Step #1 Research

When getting a new rabbit/s it is very important to be prepared. In this series of post I will be explaining the steps that need to be taken before, during, and after getting a rabbit/s.

𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕡 𝕠𝕟𝕖, ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to research before getting a pet. Impulse buys are extremely tempting, and get the best of us at times (myself included) but if we do not research than we put animals at unintentional risk of illness, neglect, and injury. Keep in mined that everyone makes mistakes, so if you do end up doing something that fails to be charming don’t beat yourself up about it. Owning up to and improving upon your mistakes is the best thing you can do, both for your animals and your self.

Here are some things that you need to research. (Each of these will be elaborated on in the following parts)

1. Environment. Is your environment right for a rabbit?

2. Rabbit diseases. How to identify and cure rabbit illnesses.

3. Enclosure. What kind of enclosure do you need, and what needs to be in it?

4. Diet. What are the specifications of a rabbits diet?

5. How much do rabbits cost?

6. Where should I get a rabbit?

These questions and many more are all things that should be asked and researched before getting a rabbit of your own. Where should you Research though?

The internet is full of false, biased, outdated and sometimes guilt tripping information that people can easily believe without question. That’s why it is important to get a plethora of information from multiple sources, as to not form an unconscious (potential harmful) bias.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

- George Bernard Shaw.

I suggest gathering information from at least one scorch in all of the topics below. I have listed them from my personal opinion of most reliable to least reliable.

𝕊𝕥𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕤.

Studied information should be the first thing you look for as it is the most accurate try and fine something that is no more that 20 years old as outdated studies are out there.

____.𝕖𝕕𝕦 𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤.

These are the second most accurate when researching, as the information is often posted by professionals, student, or is used for student research (in other words the people who right the studies used/wrote these when when in school) If you can try and find articles put out by veterinary or animal science specific .edu sites that would be best, but any .edu site should work well.

ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤/𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤.

I’m probably going to have people questioning me in the comment for having this one before pet owners, but hear me out. Yes, some people that breed are in it for the money. Yes, they often keep their rabbits in smaller cages, but here’s the deal. Homesteaders have to have healthy animals in order to provide for their families, that means they have to do copious amount of research in order to know how to keep their animal alive, healthy, well bred and well cared for. It can be a bit controversial for some, but if we set aside our emotions and think about the facts, it is a great place to get knowledgeable information. Plus, if you do not agree with cages there are many homesteaders that colony raise, or even have them in a heated barn.

ℙ𝕖𝕥 𝕠𝕨𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕤/𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕤.

I have decided to put this one last for a few reasons. Pet owners are most of the time very knowledgeable about rabbits, but it’s often from research and not in-person experience. Pet owners have often only had a few rabbits and know those specific rabbits needs. Breeders or scientists that have seen hundreds and been able to see every personality, specific diet needs, injures/birth defects, diseases, etc. are, in a sense, more knowledgeable of all needs; all the possibilities that may occur. There are some pet owners that are extremely knowledgeable, but if you can get the information from the original source than that is best, as it can be strewed through another person interpretation. Pet owners are often very biased. This may make people upset, but in a lot of cases it’s true. They make content speeding against something often with little knowledge of the subject they talk about (like rabbit shows/4-H for example), or exaggerating/pick out only the bad parts amplifying and misinforming how bad it actually is. It’s an emotional tactic and used way more than people realize (Like Sarah McLachlan and the sad songs on the rescue videos, it’s an emotional grab. It’s actually pretty fascinating psychology) there are good pet owners/influencers, but if you can it’s best to stick with more professional fact based sources.

The next pert will be about housing/environment, and hopefully have more quotes in it lol. I hope this helps the people that needed it. Have a great day.

P.S. sorry for this not being “esthetic” I’m not great with that stuff.