Late October marked one year of having our pet rabbit Mia. As her gotcha day anniversary arrived and passed, I did a lot of thinking about what it’s been like to have her for a year and considered putting those thoughts into a blog post. Simultaneously, and funny enough, Magz was having the same thoughts. We’re unable to co-write a post, so we’re both going to share our reflections without discussing them with each other beforehand. It’ll be fun to see what reflections are the same and which ones are different.
Introducing Mia
Magz has written about Mia in quite a few posts since we adopted her, but if you’re new to the blog, or it’s been awhile since we’ve talked about her, she is a Harlequin rabbit. She recently turned four years old but was three when we adopted her from Erie Area Rabbit Society (E.A.R.S.). They are the region’s only rabbit-exclusive animal shelter and are 100 percent no-kill, so if someone surrenders a rabbit or they find an abandoned one, they rescue it and take care of it (including its medical needs) until it gets adopted. While they are a non-profit, they receive no public funding and instead rely on the generosity of others to continue to operate.
Prior to visiting E.A.R.S. and meeting Mia for the first time, I had never petted a rabbit before. I’ve always found them cute, but just never had the chance to be close to one. Magz, meanwhile, had a pet rabbit growing up and knew how to interact with them. We went to E.A.R.S. on the second day of a short three-day trip to Erie last fall and got to meet Mia that day during some one-on-one time. She was one of two rabbits we got that time with, and she was a lot different from the other. She was more interested in exploring the space than being close with us but would come around for pets every few minutes. Initially, she wasn’t our top pick, but after coming home and discussing it for a while, we decided to adopt her.
Reflecting on Year 1
Mia has been the first pet we’ve had together, so it felt really monumental adopting her. And in our first year with her, she has become a member of our family. People always say that pets are members of their family, and in the best circumstances, it’s true. We make plans around her and are always looking for ways to improve things for her – toys, treats, and her diet. But I don’t want it to seem as though it’s been a perfect experience every day. When we first adopted her, we kept her in her x-pen the entire time until she got used to us and the house. It’s a 60″x60″ pen, so it’s plenty big enough and larger than she was used to before adoption, but within a few months, she showed that she wanted to spend more time with us. Unfortunately, we didn’t recognize that at first and thought she was just being grumpy, which rabbits are known for, so we didn’t make changes right away.
There was also a time when she was beginning to display early symptoms of going into GI Stasis, which is basically when a rabbit’s gut health and bacteria become imbalanced. It causes gas build-up and bloating, and if not addressed, is fatal. I noticed it because she wasn’t eating like normal, and rabbits eat all the time because their digestive system is constantly working. We were able to get some gas drops in her, and she lived, but it was very traumatic as a first-time bun owner. It led to me being hyper-focused on her eating habits and noticing when something just seems off about her. Still, we stuck with it and a wonderful relationship has developed and flourished.
Lessons Learned
- Rabbits are both fragile and tough as nails. Rabbits are fragile in that they generally don’t like to be picked up and should only be picked up when necessary. Their legs and back to be supported, and not doing this can lead to spinal injuries. We still haven’t picked Mia up. At the same time, though, she runs into things periodically, gets underfoot, and seems to be fine with hay getting much closer to her eye than I ever would be.
- You need to pay attention to them. Rabbits need to be monitored to make sure they’re healthy and doing okay. Because they’re prey animals, they don’t cry or show that they’re injured or sick. Instead, you need to watch them to notice any abnormalities in their behavior that would indicate sickness or injury.
- Rabbits don’t make noise, but they aren’t quiet. I was shocked to learn how noisy rabbits can be even though they don’t bark or meow. Mia is constantly making noises by foraging through her hay, chomping on her lettuce, chewing her pellets, digging at everything, and chewing on cardboard. Even her hops make noise. If she wasn’t around, the lack of noise would be deafening.
- Rabbits are very intelligent, especially emotionally. Mia knows when we’re feeling sad. She recognizes those emotions and will hop over to us and comfort us. She also loves doing puzzles, and there are rabbits on YouTube that navigate through mazes. They’re very smart, and Mia is smarter than most dogs I’ve been around.
- Need stimulation. Rabbits want some type of attention and stimulation most of the time. It’s part of the reason we do puzzles and stacking cups with her. If it isn’t a puzzle or other type of mental stimulation, she wants to be right by us and getting attention from us.
- Best qualities of cats and dogs. Dogs and cats are (by far) the most popular pets in America. Rabbits have the best qualities of both. They want to be around you and will show you affection, similar to dogs, but they also like their own space and don’t bark, like cats. Rabbits can be litter-trained (Mia is), but their litter doesn’t smell. It’s all very natural because they’re herbivores.
Simply Put, Rabbits Make Great Pets
Rabbits are great pets. They’re affectionate, but like their own space. They’re quiet, but still make noise as they move about. They’re unbelievably intelligent and want to learn. And I think humans can learn a lot from rabbits. Rabbits are gentle creatures. Sure, they can nip at you occasionally, but they aren’t aggressive. Instead, they are passive. They require you to be more gentle than you need to be with other pets. They also have sensitive ears, so you need to be aware of how loud you’re being. It leads to a more peaceful and gentle environment.
Reflecting on our year with Mia has helped me to realize that humans should be more like rabbits, especially in our relationship with the Lord. Mia depends on Magz and I for everything. She needs us to get her food each day and to change her hay pan. She was born at E.A.R.S., so if she ever got outside, she wouldn’t know how to survive in the wild. We should want that relationship with God. He wants us to depend on Him for everything, yet we quickly become self-reliant and believe that we’re providing everything we have. We also should be meek. In Matthew 5:5, Jesus spoke the following: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Being meek simply means being humble and gentle. I also think it means being quiet, listening more, and being slow to speak. Mia may not exhibit humility, but she’s got the listening and quietness down. I want to be more like her and less like an aggressive and loud dog.
If you would like a pet but aren’t sold on what animal you’d like, I recommend that you go to a rabbit society like E.A.R.S. and spend some time around bunnies. Experience their unique personalities and how much love they have to give. Rabbits are excellent pets, but they shouldn’t be treated like a second-rate pet compared to cats and dogs. They’re wonderful creatures who deserve love and respect. Having Mia has forever changed my life, and I think a lot of lives would be improved if they gave rabbits a try. And remember, if you are interested, adopt from a reputable shelter. Don’t buy from a pet store or Agway.
One Rabbit Riot 
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