Are Rabbits Easy Pets For Kids?

Rabbits may seem quiet and mellow, but the fact is actual rabbits rarely conform to the sweet, cuddly stereotype depicted in children's stories.

Not made for cuddling

It is understandable that most children yearn for an animal they can cuddle and hold in their arms, however most rabbits don't like being picked up and cuddled at random. They often feel frightened, and tend to kick and struggle furiously to escape. Rabbits are physically delicate animals. A rabbit doesn't leap off a person's arms and land gracefully like a cat - a rabbit could suffer fatal spinal injuries from the impact of a fall.

The realities that comes with having a rabbit at home:

• There's the poop.
  Rabbits poop a whole lot more than you can imagine. (I wanted to attach a picture here, but it's really disconcerting if you're coincidentally eating chocolate cereal while reading this.)
• There's the fur.A rabbit goes through a heavy shedding or molting period at least once a year. It is common for one's hands to accumulate balls of cotton-like fur after petting the rabbit.
• And ... there's the money.
  A rabbit is not a cheap, low-maintenance pet. For one, hay isn't cheap stuff, even though they're practically dried plants. Many are also taken aback by the vet bills incurred when the rabbit falls ill.

“HELP! My rabbit ate something he/she shouldn't?!"

“HELP! My rabbit ate something he/she shouldn't?! Will he/she be okay?"

As long as your rabbit is eating hay, pooping normally, and doing all his/her bunny activities (eg: grooming) as usual, your rabbit will be fine. Simply continue to observe. To ensure that your rabbit's gut moves smoothly, encourage hay consumption by offering fresh handfuls throughout the day.

It's really very common for our rabbits to nibble on something random they have found, even if we have been careful. Once, our rabbit J managed to stumble upon several grains of rice in the kitchen, and another time, D came across a tiny piece of crisp in the living room.

I panicked, honestly thinking they were going to shut down in a few hours like a hacked computer because rabbits-are-such-fragile-animals-but-now-they-ate-something-they-should-not-I'm-seriously-doomed -

But they were perfectly fine. I don't take any of this for granted, of course. We should still take all necessary precautions to keep unsuitable food out of our rabbit's reach and bunny-proof our homes the best we can. :)

New To Rabbits? Start Here!

I was once a new rabbit owner, and the one thing I clearly remember was feeling so helpless and confused. There's an incredibly enormous amount of information on the internet and I felt bombarded by them all.

This post is intended for those who are taking their first step into the world and community of rabbits. If you currently have a rabbit at home but feel at a lost as to what you should do, I'm sure you'll find something useful here. 

Let's take it slow and start small, shall we?

So, the rabbit. The cute furry animal with long ears and a small poofy tail. They hop around and oh - they eat carrots.

But how do you really go about taking care of a rabbit?

Rabbits in Malaysia

This post is to share specific little bits of bunny things and where we got them in Malaysia. No more googling for items and seeing everything quoted in US dollars. (Aw, I do feel a little like a left-out foreigner sometimes.) 

To the fellow Malaysians out there who also have beloved rabbit(s) as a part of the family: I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that, when it comes to rabbits, there is just so much lacking compared to other countries. For one, there aren't many good choices if you need a rabbit vet. Another, whenever the term "Adopt, don't shop" phrase pops up, you think: "I want to. But where? There are no organisations or anything rescuing rabbits here ... "

On a lighter note, you're usually the only one having a herbivorous furry among your relatives while the rest of them have dogs and cats. When your friends see photos of your rabbit, more often than not the reaction you get is: "Wah! You don't keep in cage meh? Just walk around the house like that ah?"