“I have always wanted a bunny and I’ll always have a rabbit the rest of my life.”

Amy Sedaris, Actress

Pros and Cons of Keeping a Rabbit as a Pet

advantages and disadvantages of keeping a rabbit as a pet

You think about getting a pet but don’t want to go for the most popular pets like cats or dogs?

Then you may want to get a rabbit for your garden or your balcony instead.

While rabbits can make great pets, there are still some problems to them.

Thus, I show you all the pros and cons of getting a rabbit in the following chapters.

Advantages of Keeping a Rabbit as a Pet

  1. Rabbits are quiet pets
  2. Rabbits don’t need that much space
  3. Nice companions for your kids
  4. Rabbits can help you overcome difficult periods of your life
  5. Rabbits can lower your stress level
  6. You can satisfy the altruistic part inside you
  7. You could get a rabbit from a shelter
  8. You can reduce food waste
  9. Rabbits will really appreciate your care
  10. You will have a pet most people don’t have at home
  11. Neighborhood kids may want to see your rabbit
  12. You can start a side hustle around your rabbit
  13. You can eat your rabbit

Rabbits are quiet pets

One advantage of getting a rabbit as a pet is that rabbits are rather quiet animals.

While cats will meow and dogs will bark on a regular basis, your rabbit will not cause those loud noises.

Consequently, your rabbit will not disturb you while you do some important work and will also not disturb you while you sleep while cats or dogs may keep you awake at nighttime.

Thus, rabbits make great pets in case you search for a quiet animal and dogs, cats and other pets are just too noisy for you.

Rabbits don’t need that much space

Another advantage of keeping a rabbit is that rabbits don’t need that much space.

If you get a small rabbit, chances are that it will fit in a rabbit hutch and those hutches usually don’t take away that much space.

Of course, if you really want to provide the best life for your rabbits, you should also give them the opportunity to leave their hutch and give them access to your garden or your balcony.

However, even if you don’t have this opportunity, you could still keep a rabbit in an appropriate manner as long as you clean the rabbit hutch on a regular basis.

Nice companions for your kids

Rabbits can also be great companions for your kids.

Especially when your children are still young, you often don’t want to get a dog as a pet since dogs can be dangerous for kids at this age.

Instead, you can get a rabbit that will be harmless for your kids.

In turn, you will not have to fear any accidents since your kids will easily be able to handle your rabbit.

Rabbits can also be pretty nice animals to cuddle with and chances are that your children will really like those furry friends 😉.

Rabbits can help you overcome difficult periods of your life

Another upside of having a rabbit at home is that your rabbit can also help you overcome difficult periods of your life.

Everyone of us experiences serious issues sooner or later and sometimes, we are just overwhelmed and don’t know how to handle those situations.

In turn, we may make bad decisions which we often regret later on.

If you have a rabbit, it can prevent you from making those decisions since you will know that your rabbit relies on your support and that it will need you.

Consequently, you may stay calm in difficult situations and find suitable solutions instead of doing something stupid.

Rabbits can lower your stress level

In general, rabbits can also greatly lower your stress level.

In fact, studies found that rabbits and other pets can have therapeutic effects on humans.

Hence, if you currently struggle with mental or emotional issues, chances are that those pets can really help you overcome your problems.

Of course, just getting a rabbit might not be enough.

You may also want to get professional help from a psychologist to tackle your issues in the most efficient manner.

Yet, pets like rabbits can still have a positive effect on your overall situation and you should at least give it a try.

You can satisfy the altruistic part inside you

Another benefit of getting a rabbit as a pet is that you can also just feel better.

If you keep rabbits and provide them with the best food, sufficient space and great living conditions in general, you can also satisfy the altruistic part of you.

In fact, we as humans often feel much better if we do good for others and this doesn’t mean that “others” has to refer to other human beings.

It can also refer to pets you care about.

Consequently, you can also improve your overall quality of life and you may also just get up happier every morning if you know that you can do good for your rabbits.

You could get a rabbit from a shelter

If you want to take your altruistic approach one step further, you could also get a rabbit from an animal shelter.

By doing so, you could rescue a cute bunny from the shelter where it often lives under rather poor conditions and give it a better future at your place.

I know that many people consider getting shelter animals as rather dodgy.

Yet, in my opinion, it is a great way to go since you can get a pet for free and can also relieve animal shelters at the same time.

You can reduce food waste

If you know what you are doing, you can also greatly reduce food waste by keeping a rabbit in your garden or on your balcony.

Rabbits feed on grain, vegetables and fruits.

While some people don’t waste any food, most people waste excessive amounts of vegetables and fruits every week.

Hence, if you are one of those people, getting a rabbit can be great for you since you can use this food waste to feed your rabbit and you can therefore significantly reduce the amount of food you have to dispose of, which in turn makes your resource use much more efficient.

Rabbits will really appreciate your care

While rabbits are rather quiet animals, they will still feel that you do good for them and will greatly appreciate your care.

They will often sit with you on your couch and you can also cuddle your cute friends.

You will have a pet most people don’t have at home

Most people out there also get cats or dogs as pets.

It is the exemption rather than the norm in many regions to keep rabbits as pets.

Therefore, you will have a pet almost nobody else has at home and this can make you special and stand out from the crowd.

Neighborhood kids may want to see your rabbit

Not only your own kids will love to spend time with your rabbit, but also kids from your neighborhood may want to come over to your place to stroke your rabbit.

In turn, your children will have a pretty easy time making new friends.

You can start a side hustle around your rabbit

If you are willing to put in the work and to learn about internet marketing, you may also be able to start a side hustle around your bunny.

In fact, there are some pets out there that have become really famous on YouTube or on other social media channels and have millions of followers right now.

In turn, their owners are able to make great money from showing videos to the audience from ads and affiliate income.

Some of them had even been able to quit their day jobs and to promote their pets full-time.

As you can see, your bunny can also be a great income source, at least if you understand online marketing and are also patient enough to build a brand around your rabbit.

You can eat your rabbit

If you get fired from your job and don’t know how to pay your bills and how to pay for food, you will still have your rabbit left and can make a delicious roast rabbit.

Don’t worry, I am just kidding 😉.

Even though rabbits can taste delicious, I am sure you would never eat your loved bunny that you cared about for a longer period of time.

Now that we know all the upsides of keeping rabbits as pets, it is time to also talk about the downsides that come along with pet bunnies.

Disadvantages of Having a Rabbit at Home

  1. You will have to clean your home quite a lot
  2. Some rabbits have a hard time becoming housetrained
  3. You may have to see the vet
  4. You have to care for your rabbit
  5. Getting a rabbit is a long-term commitment
  6. You have to spend some money on your pet
  7. Rabbits will not always listen to your commands
  8. You can’t teach rabbits tricks
  9. Your kids may lose interest in your rabbits pretty soon
  10. Rabbits may become victim to martens or other animals in your garden
  11. Many people don’t know how to keep rabbits in a proper manner
  12. Rabbits can mess up your garden
  13. Having a rabbit at home may prevent you from going on vacation
  14. Rabbits may feed on your garden plants
  15. You have to take safety measures so that they don’t escape
  16. You may be allergic to rabbits
  17. You have to say goodbye to your rabbits sooner or later

You will have to clean your home quite a lot

One disadvantage of getting a rabbit as a pet is that you will have to clean your home much more often.

Especially if you give your rabbit the opportunity to get outside of his hutch and to enter your living room or other rooms of your house, chances are that your home will look rather messy pretty soon.

Your rabbit will often lose fur and you will be the one who has to collect it.

Moreover, rabbits often also damage your furniture.

They are not mean, it is just in their nature 😉. However, this means that you will also have to buy new furniture quite often and this will cost you plenty of additional time and money.

Some rabbits have a hard time to becoming housetrained

You should also not expect that your rabbit will be house-trained from early childhood.

Like babies, rabbits have to learn to be clean and this process can take an extended period of time.

Some rabbits will take many months to learn that it is not ok to poo in the middle of your living room.

Hence, you may have some issues in this regard and it can be quite annoying to clean this mess on a regular basis.

You may have to see the vet

Another problem with getting a rabbit is that you will also have to see the veterinarian for vaccinations or in case of diseases.

Similar to humans, rabbits get sick sooner or later and you will have to see the vet to make sure that your loved bunny gets better.

In turn, you will also have to spend some additional time and money for the vet and especially if you are on a budget right now, chances are that you may wait until you are in better financial conditions before actually getting a pet rabbit.

You have to care for your rabbit

You should also not underestimate the work that comes along with keeping a rabbit at home.

You will have to clean the rabbit hutch on a daily basis and will also have to clean your home from fur.

You will have to feed your rabbit and find solutions in case it gets sick.

Consequently, you will have to invest plenty of time in your little friend and you should make sure that you have enough time to care for your rabbit before you decide for getting one for your home.

Getting a rabbit is a long-term commitment

Rabbits will usually also live for many years.

This means that you will make a long-term commitment by getting a rabbit as a pet.

Thus, you should not just get a rabbit and see if it is right for you or not.

Instead, you should really be sure that a rabbit is the right pet for you before getting one since you may have to give it to a shelter otherwise and shelters already have enough animals to care for.

You have to spend some money on your pet

You should also not underestimate the costs related to keeping a rabbit.

While those costs may be smaller compared to keeping a dog, they can still add up since you have to provide your rabbit with food, get the necessary vaccinations, see the vet when it gets sick, buy a rabbit hutch and so on.

Hence, if you are in a financially difficult situation right now, chances are that you should wait with getting a rabbit until your finances get better and you can easily afford keeping a pet at your place.

Rabbits will not always listen to your commands

Compared to other pets, rabbits are also quite difficult to train since they will not listen to your commands quite often.

They will also have a hard time learning things and will often ignore what you want from them.

Consequently, it will also take more patience to keep a rabbit than it would take to keep other pets and you should make sure that you are the type of person who will keep calm and patient with your bunny before actually getting one as a pet.

You can’t teach rabbits tricks

Another downside of getting a rabbit as a pet is that you will also not be able to teach your rabbit nice tricks.

While dogs will learn many tricks in a rather short period of time, your rabbit will simply not care about learning those tricks at all and this can be quite disappointing, especially if you spend plenty of time with your rabbit but still don’t see any progress in this regard.

Your kids may lose interest in your rabbits pretty soon

While your rabbit may be exciting for your kids in the first days and weeks, they will often also lose interest in your bunny pretty soon.

For that reason, many rabbits end up in shelters pretty soon and this is just a quite sad picture.

Hence, before getting a rabbit, make sure that the whole family is willing to take care of it to avoid the need to give it away to an animal shelter soon after you just bought it.

Rabbits may become victim to martens or other animals in your garden

You should also make sure not to leave your rabbit unobserved in your garden for a longer period of time.

While you may not see them, martens and other animals are just waiting to catch your rabbit.

Thus, if you are not careful, chances are that your rabbit will be gone one day and you will have no idea how this happens, especially if you leave your rabbit outdoors overnight.

Many people don’t know how to keep rabbits in a proper manner

You also have to inform yourself about how to care for a rabbit in a proper manner before actually getting one.

Only then will you be able to care well for your little friend and ensure that your rabbit has everything it needs to stay healthy and to feel well at your place.

Rabbits can mess up your garden

Another problem with keeping a rabbit at home is that it can also mess up your lawn quite a bit.

Not only may it poo on your lawn, but it may also eat the grass and chances are that your garden will not look tidy at all after a while.

Having a rabbit at home may prevent you from going on vacation

Your rabbits may also be an obstacle to your vacation plans.

Especially if you keep many rabbits at home, you will have a hard time in this regard since you will have to care for your rabbits on a daily basis and if there are no relatives or friends who can take care of your rabbits while you are away, chances are that you will not be able to go on vacation at all.

In general, you will just be less flexible if you keep rabbits at home and you should make sure that this is ok before you decide for getting a pet rabbit.

Rabbits may feed on your garden plants

Rabbits are always hungry and you should definitely keep them away from the plants you grow in your garden.

Otherwise, your rabbit will eat them pretty soon and your yields will be greatly lower due to that.

This is especially true if you grow carrots since rabbits just love eating those vegetables.

You have to take safety measures so that they don’t escape

You also have to make sure that your rabbits don’t escape sooner or later.

If you give them access to your garden and there is no fence around it, chances are that your rabbits will go for a walk without you sooner or later and that they get hit by a car or get involved in other unpleasant things.

You may be allergic to rabbits

You should also make sure that you are not allergic to rabbits before getting one since you would just not get happy with having a rabbit around you in such a case.

You have to say goodbye to your rabbits sooner or later

Nothing lasts forever and this is also true when it comes to keeping rabbits.

Sooner or later, you will have to say goodbye to your little friends and this can be emotionally challenging, especially for your kids.

I still remember when my rabbit passed away as a child and this was not a nice thing to see, even though it gave me the opportunity to mature quite a bit.

Top 10 Rabbits Pros & Cons – Summary List

Rabbits ProsRabbits Cons
Rabbits are not noisyKeeping rabbits can be costly
You can cuddle your rabbitYou have to care for your rabbits
Rabbits can lower your stress levelRabbits get sick from time to time
You can get a shelter rabbitYou may need vaccinations
Rabbits can improve emotional stabilityYou may be allergic to rabbits
Not everyone has a rabbit at homeRabbits can mess up your lawn
Your rabbit will appreciate your workYour rabbits may not be housetrained
You can make money from your bunnyRabbits feed on your garden plants
You can reduce your food wasteRabbits may escape
Rabbits can increase your quality of lifeOther animals may chase your rabbits

Should You Keep Rabbits at Home?

Now that we have covered all the advantages and disadvantages of keeping rabbits as pets, it is time for you to make your final decision of whether you still want to get a rabbit or if you rather want to go for other pets like cats or dogs instead.

You may also want to get a pig as a pet or go for an aquarium.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/other-pets/rabbits/owning-a-rabbit

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits

About the Author

My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.

In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.

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