The Rabbit Residence Rescue

Living with rabbits, children and handling

When I have delivered your rabbits to you, you will have two new members of the family and it is very important to make them feel welcome in their new home and safe! Here are some simple guidelines.

Also applies to adults! Over the last 10 years people have finally started to understand rabbits properly and appreciate rabbits as intelligent animals that make good adult pets and are not disposable children's toys as kept since the First World War.

America and various European countries have been keeping them in the house as family pets and valuing their lives like cats and dogs for some time now, giving them the same freedom and choice and finally acknowledging their natural instincts and needs. Their silent language, which is displayed by facial expression and movement rather than sound, (though they can vocalise) too often unnoticed.

It is a great misconception that rabbits enjoy being held or are easy to cuddle, though they may look cute and soft and people seem to have a "need" to cuddle them and feel it is part of "the deal" in having a pet rabbit more than other animals and feel their rabbit is "in the wrong" or "inadequate" if it does not allow this or negative behaviour is displayed as if they are being "naughty".

Rabbits can bond with us as closely as a dog, but due to being prey animals it often takes longer and requires different interaction and interpretation from us. We are predators, which is why we find it easier to talk "dog" rather than "rabbit" but if we achieve this, the bond and achievement is far greater which is why I see something very special when I see adults with their pet rabbits.

Rabbits were first kept by the Romans for meat and fur, then by the Normans. They kept rabbits in walled gardens, but due to the inconvenience of catching them and controlling them, many years' later hutches were designed. Hutches allowed rabbits to be easily caught; large numbers kept in a small space and control over pregnant does etc.

Rabbits were also used for breeding and for the entertainment of people before they were seen as pets. As we all know they are seen as children's pets probably because the history of what they were kept for therefore people had no value or love for them as anything greater and didn't appreciate their intelligence or affection…didn't realise.

If only we still kept them in walled gardens. Rabbits are prey animals and whether they are domestic or wild they have the same instincts and needs. They naturally live in pairs or groups over at least 0.6 acres and need plenty of boltholes and hiding places to protect themselves from predators as well as loving the freedom to leap and bound. Also like their wild relatives domestic rabbits have a much healthier digestive system if they are fed a natural diet of grasses, hays and vegetables. Only a few mono-component commercial feeds are recommended to compliment this diet.

So sadly the wrong environment, diet and image has been used for far to long, and it is this which has caused rabbits to be unhappy, misunderstood and given up. So called "runs" making me cringe at our ignorance for they put a rabbit in an open space where it is tormented by birds of prey and dogs, the fear it must injure, so obvious it will show defensive behaviour with humans cowering over it, it's instinct is to think it is prisoner or dinner, not able to have proper territorial markings, no sign of safety or shelter.

Rabbits are not stupid and can be litter trained, taught to come home when called, learn tricks taught by rewarding with food, learn to come to you when called, cuddle up with you in bed like a cat, ask for food, stroking, let you know they need the toilet and much more.

Rabbits all have the same potential to be loving and trusting towards us, but due to their different experiences some take a lot longer than others, and a few are bombproof. In the wild they will also have a hierarchy, and their place will be dependant on their genetics, which will also affect how they behave towards us. To enable a positive relationship to grow between you and your rabbits follow my guidelines on my web page"how to become best friends with your rabbit" but the main points to follow with rabbits with children and general handling are as follows;

• Patience and perseverance are essential.

• Rabbits are extremely curious but cautious.

• Quietness and gentleness bring trust.

• Rabbits will first investigate, and then move away for safety and if the human does not move the rabbit WILL return!

• Move fast jolt and make noise the rabbit will run away and hide.