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Why are Bunnies not Thought of as Mainstream Pets?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Western chapter.

How come when asked about pets it’s always about whether you are a cat-person or a dog-person? When considering a new pet, why not a small animal to be your fur-friend?  If you are looking for something cute and cuddly, there are cats and dogs, but also bunnies, rats, chinchillas and more.

When I was younger, my brother begged our parents for a bunny. When my  mom finally decided that he was old enough for the responsibility that came with owning a bunny, she let him get one. Since bunnies are better in pairs, I was also able to get a bunny, even though, at the time, I was impartial to owning one. Little did I know that owning a bunny would make me fall in love with them.

I was in the pet store one day with my dogs and they were having an adoption day where they had the most adorable bunny I had ever seen. I was about to move out on my own for my second year at Western and went home to talk to my mom about how I thought having a pet would be a great thing for me. She agreed, and I proceeded to do a bunch of research on owning a bunny.

I spent weeks researching everything I could on the best care for bunnies. I figured out that I was really going to do it; I was going to be a bunny mom. After all of my research on owning a bunny, I began looking online at different humane societies to see if there were any bunnies that I liked up for adoption when I finally found the cutest, smallest bunny at the London Humane Society. I went to look at her and instantly decided that I was going to adopt her.

                                                                                     Piper, Becky Farmer

Now, I am a proud bunny mom and, honestly, she makes me so happy. Watching her explore new toys and areas of the apartment fills my heart with so much joy. When she hops around and leaps into the air from excitement and joy, it’s the best thing to watch.

Bunnies are such fun pets to own and they are quiet, so you never have to worry about annoying the neighbours by having a loud pet. They can also be litterbox trained, so there is little mess in owning one. They can’t jump up on counters or furniture, so there is no worry of them getting hurt. Also, you don’t have to take them out for walks, so when the weather is bad or when you are sick, you can just stay home and still be able to care for your pet.

Contrary to popular belief, bunnies don’t really enjoy being picked up and cuddled. My bunny, Piper, loves to have her head pet and run around the apartment, but she absolutely hates any time I have to pick her up. I love having the responsibility to look after another living thing and watching all of her interesting behaviours that are typical to bunnies. She loves taking treats from me as she is obsessed with anything banana flavoured. She is just the cutest thing.

If you have ever considered getting a bunny, I would highly recommend it. Before you just go out and buy a bunny, do your research on how to properly care for them, as they are a little more complicated to own than what most people think, but don’t let that deter you from getting one. Also, I would highly recommend to visit shelters and see the bunnies there since many are taken to shelters after people realize that they are not great pets for little children. They are a huge commitment, but watching your bunny enjoying their toys or treats makes it all worth the work. Bunnies make great pets for people who are willing to do their research and give them everything they need.

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Becky Farmer

Western '20

Linguistics student at Western. I love being outdoors and around animals.
This is the contributor account for Her Campus Western.