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Budgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 1
Amplify!
The essential early and middle childhood
education and care story.
Budgeting for bunnies and other reasons to think
twice about getting a rabbit for Easter
Gabriele Flavin
April 15, 2019
Gaby Flavin is an early childhood teacher and an animal advocate. With Easter around the corner
she penned a set of articles around one of the most commonly considered ECE ‘pets’ – rabbits.
Beware, it’s a cautionary tale based on Gaby’s 15 year love affair with fluffy bunnies, her even
longer experience working in early learning services, and her knowledge as an animal rescue
volunteer and foster carer.
In part one, Gaby covered the basics of rabbit welfare and begins outlining their needs in a
children’s service setting by focusing on housing. In part two, she takes you through health and
wellbeing and shares the promised story of Bumble the Bottom Biter!
Like any pet, you need to be prepared to pay for good health and wellbeing from time to time. If
your service is on a strict budget, with little to no room for incidentals, I strongly urge you to forget
owning rabbits! In part two, I look at their diet and medical needs, as well as their personalities and
the impact of bonded and unfriendly pairings.
Rabbit diets
The first thing you need to know about rabbit food is that pellets from supermarkets and pet stores
are designed for ‘meat’ rabbits, not long-lived pets. Despite animal welfare ticks of approval or
other endorsements, those pellets are meant for short term use to bulk up a rabbit as fast as
possible for human consumption.
The pellets are made from nutrient rich hay called alfalfa, and for young rabbits it’s perfect as it is
also high in calcium. However as rabbits mature, the calcium often becomes too much for their
systems to process. They secrete calcium through their bladders and this leads to the delightfully
named condition of ‘bladder sludge’, an accumulation of calcium in their bladder. The calcium then
forms crystals that cut the rabbit’s urethra as it urinates, leading to bleeding and infection and
Budgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 2
pain. Rabbits can also develop stones that can be fatal without surgery or even with surgery:
bunnies don’t do well under anaesthesia.
So what should your bunny be eating? Ideally, a selection of the following:
• fresh meadow hay, oaten hay, or timothy hay
• fresh daily vegetables including dark leafy greens such as endives, chicory, mesclun salad
mix, the dark outer leaves of cos lettuce, carrot tops with a few pieces of carrot (high in
sugar), celery tops, and Asian greens.
• apple or banana slices as treats, but as with carrot pieces, not too many as the high sugar
content won’t react well with their systems and you’ll need to clean up afterwards!
• specialist pellets recommended by a veterinarian who understands rabbit digestions:
expensive but worth it for the convenience.
Rabbit health care
Desexing
The phrase ‘breeding like rabbits’ exists for good reason: desex your rabbits! In part one [link] I
recommended you adopt a bonded pair of rabbits because they are social animals who will be
happier with company. Just like dogs and cats, you should try to source rabbits that have already
been desexed and who know each other well (‘bonded’).
Don’t just accept that the two little rabbits you’ve been given or bought from the pet shop are ‘safe’
because they are both male or both female. Many accidental baby bunny litters are the result of
mistaken sexes in pairs as it’s very difficult to tell male from female when they are young. It only
takes 28 days for babies to appear and females can conceive again as soon as they have given
birth…
Immunisation
Rabbits are an exotic breed and require specialist (read: expensive) vet treatment when they are
unwell. One way to reduce the risk of high vet bills is to maintain your bunnies’ health with annual
immunisations for calicivirus, which also affects cats. There is no immunisation for myxomatosis,
a quick and fatal disease, but you can reduce the risk with suitable housing (see part one).
Teeth and nails
Bunnies have sharp teeth and very strong back legs with thick sharp nails designed to dig deep
burrows in hard earth and to protect vulnerable bellies in a fight. Their teeth and nails grow
incredibly fast – so if they are not grinding down enough, or digging enough, it means you’ll have to
help them. You can learn to trim a rabbit’s nails, being careful of the long quick running through theBudgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 3
claw, but teeth are a bigger problem. If your rabbit’s teeth are growing faster than their chewing
can grind them back, you will need a vet’s help to surgically file, trim or remove them.
In general, rabbits are very good at hiding their illnesses and don’t always show symptoms until
they are very unwell indeed. They do this as a survival tactic to conceal weakness. It’s important to
know your rabbit, and know them well, and to consult a vet to be on the safe side if you think
something is amiss.
Rabbit personalities
Some rabbits are cool and cruisy, but many are not. This matters a lot in a children’s services
context. One of my bunnies, Luna, used to come with me to work at the long day care centre. She
loved it. She was a lop-eared rabbit with the biggest attitude. She didn’t mind the daily travel to and
from work, and she loved running around the toddler room during rest time. The children adored her
and would help me care for her.
Another of my rabbits, Bumble (see Bumble the Bottom Biter story below), didn’t respond the same
way and I realised over time that he was stressed by the experience. His litter tray at work was
always dry and I noticed the first thing he would do when we got home was run to his tray and do
the biggest and longest wee ever. The look of relief upon his furry little face was adorable but I
couldn’t ignore the fact that he was hiding stress so I stopped taking him with me to work. While he
seemed fine during the visits, and the children certainly loved him, he was obviously experiencing a
lot of anxiety.
This is a characteristic of prey animals like rabbits: they hide illness and stress as they don’t want
to be perceived as weak and vulnerable. In the wild, weak animals are the ones targeted for meals,
or ostracised by their communities for the safety and wellbeing of the whole group.
Adopt, don’t shop
A known personality is one excellent reason to consider adopting an adult rabbit (pair) rather than
buying baby bunnies. You might adopt a bonded adult pair if you’re starting out, or adopt a second
rabbit to keep your single bunny company (social animals, remember!). Bonding isn’t always easy,
see my stories below.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of rescue rabbits awaiting adoption, with many owners finding they
cannot maintain their bunny’s health or relinquishing them when they move house or change
jobs. Consult with a local self-funded animal rescue (links below) about your plans to adopt rabbits
who will be relaxed around children. Any of the volunteer organisations caring for rescue animals
will appreciate your support by adopting one or two of the rabbits they have in care. This meansBudgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 4
they will have space to rescue another pair of rabbits that need saving. With so many homeless
animals across Australia adopting a rescue animal is the ethical and sustainable decision. You can
also use this as a wonderful teaching and learning moment with children.
A local rescue group may even be able to visit your service, but keep in mind they are typically
volunteers who also have full time jobs so you might need to fit in with their schedule outside your
own hours. People often run rescues on the side and fund the fostered animals with their own
income. They would certainly love any donations you could make to them. Rescue is expensive, but
someone has to do it. I encourage you to connect with your local rescue teams and see what sort of
relationships you could form with them. If you have the space, you might be able to foster rabbits
for them rather than committing to owning your rabbits full time. Or perhaps engage in a
sponsorship program with your families? Just a thought!
My 15 year love affair with rabbits
Rabbits are amazing creatures and were part of my life for 15 years. I’ll share my experiences as it
might also help you form a view about whether rabbits are right for your service.
Chino, Russia Kissy-Face, Bumble the Bottom Biter, Vanilla and Bean, Luna, and Spare
Rabbit.
Chino was my first house rabbit, a spontaneous adoption from an after-school care program. He
had fathered some accidental litters of bunnies, and while I had visited because of a shout-out to
adopt one of their babies, I fell in love with him. Then there was Russia Kissy-Face who I bought to
keep Chino company, but he passed away from a heart attack after the neighbour’s dog got into
my yard – he wasn’t physically hurt, but rabbits will quite literally die of fright..Budgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 5
I then adopted Bumble into our lives to keep Chino company, but that went pear-shaped when it
turned out Bumble hated Chino with a passion – hence his full name, Bumble the Bottom Biter.
That’s something to keep in mind when you pair adult rabbits and a good reason to work with a
rescue group as they will usually take back a rabbit who cannot settle in their new home.
Vanilla and Bean were New Zealand White rabbits who came to live with me temporarily – I found a
home for Vanilla but Bean stayed for nearly a decade. They were born as the result of a pet store
attendant incorrectly identifying the sex of two rabbits that someone had purchased
(see Desexing above).
I found Luna dumped at Rookwood Cemetery and it took me a good couple of hours crawling
amongst the hundred year old headstones, through pine needles, and among the old carrots
someone else had obviously use to attempt to catch her. She was such a tease and clearly enjoyed
the thrill of the slow-speed chase! She lived with me for about seven years.
Spare Rabbit was just that … A rabbit that turned up in my neighbourhood shortly after I moved into
my house. It took a few hours to catch her and I never found out her story although she lived with
me for several years.
Bonding issues
Other than Chino and Russia Kissy-Face, none of my rabbits were bonded and none of them got
along with the other. They would often tease and taunt each other. I tried all the tricks to support
their bonding, but with big personalities at play it just didn’t happen. Even the siblings Vanilla and
Bean, who started out bonded, rejected each other when they hit puberty and I was never able to
re-bond them even after desexing. I have had one to three rabbits at a time, and they all required
separate housing. I had to juggle letting them out of their large condo-style hutches so they had
social time and were able to stretch their legs in my sun room.
Saying goodbye
As you’re already aware if you own or are considering pets in your service, they live shorter lives
than we do and you need to be prepared to explain their lives and deaths to young children as part
of your rabbit care program.
Chino lived to be about seven years old and passed away in my arms from a stroke following
anaesthesia, a heart-breaking day.
Bumble the Bottom Biter was part of my life for nine years. He passed away in his sleep in old age
(about nine years). In his final year he had arthritis, grew cataracts and became completely blind.
He had to sleep in a special litter tray with towels because any long hay or shredded paper wouldBudgeting for bunnies
Gabriele Flavin| April 15, 2019 6
become wrapped around his ankles, cutting off circulation. I had to cut up his meadow hay for food,
change his tray twice a day, and do a great deal of washing. He still loved his treats and his kisses
and he was still active and loving and happy to the end.
So yes, rabbits can be amazing creatures who find a way into your heart and never leave, but they
are also a big commitment. So please, before you bring a rabbit into your world, make sure you can
love and support them in the way they need for up to a decade.
More information on rabbit care
House Rabbit Society
https://rabbit.org/
Sydney Exotics and Rabbit Vet
https://www.exoticsvet.com.au/pet-care
About CELA
CELA (Community Early Learning Australia™) is the peak body for Australia’s early and middle
childhood education sector. We believe all children deserve quality early education and care.
Created by Community Child Care Co-operative, built on tradition and prepared for the future. Our
mission is to amplify early learning’s value throughout Australia.
Sign up for our weekly Amplify! blog via cela.org.au or follow us at:
Communityearlylearningaustralia @CELAustYou can also read
