Myths
1. Rabbits are low maintenance.
2. Short Life Span
3. No Vet Care
4. Rabbit should be outdoors
5. Rabbits love to be picked up and cuddled
6. Rabbits okay eating only Pellets
7. Rabbits smell
8. Rabbits good for small apartments
9. Can't leave a rabbit for a week-end
Okay so let's address these comments
1. Rabbits are low maintenance. According to the speaker rabbits require more care than a large dog : Space cleaned, exercise, food. Hmm... seems the same as a large dog to me. Seriously. Rabbits... Clean the litter box, feed them, and if you have time, let them out to run around the place.
2. Rabbits have a short life span. As with any animal their life span can vary.. sometimes dependant on the care they receive, sometimes based on genetics. Oldest rabbit I had lived 13 years, youngest one died unexpectedly at 6 months. Go figure.
3. No Vet Care required. Raising rabbits for the past 8 years I've been to the vet twice with my rabbits. This is very dependant on your rabbit AND your care and handling of same. Fed an appropriate diet and purchased from someone who focuses on breeding for health, your rabbit should be fine. MIND with any animal purchased you need to expect and budget for animal care. With rabbits the toughest part is finding a rabbit savvy vet.
4. Rabbits should be outdoors. The speaker implies that a rabbit raises outdoors gets less than great care. Not everyone wants to nor desires to keep their rabbit indoors... doesn't mean the rabbits isn't well cared for.
5. Rabbits like to be picked up and cuddled. Not sure why so many pet/house rabbit society folks think this. Makes me wonder what they are doing wrong. Rabbits can and do enjoy the care and handling from their owners IF they are handled properly and with confidence. Too many people aren't confident and in charge when handling their rabbits.
6. Rabbits eating Pellets only. Yet another person who insists that rabbits MUST HAVE unlimited hay all the time for their teeth. Seriously folks... Rabbits wear down their teeth as they eat ANYTHING. A good pellet with have fibre in it. Hay is NOT a requirement for caring for rabbits. It's honestly just another part of the care of rabbits. BUT if you are allergic to hay then you can still own a rabbit... you can feed grasses, green feed, or a GOOD quality pellet, and your rabbit will do just fine.
Mind I believe in feeding rabbits a variety of feeds so that you have a feed arsenal if your rabbit goes off feed. Sometimes rabbits do that.. and if you don't have a feed arsenal to give them how will you get your rabbit back to eating???
7. Rabbits smell. Umm... it's an animal. Any animal has a odour to it. How you manage it depends on how much odour is released. Daily litter box cleaning helps heaps, adding a touch of apple cider vinegar to the water helps, use of proper bedding materials etc.
8. Rabbits good for small apartments. IF one would believe this video you'd be required to own a mansion to have a rabbit. Rabbits are FINE for whatever house you happen to live in. They will use the space they are alloted.
9. Can't leave a rabbit for a weekend. Where it is true that rabbits need more immediate care if they happen to get sick.. ANY animal can get sick easily and you could have a major problem when you get home. Many a rabbit can be left for a weekend if you provide sufficient food and water... if going away for a weekend that might mean three water bottles, a feeder stuffed with hay, a j-feeder loaded with pellets etc. You can't deprive them of sufficient food to eat.