Pull the rabbit out of the hat with bunnies

With the holidays fast approaching, many people are considering granting a friend or family member’s wish for an animal companion. This series explores the requirements and realities of owning popular pets.

At its 2002 New Year’s service, Congregation B’nai Israel unexpectedly ushered in the years of the rabbit. The morning of Rosh Hashanah, the custodian and several congregants were surprised to find a black rabbit on the synagogue lawn. After they brought him inside, he quickly made himself comfortable in the enclosed courtyard and endeared himself to the 40 children who routinely attended religious school. For the next six years, the city’s oldest temple was graced by two rabbis: Rabbi Barry Weinstein and Rabbi T, also known as Eli. Rabbi Weinstein retired in 2007, and Rabbi T lived out the remainder of his life in the synagogue.

If you are considering getting a bunny this new year, there’s a lot to consider. While synagogue office administrator Vickie Sessions enjoyed the rabbit’s company, she had to litter-train the bunny, replace all the electrical cords and repair the furniture he chewed and frequently race back to the temple to get him out of rainy or cold weather. “Most people put rabbits in cages outside and they don’t live very long,” she says. “When we took him to LSU vet school in his old age, they were amazed at how good his health was because he was exercised and cared for so well.”

While this rabbit’s tale had a happy ending, many don’t. “People get rabbits because they are low cost,” says Wendy Lincoln, who started Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue. “But they are also high maintenance.” Over the past four years, the group of 15 volunteers has adopted out 243 rabbits, including those at Audubon’s petting zoo in New Orleans, and the occasional guinea pig.

Rabbits commonly wind up in rescue because:

• A dorm or apartment dweller bought a bunny from the pet shop and didn’t realize how large the rabbit would grow;

• A teenager becomes occupied by extracurricular or other activities and is not home enough to take care of the rabbit;

• A child is tired of cleaning up after them and wants a new toys; and,

• An owner accidentally buys a female/male pair, and they multiply like….

Most Louisianans can name only a few kinds of rabbit—Bugs Bunny, Br’er Rabbit and sauce piquante. However, there are a tremendous variety of breeds such as Angora, Lionhead, mini-Rex, mini-lop-earred, Flemish, etc. (A few are profiled in Creature Feature.) Their sizes range from two to 15 pounds, and they have distinct physical and personality characteristics.

“Rabbits are a lot like cats in personality and requirements. Some will scramble and fuss when they are held, and others want attention. Some are geniuses; some are athletic. Some ‘binky’ (scamper crazily). Some are tossers; some are diggers. Some are chewers,” Lincoln says.

“They play with toys. They know who’s nice, who isn’t and who brings them treats. They will also grieve the loss of a mate by not eating, which can be dangerous because their bodies’ systems shut down after 48 hours without food.”

In terms of breeds, Lincoln recommends larger rabbits for homes with small children. Just as with dogs, the larger the breed, the more docile the temperament. In addition, a toddler is less likely to injure or try to pick up a larger, heavier rabbit than a smaller, finer-boned, delicate breed.

While pet stores sell rabbits from commercial breeders for $99, Magic Happens offers spayed/neutered, rescued rabbits for $50. While premium food is available, the cost of a good quality food is $30 per month. While ambitious owners can build beautiful pens with wooden ramps using modular shelving and their imagination, the best store-bought cages have big wire tops and plastic bottoms.

As with any animal, Lincoln recommends researching before purchasing a rabbit. Beyond understanding the temperament and requirements of the breed you intend to adopt, finding reliable rabbit information can be tricky. Lincoln says, “Most books contradict advice from the breeders. Some information applies only to outdoor rabbits and some is for house rabbits.”

Before sending a Magic Happens house rabbit to a new home, Lincoln frequently addresses the following with potential adopters:

• While shorthaired rabbits groom themselves, longhaired varieties need to be brushed once a week. They blow their coats about three times year.

• Rabbits can be litter-box trained, but owners need to clean at least every other day.

• Rabbits are not ideal for people who go on extended vacations or business trips. Besides requiring companionship and regular exercise, their health needs to be monitored daily for signs of lethargy, not eating, running eyes or nose, which can be symptoms of fatal illness.

• While rabbits do not require yearly vaccinations or carry fleas, they can suffer from ear mites, digestive problems, hairballs, upper respiratory infections and even hay allergies.

• Some bunnies are noise sensitive. Never place their habitat in a loud area, such as near an X-box, iPod speakers, etc.

• Remarkably, some rabbits can coexist peacefully with other pets. However, if a cat or dog has a strong predatory drive—chasing squirrels, birds or other small animals—the owner may need to reconsider.

While Baton Rougeans occasionally find baby bunnies in their backyards, Lincoln explains wild rabbits make terrible pets both because they never become domesticated and keeping them is illegal.

Conversely, releasing an unwanted pet rabbit into the woods is cruel and unrealistic. “They don’t know what to eat. The rabbit could be hit by a car or killed by dogs—especially white rabbits who can easily been seen by a predator,” Lincoln says. “And lop-ears have heatstroke when the temperature gets above 85 degrees.”

For more information, click here or visit rabbit.org.

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