Collars and Bunnies and Safety, Oh My!

[Kyoshi]

I know this might sound silly, but can a bunny wear a collar? I want her to wear one in case she should run away. Also I think it’d look SUPER cute. Is that a safety hazard though?

[Sarita]

No, it’s not recommended. Also since she will be indoors I can’t see how she could runaway.

[Beka27]

No, not a good idea. Ideally, your rabbit will never be in a position where she could run away. If you’re concerned about your rabbit escaping somehow, the best thing would be to have the vet microchip your rabbit. You can then register your information in the database. This would only be beneficial however if your rabbit was caught and handed over to a shelter that checked for chips.

[MirBear]

mine wear harnesses. because everyday i have them on a leash outside.. harnesses are recomended because its not pulling at their neck. you could always put a tag on the harnes. the only downside to the micro chip idea is not many people will take a rabbit in to get it checked.. the people on here would but everyday citizens wont. i found a bunny once that was micro chipped and never even thought to get it checked thankfullly the owner lived around the corner and saw my mom with it so it found its was home.

[KatnipCrzy]

Collars are never recommended for bunnies- they put too much strain on their neck.  Cats that wear collars all the time often lose a ring of hair around their neck under the collar- so I never collar my indoor cats for that reason.  I just go with microchips.

A harness is better- but still not without dangers.  There have been many members that have had a bunny on a harness and had serious injuries including broken legs that required surgery to fix.  But there are members that use a harness and have no problems.  You really have to weigh the benefits vs risks.  When I do let my bunnies go outside- I put them in a dog crate with the plastic tray removed so they can get to the grass.  One of my rabbits does not even bother to eat the grass or dig- she seems bored- so I do not take her out anymore.  The other 2 seem to have some moderate interest but I do not take them out when it is hot out as they are not used to the heat as our house has central AC and they prefer a comfortable temp versus having access to grass.

So not only to you have to consider that rabbits are prey animals and are likely to panic when they feel trapped or confined- you also have to consider where you will be able to take your bunny- public grassy areas would not be safe as you have no idea what the grass might be treated with and a bunny could become seriously ill from eating grass that has had any type of treatment.  So parks, apartment complex lawns, etc not a good idea.  Some members cannot even take their bunnies out of their own lawns if they have a parent, spouse or close neighbor that uses chemicals on the lawn.

[Andi]

*I know this might sound silly, but can a bunny wear a collar? * No.
*I want her to wear one in case she should run away.*  How would she be running away?
*Also I think it’d look SUPER cute. Is that a safety hazard though?* As already mentioned yes, it is very dangerous and can hurt a fragile rabbits neck.

[MirBear]

my bunnies are outdoors all the time. some members have their bunnies outside.. mine are unsupervised some of the time. if you have a child and your child is crying you wont take your bunny inside before you go see why your child is crying. even indoor house rabbits have oppertunities to get away. getting out of the cage and though a window or door that was accidentaly left open. every animal can get out if it wants to. its very responsable to be thinking what if she runs away. because there is ALWAYS a chance your rabbit could run away.

[MirBear]

and kyoshi many members have asked the same questionb.. and it is not a silly question at all.

[BinkyBunny]

We have had this discussion before, so here is a previous discussion to that may be helpful  (BUT please don’t respond directly to the posts i linked to-they are just for reference only.)

 

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/ta…fault.aspx

[Kyoshi]

Would it be bad if I maybe put in on for a minute or so? Ya know, Just to take in the cute factor, maybe snap a pic or two? Of couse, I’d make sure to supervise her with every fiber of my being.

[Kyoshi]

And, In rsponse to the multiple asks of “How would she run away?”, you can always worry right? I live on the second floor, with my bed right against the window, and flimsy screens on the windows. Should she free herself, or my brother (Who happens to LOVE my guineas, asking me every day to hold one) or my sis ( who often comes in and tells me she opened the cage doors, which gives me a heart attack. Of course, she hasn’t but she still could.) opens the door…..And she hops on my bed, and I had the window open…..And she claws her way through the mesh…..and she is spooked or just hops out…… :shakes: I dont want to even think of the possibilities. And I’m sure lots of people have asked before, the idea of a bunny in a collar is just too cute!

[BinkyBunny]

Collars are just not meant for a rabbit’s short neck. Check out my original response in the link I posted about that.  

It’s true something could happen to anyone’s bunny, but I don’t think collars are a safe option for keeping track of your bunny.  The best thing to do is see if you can take safer measures to prevent escape, put a lock on your door or bunny pen, cage if you think your siblings can’t be trusted, and get your “flimsy” screen  changed and secured. 

But if you are going to do it just for a minute for a cute photo, I don’t see any harm for your bunny, but I would be careful when showing off that photo because you don’t want to give the people who don’t know the wrong impression that it’s okay for a bunny to put a collar on their bunny. I think bunnies on their own are so adorable, that they have a built in cute factor already– especially when you take photos just a tad bit below their face…That is the cutest of all….cuter than any bunny collar in my opinion.

[Kyoshi]

The only problem is that I couldn’t change the screen (Living in a stupid, cheap apartment complex. ) We can’t even ride scooters anymore. I think that there might be a bit of confusion here, I would NEVER want to walk my bun with a COLLAR. I know that would hurt her horribly. Now, I NEED to be worried about alot of things, like the fact that they treat the grass with chemicals, and that there are lots of cats around here, who might be happy to make a meal of my bunny. NO outside for her unless she has a harness, is in my arms, or in a playpen with a cover. and NO eating grasses.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Well even if she is not being walked with the collar it could still snag on something and choke her if she panics.

[MirBear]

i think a harness with a tag on it would be the best solution for you.

[KatnipCrzy]

Harnesses are only meant to be worn for short period of time- so you could always put a tag on her harness- but it should not be worn indoors where she can get the harness snagged on something- panic and hurt herself in her panic (including breaking her neck, back or legs).

If you have read some members previous posts about a bunny wearing a harness gone wrong- it happens quickly- and they panic so quickly and thoroughly that you cannot get them to calm down fast enough to prevent injury. 

So harnesses are OK with certain bunnies and in certain situations and at certain times.

[MirBear]

always test your bunnies with harnesses indoors BEFORE having them outside or somewhere that they could get scared

[Author]

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