Happy Bunny is Happy

Shh... no one tell Samantha, but I'm hijacking her blog. She won't know. My name is Bunny Boop. Please, don't laugh. It wasn't my choice. Ms. Warren got me from another woman who had named me Black Betty. Thank God she changed it. Every time she would call me that, she would start singing! Oy vey! Luckily, she eventually dropped the Black and then Betty turned to Betty Boop and the rest is history, as they say.

Whoever invented cardboard is awesome.

 So why am I hijacking Stealing Starships today? Well, it's almost Easter, right? Around Easter, it seems everyone is thinking bunnies and people buy them up like crazy. Sure, I'm bunnies are cute, but they're not hamsters. People don't seem to realize that. We don't require a ton of effort, but we're not fish. Heck, even fish need some attention. But if you prepare and treat us right, we're wonderful pets. Here are some tips so you can enjoy your fuzzy friend to the fullest.

1. We DO need a cage. I've heard that some people advocate for letting their rabbits roam free throughout the house all the time. I can honestly say this isn't fun. Sure, it's a blast to go crazy and race all over the place every now and then, but we do need a place to call home, where we can decorate how we want (aka: poop everywhere and rearrange the furniture). Don't get mad at us when we poop inside our cage. That's how we mark our territory. We promise not to poop in other places (usually). And keep us indoors if possible. Our wild counterparts may be outdoor animals, but we fare much better inside instead of a hutch in the yard. Plus, it can get lonely and scary out there.

In addition to my cage, I have a pet fence to give me plenty of room to run
in a safe area away from tasty electrical cords.

2. We can be litter trained. While we may poop all over our cage, we want to keep our pee contained. If you provide us with a little box full of shavings or other material, we're quite content peeing in there to make it easier for you to clean. We're easily trainable, especially if you throw some hay in the box too. We like to multitask, after all.

3. Unlike some animals, we need fresh food and water all the time. We like to eat when we want to eat, and we're pretty good at regulating our diets on our own. Restricting our food and water will often cause us digestive issues and make us lose our appetites. Not good.

4. We need our space. While we may look cute and cuddly, we're not like dogs and cats. Well, maybe we're more like cats. We want to be left alone most of the time. We don't like being manhandled by children. We don't make good pets for little kids. Older children are more our style, as long as they can give us alone time. It will take us awhile to warm up to you, and even then, some of us just don't like to be held. We're happy to hang out near you and let you pet us occasionally, but don't force us to endure hours of attention. It stresses us out.

5. Like cats, we like cheap toys over expensive ones. Give me a ball of straw, a pillow, a stuffed animal, or a blanket and I'm a happy camper (except I hate camping). I'll spend a good half an hour rearranging my blanket to make it just the shape I want it. And you know what I like better than my blanket? A magazine and a phone book. Stop laughing, I'm serious. It's so much fun to rip the magazines to shreds. Same with the phone books, though I love curling up on mine for a nap. And boxes. I love me a cardboard box. They provide a hiding place I can chew on. Heaven, if you ask me.

My favorite place to nap: on top of the phonebook

6. Please get us fixed. This is very important. It's not just to keep us from breeding. We are very susceptible to cancers and getting us fixed will prolong our lives. Samantha has been very lax about that, even though she plans on getting me fixed. Prod her a bit and make her get moving on it, would you? Thanks.

So there are a few tips I have on raising a rabbit to be happy and content like I am. And if you do get a rabbit and realize it's not the pet for you, don't let it go in the woods. We're not wild animals anymore. We can't fend for ourselves. We will die. Shelters take rabbits, too. Do us a favor and give us a chance at a happy life.

This has been a PSA from your loveable local rabbit, Bunny Boop. I'll now give Samantha her blog back and let her bore you with human stuff.