So You Think You Might Want A Bunny

adopt animal wisdom bunny rabbit select a pet Sep 26, 2023

Bunnies are cute. Fluffy, with that little cotton tail, hopping serenely along, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth.

You haven’t met our “barn bunny”, which we call Killer.

What Killer looks like

We have a fairly large indoor arena, where we do our coaching, store hay, and have other storage stuff going on. At one time, there were a considerable number of mice. I have no problem with mice so long as they stay out of the horses’ grain, which they did. Live and let live. But they were multiplying fairly rapidly, and all efforts to convince one of our cats to take care of the problem was met with a yawn and a deeper curl into the sofa. All of the (former) barn cats were quite happy with their new indoor life, thank-you-very-much.

Sigh. The mice were winning this one.

Until Killer moved in. We don’t know where she came from or even why she chose our barn, but we started seeing glimpses of a cute furry non-cat/non-mouse body in the barn. Then we saw some tracks. A bunny. Living under the hay pallets. She was not being a problem, so we let her stay.

Killer - a multitude; Mice - 0

There is not a single mouse left in our barn. We don’t know where they went, but Killer apparently made it abundantly clear that our 80 x 140 arena was not big enough for two mammal species. Go, bunny!

A friend of mine also tried adopting a bunny. This is the story she sent me. Any time you think you might adopt a bunny, remember Chris and Bella, her bonsai-eating rabbit. Consider seriously before you take the plunge. (That actually goes for any animal, but we’re talking bunnies today.)

Not Bella

“Recently, I got a house bunny, thinking I needed some new young life in my house after so many years of caring for my 3 old men-Brody the cat, Buddy and Punky.

But this rabbit, Bella, has not turned out to be the cuddly, enjoyable thing I imagined. First off, I didn't know how much rabbits poop and their pee stinks. Even though she's litter box trained already, the clean up every day is enormous. She's not an easy keeper, although many people said she would be.

She is very cool in her way. She's fierce, intelligent and stealthy. She tolerates head and ear strokes, but I've had my skin ripped too many times now to realize she doesn't want to be held. She's so intelligent, so curious, and is an incredible escape artist. I've got my kitchen fenced off to let her run around, but she’s figured out how to move chairs to get up on the table or counter-and things have gone flying trying to coax her down into the chair and onto the floor.

And she started eating my 45 year old Bonsai - NOT OK.

When she has gotten out of the kitchen fence - before I bolted it to the wall - her favorite place was under my bed. I developed a strategic pattern to check every room and shut the door behind me with an all clear in this room... till I find her....then coax her out and down the hall around the living room in circles, with a gentle broom, till she gets back in the kitchen....it's a sight I'm sure....but I can't let her in the rest of my house or take her outside as originally planned. I can't hold her safely to trim her nails or brush her.....The lesson I'm hearing inside me is "I will no longer take care of an animal (or another human for that matter) that does not like me or respect me in return."

She's going back to the breeder this week. It's the first time I've ever surrendered an animal. But I could see the reality of this life of confinement - not fair to her, nor to me. I don’t want to be crawling under the bed at 80 years old....nope, ain't doin' it. I got it Bella. I truly wish you a good life, but you're not a good fit for me at this time in my life. I'm sorry, and thank you....”

I know people who love bunnies and have had wonderful lives with them, but just like with any being, it takes a certain type of person to take on the kind of care they require. I’m a cat person, myself, and I’m sure many of my friends don’t understand how I can put up with litter boxes all over the house and a cat who just doesn’t get that in order for the poo to be inside the litter box his bum has to be there, too. He gets close. Good enough for me. Not good enough for others. So no judging!

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