Rabbits as emotional support animals?

[Karaluna]

Hello everyone, I am new here and go by Karaluna. I have been thinking about this topic for a while and would like to hear some of your opinions on the matter. Rabbits have always interested me and I have been researching and reading about them for a few years now and am planning on getting one. I really need a pet but due to health issues, I cannot take dogs on a walk so I was thinking about getting a rabbit. I know that they are a lot of work but that is what makes them so appealing to me. I feel better when I’m caring for something and it would be easier to do so when I don’t have to take it outside to exercise. Basically, I have type 1 diabetes along with chronic nausea and abdominal pain. Because of this, I have developed depression and anxiety and while they aren’t bad all the time, there are times where i can get really bad. Especially nights when I can’t sleep because of my issues. I was wondering if, in your opinion, it would be acceptable for me to get a rabbit as an emotional support animal? When I lived with my parents I had a dog that would help me when I was sick and she provided a great amount of comfort to me and I functioned better with an animal.

[Wick & Fable]

Rabbits are great ESAs, but yes, they are a tremendous amount of work. My initial thought is the sleep. Rabbits tend to be very active right when we go to sleep/very early in the morning, so if you have a free roam rabbit or keep him/her in your room, that may exacerbate your sleep troubles.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Mikey]

All three of my bunnies are my certified ESAs

Blue was my first one certified and my most trained. Ive trained him to respond immediately if I am panicking. He will crawl into my lap, or if I am self thrashing (ASD) he will gently poke me repeatedly until I calm down enough to pet him. If I am standing, he will sit on my feet and poke at my ankles until I pet him or hold him. If I am holding him, and he can feel my heart racing, he will force his head into my hand so I have to pet him. If I faint, he digs at me to help me wake up quicker.

Bombur and Badger are not nearly as trained as Blue is (they didnt take to it as easily as him; Blue just has a drive to be helpful in all situations), but they still are great company and help when my stress is high. Badger loves being pet and cuddled, so on bad days when Blue is taking a break, I can go lay on the floor with Badger and snuggle him to feel better.

Bombur isnt trained at all, but he helps in different ways. He helps my boyfriend (BPD) more than he helps me, due to bonding quicker to my boyfriend in the beginning. If one of us lays on the floor, Bombur will gently explore and crawl all over us. His bondmate, Blue, will too, but to a lesser extent. Feeling his little body pressure helps us both relax. During stressful times when my boyfriend has laid on the floor and Bombur was crawling on him, my boyfriend was able to relax enough to fall asleep right there with tiny Bombur on his back, lol.

So, I am bias but rabbits are great ESA

But, they do require a lot of work. The training itself, if you choose to train, can take months. Some rabbits refuse it all together, like Bombur, and youll either have to give up or morph to what they can do vs what they cant do. Rabbits shouldnt be caged, and honestly, free roaming helps an ESA bun a lot in my opinion. Blue can tell if I am panicking, even if I am rooms away and he knows how to come to me to help. Hes even come into the bathroom with me and sat on my toes during sickness because he could feel it was stressing me out. ESAs also need to be heavily socialized around strangers if you intend to leave your home with your bun. Litter boxes (atleast in my home) need to be cleaned every other day or every three days, at the latest. When Badger and Bombur shed, I need to brush them for about 2+ hours a day, every day, until their shedding is over. And of course, a stronger bond with your bun will only help, and some buns are very untrusting of humans due to nature and instinct; Bombur took almost two years before opening up fully to my boyfriend and I. If you cant leave often, you need to have back up ways for hay and veggies, as those are the majority of a rabbit’s diet (my boyfriend and I stock up in advance all the time, as I am pretty homebound in my disabilities and hes been working 10+ hour long shifts everyday lately. Our back up is ordering online using overnight in emergency).

[Karaluna]

Posted By Wick on 3/11/2018 5:28 AM

Rabbits are great ESAs, but yes, they are a tremendous amount of work. My initial thought is the sleep. Rabbits tend to be very active right when we go to sleep/very early in the morning, so if you have a free roam rabbit or keep him/her in your room, that may exacerbate your sleep troubles.

Thank you very much to replying to me. I have considered the sleep issues with the rabbit but I think I will be fine. I will probably get a bonded pair so that they can keep each other company especially since I want to get a part or even full time job. I’m also able to sleep through most things once I am able to fall asleep so if I take any extremely noisy toys out of their pen, I should be able to sleep when they are awake and active.

[Karaluna]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I really appreciate it. I am planning on visiting shelters and rabbit rescues in the area to try and find a rabbit that will work well with my personality and then a friend for it (I’ll probably love them both equally but I’m not picky on the qualities both will posses) I also don’t intend to “cage” my rabbits for long and will ideally set up 2 xpens plus a dog crate for them to hang out in when I am unable to supervise them. I intend to give them the best life possible especially since they will probably be helping me cope with everything. Thanks again for your reply!

[rach.doris]

So funny you asked, I’m actually getting a rabbit as an ESA super soon! I know Lennon the Bunny on YouTube talks about it as well if that may help you!

[Levilovescelery]

mine isn’t certified or trained to do things related to it (he only is learning random tricks)but I got my bunny to help me in similar ways.I have aspergers syndrome and a lot of bad,stressful,or abusive things happened to me,including being disowned by my adoptive family when I was 18 and kicked out(I am 19 now).So I was lonely a lot(I have friends and a boyfriend,but they can’t be with me 24/7 of course,so living with people I have no connection to is hard.I have a caretaker of sorts,more like a respite home until I am able and capable to find my own apartment) and I get anxiety too.My bunny Levi has helped sort of boost my mood.When I get really anxious it helps to spend time with him,and animals if you have a good bond with them do help you feel more loved and provide a source of affection. And taking care of him helps me feel better too,maybe because I am responsible for more than just me now I don’t know.He definitely encourages me to try harder because I have a reason to make money and keep working towards independence,so I can make him happy too.If I didn’t then he would get hurt and not have food or other things he needs and sometimes that is the extra push I need when doing it for myself is not enough.I’m sure one might help you too,and taking care of another living thing is a great feeling.

[Levilovescelery]

I think sometimes animals pick up on things too.On day I was feeling depressed and Levi was on the bed next to me, and started doing the bunny tooth purring thing.Usually he does not do that often,when he does it is when I am petting him.But this time I wasn’t so I think maybe he picked up on my mood.He spent some time sort of draped over my arm snuggled against me

[joea64]

As I remarked on another thread, if you would like to have your rabbit(s) certified as ESA’s, don’t go to one of those for-pay websites. There’s been a lot of abuse of the ESA concept stemming from those sites. Instead, consult your licensed therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist or other mental health professional who’s treating you for emotional/mental disorders or issues, and explain what you would like to do. They’ll write you a letter, to be provided to landlords, that certifies that you need to have an ESA or ESA’s.

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