbits do not necessarily make the best pets for active children.
So how did you do on the quiz? The truth is that while a soft, fuzzy bunny in the Easter basket may be cute, keeping a rabbit as a pet requires the same level of commitment and care as a cat or dog. For more information about rabbit care, visit the House Rabbit Society website at ‘rabbit.org’.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a low-maintenance Easter animal, in the long run you’ll probably be happier with an artificial stuffed one when you’re speaking of pets.
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