5 Reasons Why Bunnies are AWESOME PETS

So on Friday Mommy had a plumber come by to fix something in her bathroom (because she's a silly human who doesn't just lick herself clean like I do...) and he said something that really got my ears in a knot. He asked my Mom why she didn't just get a cat or a dog instead of ME. Can you believe that?? I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, he was a very nice man, but goodness, I was a bit insulted by the insinuation that a dog or a cat would be better than me! So I decided to write this post explaining why bunnies are so awesome.

1) Bunnies are super social!

Now, I've heard plenty of people tell my Mom about a mean bunny they had, and when Mom was a little human she had a bunny named Pepper who wasn't nearly as sweet as me. There's bad apples in every species I guess, but most bunnies, if given a chance we are VERY social! What sometimes happens is that bunnies are stuck in cages and don't get enough time with our humans. In that case, we do become a little grumpy. You would too if you never got to play with people! The other thing that gives us a bad reputation is that we are VERY territorial if we are not spayed or neutered. Even if you only have one of us and are not worried about baby bunnies, you really should get us fixed. It's much better for our health, and helps us control our bunny hormones. That was Mommy's mistake growing up, but it was the early 90s and she didn't really know any better.

But if you love us and pay attention to us, we will love you like no other. I don't much like to be picked up, but most nights I will jump up on the sofa to cuddle with my Mommy while she watches TV, and love it when she lays down on the floor with me and scratches me nose.  

2) We are neat freaks!

When Mommy said she was getting a bunny someone asked her about the smell and how that would be in her condo. I'm a little insulted by the implication, because I DON'T SMELL! In fact, during the summer I probably bath more than my Mommy (she gets lazy when she doesn't have to go anywhere....). Like cats, we groom ourselves, and we HATE it when things are dirty. Litter boxes can smell, but my Mom is a real neat freak when it comes to my litter boxes and cleans them every morning. Some types of beddings can smell, but my Mom prefers paper-based litters (thank goodness!). Wood shaving litter is actually bad for our lungs, and while some people use wood pellets, her vet advises against it. I have allergies too, so Mom is SUPER picky about what litter she uses. Mom uses "Yesterday's News" which is actually a non-clumping, unscented cat litter (they have clumping and scented types as well, so Mom has to be careful not to buy those because those might be bad for me). The vet recommended it and she loves it because it doesn't get everywhere like the paper pulp litter and is SUPER absorbent and easy to clean. It takes care of the smell too, so it's worth the extra cost.

The other thing that sometimes smells is the hay. I have to have unlimited hay and I eat a lot of it and timothy hay is pretty smelly. It makes Mom sneeze, so Mom gets orchard hay, which is just as good for me and delicious and smells less. Mom also uses an air purifier because we BOTH have allergies. So no, I don't smell bad. In fact, I spend a large portion of my day grooming myself to make sure I don't smell. My Grandma gets a bit insulted by the fact that every time I come to her house I take extra baths. Sorry Grandma, your house just doesn't smell right!

3) We have unique personalities!

Just like any pet, we aren't all the same. We all have unique likes and dislikes and are very different. My Mom has had five different rabbits and each one was different. It's super fun to discover our quirks! Some of us like to run around a lot and are super active while some of us are more lap bunnies who like to cuddle and are a bit lazy. Some of us are super smart, while others, maybe not so much (but we're still sweet!). Me? I'm a bit lazy, but I do have my zoomie moments where I like to run around the living room and play on the loveseat. I'm pretty smart and a bit of an escape artist. I can jump out of my 30 inch high enclosure if the top is left off, and figured out how to get around the baby gate at Grandma's so I could hang out with them in the living room, where I'm not allowed to play because Mommy doesn't want to risk me pottying on Grandma's fancy furniture. 

Also, just because one bunny chewed on the walls, it doesn't mean we all will. A lot of people, for example, recommend using puppy pee pads in our litter boxes, but when my Mom tried I chewed on them so she had to switch to newspaper (that's cheaper anyway!). I'll chew on anything plastic, so she can't leave bags or anything like that around, but her last rabbit could care less about plastic and she could leave his food bags out no problem. Her last lop chewed up the woodwork in Grandma's kitchen, but I don't really care about chewing on the walls and don't really go after the furniture. 

Just like with any pet, it's fun to discover all our quirks!

(Baby Cicero: Mommy's last bunny, NOT eating through the plastic to get to that yummy hay! Silly lionhead rabbit!)

(This is Gemini, Mommy's old angora mix. Her life goal was to get her nose scratched and she didn't mind being picked up as much as I do. She wasn't as smart as me though!)

4) We have good bathroom habits!

So I'm not saying we're perfect. Even I still have the occasional accident. But we do litter box train well, especially after we are neutered or spayed. We don't have to be walked like dogs, and our poop isn't as gross as cats. Our poop is round and hard, and Mom being an experienced rabbit owner has no issues with picking up the occasional stray and tossing it in the litter box. We are creatures of habit, so we typically pick up on training pretty quick. Now, I do throw the occasional fit when I'm mad or excited, and the initial potty training does take some patience (especially when we're little), but I bet when you were learning to use the people litter box you weren't perfect either. Just saying. 

5) We can learn tricks!

And not just to use a litter box! So far I have learned how to stand up, spin around, weave, and jump over an obstacle (it's about 9 inches high right now, Mom doesn't want to go much higher because she thinks I might hurt my big old ears). I also come when I'm called and know my name. My Mom has been using clicker training on me, and I have to say I'm pretty darn good at it! I also can tell time because if it gets to be mealtime and if Mom hasn't been paying attention to the clock I let her know it's time for me to eat. I am just as smart as any dog or cat. Maybe smarter. 

So those are just five reasons, but there are many more reasons why we are awesome out there! However, I do want to advise you that we are not by any means low maintenance. Some people seem to think they can just throw some food at us once and day and we'll be fine, but we need lots of attention and love, and can't really be left alone for long periods of time. The better you treat us, the better pets we will be. Also, we are extremely delicate creatures, and for us, not eating for a long period of time is extremely dangerous. We need very specific care, and are certainly not for everyone. However, we are also extremely smart, sweet, and loving pets. Our poop is less gross than cats (in my opinion) and we're just as loving and loyal as dogs (minus the walking and smell...). 

So really, the question is not why my Mommy didn't get a cat or a dog. The question is why do people who have cats and dogs not get a rabbit? 

Just saying.