Is A Rabbit the Right First Pet for Your Family?

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It often begins the same way. Maybe a cousin brought home a bunny, or the kids met one at a petting zoo, and now every dinner includes a campaign for a rabbit. Rabbits seem like a sensible choice between a goldfish and a golden retriever. They’re quiet, don’t need walks in Michigan winters, and can live comfortably in an apartment.

That reputation is a bit misleading. Rabbits can make great family pets, and many Michigan homes have one lounging under the coffee table. But they are also some of the most misunderstood pets, and the difference between what families expect and what they actually experience is why so many rabbits end up in rescues within six months. Here’s what you should know before deciding.

Rabbits Are Prey Animals, And It Shows In Everything They Do

Dogs and cats are predators. They instinctively see a lap as a safe spot and usually find a person leaning over them interesting. Rabbits are the opposite. Their instincts tell them that being picked up means they’ve been caught.

Most rabbits really don’t like being picked up. Some will tolerate it, and a few might even enjoy it. Many will kick, twist, or scratch hard enough to leave marks, and a scared rabbit can even injure itself trying to escape. No amount of training can change this instinct.

Rabbits can form strong bonds with people, but it happens on their terms, usually at floor level. They might flop down beside you, nudge your hand for attention, or follow you around the house. For a six-year-old expecting a cuddly toy, this can be disappointing. But for an older child who can be patient and let the rabbit come to them, it can be a perfect fit. The same rabbit can have a very different experience depending on the child.

The Commitment Runs Longer Than Most Families Plan For

A healthy house rabbit can live eight to twelve years. That’s as long as it takes a child to go from kindergarten to getting a driver’s license, so there’s a good chance the rabbit will outlive the child’s interest by several years. Rescue volunteers say this is the most common reason things don’t work out.

There’s also a risk in the other direction. A Royal Veterinary College study of 6,349 pet rabbits in the UK found a median lifespan of 4.3 years, with flystrike, anorexia, collapse, and gut stasis as the main causes of death. The most common health problems were overgrown nails, overgrown teeth, and dirty hindquarters. Most of these issues are linked to housing and diet, not just bad luck.

The Daily Routine Is The Part People Underestimate

A rabbit needs unlimited fresh grass hay available at all times, every day, for its entire life. Hay isn’t just bedding or a treat—it should make up about 80 percent of their diet. It helps wear down their constantly growing teeth and supports healthy digestion. If a rabbit stops eating for twelve hours, it’s an emergency.

There’s more to consider. Rabbits need a daily portion of timothy-based pellets, fresh leafy greens, paper-based litter changed regularly, and safe things to chew on so they don’t damage your home. Specialty suppliers divide rabbit supplies into nine categories, and most families discover the need for all of them within the first month.

None of these supplies are very expensive week to week. The challenge is that the costs never really go away. With puppies, expenses drop after vaccinations and training. With rabbits, you’ll keep buying hay and litter at the same rate in year nine as you did in the first week.

A Cage Is Not A Home

Pet-store rabbit cages can be misleading. A rabbit needs enough space to take three hops in a row and stand up on its hind legs without its ears touching the top. Most cages sold for rabbits don’t provide this. Experienced owners usually use an exercise pen, a sectioned-off room, or let the rabbit roam freely with cords protected.

This is more important than it seems. Rabbits like to chew, dig, and move things around, and a bored rabbit can destroy a carpet in an afternoon. The solution is to provide enrichment, not just confinement. This means giving them tunnels, cardboard to shred, safe wood to chew, and accepting that your living room will become part rabbit habitat.

Finding The Vet Is Harder Than Finding The Rabbit

Rabbits are considered exotic pets, which can be a problem if there’s an emergency late at night. Most regular vets won’t treat them, and some who do may only offer basic care like nail trims. Gut stasis can be fatal within a day, so it’s important to find and contact an exotic vet before bringing a rabbit home.

In Michigan, finding an exotic vet can take longer than expected. The state is facing a shortage of veterinarians, and the USDA has identified critical shortage areas in Leelanau, Grand Traverse, and Wexford counties. Exotic-certified vets are even harder to find. Families in Metro Detroit and Grand Rapids have more options, but those living north of Clare should plan their travel to a vet before adopting.

Budget for spay or neuter while you’re at it. Unspayed females develop uterine cancer at high rates, and the surgery also settles litter-box reliability and territorial behavior in ways that make the animal much easier to live with.

Why So Many Rabbits End Up In Shelters

The data on rabbit surrenders should make families think carefully. The reasons are usually not about the rabbit itself. Researchers who studied five years of records for 1,567 rabbits at BC SPCA shelters in Canada found that most rabbits were surrendered by their owners, and 96.9 percent of those cases were due to human-related reasons like housing changes, costs, life events, or accidental litters. Complaints about rabbit behavior were very rare.

Rabbit surrenders peaked in May. It’s not hard to guess what happens about eight weeks after Easter.

There’s one more thing to check before deciding. Rabbit rescues often report that hay allergies, especially to timothy hay, are a top reason for failed adoptions. Spend an hour in a room with an open bale of hay before the family gets attached.

So Who’s A Rabbit Actually Right For?

Rabbits thrive in homes where an adult is the main caretaker and the kids help out. If a parent takes care of the hay, litter box, vet visits, and daily health checks, children still learn valuable lessons from having a pet, but the rabbit’s well-being doesn’t depend on a child’s responsibility.

Rabbits are a good fit for families with school-age or older children who can learn to sit quietly and wait for the rabbit to approach. They do better in calm homes than in noisy ones. They’re also great for people who enjoy watching animals show personality, because rabbits have strong opinions and can be surprisingly funny and interactive.

They’re a poor fit as a surprise gift, as a starter pet chosen specifically because it looked easier than a dog, and as an outdoor hutch animal in a state where January routinely runs below zero.

If the answer’s still yes after all of that, adopt instead of shopping. Michigan has rabbit-specific rescues with animals already spayed, neutered, and litter-trained, and the volunteers will tell you honestly which rabbit tolerates children and which one wants a quiet adult household. That’s a much better starting point than a pet-store guess, and it’s usually the difference between a nine-year commitment that works and one that ends with a surrender form.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.