Are you the right kind of person to live with a rabbit? Rabbits are wonderful companions for the right people but learning to live with a bunny can take some adjusting. You must have patience and plenty of time to spend with your new friend. You must also be comfortable spending a lot of time on the floor, and you must learn to not be overly fussy about your house and furniture. A bunny's home needs to be "rabbit-proofed". All electrical cords and poisonous things that can be eaten such as plants need to be kept out of reach. If you can't rabbit proof your entire home, you will need to have at least one room where your rabbit can play safely.
Like other pets, rabbits may require veterinary care occasionally which could become costly. However, they do not require vaccinations like cats and dogs which helps to reduce their overall cost. Like other animals, rabbits should be spayed/neutered to improve their health and behavior, if they are not to be used for breeding. Do you have adequate financial resources to provide veterinary care for your bunny should he or she become sick?
Will a rabbit be a good pet for your kids? The truth is maybe not. If you buy a rabbit as a pet for a child, you should expect to be its primary caregiver. The child also needs to be taught how to properly handle the rabbit because rough handling can be dangerous to a rabbit's frail skeleton. If you are willing to take full responsibility of a rabbit for its 7-12 years of life, then maybe a rabbit is the right pet for you and your family. Please keep in mind that rabbits do not like to be held for long, and they may also bite or scratch if mishandled. Therefore, you need to properly supervise your children with the rabbit so that they learn the right way to pet them and play with them. For these reasons, rabbits are not recommended as pets for children under 8 years old.
Will your other pets get along with your bunny? The first thing you need to remember about rabbits and other animals is that rabbits are prey animals, and they can be easily injured. Cats can learn to get along with a bunny with the right training. They pose less of a risk to a rabbit than a dog. Cats, just playing can take a swat at a rabbit and leave not so much as a scratch. Dogs, on the other hand, can kill a rabbit with one quick snap of their jaws. Rabbits should be introduced slowly to other pets. Start with your cat or dog on a leash with the rabbit in its cage. If your cat is not declawed you should trim its claws. ALWAYS supervise your other pets with your bunny. Even in play your other pets can kill your beloved bunny without meaning to. Some people have also had success keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together.
Please take into consideration all the things mentioned above before you take on the responsibility of rabbit ownership. Too many rabbits are abandoned every year because their owner didn't take the time to think it over.