Why bunnies make great pets
An interesting fact about animal shelter populations is that they tend to fluctuate. Some months there are tons of older dogs awaiting adoption, other months we’re inundated in kittens. Right now at Marin Humane, we’re hopping with bunnies — a lot of bunnies.
On average, Marin Humane has six to eight rabbits awaiting adoption, but right now, that number is 33. After cats and dogs, rabbits are the third most popular pet in America. Likewise, they’re also frequently surrendered to animal shelters. And right now, rabbits are facing a deadly virus. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus is a highly contagious disease that affects wild and domestic rabbits. While the virus has been around for decades, right now a dangerous variant (RHDV2) is spreading all over the western United States.
Out of an abundance of caution, our updated sheltering protocols require each new rabbit brought to Marin Humane to be completely isolated in a separate space for at least 14 days. Because we ran out of rooms quickly, many of our quarantine bunnies are currently in foster homes, where they can safely live alongside other species of pets — this virus can only affect hares and rabbits. If you have space in your home to temporarily house one of our rabbits, please let us know.
Better yet, consider adopting one of our wonderful bunnies, and spread the word to friends and family. Well-cared-for indoor rabbits can live seven to 10 years, so adopting one is a long-term commitment. Before bringing a rabbit home, be sure to learn about diet, housing and enrichment needs. In exchange, rabbits give us so much. They’re full of energy and curiosity, and make wonderful pets. Some quickly become lap bunnies, while others have a propensity for learning little tricks. Did you know that there are bunny agility and jumping competitions? It’s very, very cute.
“Over the course of 15 years I’ve been lucky enough to have been the guardian to three wonderful bunnies,” says Michelle Oga, Marin Humane’s marketing and communications coordinator. “I’ve come to learn that rabbits, just like cats and dogs, have different personalities, including preferences for food, toys and even people. These personality differences are what makes being a rabbit guardian so fun and enjoyable. Plus, their binkies are the epitome of joy and who doesn’t love to witness that?”
The Bay Area is home to several wonderful rabbit rescues like House Rabbit Society and SaveABunny, and many more rabbits can be found at local animal shelters. Petfinder.com is an excellent resource that aggregates information and lets you run specific searches based on location, age, sex and more.
All adoptable rabbits at Marin Humane are spayed or neutered — and vaccinated against the virus. (If you already have a pet bunny that isn’t vaccinated yet, please reach out to your veterinarian.)
Visit marinhumane.org to learn more about our bunnies and how to adopt one (or two). After all, who couldn’t use some extra joy and companionship these days?
Carina DeVera is the digital marketing manager for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, Twitter.com/marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org