How to Make Your House Rabbit Happy: Having a Pet Bunny is a Lot of Fun, Especially If He's Happy

About three years ago I bought a pet rabbit on the street in Thailand to keep in the house. I felt sorry for her so I bought her a friend and five months later, I had four pet rabbits in my house. At first, I found owning house bunnies difficult as they're a lot more work than you expect. They pee a lot, they poop even more and they eat constantly. Soon though, I learned if I could make my pet rabbits happy, they were easier to take care of, easier to handle and a lot more fun to have around the house. If you too have a house rabbit or are planning on getting one, follow these quick tips and you'll have a happy bunny that will be a joy to own for years to come.

Give Your Pet House Rabbit Lots of Space - Rabbits shouldn't be kept in small cages you buy in a pet shop. Bunnies like to lie down, stretch out and kick their back legs back and take a nap. Trapped in a teeny tiny cage with a wire bottom all day and your rabbit will not be happy at all. That, in turn, will make her grumpy and upset so, when you get home and want to play, she's already bored and biting.

Instead, make sure your pet house rabbit has a lot of space. Now, I'm not one of those people who allows my pet rabbits free run of the house. I don't care what some rabbit owners tell you, bunnies still poop and still pee even if they are 'litter trained' and, during the brief time I gave mine free rein, I got sick of finding little gifts in strange places. Buy a large pen or make one yourself using those wire cube bookshelves and give your rabbits a big space to run in.

I made my rabbits a big pen, which is set up in my bedroom. I put two big litter boxes in there, which I clean out every day, four brightly colored children's plastic chairs for them to sit on or hide under, and two plastic storage boxes that they like to lie on. Give your rabbit that much space to run around in and a few things to climb on or hide under and they'll be the happiest bunnies in the neighborhood.

Talk To Your Rabbits - Some pet rabbit owners seem to think buying a rabbit, shoving it in a cage and feeding it a couple of times a day is enough. It's not. Rabbits are social creatures and hate to be ignored. That's why, I talk to my rabbits throughout the day. If I'm passing the cage, sitting at my computer working or cleaning my house, I have conversations about the weather and the new food I bought them, ask if the air conditioning is too hot or too cold, ask if they want clean water and my rabbits listen right along with me. The noise of my voice is soothing to them, I think, and simply makes them feel taken notice of and not ignored. And that makes them happy.

Play With Your House Rabbits - I always make sure every day I spend at least 30 minutes playing with my rabbits. I roll balls for them, play tug-a-war with a piece of grass rope, run around chasing them (which they love) if I let them play in the living room and generally just make sure they're having a happy time.

Give Your Rabbit Treats - Of course, I feed my rabbits all the healthy foods like hay, pellets, vegetables and a little fruit. But, my rabbits also love treats and one in particular. A small vanilla cookie here in Thailand that are made for children. The size of a US quarter, I make sure each rabbit gets one of these tiny cookies as a treat every couple of days and they are happy for hours afterwards. Just don't give them too many treats or they'll get fat.

Keep Your Rabbits Clean - Rabbits love to be clean, that's why you see them grooming all the time. Keep your rabbits' cage and play area or pen clean all the time. I sweep the floor of my rabbits' pen throughout the day, wipe up any accidental pee I see and always keep the litter boxes freshly covered with new hay. A clean rabbit is a happy rabbit and, without the smell, you'll be happy too.

Don't Pick Up Your Rabbit If He Doesn't Like It - Some rabbits love being picked up and cuddled, some detest it and are traumatized every time it happens to them. To keep your rabbit happy, only pick him up if he likes it. If he doesn't, don't do it unless absolutely necessary as it can be extremely upsetting and make your rabbit very nervous. Eventually, if you keep doing it, he'll run away from you every time he sees you and that doesn't make for a happy rabbit or a happy owner either.

Keeping a pet house rabbit happy is actually quite easy. Play with him, feed him well, give him a big area to play in and sleep in, little treats now and again and pay him some attention, and you'll soon be the proud owner of the happiest rabbit in America.