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Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society

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Rabbit Educational Presentation

Presented by Jeff, Shannon, Ally, and Allison

Author:

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Introduction

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How to Pet Us

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Meet the Kids

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Name: Hanky Panky

AKA: Hank

Breed: Lion Head

Age: 7.5

Weight: 3.5 lbs.

Back story: Was at a college dorm where no pets were allowed.

Name: Pearly White

AKA: Pearl

Breed: Plush Lop

Age: 4.5

Weight: 5.0 lbs.

Back story: Surrendered for an unknown reason.

Name: Oliver Quill

AKA: Starlord

Breed: Rex

Age: 6.5

Weight: 6.7 lbs.

Back story: Found wandering the streets of Minneapolis by animal control.

Name: Iris Bloom

AKA: Iris

Breed: English lop/Harlequin

Age: 5.5

Weight: 7.8 lbs.

Back story: Wasn’t getting along with a friends other rabbits.

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More Kids

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Bella

Butter Butter

Cola

Peanut

Roo

Tinsel

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About MCRS

Established 2002

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Advocacy for Rabbits as house pets

(part of the family)

Non Profit

All Volunteer

(~120 active)

No facility to house rabbits. All rabbits in foster homes.

(~80 in foster)

Primary Mission #1

Education

To reduce the number of unwanted rabbits.

Primary Mission #2

Adoption

100s of rabbits are euthanized at rescues/shelters due to overcrowding.

https://www.mncompanionrabbit.org/

Services

Classes

Sales (hay & pellets)

Social media (email)

Hoppy Hours

Nail trims/scent glands

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We are NOT Cottontails

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All us domesticated rabbits are of European descent.

We live in colonies (warrens) and are social but cottontails are not.

We live in a burrow underground but cottontails do not (under bushes).

We have 22 chromosomes pairs, most cottontails have 21.

We cannot mate with cottontails.

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Lagomorpha

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Being Prey

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We are Prey for most Predators

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Being picked up reminds us of being captured.

We are always alert for predatory dangers. Any sign of predators and we take flight or hide. We find humans scary at times.

We communicate mostly through physical contact and visual cues instead of audible sounds so predators are less likely to detect us. However did you know we can growl/grunt, purr, honk, thump, and scream.

Each of us have a unique personalities.

We are crepuscular as opposed to diurnal or nocturnal so predators will have a harder time seeing us.

We are curious creatures and test many things with our mouths.

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Our Predator Defenses

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Ears 270° independent rotation. Hear up to 1.8 miles away. Sounds between 360 Hz to 42kHz (Human 20 to 20kHz).

Nose twitches to expose more olfactory receptors. 100 million olfactory receptors (Human 6 million).

Whiskers to feel around in a dark burrow or dim light.

Legs very powerful can hop at up to 30mph and jump 3’ high. Full speed in ~1 second.

17,000 taste buds to help detect poisonous plants (humans 2,000 to 8,000 buds)..

Eyes on sides of heads have almost 360° view. Farsighted and very sensitive to motion. Only blink every 5 minutes with aid of nictitating membrane(3rd eyelid). No tapetum lucidum. Poor depth perception. Rods 300,000/sq mm and cones 18,000/sq mm (Dichromatic blue and green).

Reaction time 100 milliseconds. Human 250 milliseconds.

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Housing

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Our Natural Home is a Burrow

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View of a real Rabbit Burrow

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Why We Shouldn’t Be Kept Outside

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Typical Hutch

Weather
Loneliness
Predators
Insects
Small space
No exercise
Sore hocks

I am sad because of:

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I like my inside home!

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X-Pen Fencing

Fleece and stuffed animal friend to play with

Roxanne

Litter boxes with hardwood pellets for litter and orchard grass hay

Place to hide

Snak Shak to chew on

Water crock

Cardboard to chew on

Fleece flooring with tarp underneath

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Are we escape artists?

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Escaping the cage video

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We need more than a pen for exercise

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We need at least two hours a day out of our pen to get in the exercise we need.

The area must be bunny proofed:

Electrical cords out of the way

House plants out of the way (most are toxic)

Furniture protected from chewing and digging

Click image for free roaming video

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Our digging and chewing habits

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We have some natural instincts that can hurt us and/or damage your things. So you will need to bunny proof our area to protect us and your stuff.

We are a species that is led by our mouth so we taste everything. Chewing calms us when we are nervous and files down our continuously growing teeth. We have a tendency to chew wires but they are dangerous and it is destructive. House plants tend to be toxic to us.

We have a tendency to dig usually in some corner. Remember our natural home is a burrow that we make by digging. Digging can be a seasonal thing for many of us during the springtime.

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Iris’s day

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Click image for Iris’s video

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We like having a Friend (Bond Mate)

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Being bonded has many benefits stress relief, relieve boredom, a friend to groom parts that can’t be reached.

It can be very difficult getting us to live together because we are very territorial.

The bonding process can take a long time. From a couple weeks to a year.

Speed dating is recommended to find a friend.

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Care

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The Best Diet for Us

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Hay must always be available 24 hours a day for us.

Feed us twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening to align with our natural crepuscular active times.

We are strict herbivores.

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Our Fur needs to be taken care of

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We are self cleaning.

(we groom ourselves by licking like cats)

Do NOT bathe us it carries potential risks of shock and hypothermia and is totally unnecessary.

We shed four times a year. Two heavy and two lite.

Our fur can become matted and loose so we need to be brushed. Loose fur is considered as a possible cause for GI Stasis.

Be gentle when grooming us, our skin is thin.

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Our Nails need to be Trimming

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Hmm I smell like a Skunk

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Something smells like a skunk and I think it is me!

Oh no!! I think my scent glands are clogged up.

Can you gently clean my scent glands with a Q-Tip that is slightly damp or has Vaseline on it? My skin is thin in this area so be gentle please.

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Many of us like toys

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Health

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Veterinary Care for Us

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We are considered exotics

Limited number of vets

Common Health Issues

GI Stasis (the silent killer)
Head Tilt
Teeth Issues
Ear Infections

Vaccinations

RHDv2

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Our Digestive System

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I cannot physically vomit.

I’m prey so I will hide the fact I am sick. Your first indication I’m sick might be my excrement. It might get small, oddly shaped, or stop.

You shouldn’t see Cecal pellets because I practice coprophagy on them to extract all nutrition.

I defecate 200 to 300 Fecal pellets a day.

My fecal pellets are mostly harmless and safe to touch. They also make good fertilizer.

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GI Stasis Our Silent Killer

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If we are not interested in eating consider it a GI Stasis emergency.

We can die within 24 hours if not treated.

You will usually find us huddled in a corner because we are in a lot of pain.

We probably will not want to have anything to do with you.

If you check our litter box it will have an absence of poop or poop that is too tiny.

Causes are various.

The usual treatment will be subcutaneous fluids for hydration, pain killers (Metacam), gut motility drug (Metoclopramide), and force feeding Critical Care.

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Head Tilt another issue us rabbits face

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Head tilt (wry neck) should be considered an emergency and requires us to go to the vet.

We need to get to the vet while we have mild head tilt before it becomes severe head tilt.

We develop related symptoms such as dizziness, inability to stand up, nystagmus (side to side eye movement), rolling uncontrollably, hind leg weakness if left unchecked.

Head tilt can be caused by an inner ear infection, the encephalitozoon cuniculi parasite or other parasites, trauma, or a stroke. Treatment depends on cause.

Mild Head Tilt

Severe Head Tilt

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Our Teeth can have problems

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I can’t eat due to my overgrown teeth.

I should have eaten more hay.

I will have to see the dentist. Can they be filed or will they have to be pulled?

We have a total of 28 teeth. They grow 2 to 3mm/week forever hence our tendency to chew on everything.

We have a weird dental formula:

Upper 2-0-3-3

Lower 1-0-2-3

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Our Skeleton is not made for rough housing

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12” fall caused this broken leg

Us adult domestic rabbits have around 210 bones in our skeleton. The bones are rigidly connected to each other (humans ~206).

There are 46 bones that make up our spinal column alone, 7 cervical (the neck), 12 thoracic (the chest), 7 lumbar (the lower back), 4 sacral (the pelvis) and 16 coccygeal (the tail).

We have a dicondylic skull with two parts: a posterior cranial part and an anterior facial part.

The weight of our skeleton is only half of the weight of a cat’s skeleton for an animal of the same weight. Our ribs are only a couple mm thick.

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Our Legendary Reproduction Capabilities

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Twenty eight day gestation period
Induced ovulation
Superfetation possible
Four to twelve kits per litter
One million offspring in three years

Unlikely but potentially
Six generations (ggggggm)

Susceptible to reproduction cancers

80% of females cancer by age 5.

Spay/Neuter

Eliminates reproductive cancers.
Better litter box habits.
Less territorial aggression.
Reduces overpopulation.

Guess what we really do breed like rabbits!!

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Our kits growing up

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Our Genes

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ARBA currently recognizes 53 breeds.

Molly Stern and Jenifer Cruickshank EM 9708 | Published April 2022, Reviewed 2025

Gene	Scientific	Purpose	Alleles
A	ASIP (Agouti signaling protein)	Coat pattern	A Agouti a^t Tan a Self
B	TYRP1 (tyrosinase related protein)	Coat base	B Black b Chocolate
C	TYR (tyrosinase)	Pattern color	C Full c^chd Chinchilla dark c^chl Sable c^h Himalayan c Albino
D	MLPH (melanophilin)	Density of color	D Dense d Dilute
E	MC1R (melanocortin 1 receptor)	Dark pigment extension	E^dFull E^s Steel E Normal e^jJapanese e Fawn/orange/red

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We will live longer than you think

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Our life span varies depending on where we live.

Wild ~1 year

A predator ate us
We starved
Weather
Disease without vet care

Hutch ~5 years

Cancer due to lack of spay/neuter
Inattentive owner
Lack of exercise
Weather

Inside ~10 years up to 15 possible.

Protected from predators
Part of family not easily forgotten
Fed proper diet
Medical care

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How big can our species get?

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Our Vital Signs

Heart rate 130-325 bpm
Respiratory rate 32-60 bpm
Rectal temperature 103.3°-104.0° F (38.5°-40.0° C)
Blood pressure

Systolic 90-130 mm Hg
Diastolic 80-90 mm Hg

Blood volume 55-65 ml/kg
GI transit 4-5 hours
Water intake ~75 ml/kg/day
Urine volume ~130 ml/kg/day
Optimum environment temperature 65°-70° F (15°-20° C)

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For Humans

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Places to acquire Us

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Why a rescue/shelter instead of a breeder?

Prevent euthanasia due to overcrowding
Vet checked before adoption and vaccinated
Spayed/Neutered before adoption, a spay/neuter costs more than $500.00
Provide resources to help with any issues after adoption
Promote adoption by personality instead of looks
Usually have a online profile to view before adoption and can meet foster family
Help stop breeders from over breeding

Side notes:

Don’t gift a rabbit, actually any animal, it may not be what the recipient wants.

Far too many rabbits are gifted at Easter time, most won’t survive a year.

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How to Bond with Me

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I am a prey animal with a strong flee drive. It takes a while for me to trust you. It is probably best if you don’t pick me up while bonding with me.

My best advice is for you to lay on the floor near me quietly. Perhaps read a book or play on your phone without sound.

Do not try to touch me just yet, let me explore you at my own pace.

Adding a treat here and there doesn’t hurt.

When I am comfortable around you maybe in a weeks time try to touch me with a closed fist coming from the side. Just touch for a second or two.

Assuming the touch went well each day touch a little longer adding petting motions.

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We can be trained

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Click Image for Agility Video

Click here for Cookie off leash video.

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I will cost you some $s.

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Hay 150-200 lbs. per year (depending on rabbit size and usage)

50 lb. box of Oxbow hay (Chewy.com is $76; MCRS is $60 for 50 pounds, or $2 per pound)

Food pellets 50 lbs. per year depending on rabbit size

25 lb. bag of Oxbow Bunny Essentials is $34 from Chewy or MCRS $2/pound

Veterinary

Yearly exam anywhere from $50 to $180 depending on vet
Rabbits need a yearly vaccine for RHDV2 $35-$40
An emergency visit can easily run into thousands of dollars

ex: GI stasis emergency visit with 2 days of overnight stay: $1,100

Litter hardwood pallets 120 lbs.

Currently a 40 lb. bag is $7 at most hardware stores (Fleet Farm, Menards, Tractor Supply, etc…)

Greens

~$350 for the year

Miscellaneous
~$100 for the year (fleece, water/food bowls, toys, litter boxes, and damages)
Total ~ $900/year or ~$75/month

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Please don’t release us to the wild.

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Texas A&M study shows brain differences between domesticated and wild rabbits.

MRI scans reveal changes in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex. These regions deal with fear and flight. Click image to read study.

As a domesticated animal we are used to food being delivered on a silver platter, temperature control, not having to forage, protection from predators, insects, and medical care.

Please don’t release us to the wild we will not survive for long.

Releasing us can also have an environmental effect. See Australia and Richmond, B.C., CA.

Be responsible and surrender us to an appropriate shelter or rescue.

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The Weird Place We Occupy in the World

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Beloved Pets

Despised by farmers and gardeners

Raised for meat

Raised for fur

Raised for show (ARBA)

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Zoonotic Diseases we can spread

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Rabbits can carry a number of zoonotic diseases, including:

Pasteurellosis: A common cause of upper respiratory disease in rabbits, this pathogen can also cause respiratory infections in humans. People are more likely to get pasteurellosis from an infected rabbit bite wound than from an aerosol.

Ringworm: A fungal infection that can be passed from rabbits to humans, and vice versa. Both the infected rabbit and human require treatment.

Cryptosporidiosis: A zoonotic disease associated with rabbits.

Mycobacteriosis: A zoonotic disease associated with rabbits.

External parasites: Rabbits can carry external parasites that can be zoonotic.

Bartonella alsatica: A novel Bartonella species isolated from the blood of wild rabbits in France. It can cause lymphadenitis and endocarditis in humans.

Tularemia: A zoonotic disease associated with rabbits.

Plague: A zoonotic disease associated with rabbits.

Rabbits can transmit bacteria through bites and scratches. However, rabbits are generally docile and pose minimal risks of contracting a zoonotic disease to laboratory personnel and animal care staff.