You may or may not have seen them, but house rabbits are a semi-modern phenomenon that people often don't quite understand. There's a lot to learn from these animals that a lot of us assume simply hop about, twitch their nose and nibble lettuce, but that's almost entirely untrue. First off, they shouldn't really be eating lettuce, but anyway...

Some people think that house rabbits are the same as domesticated dogs and cats. While this isn't far off, it's not strictly true and once you've house trained a rabbit (yes, it's easily done) they can't simply be left to come and go as they please. Leaving the back door open could mean your rabbit escapes through a hole in the fence, or a neighbours cat could get hold of them. Also, house rabbits won't have as strong an immune system and they won't eat as much grass as a rabbit that's always outside, so leaving them out in the cold and damp is unfair.

Another reason why they're different to cats and dogs is the incessant chewing. You can minimise this to a degree, but rabbits have an attraction to wires. Whether this is due to the buzzing/electrical output they make or whether they see them as plant and tree roots growing through their burrow is yet unknown. Still, it's dangerous for both humans and rabbits, so if you're not prepared to hide all wires out of reach, or have very few electrical appliances then don't let bunny roam free!

One myth about rabbits is that they're smelly rodents. This couldn't be further from the truth. Rabbits are as clean, if not cleaner than cats, spending a huge portion of their day grooming. Their fur falls out periodically throughout the year, meaning their coat can even change colour, so you might need to do a lot of hoovering in spring. Anyway, rabbits will always choose one spot to go to the toilet. Possibly two if they want to keep wee and droppings separate (don't forget they eat their droppings to digest them better second time around). What this means is that you can buy a litter tray or put a towel down for them to use. As a youngster they might choose one of your cushions, but within days it's possible to stop that behaviour.

Basically house rabbits need to be treated as their own type of domesticated pet. They thrive on routine, much like a dog, but they won't obey you if they're not in the mood, like a cat. They need safety and a very specific diet, inoculations and neutering. There's a lot to learn about house rabbits, so do your research before you dive in and get one!

Stan Tian

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