Myth Busters

Myth: It is ok to give a rabbit a bath.
Reality: Rabbits do not need to be bathed unless they have a health condition which makes it necessary. In this case it should be done under veterinary instruction.
You can read more in this file - Bathing Your Rabbit - Don't Do It!

Myth: Rabbits find lying on their back so relaxing they go to sleep.
Reality: This is called Tonic Immobility or Trancing, actually terrifies the rabbit and puts them at extreme risk of cardiac failure.
You can read more in this file - Trancing and Tonic Immobility

Myth: You can tell your rabbit’s temperature from how hot or cold its ears are.
Reality: The only way to accurately assess your rabbit’s temperature is to take its temperature rectally with an infant’s thermometer. Feeling the BASE of a rabbit’s ears can give you a vague idea... but it is not accurate and should not be used to help assess if your rabbit is hypothermic when unwell, has heat stress etc.
You can read more in this file- Home Emergency Care

Myth: All rabbits like to be picked up,  held and snuggled.
Reality: Although some rabbits tolerate handling quite well, many do not like to be picked up and carried. If rabbits are mishandled they will learn to nip to protect themselves. If they feel insecure when carried they may scratch to get down. Un-spayed/ un-neutered rabbits often exhibit territorial behaviour such as "boxing" or nipping when their territory is "invaded" by the owner.
Most rabbits are afraid to be picked up. They are a small little creature and will be about 3 to 5 feet off the ground when picked up by an adult.  That is way up there for a small rabbit. To see for yourself, lay down on the ground with your head flat on the ground. Now have an adult walk by you. Note how far up their waist is when you are laying on the ground. This is what a rabbit sees. Most rabbits do not like to be held or snuggled. Now it is possible to train your rabbit to snuggle with you on the ground when you are down to their level. Just approach them and talk to and pet your rabbit while you are on the floor with them down at their level. Keep repeating key words like “snuggle” for example. Rabbits will learn from repetitive words or actions.
You can read more in this file - Safe Handling

Myth: Rabbits are great, low-maintenance starter pets.
Reality: Rabbits are classified as exotics and are high maintenance, costly animals to keep in the manner in which that they need to stay well and happy.
You can read more in this file - The Real Cost of Being Owned by a Rabbit

Myth: Rabbits only live a year or two, so no long commitment is necessary.
Reality: Well cared-for indoor rabbits can live 7-10 years, and some live into their teens. This is approximately the same life span as some breeds of dogs, and requires the same long-term commitment.

Myth: Rabbits do not need veterinary care the way dogs and cats do.
Reality: Although they don’t need to be walked like dogs, rabbits are anything but low-maintenance. Their quarters need daily cleaning, and fresh food and water must be offered daily, including a salad of well-washed, dark-green leafy greens/weeds. Certain rabbit health problems can become chronic and can require regular (and sometimes expensive) veterinary treatment. To complicate the picture, veterinarians skilled in rabbit medicine are often hard to find.
You can read more in this file - The Real Cost of Being Owned by a Rabbit

Myth: All rabbits like each other.
Reality: Rabbits are territorial and don’t want any strangers or interlopers in their turf. Rabbits must pick out their mate much like a human would and the process is called bonding to get two rabbits to be friends and love each other.  Rabbits will bond for life. The best bond is a desexed M:F pairing.
You can read more in this file - Bonding

Myth: Rabbits are happiest outdoors in a backyard hutch.
Reality: Rabbits kept outdoors in hutches are often forgotten and neglected once the initial novelty wears off. Far too frequently, they are relegated to a life of "solitary confinement" and are subject to extremes of weather, as well as to diseases spread by fleas, ticks, flies, and mosquitoes all of which can adversely affect their health and their life span. They can die of heart attacks from the very approach of a predator – even if the rabbit is not attacked or bitten. Rabbits are gregarious creatures who enjoy social contact with their human caretakers. The easiest way to provide social stimulation for a companion rabbit is to house him indoors, as a member of the family or bond your rabbit with a desexed rabbit of the opposite sex and house them in a large, secure walk in enclosure outside where you can visit and spend time with them.
You can read more in this file - Housing

Myth: Rabbits don’t need exercise and can be caged kept 24/7.
Reality: Rabbits are just like a dog or cat and need exercise, and a protected pen or area for exercise. They can be very smart and interactive when given the chance. If you must cage keep your rabbit then you must give him or her at least 4 hours of out time for exercise a day.  The pen or cage must be well constructed so that the rabbit can’t escape by hopping out or knocking over walls and escaping.
You can read more in this file - Housing Guidelines

Myth: Rabbits are rather dirty, and have a strong odour.
Reality: Rabbits are immaculately clean, and, once they have matured and are spayed/ neutered, they go to great lengths not to soil their living quarters. They will readily use a litter box, and if the box is cleaned or changed daily, there is no offensive odour.
You can read more in this file - Toilet Training

Myth: Rabbits – especially dwarf breeds – do not require much living space.
Reality: Rabbits have powerful hind legs designed for running and jumping. They need living space that will permit them ample freedom of movement even when they are confined. Dwarf rabbits tend to be more active and energetic than some larger breeds, and require relatively more space.
You can read more in this file - Housing Guidelines

Myth: Rabbits can be left alone for a day or two when owners travel.
Reality: Rabbits need daily monitoring. Problems that are relatively minor in some species (e.g. a day or two of anorexia) may be life-threatening in rabbits, and may require immediate veterinary attention.

Myth: Rabbits should eat carrots.
Reality: Carrots shouldn’t be main sources of food. Rabbits don't naturally eat root vegetables/fruit. Carrots/fruit are high in sugar and should only be fed in small amounts as occasional treats. Rabbits need mainly hay and/or grass, some leafy greens and a small, measured amount of pellets.
You can read more in this file- Diet and Nutrition

Myth: Hay is just bedding.
Reality: Hay isn’t just bedding. Fresh, dust–free hay should be their main source of food available at all times.
You can read more in this file - Diet and Nutrition, Hay and Grasses

Myth: Rabbits eat lettuce and/or Lettuce will kill your rabbit because it is 'toxic'.
Reality: Lettuce is an undesirable food source but it is not 'toxic'.
You can read more in this file - 'Toxic Lettuce' Hysteria - A discussion

Myth: Rabbits should be fed big bowls full of commercial pellets.
Reality: Eating too much commercial food (pellets/nuggets/muesli) can cause weight gain and prevent eating enough hay and/or grass. Muesli-style foods shouldn’t be fed as they cause teeth and tummy problems. Rabbits can be fed small, measured amount of pellets/nuggets each day, ensuring they get all the vitamins and minerals they need. Remember hay and/or grass are much more important and should make up the majority of diet. Eating lots of hay/grass helps wear down rabbits' constantly growing teeth and keeps tummies healthy. It allows foraging and grazing; important normal behaviours. If given highly palatable commercial food, rabbits eat quickly, have nothing else to do, so may become bored.
You can read more in this file - Diet and Nutrition

Myth: Rabbits make good pets for small children.
Reality: This could not be more untrue. Rabbits require a good amount of care and maintenance. They need to be monitored closely for their safety. Children tend to want to hold and pet rabbits, and the rabbit may not like that. An older child that understands the responsibility of caring for a pet rabbit may make a better bunny parent then a young child.  Make sure you are willing to commit time and patience on training your child to be a good bunny parent. You are ultimately the main care giver and you must over the child to ensure the bun is well taken care of. Teach the child that the bunny is a living creature that needs love, attention, proper food, water and care on a daily basis. It’s imperative to teach the child how to hold, carry and pick up a bunny otherwise the bunny can suffer permanent injury or worse. A rabbit that is picked up incorrectly will also panic - it will kick out, bite and scratch and this can lead to some really nasty injuries to a child.
You can read more in this file - Rabbits and Children

Myth: Rabbits only eat what they need.
Reality: Rabbits are eating machines. They can and do get too chubby if given unlimited access to food. If they eat too many pellets, they can get bladder stones, kidney stones or diarrhoea. 
You can read more in this file - Diet and Nutrition

Myth: Rabbits can wear collars.
Reality: Rabbits have very fragile skeletons and their necks are delicate, fragile and easily broken. NEVER put a collar on your rabbit. Some rabbits can be trained to wear a harness but you don’t walk a rabbit like you do a dog .... the rabbit walks you!
You can read more in this file - Collars and Harnesses

Copyright 2019 - Jen Herd/Westley’s World