Born to NOT Be Wild

Rabbits, along with cats and dogs, are domesticated pets. That means for the most part we are not going to head for the hills whenever we see a human come our way. We are used to having humans around and don't mind it at all (aside from some of the odors). My breed, the flemish giant, has been domesticated since the early 1800s....so I would have to go waaaaaay back on my family tree to find a member of my family that was truly wild.

Sadly, some people do not know this. There are many times that people will buy a rabbit, only to tire of it. They get bored with cleaning its cage and taking care of it everyday (even though it is minimal work). So rather than selling the rabbit or taking it to a rabbit breeder, they let it loose in the wild, thinking they are doing it a great favor.

Yes, I understand that there are wild rabbits out there. But rabbits you buy and keep as pets are domesticated. Letting them into the wild is not doing them a favor at all. In fact, it is almost certain that the rabbit will not make it through the first night. There are many predators out there, and us domesticated rabbits are not all that sure how to avoid them.

If you have a rabbit you have grown tired of, the best thing to do is to contact a local rabbit breeder to see if they will take the rabbit. I guarantee that there is another family out there willing to welcome the rabbit into their home with open arms!