FENTON, Mo. — Everything you think you may know about raising a domesticated bunny is likely wrong.
House rabbits are misunderstood, and behind dogs and cats they are the third most abandoned pets in the U.S.
They have those floppy ears, soft fur and mad jumping skills. Domestic rabbits are as adorable as they are misunderstood.
"Rabbits are extraordinarily opinionated. They also have a big sense of humor, and if they don't like you… nothing you do will change their mind," Joy Gioia said.
Gioia is the president of the Missouri House Rabbit Rescue Organization in Fenton. It's an all-volunteer no-kill rabbit shelter and a hoppin' place!
"We have about 150 to 160 bunnies here at any given time," Gioia said.
Many of the rabbits are from local animal controls, surrenders or were left to fend for themselves.
"There's well over 50 different breeds of rabbits and they come from anywhere the Netherland Dwarf at about 2 pounds up to the Flemish Giant or Continental Giant at 20 pounds," Gioia explained.
Gioia started the first shelter in her basement 27 years ago.
"It started in my basement, and we quickly outgrew our basement in our one house. We actually built another house with a bigger basement. We outgrew that and we were very fortunate to be able to purchase the building we're in currently," Gioia said.
As we walk through the shelter I say to Gioia, "I realize their eyes are like on the sides of their head."
Gioia explained, "That allows them to see predators in all directions."
If you want a rabbit from this group, you must learn about them first.
"We do a lot of education here because people have so many inaccurate ideas about rabbits," Gioia said.
"Our orientation class is a requirement for anybody who's adopting, and once they go through class then it's a matter of—now that you know the reality, are you still interested?"
For instance, bunnies are not fans of being held.
"I tell people if you're ok with a bunny sitting next to you and petting, the bunnies like that. they love to be around you, they love the attention, they love to be talked to, but as far as being held—not so much," said Gioia.
Gioia said that yes, Easter is their worst nightmare, but also when school starts… rabbits get dumped.
"When the kids are going off to college or back to school, the parents don't want them. We see that a lot."
Spaying and neutering rabbits is a must.
"When they say, 'breed like rabbits' they're not kidding," said Gioia. She adds that you won't see wild bunnies and domestic bunnies mating.
"They're genetically different. They cannot interbreed. They are that genetically different," she said.
Yet, there is a whole lot of love in the rabbit world.
"Gestation is only 31 days and the female can get pregnant the day they deliver!"
While rabbits are often associated with eating carrots, that's actually not encouraged.
Gioia said, "Bugs Bunny is a myth, OK? That full carrot can make a rabbit very sick. Carrots contain a lot of sugar. Rabbits can only tolerate a very small amount of sugar."
And their cute scrunchy nose acts as an information center.
"Their nose tells them way more than their eyes do. So it is constantly filtering in smells to tell them what's happening around them."
If you are tempted to have a bunny as a classroom pet, Gioia said it is a bad idea for many reasons, namely if it's left there alone for the weekend or school breaks.
"OK, we're closing down for spring break, take a bunny home with you. The people have no idea how to take care of the bunny. What is going to happen if the bunny is sick? There is usually not a budget for spay or neuter. There's not a budget for healthcare and rabbits need healthcare like the dog or the cat," Gioia explained.
Gioia said that rabbits are smart and likely have the intelligence of a 3-year-old. They are loveable animals that make great pets—if you do your homework first.
"There are so many different things we try to do to make sure the bunnies are going to go into a home where it has a happy, healthy life."
If you are interested in fostering or adopting a bunny, visit morabbitrescue.org.