Thinking About a Pet Rabbit? What Most Owners Don't Realize

Rabbits may not dominate headlines the way dogs and cats do, but millions of families across the U.S. keep them as pets. Before bringing a rabbit into your home, it’s essential to understand their species-specific needs. While they might seem like the perfect starter pet, the truth is that pet rabbits need far more care, space, and enrichment than many people realize.

While rabbits share some similarities with other popular small pets, they belong to a different mammalian order than hamsters, mice, and rats, which all fall under the order Rodentia. Rabbits, instead, are part of the order Lagomorpha.

Both orders have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives. Rabbit-proofing your house isn’t enough for these lifelong chewers. They need constant access to hay and plenty of safe items to chew to keep their teeth healthy. It’s also essential to provide a setup that prevents rabbits from chewing on anything dangerous, such as electrical wires.

Suzanne Trayhan, president of the House Rabbit Network, suggests using a pen instead of a cage so rabbits have more space to move around. Even with a large enough pen, rabbits should spend a few hours out of their enclosure each day to exercise and explore. Trayhan explained that just because a cage is sold in pet stores doesn’t mean it provides adequate room for a rabbit to move comfortably, and cages are not the only items that can be misleading when shopping for rabbits.

“Cedar and pine shavings should be avoided. Many treats, like yogurt drops, for example, are actually bad for your rabbit,” Trayhan said.

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