In Hong Kong, where space is limited, rabbits can at first sight seem to be the ideal family pet.
Rabbits are friendly and robust and can be handled quite easily by children, but many factors should be taken into consideration before deciding to get one. Special attention needs to be paid to housing, feeding and handling to keep your rabbit fit and healthy.
Rabbits have never become truly domesticated and have retained many of their natural wild behaviour patterns. Because they do not always behave like 'pets', people sometimes lose interest in them and leave them for the SPCA or give them away. Here is some information to help you decide if a rabbit is the pet for you.
A rabbit lives for about six to eight years and needs a long- term commitment from its owner. Rabbits enjoy companionship and live naturally in groups called colonies. It is therefore always better to keep more than one rabbit, but you should make sure they are of the same sex to prevent them from breeding.
Rabbits can start producing litters of six to eight when they are 90 to 120 days old, depending on their breed. Females can breed year round and as the length of pregnancy is only 31 days, you could end up with quite a few litters within a year, and it might be very difficult to find good homes for all the young.
Rabbits can be kept with other animals such as guinea pigs, and this can solve the problem of unwanted births. If you do intend to keep more than one rabbit, have them neutered by a veterinarian. It is easier to neuter the male.