InfoStream (IS): Why do you believe that rabbits as companion animals has received so little attention?
Tasha Welch (TW): I think one of the main reasons companion rabbits have been so understudied is that the vast numbers of cats and dogs in households and shelters are perhaps overshadowing the popularity of companion rabbits. Over the years we have seen companion cat and dog research receive more and more attention, which is fantastic, however, as potentially the third most popular companion animal and third most relinquished companion animal rabbits should be included in the discussion. That brings me to my second reason, which is, we don’t really have any estimates of how many companion rabbits there are in homes and in shelters or rescues. If we could gather some numbers to provide evidence for their popularity and sadly the numbers of rabbits that shelters and rescues are overwhelmed with I think that others would see the need for attention in this topic. For me, it was my passion for companion rabbits and conversations I have had with organizations and shelter/rescue groups that drove me to pursue this research, so now I think I have a role to play in getting the topic of companion rabbits going. Lastly, I think that rabbits are a bit of an underrated pet. Through the conversations I have had with people, many are surprised I have rabbits as a pet and even more are surprised when they meet my rabbits how similar they are to cats and dogs in terms of having a personality and their affection. So a quote Dr. Coe uses that I think fits here is that ‘people don’t know what they don’t know’.
IS: What is your experience with rabbits as companion animals?
TW: Over the last ten years I have had four rabbits, three of which were rescues. My first rabbit, Thumper, I got when I was 15. She was a bit of an impulse purchase and I had no clue how to care for a rabbit. Luckily my parents supported me and helped me research about rabbits so I learned a lot about rabbits with Thumper. We found out all these things like they can be litter trained, they have personalities, they need access to unlimited hay and they need to be taken to regular vet check ups. I also learned how social rabbits are and after spending hours petting and sitting with Thumper every day she developed this goofy, affectionate and independent personality. After Thumper passed away, I started looking into rescues because of the research I had done and I noticed how there were so many rabbits without homes. So I ended up adopting my second rabbit, Henry, who bonded very closely with me; he would follow me around, sit at my feet when I was doing homework and beg for snacks in the kitchen. After Henry passed I knew I would continue to rescue bunnies since so many needed homes and developing a bond with a rabbit that has gone through whatever horrors in it’s life is a truly rewarding experience. The two rabbits I have now are Alice and Gilbert. Alice was actually a stray bunny we (I volunteer for Rabbit Rescue Inc.) caught when a friend of mine had seen a domestic rabbit roaming her neighborhood. Alice was a particularly rewarding rescue because when I first got her she bit and scratched and was very aggressive but with time she has become an absolute cuddle bug. Gilbert I acquired most recently and he was actually short listed for euthanasia because of an injury and his red eye, which is considered undesirable by people so he would be less likely to be adopted. So Gilly is my little angel bunny and luckily he bonded well with Alice so they both have their happily ever after.
IS: What prompted you study companion-rabbit owners’ knowledge?
TW: I think it really started from when I got involved with a rabbit rescue and noticed how many rabbits were coming in and how many rabbits other rescues and shelters had. Like cats and dogs, there seemed to be something happening to the bond between owners and their rabbit where that bond may either fail to develop or break down and the rabbits end up abandoned. From searching the literature, and going back to my own experience of getting my first rabbit with no knowledge of rabbit ownership, knowledge of caring for a pet is important in the development of the human-animal bond. I was lucky enough to have become educated on rabbit ownership, which I think supported the bond I developed with my first rabbit and I think that bond allowed me to work through challenges of pet ownership like going off to university, moving and changes with work and schedules. Without knowledge of ownership and the human-animal bond there is a risk to the rabbits becoming dispensable and disposable. So I think from my own experiences and passion for companion rabbits this gap in the realm of companion-animal research really stuck out to me as an area that needed to be studied in order to promote rabbit welfare and relationship between people and their rabbits.
IS: From what I understand your survey participants were rabbit owners. Did you survey acquisition sources and veterinarians? If so, how did their knowledge compare with rabbit owners?
TW: We did not survey acquisition sources or veterinarians, however, a study that is being prepared for publication in Massachusetts explored acquisition source staff knowledge of rabbit husbandry. The study found that rescue and shelter staff had the highest knowledge of rabbit husbandry compared to pet store staff. In my study participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest overall knowledge scores compared participants who got their rabbit from other sources. These are two different studies in different populations, so I can’t compare the two, but the findings do support each other and suggest an area for further research.
IS: Can you summarize the results of your research with us? What are the most significant pieces of information that you discovered?
TW: The two consistent factors that we found to influence both owner knowledge and whether participants’ rabbit was spayed or neutered was where participants got their rabbit from and whether they took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. So participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit compared to participants who got their rabbit from other sources. Participants who took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit. So these findings suggest that acquisition sources and veterinarians can play a role in education prospective or current rabbit owners on rabbit husbandry and care and provide information on spaying or neutering of companion rabbits.
IS: How will you share the results of your research and provide acquisition sources and veterinarians with the most up-to-date rabbit care information?
TW: I think the best way to share the results of my research is through conversation. Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend and present at local, national and international conferences and this has been an excellent way to share my research with vast audiences including individuals from various animal-related organizations, companies, groups and stakeholders. These events have been excellent opportunities to start conversations about companion-rabbit ownership and the research I have done and to make connections with people across the companion animal field. Another way to share this research will be to publish the findings, which we are in the process of doing right now. To date I have not developed an education intervention, such as a booklet or website, for acquisition sources and veterinarians to share with current or prospective rabbit owners, however, this is definitely a goal for the future.
IS: How do you feel your research will promote rabbit welfare and have a positive impact on the human-animal bond?
TW: Research on companion cats and dogs has articulated the importance of owner knowledge to play a role in the relationship between people and their pets. Poor knowledge of pet ownership has been linked to increased risks of relinquishment. These findings for cats and dogs support the importance of owner education and I think this needs to be said for companion rabbit ownership as well. The research I have done is really a starting point for companion-rabbit research to promote education prior to getting a rabbit and throughout rabbit ownership. The study I did suggests two important avenues for educating prospective rabbit owners as well as enhancing or correcting the knowledge of existing owners. Acquisition sources can prepare prospective owners by informing them on the basics of care prior to individuals bringing home a new rabbit, and as animal-health experts, veterinarians can support this information and provide additional details on health and welfare if owners are encouraged to take their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. Based on research that has been done on cats and dogs, I think education can go a long way to ensure people are caring for their rabbit correctly, not only for the welfare of the rabbit, but for promoting the development of a positive and long-lasting relationship between the owner and rabbit and ultimately reduce the risk of relinquishment of companion rabbits.
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