Bunny Myth Buster
Not everything you hear and read is true! Check out my fact or fiction on whats true and what's not!
#1 Rabbits smell.
Fiction! This is probably the #1 bunny myth out there! Rabbits do not have a natural body smell. This is normally the #1 "mom's excuse" for not wanting to get a rabbit. Rabbits' scent glands actually smell like coffee. The only time a rabbit's cage would smell is when you have neglected to clean their litter boxes. After a rabbit is fixed, the odor or their urine will become less intense. Cleaning a rabbit's litter box every day will prevent any smell. Wood stove pellets are the best odor-blocking litter types and are also the cheapest!
#2 Rabbits can eat carrots all the time!
Fiction! Rabbits can't eat carrots all the time. Carrots are full of sugar and starch and too many carrots can cause diarrhea and make your rabbit sick!
#3 Rabbits are good pets for children and love being held!
Fiction! Rabbits are horrible pets for children under 12 years old. Even for children older than that, rabbits may not be the best choice. Rabbits hate to be held; being prey animals by nature, rabbits need to feel a sense of security; meaning their feet need to be touching the ground or they will become extremely uncomfortable. They also hate to be chased, and despise loud noises. This is why they are not ideal pets for children and tend to scratch and bite when they become scared.
#4 I can get everything I need for my rabbit at the pet store.
Fiction! Many things sold in pet stores for rabbits are not sufficient. Cages sold in pet stores are only one example. The largest cages typically sold in pet stores are no more than 8 sq feet. A rabbit should have at least 12 sq feet of space in their cage. Cages sold in pet stores are a waste of money in that aspect. Also, some treats, toys, and beddings are labeled for use of rabbits, but may not be good for them. For example, any beddings that are cedar or pine and have a photo of a rabbit on it are improperly labeled as pine and cedar litters have been proven to cause liver disease in rabbits. Also any treats with seeds or yogurt are bad for rabbits as well.
#5 Any two rabbits can get along!
Fiction! Not every pair of rabbits will work. Just like choosing a roommate, choosing a second rabbit doesn't gaurentee that your first rabbit will get along with the second. Before getting a second rabbit, you should always introduce the two rabbits before commiting to adopt the second one. If the first meeting doesn't look at least promising, they may not ever bond. You can't force a pair to get along, just like you can't force two people to get along!
#6 If I get two rabbits of the same gender, I don't have to get them fixed.
Fiction! A bond will almost never work if both rabbits are not fixed, no matter what gender they are. People think that if they get two males or two females from the start, they'll never have issues with them getting along. This is just not true. That's why it's always reccommended to adopt rabbits one at a time, or adopt them as a pair that is already bonded. When two rabbits of the same gender reach sexual maturity, it is more likely than not that they will start to fight. If you want any hope of a bond to work, you must have both rabbits fixed to be sure you get rid of any territorial issues between them. The best bonds are opposite gender pairs.