Bunnies are not for Easter baskets

Despite what movies may portray, bunnies are not a good choice for a family with young children. Unfortunately people still give their children baby bunnies for Easter. Pictures of baby bunnies are so adorable that they can be hard to resist. However, young children do not know how to hold a bunny safely. And unlike their stuffed animals, baby bunnies will not survive being hugged or squeezed too tightly. Most people are not aware of how to properly care for a pet bunny and lack of research ahead of time can lead to tragedy when the family cat or dog sees the bunny as prey. If you are genuinely interested in providing a forever home for a lucky rabbit, please consider the following requirements to provide a bunny-friendly home.

Indoor Pets

Clover Patch Sanctuary is a large foster home-based bunny rescue located in Franklin, TN. They advise potential adopters that your bunny needs to live indoors, with his family. Bunnies are very social creatures who deserve better than a wooden hutch outside. Particularly in Tennessee where we experience extreme cold and hot temperatures, leaving your bunny outside in a hutch could prove fatal.

Litter-training

Just like a cat, bunnies can be litter-trained. This makes them wonderful indoor pets who can enjoy playing and running around your house without having to worry about messing up your carpet or floors. Clover Patch works on litter-training with all of their foster bunnies.

A Bunny Habitat

Whether free-roaming in the house or confined, your bunny will need a proper habitat. This can be constructed with an extra large dog crate or a circular X pen. Your bunny needs a quiet place to relax or retreat to if he is feeling anxious.

If using a dog crate, you will need a crate with a solid bottom to it. Either the 28" x 42" size or the 30" x 42" size will work and are available at most pet stores. One advantage of using a crate is that it disassembles easily for moving from room to room. A washable bath mat or rug works great to cover the bottom of the cage. This gives your bunny a soft place to nap and protects your floor from any accidents.

To create a habitat with an X pen, just go to your local PetSmart or Petco and purchase an X pen, which is a circular shaped collapsible pen with wire walls to keep bunny from hopping out. To line the bottom of the bunny's pen, use a piece of carpet at least 4' x 4' so your bunny has plenty of room to relax and your floor is protected. If you prefer, Clover Patch will gladly construct a habitat to use with your new bunny for a $40 fee to cover the cost of materials.

Veterinary Care

While bunnies do not require shots or flea medication, it is important to bring your bunny to a vet who is experienced with small animals once a year for an exam. Your vet will conduct a physical exam, paying particular attention to your bunny's teeth. A happy house bunny can live as long as 12 years or more with proper care.

Bonding

Wild rabbits live in large communities, so living alone is unnatural for a bunny. Your new pet bunny will be happiest with at least one bunny friend to snuggle and play with. Clover Patch lists on each foster bunny's profile whether it would be a good candidate for bonding with another bunny. Some bunnies are already bonded and these pairs are listed on PetFinder on the same profile page. Research has shown that bonded bunnies live longer, happier and healthier lives.

Outside Play

Bunnies love outside time as long as the weather is nice and they are protected from predators. Outside play time should always be supervised so your bunny does not wander too far or fall prey to a passing cat, dog or hawk. About 1-2 hours a day is the most outside time that your bunny needs.

Bunnies and Children

Clover Patch recommends waiting to adopt a bunny for your family until your children are at least 12 years old. Younger children want a baby bunny for the same reason they want kittens and puppies: to hold and cuddle them. Clover Patch says "Although bunnies are cute and fluffy, indeed, they are not generally 'snuggly' as you would see on TV and/or movies. They are adventurous, ground loving and like to explore their world. Although some bunnies might 'snuggle' with time, you cannot expect that as snuggling is not in a rabbit's nature. Some rabbits will never "snuggle" and prefer to only hop into your lap and/or settle down next to you for comfort."

Enjoying your Bunny

Bunnies have many ways of bringing joy to their owners. Many bunny lovers say that their favorite part of owning a bunny is watching the bunny do a "binky" or jump for joy. Bunnies also enjoy munching on fresh vegetables and greens. They enjoy a good run around the house, and play with toys. Bunnies enjoy having cardboard, sticks or wooden toys for chewing. They will even play with jingle ball cat toys.

Adopting a Rescue Bunny

If you are interested in pursuing bunny adoption, there are four steps to the adoption process at Clover Patch. First contact Amy Mott, Adoption Coordinator, at (615) 473-1803 or cloverpatchsanctuary@gmail.com to schedule your adoption appointment with the foster home. While waiting to visit your bunny, complete the online adoption application. Next you will need to construct a habitat for your new bunny and send in pictures of the habitat. The final step is coming to meet your bunny in his foster home. If you have been approved by the time of your adoption appointment, you can take your new bunny home with you at that time. The adoption fee is $75 for one bunny or $150 for two.

Bunny Boot Camp

Clover Patch Sanctuary offers community education courses to help you and your child learn more about bunny care. Three different classes are offered, one for children 7-12 years old, one for teens and one for adults. All of the classes are hands-on as participants learn about bunny grooming, feeding, litterbox cleaning, and basic bunny health. The teen and adult classes go more in depth with potential health problems, bunny rescue and bunny advocacy.

How You Can Help

If you think these bunnies are adorable but are not able to adopt one, please consider making a donation to Clover Patch Sanctuary so they can continue their work rescuing and rehabilitating bunnies. If you would rather donate an item, please check out the Clover Patch wish list on Amazon.com.