They’re cute, funny, quiet, clean, and there are many other great things about having a rabbit as a pet. I could keep going. But one thing that a lot of people might not know is that rabbits are pets that are good for the environment. Here are seven ways that bunnies as pets make the world a healthier place.
1. You can grow their own food.
Many of the foods they eat can be grown in your own garden. Different kinds of greens, like romaine and other dark leaf lettuce, collard greens, kale, parsley, and cilantro, are eaten by rabbits. You can grow these vegetables in your own home yard. You can feed your bunnies weeds and kill two birds with one stone because they love dandelion greens and flowers. Growing your rabbit’s food yourself is better for the environment because it cuts down on the energy and waste that are used to make, package, store, and ship industrial food. For more information on how to start a garden, read our piece Bunny Gardening for Beginners.
2. You can turn rabbit droppings into compost.
You can make a compost pile out of their used paper litter and their waste, which will then be used to feed your plants. In fact, rabbit droppings have a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus, which plants need to make flowers and fruits. [1] This isn’t true for pets that eat meat, like cats and dogs. It is not a good idea to put their trash in garbage piles. Also, a lot of clay-based cat litter comes from strip mining and doesn’t break down. [2]
3. You can buy hay from a farm in your area
You can buy their main food source, grass hay, and other veggies from local farmers even if you’re not a gardener. This reduces the carbon emissions, chemicals, and other waste that come from shipping commercial food. [3]
Rabbits are good at shredding paper. There’s no need to waste money and electricity on an electric shredder because rabbits’ teeth are always growing, so they need things to chew on all the time. They are happy to get rid of your private papers.
4. The cardboard you refuse to recycle makes bunny toys.
Things that you would normally recycle or throw away are rabbits’ best toys. They love to play with old phone books, toilet paper rolls, towels, cardboard boxes, and other things. Again, this cuts down on the trash that comes from making, shipping, storing, advertising, and packaging commercial pet toys. What if you have to buy your bunny a toy? You can be sure that it will love the cardboard box it comes in, maybe even more than the toy itself.
6. You can’t go to the dog park.
You don’t have to take your rabbit to the dog park often because it’s happy to run around in your home or flat. This cuts down on gas use and carbon pollution. Plus, house rabbits don’t go outside to poop, so you don’t have to worry about how to properly get rid of their waste like you do with dogs. A lot of dog poop bags can’t be recycled or broken down, and germs from dog poop is polluting our storm drains and making people and animals sick. [4]
7. Pets that are clean
House rabbits are very clean animals that usually don’t get sick. This means that soaps for pets, flea and tick treatments, and other medicines will have fewer chemicals and drugs that are bad for you. These pollutants lead to many issues, including bacteria that are immune to drugs, polluted waterways, and health problems for animals that live in water. [4]
There you have it: seven reasons why rabbits are good pets for the world. Another good thing about having a pet bunny!
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The Importance OF Spaying OR Neutering Your Rabbit