They’re cute, they’re furry and they’re inundating the Delta Community Animal Shelter.
Over 30 bunnies are now calling the shelter home but staff members are hoping the rabbits that ended up there will find forever homes.
Shelter manager Sarah Jones said they’ve never had so many bunnies, many of which have been dropped off by former owners that didn’t quite know what to expect, while some were strays. She said they are the hardest to adopt of all the shelter’s animals.
“Rabbits tend to spend the most time here, even if they’re social and happy. That’s partially because people consider rabbits like they’re great for kids and they’re a cute little rodent-type pet. But they’re actually not good for kids and they’re a complicated pet in some regards,” she said.
“They need pellets, they need hay, they need veggies, they leave little pellets around. Ideally, rabbits should be indoor rabbits. There’s studies that show they can be super social, just like cats, and we actually litter box train our rabbits because we want them to be indoors.”
One big problem is people that own bunnies when the animals are very young aren’t spaying or neutering them, which is why animal rescue places and shelters end up with so many.
Jones said once a pet owner understands the responsibility and care requirements for a bunny, the animals can be a lot of fun and have great personalities. Some are good with kids but not all. Rabbits usually don’t like to be picked up because they are prey animals, making them naturally nervous. However, if one is willing to take the time to socialize them, they can be trained with food to sit on someone’s lap and be comfortable.
“They do make great pets but they’re not like a cat or a dog. They’re definitely an individual species but people misunderstand them. They live 10 years, not like a hamster that lives two years, so when people realize this, they dump them,” Jones said.
“But they can be awesome pets, quirky and fun. We recommend you cordon off part of a room in your house, put towels down, and they can have their free-run area. Then they can be let out of there when they are supervised. A lot of people think of them as a caged animal, but they’re really not. They need way more exercise and space than what we used to think a long time ago.”
Noting there are several veterinarians that deal with rabbits in Delta, Jones said the shelter his having a special promotion until the end of October in which you can set your own adoption price. All the animals are spayed or neutered, have permanent identification and have been checked over.
There is an application process so prospective owners can talk with staff and understand a rabbit’s needs.
For more information, call 604-940-7111.
