My Name is Bunny and I'm a Rabbit Addict

Someone asked me recently if I have "a thing" about rabbits. I must confess that I do. I adore rabbits, always have. When I was a kid and my dog played with a wild baby rabbit (a rabbit kitten, technically) until it died, I was furious with the dog for weeks. I just have a soft spot for rabbits. Wild, domestic, and even some fake ones (ok, a whole curio cabinet full . . . ). There's a reason people in my real life started calling me Bunny, years and years ago. (Only my husband still calls me Bunny and it's rare now.)

I know. Total dork.

I believe rabbits make wonderful pets. But you have to be prepared to care for them properly. For one, rabbits need to be in the house and part of the family. They are social animals and need that interaction. Rabbits can be (and should be) litter-trained, just like a cat. For more on that, go to the House Rabbit Society. I have had large rabbits and small rabbits and all can be trained. The main thing to watch for with house rabbits is that they will chew electrical cords - and telephone cords and tv and computer cables, pretty much anything they can get their teeth on. You have to cover the cords to protect them.

Rabbits are not always cuddly and friendly. Many have a serious attitude. One of mine, a 9 lb. French lop, was terribly mean - beating up other animals, biting small humans, snarling at everyone. She had to be separated from other rabbits (she put my Polish dwarf in the hospital once, had to get stitches another time). I got her spayed, but it didn't help. She was just mean. She used to pull my dog's hair out to pad her nest. Surprisingly, the dog didn't really care. They had a weird relationship. Eventually they would sleep snuggled together. Bizarre.

My favorite rabbit was Benjamin, who looked kind of the like the black/white bunny in the "pron" above, w/o the brown chest. He was a white-tipped black dwarf. Not even 3lbs at his top weight. He had a vivid personality. He thought he could kick anyone's butt, no matter their size. He loved to toss a wire ball cat toy. He'd pick it up in his teeth and toss it across the room. Hilarious. He chased and attacked the vacuum cleaner. Benny traveled with me all through my time in law school. If I told him we were going for a ride, he'd hop over and into his carrier box. At a McDonald's I used to stop at for a soda on my trips between my parents' house and school, they got to know him and would give him lettuce to eat. I lived in a Mies van der Rohe glass-and-steel high rise during law school. My apartment had one wall that was just solid glass. Benny loved to go to the window and look out at the 16th floor view. He'd run when the traffic or police helicopters went by though - he thought they were predators, I guess. Benjamin died on his 10th birthday, which also happened to be my wedding day. The neighbor was checking on him regularly during my wedding and said that my parents' cat never left the rabbit's side as he faded away. At least someone was with him. My Dad may never completely get over losing Benny. We even considered naming my son Benjamin, but then thought that a child might not appreciate being named for a dead rabbit.

My last rabbit, Gracie - the Polish dwarf, died 4 years ago. She was 10 years old. It was surprising that she lived that long, since she had never been spayed. (Spayed and neutered rabbits live much longer. Females tend to get ovarian or uterine cancer when they aren't spayed.) She was sweet, but she was wary of my son. She was a placid rabbit who liked quiet and gentle petting. Little boys are neither gentle nor quiet.

I want another rabbit, but I probably won't get one until my daughter is a little older. Though if I got a checkered giant or a flemish giant something larger like that, it could probably handle her. Not sure. The kids want a dog so that's more likely to be the next addition to our family. We're thinking a rescued greyhound maybe. We'll see.