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WW: Top 5 Rabbit Care Myths

Tamsin

Administrator
Staff member
What do you think the most common myths/misconceptions are about bunnies? If you had to give a top 5 would you include and how would you rank them?

And if you don't mind sharing, what ones did you believe when you first got rabbits?
 
Ooh, tough one, I'll have to have a think. Off the top of my head, the things coming to mind are

A rabbit's diet should contain lots of carrot and lettuce
Rabbits should eat a mix not a pellet because pellets are boring and mix gives them a good balanced diet
You shouldn't keep rabbits together because they'll fight (there is some truth in this I suppose depending on whether they're neutered and how you introduce them!)
Rabbits are a high anaesthetic risk
Rabbits shouldn't be kept in large accommodation as it will scare them and damage their growth
Rabbits won't breed with relatives
You don't need to vaccinate house rabbits

There's more than 5 there :lol:

I'm not sure I ever did feed rabbits copious amounts of carrot and lettuce but when I had my first rabbits I certainly fed them a mix and didn't understand the importance of hay.

Edit: actually from the general public's point of view I think the main two would have to be:

Rabbits are boring (so would you be if you were locked in a space the size of a walk in wardrobe with nothing to do for your entire life!)
Rabbits should live in hutches
 
Number one - Rabbits make great children's pets - NO NO NO!
They live on carrots
They are cheap pets to own
Males will always fight
Houserabbits don't need vaccinating
 
Things that we were told when bringing home Bobo...and what we thought based on cartoons and things we had heard:

1. Bunnies love cuddles (okay some do - but I think majority don't - or maybe just mine don't :lol:)
2. A small cage is fine
3. Sawdust is ideal to use as a bedding
4. Bugs Bunny eats carrots - so it must be okay!
5. They are fine to leave for long periods (ie.weekends away) if they have water and hay (yes - have been told that :()
 
Rabbits make a good children's pet.
A small hutch is suitable rabbit housing
All a rabbit needs to eat is pellets/muesli - many people are totally unaware of the importance of hay.
You can't get a friend for a lone adult rabbit.
A rabbit will live about 5 years.
 
Small hutch is all you need.

Rabbits are great for children.

Sawdust is suitable substrate.

Rabbits dont need to be out of a cage/hutch except for a few hours a day (seems to be common even on here).
 
1 - rabbits live on lettuce and carrots (I used to give my rabbits lettuce and carrots as a kid :( they also got pellet feed and they had hay in summer and hay and straw in winter so at least I got some things right-ish)
2 - rabbits live about 5 years maximum (so many people are shocked when I tell them I hope mine live until over 10!)
3 - a small hutch is suitable (I hate that pet shops still perpetuate this myth)
4 - rabbits are children's pets (loads of people seem to think this :()
5 - you can't tame a vicious rabbit (this might be a strange one, but I've so often come across people who say "I have a rabbit, it's a nasty vicious thing though so we just make sure it has food and water and leave it to itself", and on the occasions as a child/teenager I got to meet said rabbits they've often been cooped up in a hutch and lonely and actually when treated gently and with respect have been perfectly fine to accept handfuls of grass calmly from me and a head rub, I've also seen on here people who have rabbits from people who got rid of the rabbit because it was "vicious", but once in the right environment they're lovely rabbits)
 
Number one - Rabbits make great children's pets - NO NO NO!
They live on carrots
They are cheap pets to own
Males will always fight
Houserabbits don't need vaccinating

That would be my top 5 as well.

Oh and that they only live to be about 4 or 5 at most and only need a hutch to live in . . . .
 
first - rabbits make great children's pets (nothing could be further from the truth)
you can keep rabbits with a guinea pig companion, rather then another rabbit
rabbits should be fed carrots
they are cheap to own
and that house rabbits don't need vaccinating
 
Rabbits are very easy to care for house pets
Rabbits are cheap pets
Rabbits do not distroy your home as a dog or cat would
Rabbits can be left for a few days alone with a full bowl of pellets and big bottle of water
Rabbits pretty much live on pellets

These are the myths that my husband believed when we first got married. He had never had a pet before in his life. I grew up on a farm and always had lots of pets. I begged for a pet any pet. He went to the pet store for my first birthday as a married couple and was easily convinced that a rabbit would be the best and easiest pet. ha ha I knew different but wasn't telling him as I wanted the sweet looking baby rabbit he gave me. He learned fast but 26 years later we have always had rabbits and only rabbits. ha ha
 
Myth 1. Muesli is a good choice for a bunny's diet
Rabbit muesli is fairly commonly sold. Not only will your rabbit pick out the bits it likes and ignore the rest but the RSPCA state that muesli is associated with teeth and tummy problems and actively advise against putting your bunny on a muesli based diet.



Myth 2. Yoghurt drops are a good treat
Yoghurt drops are dairy and are by no means a good choice of treat for a rabbit. Indeed, they were one of the driving factors behind the creation of HungryBun and why we use the ingredients we do.



Myth 3. Bunnies smell
Rabbits don't smell. There will only be a bit of a pong if the litter tray needs emptying. They'll generally pick a corner to use for their business, so it's worth litter training them to make it easier to clean their space. Wood only cat litter can help absorb the moisture and can prevent any smells from propagating.



Myth 4. Rabbits don't need companionship
A solitary pet rabbit cannot be left to its own devices. He or she needs a bunny friend but also needs attention from you. Rabbits make excellent pets. Like with dogs and perhaps more so than with cats, it is possible for humans to bond with rabbits. Once your bunny is comfortable around you, you may even find that he grooms you! (This can save on washing costs but be warned, it does take a long time for a bunny to clean a full pair of jeans.)



Myth 5. Rabbits are small so don't need much space
A hutch is not enough. Your rabbit needs enough to space to stretch his powerful legs. It's important that prospective rabbit owners consider this before purchasing a bunny. Too many rabbits are up for adoption as a result of people not being fully aware of their needs up front.
 
Also I will say that we kept Gary alone for far too long. We stupidly believed that if we got a second rabbit he would no longer want anything to do with us. It was incredibly selfish and silly. We attached a webcam into his hutch and saw just how miserable he was alone all day, it was heartbreaking. We picked Penny up nearly immediately, and I'm so glad we did. The two are inseparable, best decision we ever made :)

Oh and Gary didn't forget us, he's just as affectionate as he was before he gained a companion.
 
Rabbit myth I don't think already mentioned that I used to believe until RU - buy a baby rabbit and cuddle it loads so it grows up to be a snuggly cuddly bunny!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Bucks that haven't yet been neutered are always aggressive.

I don't know where I read this, it might have even been on this forum, but it's utter nonsense. I have two entire adult bucks and they're sweethearts. Another has been neutered and is aggressive. The last one has been neutered but he's never shown aggression as such, he's just incredibly hyperactive.
 
rabbits are good pets. no, they aren't. though they are lovable family members.
rabbits can be litter trained. as long as your expectations aren't too high.
rabbits can live in your house. they can. but its their house.
its safe to let your rabbit 'kiss' you on the lips. getting away with it, even repeatedly, is not the same as being safe.
rabbits won't hump with the light on. oh yes they will.
 
1. Rabbits are children's pets.
2. Rabbits don't need any space to live in.
3. Rabbits don't need to see a vet because there's nothing they can do for them. (one of the most common and worrying myths I come across)
4. Rabbits don't need pain relief.
5. Rabbits need to breed in order to "calm them down".
 
Hutch sizes and being left on own at end of a garden
Feeding: just eat carrots and lettuce, muesli, no need for hay and cleaning/changing regulary
Easy to look after (ie: ignore, give carrot & lettuce now and again and stick at end of garden with no enrichment, running time, or social interaction and toys)
Need to live outdoors (& no understanding of the need to fox proof)
Medical stuff.. not needing to vaccinate, neuter or have regular health checks for dentals, etc

ETA: makes for 6, but yes, allergic to rabbit... are you sure it's not just hay allergy????
 
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Rabbits cant be anaesthetised,its too dangerous
Rabbits only need to live in a hutch.
Rabbits make great first pets
Rabbits just eat carrots and lettuce
Rabbits have no intelligence or personality
Rabbits are cheap pets to keep
Rabbits are meek and mild
 
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