Misconceptions about rabbits

[HotGinRun]

I imagine a lot of us bunny owners run into a lot of misconceptions or presuppositions about what having a pet rabbit is like. Friends and family members who come over to my house are surprised that Bean uses a litter box, can come when called, and does a trick or two. They’re floored by the idea that a rabbit can demonstrate personality and even affection. 

When I first introduced Bean to my mom, she had no idea what bunnies were capable of. She told me that the only rabbits she ever encountered as a child were being raised for food. Now this is an assumption that I encounter regularly with friends and coworkers, so I wasn’t terribly surprised. However, she also mentioned that rabbits don’t need to drink water. I thought this was so bizarre! In Vietnam, some people believe that rabbits cannot drink water and if they do, they will die. 

This idea was so strange, I had to do a Google search and found this letter to AllExperts:

“However we have no idea how to do that particularly since one of the first things she said to us is never under any circumstances give [the rabbit] water or it will die.

I am pretty sure that no creature can live without water but she is adamant that it gets all its hydration from a couple of vegetable leaves that we would give it every day.

She is from rural China and I assume she has some experience with rabbits. Anyway…I am confused and do not want to do anything to harm the little fellow.”

Source: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2011/2/told-give-water-rabbit.htm

Has anyone else run into culturally specific rabbit lore or misconceptions, they’d like to share?

P.S. Bean drinks water from a bowl and my mom understands that rabbits need water, like every other creature on Earth.

[jerseygirl]

Wow. I’d never heard that with water before.

One misconception that really irks me is: “If a Doe has a couple litters she won’t get uterine tumours”

Another misconception: that rabbits need baths. My friend had a worker in a pet shop giving advice and ask her if she bathed her rabbits. He then told her bathed his everyday. I couldn’t believe it!
I know there are bunny shampoos products around but that doesn’t automatically mean they have to have regular baths.

[kinggoblin]

People are always disgusted that I have an indoor rabbit and insist that they smell bad. I don’t think he smells at all, his area is always clean and he only smells a little bit like hay or whatever herbs he’s eaten recently. I think he smells nice

[FrankieFlash]

One that gets me is that “Rabbits can live outside because they are wild rabbits ” Uhhh NOPE!
Trying to rescue a rabbit right now that people think just because they’ve had rabbits live outside before, it’s the right thing to do. Well it’s freezing here in MI. Who would like to sleep outside in a sweatshirt?

[BinkyBuster]

Posted By kinggoblin on 02/18/2013 03:34 AM

People are always disgusted that I have an indoor rabbit and insist that they smell bad. I don’t think he smells at all, his area is always clean and he only smells a little bit like hay or whatever herbs he’s eaten recently. I think he smells nice

Omg, RIGHT! Before I got Buster my boyfriend said “why do you want a rabbit so badly they stink…?” and I just said meh (I didn’t know either that they didn’t smell).

He literally doesn’t smell at all! On litter box cleaning day I can start to smell that there’s something living in my room but it’s nothing that bad. I was staying at my boyfriend’s over Christmas, and his roommate has a cat. I’d never really encountered cats before because I’m highly allergic (so I had to live off of allergy medication over Christmas ) but MAN do they smell awful! I was in the room when the litter box was being cleaned and had to leave because I actually thought I might get sick. Also that room just generally smelt disgusting all the time.  …And people think rabbit’s smell? I don’t understand at all! 

A lot of people also think that rabbits generally don’t do anything / can’t feel affection. Unfortunately, all of my friends still think this after meeting Buster because he’s SO shy around new people. But he’s just as loving as any other animal I’ve had

[Malp_15]

I think the people who think rabbits smell, have never been around a spayed/neutered one. Nate’s litter box smelled pretty gross before I could get him neutered.

People all the time think I’m insane for buying so many veggies for my buns. I have some grocery store cashiers ask me about all the veggies I buy and when I say they’re for my rabbits I get the weirdest looks.

[Stickerbunny]

Posted By Malp_15 on 02/18/2013 08:20 AM

I think the people who think rabbits smell, have never been around a spayed/neutered one. Nate’s litter box smelled pretty gross before I could get him neutered.

People all the time think I’m insane for buying so many veggies for my buns. I have some grocery store cashiers ask me about all the veggies I buy and when I say they’re for my rabbits I get the weirdest looks.

 

No. My boyfriend thinks ours stink and they are both fixed. But, he thinks bleach smells AWESOME… so yeah. He also thinks hay stinks, he thinks lavender oil stinks, etc. Pretty much anything natural smells bad, but chemical smells are great. o.O lol 

 

I don’t even wanna mention the garbage I hear anytime I mention rabbits. I just told the boyfriend to stop talking about them, because I was running out of places I could go in town, since people kept making me so furious I didn’t want to go to their shops anymore. 

[ninjabun]

When people see my bun hopping around my classroom, they ask where he lives and I show them his cage that is in a corner (hidden my my desk and bookshelves, gives him a bit of privacy)…and they always seem surprised that he is clean, friendly, uses the litter box, and doesn’t smell (I think people assume a rabbit’s litter box would smell like a cat’s). I have had some mention they didn’t even realize there was a rabbit in my room. I have had a couple ask about litter box training (they had rabbits, so that was awesome they were interested in it); and my pastor’s wife wanted a rabbit after seeing mine (and how totally awesome rabbits make as house pets), but after talking about them with me realized it wouldn’t currently work because they have a lot of electronic equipment (ie, wires). I just try to see it as an opportunity to show others that rabbits make awesome pets, and that there is a better way of caring for them.

[Snowytoshi]

The fact that rabbits aren’t intelligent seems to be a common thought.

I also talked to someone once online who thought that rabbits don’t need hay.

[LoveChaCha]

Here are some:

-Rabbits stink
-Are not clean animals
-Messy
-Angry, fussy, and irritable (that is what spaying and neutering is for, duh)
-Chew everything up (which can be true, but that is why there is rabbit proofing)
-A child’s pet
-Don’t live very long
-Not social
-All bunnies eat carrots (not)
-Poop everywhere
-Need a salt licker

I could go on and on. I tell people that her personality is larger than life, she is box trained, house trained, and does well with bossing the slaves around. People often ask if she has a cage, chews everything up, etc. People try to tell me pity stories about rabbits that they’ve had, but I counter that by telling them HOW MUCH things have changed and how people actually treat rabbits like other pets.

[Stickerbunny]

Posted By LoveChaCha on 02/18/2013 01:59 PM

Here are some:

-Are not clean animals
-Messy
-Angry, fussy, and irritable (that is what spaying and neutering is for, duh)
-Chew everything up (which can be true, but that is why there is rabbit proofing)

-Not social

-Poop everywhere

 

For Stickers, those are not misconceptions.  But certainly not true of all rabbits! Powder would be very insulted to be mixed up with his wifey bun on those habits, he’s a very tidy man.

[Monkeybun]

Moose is often called messy Moosie, because well… he DOES like making messes. He drags his hay around his pen, tears up his towels (never eats the bits though, he just likes destroying them) and Smudge is rather irritable. She thumps at everything if it isn’t up to her standards, or is annoying her

[HotGinRun]

Posted By BinkyBuster on 02/18/2013 08:17 AM

Posted By kinggoblin on 02/18/2013 03:34 AM

People are always disgusted that I have an indoor rabbit and insist that they smell bad. I don’t think he smells at all, his area is always clean and he only smells a little bit like hay or whatever herbs he’s eaten recently. I think he smells nice

Omg, RIGHT! Before I got Buster my boyfriend said “why do you want a rabbit so badly they stink…?” and I just said meh (I didn’t know either that they didn’t smell).

He literally doesn’t smell at all! On litter box cleaning day I can start to smell that there’s something living in my room but it’s nothing that bad. I was staying at my boyfriend’s over Christmas, and his roommate has a cat. I’d never really encountered cats before because I’m highly allergic (so I had to live off of allergy medication over Christmas ) but MAN do they smell awful! I was in the room when the litter box was being cleaned and had to leave because I actually thought I might get sick. Also that room just generally smelt disgusting all the time.  …And people think rabbit’s smell? I don’t understand at all! 

A lot of people also think that rabbits generally don’t do anything / can’t feel affection. Unfortunately, all of my friends still think this after meeting Buster because he’s SO shy around new people. But he’s just as loving as any other animal I’ve had

THIS.

When I first brought Bean home, my best friend’s family asked me why I would bother getting a rabbit because rabbits smell. I’ve been a dog owner for most of my life and as much as I love them, they smell WAAAAAY worse than rabbits. I like to bury my face in Bean’s fur (he hates it) and I can’t smell anything.

As for the affection thing: When I first brought Bean home, my roommate hated him. Not for any discernible reason, just because my roommate wasn’t used to the idea. Now, when Roomie comes home, Bean runs out of my room to greet him at the door and circles his feet. Roomie will go upstairs, Bean following close behind, and I’ll catch them both lying on the floor with Roomie on his cellphone and Bean sprawled out next to him. They are so cute together.

Sometimes, I’m a little jealous. Bean will even flop at my roommate’s feet while he brushes his teeth. 

Who says rabbits aren’t affectionate when they see this picture?

[LoveChaCha]

HAHAHA OMG That is such a cute photo!!!

Chacha is a very diva bunny but super kissy!

[colleenbunny]

Here are some:
-Rabbits are rodents
-You can leave an unwanted rabbit in a field and it will fend for itself.
-Rabbits can live on just carrots, lettuce, and cabbage.
-A rabbit’s favorite food is carrots.
-Rabbits can be picked up by their ears or the scruff of thier neck. I know a person who even owns a rabbit and believes this.
-Rabbits don’t need water.
-Baby bunnies are weaned and ready to be sold at three to four weeks of age.
-Rabbits and cats can be bred together and have offspring.
-A doe will kill her babies if you touch them.
-Flemish giants only come in one color (sandy).
-All rabbit breeders are evil, nasty people who are mass-producing rabbits in an already over-saturated market to make money, money, money!
-Rabbits are great, low-maintenance starter pets.
-Rabbits only live a year or two, so no long commitment is necessary.
-Rabbits love to be picked up and cuddled.
-Rabbits can be left alone for a week.
-All rabbits love each other.
-Rabbits don’t need exercise.
-Rabbits are low-maintenance, inexpensive pets.

[Bwbedard]

That rabbits are for girls…

Also I don’t know about you guys but my rabbits are a pretty messy pair!

[jerseygirl]

Ohmygosh, I hadn’t see they picture of Bean before now. Squeeeee!

[Stickerbunny]

“-Rabbits can be picked up by their ears or the scruff of thier neck. I know a person who even owns a rabbit and believes this. ”

The shelter I got Powder from picked him up by the scruff of his neck they fully admitted they knew zero about bunnies though, their rabbit person quit on them with no notice and left them with no one to care for the poor things.

[MissD]

I’m a member of a Polish speaking rabbit facebook group (cos I was born in that silly old country) and quite a few people there say you should never give your rabbit wet vegetables, that you need to dry them after washing before giving them to your bun. I’ve always thought it rubbish but just to be sure – eastern european misconception or true?

Btw, my Buddy doesn’t smell at all and he grooms himself every five seconds, he’s the cleanest animal in the United Kingdom so it’s not true rabbits smell

[Raindrops]

Rabbits here are a very popular pet, so there are quite a few misconceptions! They generally sell Rabbit Mixes everywhere! People think it’s good enough to feed their rabbits when they are babies. My vet had to ask me right off if I was feeding Kaiser any, because many people who buy rabbits as beginner pets think the mixes are good food (logic is: they sell them in the stores, so shouldn’t it be safe?).

Also the whole having babies first before spaying a female is not only believed in rabbits, but cats and dogs as well.

The lady at the shop where I got my bun also told me if I didn’t get a second rabbit, Kaiser would become depressed. Maybe in a rare case this could happen, but I think chances are very slim, and she was just trying to get me to buy another rabbit when Kaiser wasn’t even neutered.

My mom also thought Kaiser would stink when she came to visit a month ago, she was surprised at how clean it was!

[colleenbunny]

Don’t think that the wet vegetable misconseption is true, everyone I know who owns a rabbit does gives it to them wet.

I’ve also heard that rabbits should be given a couple of carrots a day.

[Eucalyptus]

The biggest one is that they’re all supposed to be small. Java is 5.5 lbs and EVERYONE will say “WOW he’s HUGEEEEE.” and I just say “that’s actually one of the smaller breeds …” I think people all imagine dwarf breeds as the norm for buns.

Other than that, mostly that they smell and can’t be trained for anything. When we first got our bun, everyone commented on his photos I posted on Facebook with “you’re going to get tired of him quick once he starts to smell” or “ew, doesn’t your house smell now?” and other similar stuff. Everyone is shocked that he’s litter box trained, and that he actually learns things.

One less common one that I hear every once in a while is “doesn’t he just eat carrots and lettuce or cabbage?” when I say I’m going to the store for bunny veggies.

[colleenbunny]

Or that bunnies don’t need much room and the perfect spot for a bunny is in the child’s room.

[Eucalyptus]

Yes, that is the most INFURIATING misconception honestly. That bunnies can live in tiny cages or should stay outdoors, or are meant to be outdoors. Ugh!

[colleenbunny]

I know!

[Author]

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