pet connection

The House Rabbit Journal, the quarterly newsletter of the non-profit House Rabbit Society, has to be one of the best pet-related newsletters around, and kudos to editor Holly O’Meara for what’s likely a non-paid labor of love. The HRJ is a nice-looking publication with a lot of heart, and it’s always packed with practical information on caring for rabbits as real companions, not forgotten and often neglected residents of small backyard hutches.

This current issue’s lead story, by Beth Woolbright, is about developing safe outdoor day play spaces for indoor pet rabbits. It sure inspired me to take another look at the outdoor play space I’ve set aside for my own house rabbits, Velocity and Annie. As with all HRJ pieces, the article pushes people to think about how rabbits are in a natural environment, and to work to simulate those conditions, allowing the pets places to dig, hide and kick up their heels in that particular physical expression of bunny joy known to rabbit-fans as “a binky.”

In the same issue, a piece on two city bunnies makes it clear that rabbits can also be happy without a big play yard. I also loved the piece on sharing indoor space with pets who like to chew and aren’t always flawlessly house-trained.

The payoff of better living conditions for a rabbit is pretty obvious, but the payoff for the owner may be less so. But I can tell you as a convert to bunny love that once you let rabbits in the house and into your heart, you can’t imagine how much personality they will show you, and how much fun they can be as companions. I’m really happy I have rabbits in my family of furred and feathered companions. And to think it all started with a trip to the HRS headquarters and rabbit shelter, in Richmond, Calif.

Most people don’t know how wonderful pet rabbits can be, which is why a lot of cute baby bunnies get snapped up on impulse, and a lot of adult bunnies get dumped just as quickly. In the shelters, their adoption rate is dismal, and that’s a real shame.

If you’ve never thought of a bunny companion, please do. Joining the House Rabbit Society will help you to get the most out of one of these wonderful pets. As is true of any relationship, you get more out of it if you put more into it!

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