I recently wrote about how you shouldn’t give bunnies or chicks as Easter presents without looking into just how much responsibility comes with them. Pet rabbits can be an amazing addition to your family but they also need care of different kinds. If you want to know about rabbits, here are some fun facts!
[ONE] There are differences between domesticated (pet) and wild rabbits and these differences play a big part in why you shouldn’t release your pet rabbit into the wild. Some coloring of domesticated rabbits, for example, would make them easy targets from predators if they were released.
[TWO] Humans and rabbits have a long relationship but most of this history involves rabbits being stew at the end of the day. Domestication happened relatively recently in the grand scheme of things, with several distinct breeds showing up in the 16th century. Domesticated rabbits were more common around the world by the 19th century, with many used for their meat and fur or being kept as pets. Nowadays, pet rabbits are very social and can bond with their owners!
[THREE] There’s one legend that Pope Gregory the Great was the reason that rabbits were domesticated. The story goes that Pope Gregory said that fetal rabbits were not meat and thus, could be eaten during Lent (a religious season when most Catholics don’t eat meat). French monks took this decree and ran with it, eventually leading to the domestication of rabbits. This legend, sadly, is not true.
[FOUR] It is possible to train your rabbit! There are many pet rabbits that are litter trained just like cats. It is important to know that it’ll take time to litter train your rabbit and they may not always make it to the box.
[FIVE] Rabbits often love carrots but will need a range of foods in their diets. They’ll primarily need fresh grass hay and vegetables but having pellets as a secondary addition to their diets could also help with picky eaters.
Here are some more resources on rabbit facts, including how to best care for them:
- How to Care for Pet Rabbits, from The Spruce
- Rabbit Care Guide, also from The Spruce
