LA Animal Services Offers Important Information to Know Before Adopting a Rabbit

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LA Animal Services Offers Important Information to Know Before Adopting a Rabbit
04/04/2023

Los Angeles, April 4, 2023 – When looking for a furry friend, LA Animal Services has lovable rabbits that are available for adoption. With Easter around the corner, LA Animal Services wants to remind the community that rabbits should not be bought especially with our shelters full of floppy-eared friends and rescue partners who also have amazing rabbits ready to meet you, nor should they be given as an impulse gift because, like other furry family members who join a new home, rabbits and bunnies also require love, care, and attention. 

 

If you would like to welcome a rabbit into your home, LA Animal Services features an ‘All About Rabbits’ page on our website, which includes helpful things to know before you adopt a rabbit as well as what you need for your bunny buddy to ensure they have a safe home environment, dietary recommendations, veterinary care, and more.Rabbits make wonderful companion animals – they are intelligent, affectionate and social animals that can be litter box trained and can be your faithful companion for up to 10 years and older.

 

Things to consider, before you adopt:

 

  • Rabbits are NOT low-maintenance pets!
  • Preparing greens, cleaning the litter box, and providing the attention your rabbit needs all require time. 
  • Do you have animals and/or small children that can endanger a rabbit?
  • Rabbits can die of fright and from the mere sound of predators or by being chased. Rabbits are easily injured. 
  • Are you prepared for a commitment for 10+ years?
  • Can you afford the care?
  • Rabbits can cost $100+/month. Veterinary care, including vaccinations can be expensive. 
  • Do you have the room? If you rent, are you allowed to have rabbits in the house/apartment?
  • Who will be the primary caretaker?
  • Is your home ‘bunny-proofed’?
  • Do you have a way to keep the temperature in your home consistently under 80 Degrees F? 
  • Rabbits are cool-weather animals and temperatures in the 80s and up can be fatal.

 

Items to buy for your rabbit

 

If you answered yes to ALL the previous questions, you may be ready to adopt a rabbit. The following is a list of items a rabbit would need for minimal care:

 

  • Exercise pen or pet gate to block off a section of your home for your bunny to live in. 30” high minimum will cover until you’re sure that your bunny will not hop over. 
  • Litter box for the hay and litter. The larger, the better!
  • Litter can be newspaper, plain wood pellets, aspen, or paper-based commercial litters. Make sure the litter is safe for rabbits! 
  • White vinegar to clean the litter box. 
  • Grass hay: timothy grass, oat blend, or orchard grass. 
  • Rabbit pellets are plain pellets with no nuts, seeds, or colored bits. 
  • Water/food bowls for eating/drinking water.
  • Produce: leafy greens, such as romaine lettuce, parsley, and cilantro. 
  • Carrier: hard plastic, preferably top opening, with an artificial sheepskin liner. 
  • Toys to fling and chew: jingle ball toys, organic willow, and apple twigs. 
  • Hideaway: untreated wooden houses or cardboard houses.
  • Grooming tools: cat claw trimmer, rubber brush, styptic powder.

 

DO NOT BUY wire cages, hutches, harnesses, hay racks, yogurt drops, salt licks, seed, and nut treats. 

 

For more in-depth information and a printable handy resource, download our rabbit care flyer.

Center Operating Hours

 

Our six LA Animal Services locations are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8am to 5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, from 11am to 5pm. Appointments are required on Wednesdays and Fridays, for pet adoptions, fostering, and owner surrenders, with our Centers closed on Mondays. Sick or injured animals will be admitted without an appointment. Appointments may be scheduled by going online or by calling 1-888-452-7381.



For more information about LA Animal Services and to learn more about microchipping and licensing, visit: laanimalservices.com.

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Thank you to our lifesaving partners who help us care for #LACityPets